Toast Sydney's Game Plan 2011

[Jack2Johnston]

After touching on this in the Jetta thread, I'm interested in seeing what you guys think of our game plan this year. Specifically how it has changed from previous seasons, and how it is currently aimed at beating to forward press.

By stats this season we are:

1st in Contested possessions
17th in Overall disposals

If that isn't an indication of playing direct football I don't know what is.
I believe that we are one of the few sides that have gone this route this year in order to beat the forward press.

Whilst many sides are playing catchup and trying to play Collingwood's forward press style, we are attempting to develop a style suited to beating it.

I have great faith that as the year goes on and we begin to get our playstyle downpat we may trouble a great number of teams who are still playing to last years game plan.

Longmuire deserves some acknowledgement in the change in style we have seen this year sofar, can't wait for us to fully adapt to it and for it to click

So what do you guys/girls think regarding our style/gameplan this year?

 

[vonn]

I don't really think we have a gameplan.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Gee you've become quite the pessimist this season, Vonn.

 

[BarneyBent]

Gee you've become quite the pessimist this season, Vonn.

Meredith isn't getting a game.

 

[SM]

Gee you've become quite the pessimist this season, Vonn.

HSC-syndrome.

 

[grimlock]

J2J, I've been saying the same things over at the Stats Thread. If you take into account how low our Uncontested Marks (clearly last) are as well, it's definite proof that we are playing a very direct style. That's why it annoys me to no end that in most of the game previews this year in the media, they're quick to say that while our coach has changed, our game plan hasn't.

Absolute balderdash! We may still love our ball-ups and ruck contests but when we do actually gain possession, we don't chip it around as much as we used to. We are direct, and we spread quicker than in the Roos era. It will be interesting to see how we fare against Collingwood this year, we've struggled in getting the ball out of defence even in the years preceding their now infamous forward press.

 

[The King!]

I think we are attacking more and we are more likely at time to push through the middle. I think our forward set up has been wonky at times and we probably still create too many shots on angles

 

[Jack2Johnston]

J2J, I've been saying the same things over at the Stats Thread. If you take into account how low our Uncontested Marks (clearly last) are as well, it's definite proof that we are playing a very direct style. That's why it annoys me to no end that in most of the game previews this year in the media, they're quick to say that while our coach has changed, our game plan hasn't.

Absolute balderdash! We may still love our ball-ups and ruck contests but when we do actually gain possession, we don't chip it around as much as we used to. We are direct, and we spread quicker than in the Roos era. It will be interesting to see how we fare against Collingwood this year, we've struggled in getting the ball out of defence even in the years preceding their now infamous forward press.

Yep it's definitely a new game plan, and it is a good one for dealing with the press in my opinion.

I'm not surprised the media gets it wrong, just surprised more Swans supporters haven't picked up the definite change in the way we move the ball. Figured I'd make a thread on it to make sure I wasn't just imagining things.

Our FWD 50 entries are a classic example, we used to play around with it just outside 50 trying to spot up an option, but with zoning defenses this becomes much harder, so instead we are more often going with the long kick into fwd line.

Even more obvious is the run out of defense, I assume part of this has been masked by the Injuries that have plagued our backline, but a staple of our defense used to the running handball chain even going back to 2003.

This has changed fairly dramatically with long kicks and run being the preferred method.

Our FWD line has looked dysfunctional, but looked at its best when Pyke and Mumford were rotated through there. The contested mark is going to make a comeback in a big way imo.

 

[grimlock]

IT should be an interesting clash of styles as the Hawks' numbers are almost the complete opposite.

High in Disposals
Low in Contested Disposals
High in Uncontested Marks

 

[Swans120]

Not the kind of stats that typically do well at the SCG, it must be said.

 

[Leg End]

I think we are attacking more and we are more likely at time to push through the middle. I think our forward set up has been wonky at times and we probably still create too many shots on angles

very true - but think, just 5 short years ago we had BBBH, MickeyO, ROK supported by JBolton, Schneider.

In the last 2 years, our forward line was intended to be Bradshaw, TDL, Jesse white. none of these guys are playing seniors at the moment.

This is why 4 wins/1 draw from 7 games is a tremendous effort when we haven't even finalised forward structures.

 

[jpdixon]

very true - but think, just 5 short years ago we had BBBH, MickeyO, ROK supported by JBolton, Schneider.

Often had a wonky forward set up back then too.

 

[RW]

I can't be bothered looking up the stats but I remember that in our grand final years of 2005-06, our kick to handball ratio averaged somewhere in the vicinity of 1.7:1 to 2:1. Useful benchmark to aim for.