Positives

[Stiffy_18]

There haven't been many positives so far this year. In fact there has been a lot of hearache along the way with some of the softest performances in a LONG LONG while. However, most of us like to focus on the positives. What have been some of the positives for you this year?????? For me in no particular order

• Win a bloody showdown
• The form of a couple of youngsters in particular Hentschel and Jericho
• Emergence of Ken McGregor as a genuine KPP who can play at both ends of the ground. He still has a way to go as a CHF but he is improving each week in the position
• Continuing emergence of Johncock
• A slight change in a game plan that seems to be moving in the right direction. We are stil hot and cold with it but when its on we play some good footy
• Club's real resolve in playing youngsters at all costs

What have been the positives for you so far this season??????

 

[DaveW]

Stenglein emerging as a quality attacking inside midfielder.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by DaveW
Stenglein emerging as a quality attacking inside midfielder.

Yeah, forgot to add that. He has been sensational ever since Goodwin went down with the groin injury.

 

[Leigh Roy]

Aye Dave.

Would that gameplan on Sat night hold up against the Pies?

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by Leigh
Would that gameplan on Sat night hold up against the Pies?

I think it would work a treat. Pies game plan is pretty defensive and relies heavily on rebound from half back (ala power). If we can limit Collingwood's run off half back flank then I think you are a very good chance of winning. Also what collingwood like to do is flood so quick movement and quick precise delivery to our forwards is crutial.

Game plan that we had against Power would beat any side in the comp. The challenge is to execute it properly on consistent basis.

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by Stiffy_18
I think it would work a treat. Pies game plan is pretty defensive and relies heavily on rebound from half back (ala power). If we can limit Collingwood's run off half back flank then I think you are a very good chance of winning. Also what collingwood like to do is flood so quick movement and quick precise delivery to our forwards is crutial.

Game plan that we had against Power would beat any side in the comp. The challenge is to execute it properly on consistent basis.

That game plan Ayres and co dreamt up for Saturday was a cracker.

If the opposition leave it as we set it up, then we score very very easily due to the open spaces to lead into. If they put loose men across our HF line and we leave our loose men back, then they can't score as Port found out.

It makes the opposition play on our terms for a change.

The challenge is not whether it will continue to work, but as Stiffy says, to execute it properly on a consistent basis.

 

[lacrow]

I think - and this may just be my naive American viewpoint - that we should continue with this gameplan for the rest of the season.

It seems to me that we were unable to beat any of the top 4 sides for the last 2 years (even when we were 2nd last year we still hadn't beaten Bris, Port, Pies)... all sides that flood the half-back line. By flooding our HF line - so to speak - with Carey, Jericho, Welsh, McGregor, Johncock, etc. and leaving our forward line very open for quick guys like Edwards, we can negate this tactic very well.

Plus, the added benefit - which no one has yet mentioned - is that this setup allows Carey to play a semi-Pagan's Paddock, in that he roams up the ground and then is allowed to run through the forward 50 gathering possessions and scoring more easily and more naturally (for him). I really believe that is why he had such a good game against the Power - he was allowed to play HIS style of game.

Keep up the good work Gary!

 

[bigman]

The positives for this year are that we are beginning to develop at last a spine with enough size and eventually muscle for the future. Kenny at CHF or CHB, Watts at CHF or FF, Hetschell at Fb or CHB and possibly Krueger in a KP, offer us a potential spine that we may have never seen at the club, even in the halycon days of 1997/98.

The development of a tall quick defence is also beginning to occur with Begley, Massie, Mattner, Hart, all options in this area. All are hard running and quick and have different skills to give to the team. (eg Harts coolness under pressure, Begleys long kicking and Mattner's tackling).

We are also developing a better crop of midfielders with Johncock, Doughty, Burton, Roo, McLeod, and Stinger all capable of playing effective football here and using good skills under pressure.

The performances of Jericho and to a lesser extent Scott Stevens have also been encouraging.

We now need to find a 10 year ruckman and some more midfielders with a blend of some real hard nuts who will get the footy and others with fine skills who will distribute the ball effectively to the forward lines. I would be keen to know who fits the bill from Under age competitions around the country.

In tems of ruckmen De Luca from the Eastern Ranges and Batson from the North Ballarat Rebels are two 200cm players who have displayed fine form this year. Both are fine athletes, who have excellent marking skills and can kick on both sides of their body.

With another clever year of recruiting and trading wisely we can develop a fine team over the next two or three years.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by macca23
That game plan Ayres and co dreamt up for Saturday was a cracker.

If the opposition leave it as we set it up, then we score very very easily due to the open spaces to lead into. If they put loose men across our HF line and we leave our loose men back, then they can't score as Port found out.

It makes the opposition play on our terms for a change.

The challenge is not whether it will continue to work, but as Stiffy says, to execute it properly on a consistent basis.

Ayres changed the gameplan !!!

I had another look at it. It worked pretty well. Credit where credit is due, I think Ayres finally has come up with an answer for the Crows against teams that flood back.

If this continues to work anywhere near as well as it did against the Power, then that is by far & away the most significant positive to come out of round 7 for the Crows.

 

[jc67]

Ayres changes the SETUP not the gameplan!

 

[Stiffy_18]

Originally posted by jc67
Ayres changes the SETUP not the gameplan!

Spot on.

The game plan has NOT changed. The game plan has stayed the same. The set up has been thinkered with so it gives us better chance of beating a team that relies heavily on rebound from defence.

The game plan has remained the same as it has been throughout the year. The only difference is that it was executed properly and we looked to move the ball quickly and down the corridor. The game plan has not changed it was just executed properly.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by jc67
Ayres changes the SETUP not the gameplan!

Both.

The small leading forward versus a tall stationed in the goalsquare, having two talls on opposite sides of CHF, a better zone for kick-ins and a player roaming free in the backlines is most assuredly a change in both setup and gameplan.

Ayres has abandonned the man-on-man-at-all-times gameplan. There is more of an emphasis placed on quick movement forward, and less on finding a pass to a free player.

Finally, there was less player rotation through the bench, and more "saving" of fresh legs until the final quarter.

I don't know what you would call these changes other than a change to the gameplan.

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by ok.crows
Both.

The small leading forward versus a tall stationed in the goalsquare, having two talls on opposite sides of CHF, a better zone for kick-ins and a player roaming free in the backlines is most assuredly a change in both setup and gameplan.

Ayres has abandonned the man-on-man-at-all-times gameplan. There is more of an emphasis place on quick movement forward, and less on finding a pass to a free player.

Finally, there was less turnover through the bench, and more "saving" of fresh legs until the final quarter.

I don't know what you would call these changes other than a change to the gameplan.

I think you have this spot on.

Definitely a change in both setup and gameplan in my book.

We also abandoned the long bomb to a pack, to play a far more intelligent game when going forward, which the change in structure accomodated.

When did we last see the Crows pass off so intelligently in our forward 50??

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Originally posted by macca23
When did we last see the Crows pass off so intelligently in our forward 50??

Very true. Our foot skills / taking the best option / slick movement of the ball were generally great all night, compared to other games this year where they have been ordinary.

 

[maccas_no1]

Originally posted by macca23
I think you have this spot on.

Definitely a change in both setup and gameplan in my book.

We also abandoned the long bomb to a pack, to play a far more intelligent game when going forward, which the change in structure accomodated.

When did we last see the Crows pass off so intelligently in our forward 50??

Not for a longtime and I think the AFC finally bit the bullet after the Geelong game,bombing the ball into the forwards is never going to work and the AFC should have known that anyhow

 

[naughty monkey]

Originally posted by macca23
I think you have this spot on.

Definitely a change in both setup and gameplan in my book.

We also abandoned the long bomb to a pack, to play a far more intelligent game when going forward, which the change in structure accomodated.

When did we last see the Crows pass off so intelligently in our forward 50??

Round 5 against Richmond?

It must be noted just how little pressure the midfielders were put under from Port. Added to that it seemed as if Chad Cornes was allergic to McGregor by the amount of space he gave him. Both of these were huge factors in the win imo. I don't think teams like Port or Brisbane (or Essendon, or Freo, or Collingwood, or ...) will let Adelaide get away with that again.

I know Saturday night "looked good" but let's not get too carried away. We've yet to see Adelaide produce this kind of form when they have been under any real pressure.

Sorry for being negative on a thread about the positives, but that's just the way I see it.

Positives in order for me have been:-
Jericho - looks like a 10+ year player
Massie has become an integral part of the defence, smart player.
Hentschel - has taken a big step forward this year cementing a spot in the 22, needs another 5+ kgs next year to go any further.
Riccuito and Burton have picked up where they left off last year.
A willingness from the coaches to try and play Biglands around the ground and not solely as a Ruckman, succes will come slowly though.
Fergus Watts looks as the he is a star of the future.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Originally posted by naughty monkey
Positives in order for me have been:-
Jericho - looks like a 10+ year player
Massie has become an integral part of the defence, smart player.
Hentschel - has taken a big step forward this year cementing a spot in the 22, needs another 5+ kgs next year to go any further.
Riccuito and Burton have picked up where they left off last year.
A willingness from the coaches to try and play Biglands around the ground and not solely as a Ruckman, succes will come slowly though.
Fergus Watts looks as the he is a star of the future.

Well summed up & I would also add Stinger finding his 2002 rather than 2003 form.