This years gameplan

[Cosmo Kramer]

There seems to have been some fundamental changes to our game plan in 2007 vs 2006. We seem to be attempting to play more the west coast model vs the sydney model we were previously adopting. The biggest change im sure everyone has noticed is having 4 fowards inside 50 in a straight line with the goals at all times. This is similar to what Melbourne did and in my opinion a vast improvement on having no men past the centre line and getting the ridiculous situation of players looking up and having to do u turns off half back because there is absolutley no one to kick to.

Granted carlton did congest the game a bit on saturday night but it did seem against melbourne(not vs carlton) that we had decided to go a bit more long and direct rather than using a chain of handballs to run the ball through half back.

What are everones thoughts on any changes that you've seen in the gameplan or what you would like to see this year. Because as good as the 4 fowards idea there is still a MASSIVE hole at centre half foward (granted we dont have a centre half foward) maybe we could leave a guy like grant birchall a bit foward of the play when the ball is in our backline and push up someone to the centre half foward. Because without it i still think we will have situations where players like hodge,birchall,young who can use the footy will look up as they are crossing 50 and just have a 100m hole and no one to kick to which will result in chipping wide to buy time or frustrating chain handballs which hardly ever work. Thoughts?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Not sure that what you see in an NAB cup game is what you'll get in the season proper, hawkfan.

 

[RustyHawk]

First I believe the 4 in the forward 50 was in the game plan last year.

Always Williams and Dixon with Roughie and Buddy and sometimes when playing Taylor & Dowler and Spider. Always a rotation, never a constant same 4 the whole qrt.

The result. Williams kicked 60 goals, 6 better than the player he replaced Nathan Traitor. Dixon 39 & Buddy 31 goals for the season.

Second I dont believe they used the full game plan against Carlton. I believe the plan is they isolate a 1 on 1 out on the wing/centre area. They didnt do that against Carlton. All players up. Buddy is one of the link men and when he moves out of the 50 Boyle, Dowler, Thorp, Taylor or a Bailey would move in always keeping 4 in the box 2 tall for marking contests & 2 for rebound and leads.

 

[Hawkamania!]

It will be similar to our last few games of 2006.

 

[SodaPop]

It will be similar to our last few games of 2006.

The game plan agianst Carlton was for our midfielders to break lines and kick 9 pointers, hence the big hole at CHF. Come season proper, we'll have the link men .i.e. buddy etc to lurk around there.

 

[hawker11]

Don't think for a second that the game plan in the NAB cup will be applied to the home and away season. The NAB cup are simply glorified practice matches - and in the modern game plans are typically specific to who the opposing side is, and how the opposition are likely to be structured. Of course Clarko is going to tinker with the game plan, and try players in different positions and propose untried foward and back setups. Nothing to lose in late Feb' and early march...

In a nutshell - Wait until the real stuff starts before you judge this year's game plan.