Analysis What (if any) are our deficiencies?

[db26]

Lots of small players can mean we are vulnerable to being bullied in the air if the opposition use it well.

Ruck is still not an area of strength, there are a number of teams with better starting rucks.

I would say footskills through the midfield, apart from Dusty the others can be suspect or just safe by foot rather than cutting teams up.

KPD depth is very thin. Lose 1 of Grimes or Astbury and we are in trouble.

They would be the main ones off the top of my head.

Going by that full rebuild. Let's back the boys and coaching alot of rubbish was said about us last year when we were depleted with injuries rest is history.

Without a doubt we need to improve and involve like the rest of the competition.

Ruck is fine plenty depth.

 

[juss]

Going by that full rebuild. Let's back the boys and coaching alot of rubbish was said about us last year when we were depleted with injuries rest is history.

Without a doubt we need to improve and involve like the rest of the competition.

Ruck is fine plenty depth.

Not at all, it just shows we aren't perfect, no team ever is. It shows the value in all our other areas and how good our coaching and player mentality and work ethic has been. For every deficiency there I could list half a dozen strengths but the deficiencies still certainly exist.

In regards to ruck depth, we might have a few that go through, but one is a former Cat B rookie who is solid in the hitouts but still improving elsewhere, one is undersized in the ruck itself, carrying a groin complaint and not great at rucking, the other is a kid who hasn't yet proven it at AFL level.
Our starting ruck would be behind at least 8-10 other clubs probably, and possibly more if I went through club by club. It's fine, he can compete on his day, but there's no doubt it's a relative weakness that could potentially be exploited in a march.

 

[Wallaby]

I must admit - I'm worried about our ruck stocks for all the reasons cited above.

However, a couple of points.

1. There seems to be little or no relationships between Hit-outs and clearances. Sure, we all love the isight of the ruckman hitting the sprinting rover on the chest etc - but it happens so rarely, I'm prepared to say it's just luck when it does. The sides with the 3 most dominant ruckmen in the league (Gawn, Grundy, Witts) had the worst clearances per hit-out ratio (along with Hawthorn). All being tall means is that it's your random hand that touches the ball first rather than the guy slightly shorter.

2. There seems to be little relationship between goals scored per clearance. Richmond, GWS, and Geelong were the highest scoring teams last year (played most games including finals). GWS had the best ratio of goals per clearance in the league. Geelong were 4th. Richmond were 11th.

3. A team won the premiership a couple of years ago playing a second ruck who was barely 6ft tall. They sometimes used a half-forward flanker to ruck in the GF!

OK - I see a ruckman's primary job is to negate the other ruckman. You have to have one, otherwise the opposition will get a significant advantage eventually. But when both sides have a ruckman, there is no benefit either way.
The second major job of a ruckman is to be an extra mid. He runs around the ground a lot, he's always at the clearances. He's a big body. That's what Nank is good at - he influences contests when he is there. He takes a couple of contested marks now and then. (No ruckman takes a significant amount of contested marks). His major downside is that he makes quite a few clangers - primarily giving away frees - when compared with other rucks.

 

[mad_tiggy911]

Defence due to Rance being a selfish prick and retiring.

 

[Tony Harrison]

I must admit - I'm worried about our ruck stocks for all the reasons cited above.

However, a couple of points.

1. There seems to be little or no relationships between Hit-outs and clearances. Sure, we all love the isight of the ruckman hitting the sprinting rover on the chest etc - but it happens so rarely, I'm prepared to say it's just luck when it does. The sides with the 3 most dominant ruckmen in the league (Gawn, Grundy, Witts) had the worst clearances per hit-out ratio (along with Hawthorn). All being tall means is that it's your random hand that touches the ball first rather than the guy slightly shorter.

2. There seems to be little relationship between goals scored per clearance. Richmond, GWS, and Geelong were the highest scoring teams last year (played most games including finals). GWS had the best ratio of goals per clearance in the league. Geelong were 4th. Richmond were 11th.

3. A team won the premiership a couple of years ago playing a second ruck who was barely 6ft tall. They sometimes used a half-forward flanker to ruck in the GF!

OK - I see a ruckman's primary job is to negate the other ruckman. You have to have one, otherwise the opposition will get a significant advantage eventually. But when both sides have a ruckman, there is no benefit either way.
The second major job of a ruckman is to be an extra mid. He runs around the ground a lot, he's always at the clearances. He's a big body. That's what Nank is good at - he influences contests when he is there. He takes a couple of contested marks now and then. (No ruckman takes a significant amount of contested marks). His major downside is that he makes quite a few clangers - primarily giving away frees - when compared with other rucks.

I'm more worried about Nank being able to play out games now.
I remember that pass in the GF that he was running for in the f50 but just couldn't get to it.
It was right in front of where I was sitting and I remember thinking he was running like Maric was towards the end when his body was cooked.
I do hope he can get his body right though.

 

[joelsyt]

Another deficiency I noticed yesterday, goals kicked from stoppages in our defensive 50.

It happened a lot last year and it looked like we had it worked out by Grand Final day but it creeped back in yesterday.

 

[tony__montana]

Lack of true height in defence. Grimes, Astbury and Broad is a phenomenal combination as proven last year but would feel better with one more 195+ big down there. Thats why Balta stepping up as a KPD would be great for us.

Apart from that we're good

 

[Ahsog]

Defence - Need an athletic intercept KPD that can provide rebound plus a good medium lockdown defender.

Ruck - Soldo is ordinary. Probably the worst starting ruck in the comp.

Midfield - need another ball winning mid as we still get dominated in this area at times.

Wingers - we have no natural wingers who can provide pace and polish on the outside.

Forward - no issues.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Dealing with contested ball. Not winning it necessarily, but ensuring that the other team doesn't get clean ball from contests. This means Ross and Graham taking that role and allowing Cotch, Dion etc to use their tools to the best.

Tall mobile defenders. Rance coming back will be good.

Other teams working out our game plan (which has happened already) and us not doing effective countermeasures.

Otherwise we're OK. If we can play our game then we win - easy. If teams take the ball away from us and keep it we lose - easy as that.

 

[tony__montana]

I noticed in both nob cup games that both the pies and giants were finding targets 35-45metres up the ground in space effortlessly. Just shows how incredible our team defence and setup is bc I can rarely if ever recall sides being able to do that over the last few years. Its usually short chip kicks keeping off, not line breaking 40 metre kicks through the guts. Not a worry bc once the real stuff starts we wont allow that just observing how spoilt we've been in restricting oppos in the way they can beat us

 

[db26]

I guess that's what these games were for and Dimma and co would be on to them a few weaknesses.Like us to win more contested ball to.The thing that holds us in great stead we got a few great kids pushing, so who can be the next Stack or Pickett even these blokes so much more to offer.

 

[Meli]

We matched them in a very strong area of thiers & a weak area of ours today - contested ball

That was their focus for the game then....

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

Our biggest deficiency is that we only have one Jayden Short.