Ross Lyon and close games

[Benji McPherson]

Hey guys, just a question regarding the weekend's draw.

Are there any concerns at Freo that Lyon's gameplan sometimes wobbles a bit in close games with Finals-like intensity? I know there were some concerns at St Kilda over the years that when push came to shove, his gameplan unravelled a bit when the pressure increased. For instance in all the grand finals they played which they either lost or drew.

Sydney are known for their intensity, so was just curious what you thought. The fact you drew and did not lose is obviously a good thing, but a win would obviously be much better.

 

[estibador]

Have you seen the guys we are missing from our team?

Without Lyon's gameplan we wouldn't have got close enough to draw.

 

[FunkyFreo2]

A bit of straight kicking and we win by 5-6 goals. Not much a game plan can do about professional footy players forgetting how to kick straight. I think the great win vs the Pies last week shows we're ok under pressure.

 

[Lord Rod]

Reasonable question, but I think the last two weeks answer it fairly succinctly..

 

[Outshined]

While I'm not into painting Lyon as the messiah (he's just a very good coach), we kicked 9.16 on the weekend. He puts structures in place and provides a cohesive gameplan which has held us in good stead, but in the end it's up to the personnel to execute. I posted in another thread that from our three close games this season we've gone LWD for 6 points out of 12. Considering the issues with injuries we've had as Esti pointed out (no excuses, but a mitigating factor), most are quite content with this. I'm of the opinion we should have won the Sydney game, but that was due to atrocious finishing by some players who the week before used the ball extremely well inside 50. You could even argue that the steel Lyon has provided to the group kept us in a winning position against Essendon, all but for Mayne's miss.

In regards to St Kilda and the finals they played in during Lyon's tenure, they had no problem with high intensity QFs or Prelims in 2009/2010. Like I alluded to initially, you could argue the 2009 Grand Final was as much an issue with skill execution as it was to do with the gameplan. They didn't take their chances against one of the greatest teams of the modern era, and they lost. In 2010 they looked gone against an arguably better team in Collingwood, but a bit like we did on Saturday, surged and almost won it. They never had a chance the week after, the players were mentally shot from being so close to ending the drought.

Obviously we have had a few issues with mid game fadeouts, but the difference between Freo now and previous teams is our ability to keep ourselves in the game, rather than simply spiralling to a defeat. Most attribute this to Lyon, which seems a fair assumption. So nah, no concerns from me yet.

 

[Freo Dr]

Hey guys, just a question regarding the weekend's draw.

Are there any concerns at Freo that Lyon's gameplan sometimes wobbles a bit in close games with Finals-like intensity? I know there were some concerns at St Kilda over the years that when push came to shove, his gameplan unravelled a bit when the pressure increased. For instance in all the grand finals they played which they either lost or drew.

Sydney are known for their intensity, so was just curious what you thought. The fact you drew and did not lose is obviously a good thing, but a win would obviously be much better.

You mean like the way Hawthorn's does when the pressure is really up on smaller grounds and contested ball needs to be won such as the GF or whenever it rains?
We dominated the I50's despite our injuries before and during the game and would have won if normally routine chances were taken like Mayne x2, Ibbotson and others or if a young player like Sutcliffe had not made a couple of glaring mistakes which cost us goals. Much like Geelong were the better team in 2008 if not for missed shots on goal by Mooney, sometimes the better team on the day doesn't win but a team and players still learning the gameplan will learn from this and improve.

Show me a team in history who plays better under intense tackling pressure and I'll show you how to turn lead into gold. But a team crumbling under the pressure would not have come back at all from 27 points down with 11 minutes to go.

 

[Sman-21]

Kick straight we win.
Johnson doesnt mess up final kick by getting too far underneath it and kicking it too high, losing distance we win.
Away from home, against last years premiers and not just any players out but our most important ones out.
Coming from about 27 points down to almost win it.
Beating Collingwood the week before after they came back hard and got infront.

Yeah mate im real worried.

Shall i go on, yeah i think i will.

What happened to Hawthorn when we applied massive pressure to them in a final??
What happened to Geelong when we applied massive pressure to them in a final?
What happens to Hawthorn when they make a grand final as favourites and have pressure applied to them?

We play finals type footy every week.
Yes it steps up another level but our players will be ready for it.
Our gameplan isnt pretty but it is suited for finals footy and is whats needed in september.

 

[yakka man]

In 2011 I flew to Victoria to watch us play Melbourne at the MCG. We lost by 80 points, so yes I prefer close games. It always gives us a good chance of winning.

 

[Benji McPherson]

In 2011 I flew to Victoria to watch us play Melbourne at the MCG. We lost by 80 points, so yes I prefer close games. It always gives us a good chance of winning.

A bit disingenuous since your list is very highly-regarded nowadays. Through little work of Ross Lyon I might add.

 

[yakka man]

A bit disingenuous since your list is very highly-regarded nowadays. Through little work of Ross Lyon I might add.

Where do you draw the line? Afterall recruiters put the list together and it hasn't changed much at all since 2011. But why am I indulging you? We go through thiss every week with muppets like you.

Ross Lyon is the best coach we have ever had, end thread.

 

[estibador]

A bit disingenuous since your list is very highly-regarded nowadays. Through little work of Ross Lyon I might add.

Ok so you're obviously only here to bag Lyon.

Stop polluting our board and go do it on the main board thread with all the other muppets.

 

[Quokka]

Put simply I've never been more confident of Fremantle performing in close games.

Sure Ross Lyon has a very distinctive game plan but he acts and reacts to what's happening as the game goes on and I don't think we've always seen that with previous coaches, at least not done well.

As for Finals, I was there when we beat Hawthorn at Subiaco in 2010 and it was awesome. Beating Geelong at the MCG in 2012 was better and a bigger step forward for the club.

 

[purplefrog]

Hey guys, just a question regarding the weekend's draw.

Are there any concerns at Freo that Lyon's gameplan sometimes wobbles a bit in close games with Finals-like intensity? I know there were some concerns at St Kilda over the years that when push came to shove, his gameplan unravelled a bit when the pressure increased. For instance in all the grand finals they played which they either lost or drew.

Sydney are known for their intensity, so was just curious what you thought. The fact you drew and did not lose is obviously a good thing, but a win would obviously be much better.

No concerns.
To take a list like St Kilda had (6-7 A graders and the rest reasonably average) to almost a flag is not too bad.
I believe we have a better list now, than what St Kilda had so am very optimistic for the next few years.

 

[Schauermann]

Most gamesplan look wobbly in close games that could have gone either way.

 

[dockshark]

A bit disingenuous since your list is very highly-regarded nowadays. Through little work of Ross Lyon I might add.

Ross Lyon is not ultimately responsible for recruiting at Freo, and neither was Mark Harvey. Ross Lyon works for Chris Bond in Fremantle's org structure and and Chris Bond and the recruiting team are responsible for list management. I suppose we wouldn't want facts to get in the way of a cool story though brah.

 

[Benji McPherson]

Ross Lyon is not ultimately responsible for recruiting at Freo, and neither was Mark Harvey. Ross Lyon works for Chris Bond in Fremantle's org structure and and Chris Bond and the recruiting team are responsible for list management. I suppose we wouldn't want facts to get in the way of a cool story though brah.

That was my point actually mate. Trying reading out loud if you're having trouble deciphering complex sentence composition.

 

[clogged]

A bit disingenuous since your list is very highly-regarded nowadays. Through little work of Ross Lyon I might add.

The list has not changed much since 2011. The side that lost to Melbourne was arguably better than the one that played on the weekend against Sydney.

 

[dockshark]

That was my point actually mate. Trying reading out loud if you're having trouble deciphering complex sentence composition.

How about you try ****ing off back to your own board where you can go ahead and feel free to start condescending threads under the guise of a genuine question.

Hopefully you won't have trouble deciphering that one there pal.

 

[Seppo]

That was my point actually mate. Trying reading out loud if you're having trouble deciphering complex sentence composition.

Your complex sentence composition had me re-reading your post to make sure what you meant about Lyon.

He has influenced our list to make it regarded in the way it is today, not through blooding new kids, but getting the most out of our middle tier and fringe players.

You left that very open to interpretation by not clarifying why our list is considered 'highly regarded'.

 

[Taylor]

You know Hawthorn have had he same number of games decided by less than four goals than Fremantle right?

Diff 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Freo 28 28 -4 -42 1 45 27 0
hawks -7 50 55 42 3 11 37 83

 

[awaremind]

What a stupid ****sucker!
Lyon is as good as any of the best coaches in the AFL I'm sure his win/loss ratio would support that.
BTW we know what a folding team looks like, this isnt one.

 

[whiteoak]

I know which coaches gameplan used to "wobble a bit"** under a bit of pressure.

And it isn't Ross Lyons.

**fall to pieces.

 

[JunglistPosse]

Hawks have had a few close ones with Geelong in the last 5 years haven't they?

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Hey guys, just a question regarding the weekend's draw.

Are there any concerns at Freo that Lyon's gameplan sometimes wobbles a bit in close games with Finals-like intensity? I know there were some concerns at St Kilda over the years that when push came to shove, his gameplan unravelled a bit when the pressure increased. For instance in all the grand finals they played which they either lost or drew.

Sydney are known for their intensity, so was just curious what you thought. The fact you drew and did not lose is obviously a good thing, but a win would obviously be much better.

The big difference is, we were storming home with a full sail.
Sydney were hanging on for grim death.

 

[Grape Bear]

We had no business even drawing that game with Sydney. Everyone had written us off when the lead ballooned into 27 points so close to the end. All credit to Ross and the boys who clawed their way back and almost pinched the win. It's a testament to the changing mentality and attitude of our playing group, even just comparing it to what it was a few rounds ago when we were playing the Hawks in Aurora.

Ross is not the sole reason for this new "never say die" side, but these close wins and losses have given the playing group the confidence that the game plan holds up if they do their part in executing it. It is also becoming increasingly obvious that they have put their trust in their coach's ability to see where they are getting beaten, make the right adjustments, and help them get the chocolates as reward for effort.

To be fair, both with the Essendon and the Sydney game, had our kicking been more accurate or our intensity been consistent over all four quarters, we would have beaten both sides handily. With Sydney especially, we were particularly wasteful in the earlier part of the game and also in the last - we easily had 10 more scoring shots than they all game, and this is without our usual scorers on the field. This tells me the Ross' game plan holds up. Also, it's not often mentioned, but the playing group's fitness levels are insane. We ran out that lsat game after an intense 4 quarter effort.