Janus
Advocatus Diaboli
- Sep 9, 2007
- 23,361
- 57,143
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls
You know how if you drop something on the floor, popular wisdom is that it's 'okay' if it's only been there three seconds? (even though it's actually now covered with germs)
Well, let's extrapolate that to football, because it applies to how we play as well, or specifically, the options that we take. It should take only three seconds to assess every option available when it comes to playing on:
Adelaide were hugely successful in 2017 using the second and third phases of this style of play, because it gave them the appearance of being fast with ball movement. They loved those 45 degree kicks after they wheeled around to running players that were moving into space. However, when that avenue was shut down by Richmond's full-field press, their only option was to go back and take their kick - and if the option on the angle was closed down when they had just marked the ball, it was suicide when they went back to take their kick...so they were forced to head down the line.
Fortunately for Port...because of our leg speed and running capability, we have the first option - to wheel around and play on. What this does is force defences to make a choice - either be sucked toward the ball to stop the run, exposing their flank with a 45 degree kick or keep their defensive shape and be cut up with run and carry.
And even if we do have to go back and take our kick - since we have at least two contested marking forwards in Dixon and Watts, we are assured that sides won't simply push us to the line, because Dixon has the ability to win the contest.
Obviously, in order to execute this style of play you need kicks that actually reach their intended target quickly and clean grabs. You also need every player to be agile and athletic but with a thirst for the contest, because the only way to stop this style of play is at the source by denying the mark in the first place. But that's where our defensive systems kick in.
If it sounds simple, it is. Football, like any sport, is a simple game. In terms of tactics, it's just angles, which is basic mathematics. The hard part is the execution, especially under pressure. That's why it's important to put opposition players under pressure at all times - any team in the competition can win if given enough space and time to execute their method.
We have the effort and we have the method. This year, it's all about speed - specifically, how fast we can execute those two things together. Eventually, our speed will be so fast out of defence that our ball retention will be like quicksilver going down the field.
I posted this on the Hawthorn forum back in 2014, before we played them in R10:
We could play that way back in 2014 because opposition teams gave us the space to do so, because they didn't rate us very highly. Now, we are creating our own space. This is what we've been working towards for the past five years.
By the end of the year, we will be the greatest Australian Rules football team in the world. Of that I have no doubt.
Well, let's extrapolate that to football, because it applies to how we play as well, or specifically, the options that we take. It should take only three seconds to assess every option available when it comes to playing on:
Adelaide were hugely successful in 2017 using the second and third phases of this style of play, because it gave them the appearance of being fast with ball movement. They loved those 45 degree kicks after they wheeled around to running players that were moving into space. However, when that avenue was shut down by Richmond's full-field press, their only option was to go back and take their kick - and if the option on the angle was closed down when they had just marked the ball, it was suicide when they went back to take their kick...so they were forced to head down the line.
Fortunately for Port...because of our leg speed and running capability, we have the first option - to wheel around and play on. What this does is force defences to make a choice - either be sucked toward the ball to stop the run, exposing their flank with a 45 degree kick or keep their defensive shape and be cut up with run and carry.
And even if we do have to go back and take our kick - since we have at least two contested marking forwards in Dixon and Watts, we are assured that sides won't simply push us to the line, because Dixon has the ability to win the contest.
Obviously, in order to execute this style of play you need kicks that actually reach their intended target quickly and clean grabs. You also need every player to be agile and athletic but with a thirst for the contest, because the only way to stop this style of play is at the source by denying the mark in the first place. But that's where our defensive systems kick in.
If it sounds simple, it is. Football, like any sport, is a simple game. In terms of tactics, it's just angles, which is basic mathematics. The hard part is the execution, especially under pressure. That's why it's important to put opposition players under pressure at all times - any team in the competition can win if given enough space and time to execute their method.
We have the effort and we have the method. This year, it's all about speed - specifically, how fast we can execute those two things together. Eventually, our speed will be so fast out of defence that our ball retention will be like quicksilver going down the field.
I posted this on the Hawthorn forum back in 2014, before we played them in R10:
We could play that way back in 2014 because opposition teams gave us the space to do so, because they didn't rate us very highly. Now, we are creating our own space. This is what we've been working towards for the past five years.
By the end of the year, we will be the greatest Australian Rules football team in the world. Of that I have no doubt.
