Toast Points Against

[malpaso]

With 1 game to go in Round 7, we are the 3rd best defence in terms of 'points allowed'. The two teams ahead of us are Carlton and St Kilda who have yet to play.

The good news in this is that our 'defensive' side of the game has obviously transitioned to Lyon's gameplan. The 'offensive' side will come. I'd say we are in good stead and shaping up nicely with quite a bit of improvement to come as we've yet to play near our best.

 

[Scham]

Defence is very good.

Unfortunately our forward line has the amazing ability to make even the most average of opposition defences look a million dollars.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

We've had a flaky defence for as long as I remember so good to see a consistent effort

 

[westy1]

We've had a flaky defence for as long as I remember so good to see a consistent effort

big call there
grover,macpharlin,hayden,parker etc... say hi
kicking goals has always been our weak point

 

[Arcassius]

Maybe we should bring Silvagni in for Ballas then Westy

 

[estibador]

And the encouraging thing is our points for could be a lot better if we could kick it through the two big sticks for a change.

It's not like we are dourly defending at the expense of creating any chances. We're just managing to blow all those chances.

 

[Righteo]

Once Mundy and Barlow find some form we'll look 10 times better and more dangerous, as long as we're defensively sound I'll be pleased and we are.

It's very surreal now that with such a strong defence and increased tackling pressure we're a chance of winning all our games as long as we kick straight, even if it's dour and low scoring we'll still be right in it till the end and hope our strong last quarter run gets us home.

It's also why I'm confident of beating teams like Richmond and Melbourne away for once because I can't see us rolling over like we have done so consistently in the past.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

where are all the points coming from? i don't really pay attention. because our shots on goal seem to be quite good. are they being kicked on the run?

 

[Arcassius]

2 posters to clarke, misses by crowley (at least 1 set shot and 1 on the run from memory), that set shot by hill, a couple of rushed behinds

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

then other than clarke, the forwards are kicking accurately, but the mids are missing. perhaps there's merit in the idea that fatigue is causing the spate of poor finishing afflicting the league. look at the ridiculous number of points so far this weekend:

MEL 6.13 (49) vs HAW 15.25 (115)Full Time
GWS 13.16 (94) vs GCF 9.13 (67)Full Time
ADE 19.8 (122) vs GEE 10.12 (72)Full Time
RIC 13.13 (91) vs SYD 8.14 (62)Full Time
BRI 8.10 (58) vs COL 17.14 (116)Full Time
ESS 16.17 (113) vs WCE 7.10 (52)Full Time
NMK 12.11 (83) vs WBU 15.11 (101)Full Time
FRE 12.15 (87) vs PTA 7.5 (47)Full Time

 

[Nickos66]

Those Lyon defensive structures are looking good, but then defence has never been a weakness of ours.

 

[Clay Davis]

Defence has never been a weakness, but it's never been a strength. And it has been prone to lapses where teams can pile on goals late.

I have this strange sense now that if Freo are up at half time they'll win the game. Never had that before. Be interesting to see if that holds for the rest of the season.

 

[estibador]

It's a weird feeling now to be 20 points up and feel like we're in control of the game. Under Harvey (or any other Freo coach really) you felt like a 20 point lead could evaporate in seconds. Hell, I used to feel like a 40 point lead could evaporate in seconds.

Now 20 points feels like a match winning lead. The Lyon effect.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

but... but.... but.... dawson is so rubbish!!! how could he be involved in something so good????

 

[Tazmania]

It's a weird feeling now to be 20 points up and feel like we're in control of the game. Under Harvey (or any other Freo coach really) you felt like a 20 point lead could evaporate in seconds. Hell, I used to feel like a 40 point lead could evaporate in seconds.

Now 20 points feels like a match winning lead. The Lyon effect.

and they did! Regularly. Anyone else remember that game at subiaco in 2004 against Melbourne. Freo 10 goals up at 3/4 time and lost in the last 1/4 cause it started raining.

The only game my wife has ever attended with me and she looked at me with pity that day...

 

[Dockernut]

The only game my wife has ever attended with me and she looked at me with pity that day...

Hard lines. The only game I managed to get my missus along to was the JL goal after the siren match.

 

[FreoRicci]

It would be an even better percentage boost if some of these shots actually result in goals. Mentioned in the paper that we are 85 goals 83 behinds. No wonder some teams always seem to be in it..

 

[raffrox]

Pretty sure you'll find that after tonights match we have the best defense (as far as points against) in the AFL.

 

[kp junior]

but... but.... but.... dawson is so rubbish!!! how could he be involved in something so good????

So you attribute our excellent defence this year entirely to the back 6? It is clearly an 18 man team defensive strategy. Dawson is just one link in that.

 

[Tazmania]

Pretty sure you'll find that after tonights match we have the best defense (as far as points against) in the AFL.

Yeah but the lowesT points for in the 8 as well

 

[raffrox]

Nice pluck of a negative.

I was going to say something about our forward line but you can go discuss it in one of the 100 threads 'discussing' it if you like.

 

[Scham]

Yeah but the lowesT points for in the 8 as well

How efficient up forward have the Saints been tonight. 46 inside 50's for 19 goals 8! Watching that game compared to ours yesterday is like watching a different code of footy or something. We need to get our forward line sorted and bloody fast.

The Saints were playing with 2 talls and 3 smalls in their forward line most of the time. We should try that and go with Pav, Clarke, Ballas, Neale and Walters or Crozier. Mayne is obviously the other forward.

 

[malpaso]

How efficient up forward have the Saints been tonight. 46 inside 50's for 19 goals 8! Watching that game compared to ours yesterday is like watching a different code of footy or something. We need to get our forward line sorted and bloody fast.

The Saints were playing with 2 talls and 3 smalls in their forward line most of the time. We should try that and go with Pav, Clarke, Ballas, Neale and Walters or Crozier. Mayne is obviously the other forward.

It was all setup by pressure, the Saints just didn't stop trying. Carlton couldn't play their outside game because they have no one to go in and get the footy and FINALLY someone puts a hard tag on Simpson, not sure why we didn't.

 

[Wigarus]

Yeah but the lowesT points for in the 8 as well

Second lowest. We are in front of Collingwood on percentage.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

We are now the best defensive side in the comp

We are sitting on 508

Fremantle - 508
Sydney - 537
Carlton - 537
Essendon - 549
St Kilda - 555
West Coast - 565
Adelaide - 579
Richmond - 582
Hawthorn - 585
Collingwood - 610

Then the rest are all 630+