Strategy The System

[76woodenspooners]

I thought the script was play with freedom, take risks and if you make a mistake (or two) use the windscreen wipers to wash them away and go again! Unless you are John Noble.

That’s only under some circumstances …

• We only take risks with the ball. No risks are taken when the opposition have the ball.
• We typically take risks when we are behind on the scoreboard. We don’t take as many risks when we’re well ahead, which explains why we win by small margins a lot
• We avoid risks with ball movement within the D50.
• Our new players haven’t learnt how to take risks. The were examples when inexperienced players took a mark around the D50 line, and they went back and looked around (allowing the opposition to set up) before taking the kick down the line. Under those conditions a more experienced player would have played on and set up a chain of handballs.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Shout out to Tony Shaw with his famed playbook.
I think he had the idea, but no one knew how to communicate it effectively back then.

The difference today is that Fly has a teaching background, he clearly puts a lot of work into setting up the classroom environment, communicating ideas, getting players to remember them, and the players executing on them quickly when they need to. I reckon that’s his superpower.

We also have more coaching resources to allow effective division of labour. We now have a Justin Leppitsch sitting up in the box and focusing on how well the plays in the playbook are working.

 

[Vicky Park]

They hold up the boxing gloves-Rocca - we go all out offensive system.
Up goes the 35 - Presti - we go the defensive system.

As an aside, I was sitting on the fence very near to the opposition interchange bench when our VFL team played Coburg earlier this season. It turned into a shocker for us, with Coburg winning their first game in several (?) years.

But even the Coburg coaches/assistants knew about our plays, as (I think it was during the tense last quarter) they were telling their players that we were going ‘Rocca’.

This also reinforces what has become increasingly apparent this season with our debutants, that Fraser coaches the twos to follow our ‘system’.

 

[The Phantom]

The difference today is that Fly has a teaching background, he clearly puts a lot of work into setting up the classroom environment, communicating ideas, getting players to remember them, and the players executing on them quickly when they need to. I reckon that’s his superpower.

We also more coaching resources to allow effective division of labour. We now have a Justin Leppitsch sitting up in the box and focusing on how well the plays in the playbook are working.

The difference is 30 years of communication evolution.

 

[larrikan]

Interesting from the clubs early season training video was Wades running groups. He said it was ‘positional’ like in games. They were divided into:

Leading patterns
Pressure runners
Grid runners - mids
Rucks
Transitional runners

The way we look at players in regular positions has changed. It’s more than he is a forward or back. Every player clearly has a role to play in this side. Later in the video Bolton emphasises roles again while highlighting let the talent like Naicos and DeGoey just play outside the roles sometimes.

Interesting, when you start to think where each player fits into above categories. I suppose it’s why we see players in different positions at training. Maybe it’s one of the role groups.

This along with how posters here have articulated the system is what we are the best at.

The Pies are ahead of the big footy scribes.

So when people write Moore was on Larkey. That's not the case. Its just our minds work in traditional positions which only exist at the 6 6 6 setup.

So picking our best 23 depends on matchups from the opposition that week. Its not always like for like replacements.

In addition, not knowing the system may be a reason a player like Fin Macrae is not picked.

Ginnivan recently said he struggled with the Collingwood forward line system.

So if a transitional runner is injured we replace him with a transitional runner, he might not be the next best player or the best VFL player.

Not even the fox footy geniuses have picked it up.





Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Lockyer24]

Haven’t read the thread in total but someone may have mentioned this.

Each role in our team has a code name. EG the Cobra. They don’t have positions.

So a player either has that role most weeks or it’s one that gets shared around due to rotation, strategy or new players coming into the team. Each role/code name has certain functions and responsibilities and I’m sure the players have quite detailed dossiers for each.

 

[CollSea]

What a great thread! Thanks for the insights. For once an intellectual read that deepens understanding of game rather than the mostly emotionally charged drivel on this site.

Also beats the so called fox footy analysts with their vague overview and cliched terms like 'contested footy', 'wanting it more' and 'transition'.

Would love to for this to be updated weekly on particular strategic moves people pick up in each game

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Haven’t read the thread in total but someone may have mentioned this.

Each role in our team has a code name. EG the Cobra. They don’t have positions.

So a player either has that role most weeks or it’s one that gets shared around due to rotation, strategy or new players coming into the team. Each role/code name has certain functions and responsibilities and I’m sure the players have quite detailed dossiers for each.

 

[northcotehead]

Depending on how our most recent match went I tend to fluctuate from a) Fly is a genius and his system will produce a dynasty of silverware even with a list of mediocre campaigners and b) Fly got lucky with an aging core of talented battlers but this system of manic pressure in short bursts is unsustainable long term

 

[sr36]

Depending on how our most recent match went I tend to fluctuate from a) Fly is a genius and his system will produce a dynasty of silverware even with a list of mediocre campaigners and b) Fly got lucky with an aging core of talented battlers but this system of manic pressure in short bursts is unsustainable long term

Me too. Our system works when we are fully switched on and can maintain pressure, but when we're not switched on it looks awful and full of holes.

Need to get them fully switched on for the next 8 games, as they will be for finals.

 

[No SPIN]

Me too. Our system works when we are fully switched on and can maintain pressure, but when we're not switched on it looks awful and full of holes.

Need to get them fully switched on for the next 8 games, as they will be for finals.

Our manic style is too taxing over 4 QTR’s, thereby requiring us to pace ourselves.
The art which we’ve yet to perfect, is keeping the opposition within 1-2 goals so that our final run overwhelms them and gives us a sizeable lead they can’t close.
If we’d kept GCS to within 1-2 goals at 3QTR time, then our onslaught in the final QTR would have been enough to win.

 

[jmac70]

Our manic style is too taxing over 4 QTR’s, thereby requiring us to pace ourselves.
The art which we’ve yet to perfect, is keeping the opposition within 1-2 goals so that our final run overwhelms them and gives us a sizeable lead they can’t close.
If we’d kept GCS to within 1-2 goals at 3QTR time, then our onslaught in the final QTR would have been enough to win.

There was no mania in the second and third quarters.
Fly looked pretty pissed off in the press conference.

Expect a big response next Friday night.

 

[manicpie]

Me too. Our system works when we are fully switched on and can maintain pressure, but when we're not switched on it looks awful and full of holes.

Need to get them fully switched on for the next 8 games, as they will be for finals.

We just don't have the quality that the really good sides have. Our midfield is shallow and our defence is all system based, which sides have worked out this year. The biggest problem is that every side is confident that their midfield is good enough to beat us. Especially now that everyone is tagging Nick. Our rucks are below the modern day rucks who's follow up work is elite. We have a lot of holes and are starting to be worked out. We can still play a part this year but it might be time to play Moore as a forward ruck. We miss being able to run Elliott through the middle from time to time. We just don't have the list compared to the Sydney and Carlton or even Brisbane. It's not a write off this year but fly is going to have to work out a way to counter all this

 

[jmac70]

We just don't have the quality that the really good sides have. Our midfield is shallow and our defence is all system based, which sides have worked out this year. The biggest problem is that every side is confident that their midfield is good enough to beat us. Especially now that everyone is tagging Nick. Our rucks are below the modern day rucks who's follow up work is elite. We have a lot of holes and are starting to be worked out. We can still play a part this year but it might be time to play Moore as a forward ruck. We miss being able to run Elliott through the middle from time to time. We just don't have the list compared to the Sydney and Carlton or even Brisbane. It's not a write off this year but fly is going to have to work out a way to counter all this

Imagine if we still had Grundy, Adams and Treloar…

 

[manicpie]

Imagine if we still had Grundy, Adams and Treloar…

That really cost us. They would see us as the equal of any side in the comp. It's hard watching them in other sides

 

[Monco Matt]

I think system refers to pre-planned structures and running patterns, plug and play where any player can fill the role within the system. For example, quite often after we conceed a behind we will kick out to the left hand side wing, then try to win the ball from the pack at ground level then flick it out to the inside with a short kick or handball chain and run through the corridor, this is a "system" of play but requires players lined up ready to execute. We would have many systems, like when you often see us kick long down the wing from the back flank and we tap it over the back for McCreery or Hill or WHE to run on to it, this is a "system". Or when we win the ball back at half-back center and we chain run through the middle with Crisp, IQ, Naicos & Pendles/DeGoey moving together with overlap handball, this is a "system" of play. There would be heaps of pre-planned methods of ball movement but all is known to the players depending on where the ball is and the situation. It is about playing with a level of control and knowledge of how we move the ball from defence to attack and to do it without hack/dump kicks hoping we get there, this is to be avoided as much as possible. Something like this is what I think "system" means.

 

[sr36]

We just don't have the quality that the really good sides have. Our midfield is shallow and our defence is all system based, which sides have worked out this year. The biggest problem is that every side is confident that their midfield is good enough to beat us. Especially now that everyone is tagging Nick. Our rucks are below the modern day rucks who's follow up work is elite. We have a lot of holes and are starting to be worked out. We can still play a part this year but it might be time to play Moore as a forward ruck. We miss being able to run Elliott through the middle from time to time. We just don't have the list compared to the Sydney and Carlton or even Brisbane. It's not a write off this year but fly is going to have to work out a way to counter all this

I'm not as concerned as you. I think all our losses have been about us. 3 at the start of the year through being slack. Yesterday about coming off the bye still on holiday - being slack for a half. North first half about being slack. Doggies about having mids out and eventually getting worn down in the midfield. Just got to have closer to a full team and players switched on for the fight.

Personnel wise - running defenders is an issue and why we're getting trapped for long periods in defence. IQ is using the ball badly. Markov playing downright badly. Noble is border line. And no one likely this year to come in and help. We might need to get Crisp and WHE back there, but Crisp back there will need either Mitchell back or Sullivan to stand up better in the midfield and WHE back there needs tall forwards fit or to rob the defence of Howe, whose kicking from defence is great for our transition, so that exacerbates the problem.

Like every contender, we'll need a lot to go right, but we're well and truly still in this if that occurs.

 

[Monco Matt]

I'm not as concerned as you. I think all our losses have been about us. 3 at the start of the year through being slack. Yesterday about coming off the bye still on holiday - being slack for a half. North first half about being slack. Doggies about having mids out and eventually getting worn down in the midfield. Just got to have closer to a full team and players switched on for the fight.

Personnel wise - running defenders is an issue and why we're getting trapped for long periods in defence. IQ is using the ball badly. Markov playing downright badly. Noble is border line. And no one likely this year to come in and help. We might need to get Crisp and WHE back there, but Crisp back there will need either Mitchell back or Sullivan to stand up better in the midfield and WHE back there needs tall forwards fit.

Like every team, we'll need a lot to go right, but we're well and truly still in this if that occurs.

Yep! All roads lead to Rome, doesn't matter HOW you get to Week 1 of finals, just get there (hopefully inside the Top 4). But what is most important is to have a fit and fresh list playing its best footy, minimal injuries, no more than 1 or 2, no key players unavailable and all your top players in form. Just get to this position at the end of August and it doesn't matter how you did it. These are the teams that can win the flag. Often there will be a few teams that are fully primed, we just need to be one of them.