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Slow Backline

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roomagic1984

roomagic1984

All Australian
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Location
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AFL Club
North Melbourne
With all this talk of our backline being slow, what are our options to speed it up?
Atley was a shining light last week. I was looking at potential players and saw Harper - he is pretty quick isnt he?
How would the team be with Atley and Harper coming off the half back flank? I really like Harper but he hasnt been an impact these last few weeks - maybe fatigue is kicking in?

B: McMahon Thompson MacMillan/Firitto
HB: Atley Grima Harper

If JMac takes the back pocket, get Fitirro in the guts / use a stopping role?
 
Yup. Mullet...or McKenzie.
 

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The speed, or lack there of, issue is a bit of a non-issue if you ask me. Not everyone needs to be quick. Others such as McMahon and Thompson make up for it in other ways. As long as there is a good balance of nous and pace we will be alright, but if the midfield don't apply enough defensive pressure it doesn't matter how quick the defenders are.

However, going forward, we have:
Kennedy will eventually make it into the backline. The boy is quick and not just for someone 192cm.
Cam Delaney is quick and agile for a 194cm KPP.
Macmillan is decent enough speed wise.
Atley will eventually make it to the middle but will continue to liven things up off the back flank.
Mullett has some pace.
 
The problem is that our defence are getting no favours from our midfield and when your opponent is receiving kicks to their advantage well it just exacerbates our problems.

Until our midfield do their job and plug holes across half back and guard space properly then our defence will be exposed.

I would move Atley to the middle as he can create and break lines. Yes this would take a lot of run and dash from our defense but I believe the best form
of defence is attack and Atley breaking the lines across the wing would more than likely have their defence more on the back foot and less inclined to move forward. Mullet could grow into that run and carry role if given the chance like a lot of the younger blokes have been given. I would also like to see Kennedy come in for Firitto to add strength and Disposal efficiency as Spud just turns it over too often. Our key defenders should be Thompson and Petrie and yes I'm going to harp on Petrie to CHB because we are too one dimensional with him at FF. We are so easy to defend against. Black and Tarrant from the square with Hansen roaming CHF.

That's my take anyway.
 
This speed in defence is the biggest load of horse shit I have heard in years. If you have a back 6 that protect the space in the defensive 50 and when they get the ball have options from midfielders to kick to then why do you need speed?

We can put the olympic sprint team in the back line, if they have nobody to kick it to then they will still look like idiots.

You will often not notice it from watching the game on TV, but the reason we piss fart around with the ball in the back line is because the mids are standing around like cones with hands on hips, are congesting space and are not creating an option or space for the defenders to quickly take the ball out of the back line.
 
true tas,but said back 6 need to have sufficient skill to deliver the pill to the options,something that is sadly lacking at the moment,and probably discouraging most mids from busting a gut only to be burned by poor delivery and watching the ball go flying back into opposition forward 50
 
muttley45 said:
true tas,but said back 6 need to have sufficient skill to deliver the pill to the options,something that is sadly lacking at the moment,and probably discouraging most mids from busting a gut only to be burned by poor delivery and watching the ball go flying back into opposition forward 50
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I agree, ability to dispose of the ball when under pressure and the skill level when fatigued are our two biggest concerns, skill development hasn't really been a serious focus for the club for a long time, it was last year after it became bleeding obvious but many of us couch experts have been crying about the lack of skill development for years.
 
Our Backline is the one part of our team that isn't slow, don't know why you are all reading into a theory concocted by Dermie of all people.

Look at West Coasts Back 6 compared to ours on the weekend

Glass/Grima
Mackenzie/Thompson
Schofield/Firrito
McGinnity/McMahon
Hurn/Atley
Selwood/MacMillan

We're bloody quicker!
 
have you seen the kick on hurn ?????
 
Mixed Results said:
Our Backline is the one part of our team that isn't slow, don't know why you are all reading into a theory concocted by Dermie of all people.

Look at West Coasts Back 6 compared to ours on the weekend

Glass/Grima
Mackenzie/Thompson
Schofield/Firrito
McGinnity/McMahon
Hurn/Atley
Selwood/MacMillan

We're bloody quicker!
Click to expand...

Dont bring facts into the argument on here.
 

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Mixed Results said:
Our Backline is the one part of our team that isn't slow, don't know why you are all reading into a theory concocted by Dermie of all people.

Look at West Coasts Back 6 compared to ours on the weekend

Glass/Grima
Mackenzie/Thompson
Schofield/Firrito
McGinnity/McMahon
Hurn/Atley
Selwood/MacMillan

We're bloody quicker!
Click to expand...

This. And besides, every team is going to look slow against the likes of Ablett, Bennell and Patrick. Proper disposal is the best way to counter this, thus depriving them of turnover opportunities whereby they create a one out foot race in space.
 
Where we are slow is the forward half. When we turn the ball over inside 50, we can't keep up with the opposition's defenders as they switch the ball and get past the centre almost completely uncontested.

Although,I think part of the problem is the style we play with everyone pushing up leaving the forward 50 nearly empty. This causes our forwards to have to sprint going forward on a fast-break (basketball like) which tires them. Works great when we don't turn it over, but even when it does work, it means we are kicking at goal with fatigued legs.
 
muttley45 said:
have you seen the kick on hurn ?????
Click to expand...

Yep, and exactly why we should be going after David Nalbandian.

David-Nalbandian-kick-610x321.png


In all seriouslyness though, as outlined above, Dermie's F.O.S. Midfield pressure and better disposal under opposition heat and nobody would be mentioning our backline's speed, or perceived lack thereof.
 
LT Smash said:
And let's not lose sight of the fact that it was Dermott talking about this non-issue. Not like it came from an expert.
Click to expand...
But he sounds like he knows what he's talking about:rolleyes:
 

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This is what i dont understand we drafted 2 blokes that are foot soldiers in McKenzie and Sierakowski yet one hasnt played and the other has played 10mins .... both can kick 60 like hurn....
I was pretty excited when we picked up these two blokes as i though that meant we were addressing the fact that we r the worst team in the comp from kick outs (and we still are) yet we use handball or bomb long ....
 
TROO said:
This is what i dont understand we drafted 2 blokes that are foot soldiers in McKenzie and Sierakowski yet one hasnt played and the other has played 10mins .... both can kick 60 like hurn....
I was pretty excited when we picked up these two blokes as i though that meant we were addressing the fact that we r the worst team in the comp from kick outs (and we still are) yet we use handball or bomb long ....
Click to expand...
Well, McKenzie is 76kg's wringing wet and Siera hasn't really set the world alight in the twos, so I can understand why they ain't playing yet. Both still have "aspects of their game they need to work on" TM Brad Scotts.
 
Tas said:
I agree, ability to dispose of the ball when under pressure and the skill level when fatigued are our two biggest concerns, skill development hasn't really been a serious focus for the club for a long time, it was last year after it became bleeding obvious but many of us couch experts have been crying about the lack of skill development for years.
Click to expand...
That, and general level of intensity when fatigued.
 
B Tron said:
Well, McKenzie is 76kg's wringing wet and Siera hasn't really set the world alight in the twos, so I can understand why they ain't playing yet. Both still have "aspects of their game they need to work on" TM Brad Scotts.
Click to expand...

The whole team has aspects they need to work on. the whole preseason was about skills and endurance and these two aspects i only saw against essendon rd1 when we had more legs in the last qrt and geelong when we hit targets n didnt bomb long to 1 on 3's ....
There are many players that have aspects of their game to work on but they keep their spots...
 
Because they are deemed more AFL ready. Which says a bit about McKenzie and Siera.
 
B Tron said:
Because they are deemed more AFL ready. Which says a bit about McKenzie and Siera.
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Yehh well i guess your happy with the standard we are displaying... its disgusting !
Sometimes to be AFL ready you need to be given a real go not 10mins as a sub etc..
The VFL doesnt benefit everyone..

We wont make finals so its time to explore who is AFL capable
 

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