The Zone Defence

[Kildonan]

The Hawks have been in the news a lot recently. They are recognised as being well coached, much like Collingwood and Geelong. This is because the players have the skills required to perform the roles asked of them, and because the players know what to do - they have been drilled into being able to perform their roles without any significant instructions needed from the coach. The well drilled clubs have the luxury of using that structure that they've set up on the field to strengthen their weaknesses. Hawthorn's squad is filled with smallish midfielder types (when compared to many other teams). They don't want a one on one battle - they will lose more than they win if they allow contests for the ball to be essentially one on one battles. Instead they use a zone play similar (but more complex) to basketball. They zone off (meaning that they spread the players across the field in a grid-like pattern) and they bring numbers to every contest - so that they outnumber the opponent at most contests. This way they can out-possess the opponent spiriting the ball towards the forwards.

This style of play is a zone adaptation of the possession style game. It requires discipline and a sense of teamwork. When all is going well it looks beautiful and it is hard to see it being overcome. It has been in development for some time - but is only now being given recognition because it is a very successful gameplan.

Clubs are now searching for tactical approaches that nullify this gameplan.
Early last year the Saints had a decent attempt at it in the first match, but we were undermanned and they (Hawks) ran away with it in the last quarter. If you remember - there was a bit of grumbling - it was a low scoring affair and both coaches came under scrutiny as to what was being served up to the viewing public. The next time we met, late last season we beat them (after having several players return from injury). The Saints are doing OK on the tactical front.

Hawthorn is conceding an average of only 42 inside-50s a game, the least of any side in the competition, five fewer than the next best team, St Kilda, and eight fewer than the AFL average.

The tactic is becoming more widespread. Port Adelaide used a similar approach to the Hawks in their win against us. We looked awful and I was upset that we didn't overcome the Power but I believe that it is all valuable experience for the coach and the tactical thinkers at the club.

The zone tactic is a midfield structure. Once we get the ball past the zones - our tall forwards should dominate. The problem is that the zone structure forces opponents to use the defensive area and the wings.

The tactic most likely to succeed is simply speed - not so much running speed, but that can help, but playing on before the zones can be set up. Using the kicking skills of players like Goddard to negate half of the opponents zoned players by kicking over them to a marking option.

 

[sauce_head]

Re: My Day Today

The best tactic against zones is to penetrate it and move the ball. So in this instance it would be to run through the zone, in a diagonal fashion. When the defending players are committed to the man with the ball, they collapse to him. This means we need players in front on the ball to move it to when this occurs. THe only other way is to switch and run hard.

It is not that difficult in basketball to defeat a zone with teamwork, however it takes discipline to set up properly structurally and players to sacrifice to draw the defender (like Gehrig has been doing).

It is not insumountable. AFL players just need to understand that positional team structure will be imporatant. Bball players learn this from the first match due to a lack of space. The best AFL players can do it all themselves, until the make the grade, so it is a greater cultural change.