The 2nd quarter melt-down...

[Roachy8]

Perhaps for a bit of discussion...

Really started from midway in the 1st but anyway... I'm interested in hearing other views on causes for the chronic apparent change in our usual and intended game-plan (quick movement - LONG KICKING) which resulted in yesterdays 2nd quarter shambles. (The handball frenzy!!!)

You could see it unfolding... I'm sure all spectators could, the bronx cheers when we actually kicked the ball showed this...
I reckon the coach(s) would have seen it & surely the players could feel it as well yet it appears only a break between quarters can stop the avalanche of over possession infection when it catches.
Cotchin's frustrated kick at the loose ball just after the half-time siren showed he knew full well that it had been a train-wreck of a quarter.

So isn't "tempo football' the apparent solution to stopping opposition teams on a massive run-on? When switching to a hold & slow-down style you must kick the ball so that marks are taken and time is slowed down.

Just wondering why the coach did not call for a change in style... get the runner out to the team leaders, Newman, Cotchin & Deledio to hold on to it a bit longer just to regroup. Too simple?

I know... young squad learning to execute and master a fast moving game plan and all that but even Geelong 'pull the handbrake' occasionally to regain control of momentum.

 

[santa claws]

not much anyone can do when you cough up the ball so often by hand or foot or thru shonky decisions.

while we have so many who lack in the above categories we are always going to have games or quarters where we get crucified.

i keep on saying it leopards do not change their spots or in our case many players we have will always revert to type.

to me skills smarts size and structure are the reasons why we are a 15th placed team and will remain so if we do not find a way to overcome these problems.

 

[SteveoTheTiger]

I put it down to a lack of skill under pressure.

When the other team gets a run on and our player grabs the ball and looks up to see 3 or 4 opponents running at him he reverts to the Terry Wallace gameplan of handballing in a circle of 3 or so players until we lose possension and give up a goal.

 

[T4P]

Our performance in the second half just proves that it was a mental thing. Put it down to inexperience and hype. I would be surprised if it happened again.

 

[Spluff]

They must have let Wallace in the rooms.

 

[sante]

I think Hardwick wants them to learn the hard way. It was definitely a shambles, but the 2nd half is where we will learn the most from.

 

[captain blood 17]

While Hardwick would have liked the win, there was some "tweaking" of the game plan. We lost momentum when Delidio went onto the ball in the second quarter, rather than sit behind it. As soon as he went defensive again in the third, we got our mojo back. A few times moving the ball forward, there was an absolute refusal to kick it to a contest, we instead went for a handball option trying to move it through the lines. Their loose man in defense also tore us a new arseh*le in that quarter.

 

[jko'neal]

1. Did the Cousins situation get the better of a few of our guys? May have had some doubts after controlling the game early and not putting the score on the board. We really need to develop as someone else mentioned, how to slow down and play tempo footy. All the better sides when the opposition gets a run on, will shut the game down for 5-10mins and just stop scoring at either end.

2. Hardwick seems to be making the players learn how to control these types of situations, which is a good thing IMO. He could have easily sent Jack or someone else loose back for a while to stop the onslaught but didn't.

3. Did Port miss a target in that 2nd qtr?? Everything went right for them and IMO they played out of their arse for about 20mins. They had players marking turning on one step and hitting guys lace out from 50m.

 

[thecotch]

It was like an avalanche really. I just couldn't understand why the on field leaders couldn't take a bit of control and put some numbers back. We simply stood by and watched the power completely take over and dominate us in every facet of the game. We simply became cardboard cut-outs and took it without lube.

It's a real shame because we certainly easily won the other 3 qtrs IMO even though scores were level at qtr time.

 

[tiggywigs]

Young sides learnng a new game style frequently have these brain meltdowns. What is important is the way they fought back.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Young sides learnng a new game style frequently have these brain meltdowns. What is important is the way they fought back.

Agree. Although the 2nd quarter was horrible, that isn't our game style at all. It was just a lapse and probably only our 4th or 5th really bad quarter since about Round 8. We played 2 bad quarters against the Blues and one against the Roos and probably 1 against Collingwood

 

[Rustof]

To be fair Ports kicking in the second qtr was amazing, couldn't miss a target or goal. Though there were a few times when we had a break and we just kept handballing when we could've gone long.

 

[Roachy8]

All valid reasons punters...

Young side
Late in the season
Still learning to execute the game plan
Port were having 'a blinder' in the 2nd

Perhaps we started too well in the first 10 minutes, relaxed a smidge and let them in?

Anyway... the nub is that it was a 10 goal 'against' quarter... & it was against Port!!!!
Just disappointing that we were not able to stem the flow until half time in the rooms.

As it turns out it was a little too late! (Good effort to fight back from what, 59 points down & all but against a top 6 side we would have lost by a million)

We need to learn how to manage the damage when the other team gets on a roll...

Anyway... Giddy-Up... Mad Monday & The Off-Season beckons...

 

[Bazzar]

From memory Cuz twice, Nahas twice and Edwards once had direct turnovers by hand that resulted in 2nd qtr goals. They got the pill and tried to be fancy with ridiculous handballs and paid the penalty. But its all part of the learning curve.

Also im wondering how O`Rielly being knocked out contributed to the re-focused third qtr. Every single Tiger going off the ground down the race, had their heads tilted over watching him unconscious on the ground. It would have been a terrible 5 minutes for them not knowing his condition.