What the hell is our game plan?

[eb075]

Just back from the G and I can't figure out what this year's plan is. We get off to sensational starts and then spend the rest of the match running around in circles handballing to each other.

Fair dinkum, the number of times I've seen a group of 3 or 4 players running together within 1 or 2 metres of each other and THEY ALL MUST GET A HANDPASS!!!!!! For s--t sake, kick the damn thing. Add that to the p--- poor decision making and basic skill errors and we're not getting beaten, we are tossing it away. Last week 5 points down and Solly goes across goal to a Footscray player in front of goal and bang, 11 point margin. Today JJ marks just inside 50 (INSIDE 50!!!!!) and kicks to a pass that doesn't come off - new rule number 1, if inside 50 - HAVE A SHOT! If you can't make that distance you shouldn't be playing. 3rd quarter, McVeigh drops overhead mark BY HIMSELF, turnover - goal to Collingwood. And there are more, more more ....

I HATE being beaten, but I even more HATE throwing it away. We've been beaten by 18, 11 and 17 points all after good starts. Just think if we'd straighten up and stop making bad skill errors we could be 4.0

Phew - feel better now. Great game Hille - finally come of age. Hird - well .... he's Hird. And to think I'll be able to tell my grandkids that I wathced him play!

that's it.

 

[Sam the RAMA fan]

I agree..
sh** game play.
No direction.

 

[M29]

I would have thought the game plan was simple. Kick... Handball, handball, fumble, handball, kick, turnover...

 

[Daytripper]

Today JJ marks just inside 50 (INSIDE 50!!!!!) and kicks to a pass that doesn't come off - new rule number 1, if inside 50 - HAVE A SHOT! If you can't make that distance you shouldn't be playing.

JJ hasn't been able to kick more than 45 metres for a few seasons now.
He was always going to pass.

 

[sheller891]

we have no idea what to do when kicking into our foward line (or up to half foward)

stupid decisions and terrible skills cost us so much

 

[zafa23]

The reason for our excessive handballing and fudging around is because we have no forward structure. If there's nothing to kick to then obviously you're going to handball it around and try to hold it up a bit.

Even when we do have Lloyd in the team the problem has been there. Our half forwards and wingers just break down...there's not enough experience there.

All teams have to do is pop a spare man in defence and our attack falls apart. Chris Grant did for the doggies and Clement did it today.

Its very similar to the position Hawthorn were in last year, fortunately they've found Croad as an option to straighten them up a bit.

 

[eb075]

JJ hasn't been able to kick more than 45 metres for a few seasons now.
He was always going to pass.

Yeah, but I'd still rather an old fashioned bomb to the goal square than trying to pinpoint a pass into what nowadays is an over crowded space - ridiculous.

My point is - (and I'm NOT one of those people who moan about the "good old days" when players just kicked from one end to the other, I generally believe footy today is fantastic) - BUT there must be a point at which you say "ok, close enough let's have a shot". You'll either get it, or, hopefully, take your chances in the goal square. I believe that "point" is the 50 metre line. Of course the other side of this coin is bloody McVeigh who is DETERMINED to kick goal of the year over his shoulder from deep (DEEP!!!!) in the pocket.

 

[sheller891]

you see other teams half fowards working hard, and leading to space...

and NOT ALL TO THE SAME SPACE

some fowards will lead to one side, others to the other side

leaving free spaces...

we just don't run hard enough or think at all

 

[blumfieldisback]

I wouldn't think our game plan is our porblem, the gameplan has been good enough to get to 28 and 16 point leads against bullies and collingwood. I would ask the question what is going on with our skills and decision making.

A number of skill errors costs us goals, slattery being hit on the head which i think lead to clements first goal for a year, hird missing shots from straight in front, bradley missing that last shot in the 3rd quarter, fletcher kicking that 10 metre kick straight to the opposition and when he over ran a ball, Andrew lovett overan a bouncing ball which could have been a goal if he picked up.

It doesnt matter what the gameplan is when you have these costly mistakes, that game could be excused for being a pre-season opener not round 4.

What i cant understand though is a our structure, sure lloyd is out but why have rioli and jason johnson at ff. There the players that should be front and centre when a lucas, hille, hird or watson is at FF they shouldnt be targets. If we have to have a small option it would have to be lovett because of his pace.

Boy do we need laycock back because ryder just isnt up to it and i have been saying that since round 1, even dermie said "he is very gifted, but he needs to look like he is trying", he needs to bloody well earn his spot shouldnt be handed to him on a platter because he is 198cm.

Im off the bandwagon the first time in 26 years and I think we will finish bottom 4, today was a day for them to show the public that we dont need lloyd to kick a winning score and we failed, if we lose hille and hird we are stuffed.

 

[essendon]

I was at the game too today i couldn't agree more, we dont have any structure and it started from the first bounce with Bradley at CHF ( please explain!!!!), skills what skills ??, i think a lot of the players want a gig on Sunday footy show handball comp on Ch 9 and they still wouldn't win because they cant hit a target, foot skills in our team would have to be the worst in the league, but the handballing and decision making by most was laughable, i thought i was watching a comedy show, yes pressure comes into it in a big game but these guys get paid more than what we will ever earn.
I still think our game plan starts from the top and i hate it, and while he is still there we will never be the force we use to be, yes the supercoach, sorry i'm being critical but thats reality. We will be ok in the future, but there will be a lot more pain this year, and the frustration will continue by all of us, its only rd 4 but the signs are already there.

 

[vast]

I think the game plan is the same as its been for the the last 10 years,

leave it to Hird!

 

[keepzitreal]

Game plan should consist of

- putting someone who can take a contested mark in the goalsquare.
- Not chipping the ball around for the sake of it
- Continually running. Reason we start so well is they are all prepared to run and then drop off and get tired


The outlook for the season doesn't look good. It can either go two ways

1 - A lot of the younger players catch on fire and become match winners, the veterans recapture previous form and we win some games

OR

2 - We just blood the kids, look forward to next year where we could have a dip in the apparent Judd/Hodge draft and recruit another couple of blokes by the names of Lloyd and Ramanauskas.

Dyson, Watson, Monfries, Winders, Welsh, Lovett, Bradley, Stanton, Slattery, McPhee, Hille, NLM, Dempsey, Ryder, Lee, Johns all still relatively young and ud think their best footy is still in front of them.

Question marks that remain are

Hird - will it be his last year?
Lloyd - can he come back from this
Fletch - how much longer can he go on?

Lucas, Solly, JJ, MJ, Henno, Rioli, Pev, McVeigh, Bolton - big question marks on all of them. Not so much McVeigh who has found form but I question whether any of the others still have their best footy in front of them

I still think Sam Hunt, Paul Thomas and Adrian Wilson could have given us something this year. Dunno who i would have gotten rid of though.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

Just back from the G and I can't figure out what this year's plan is. We get off to sensational starts and then spend the rest of the match running around in circles handballing to each other.

Fair dinkum, the number of times I've seen a group of 3 or 4 players running together within 1 or 2 metres of each other and THEY ALL MUST GET A HANDPASS!!!!!! For s--t sake, kick the damn thing. Add that to the p--- poor decision making and basic skill errors and we're not getting beaten, we are tossing it away. Last week 5 points down and Solly goes across goal to a Footscray player in front of goal and bang, 11 point margin. Today JJ marks just inside 50 (INSIDE 50!!!!!) and kicks to a pass that doesn't come off - new rule number 1, if inside 50 - HAVE A SHOT! If you can't make that distance you shouldn't be playing. 3rd quarter, McVeigh drops overhead mark BY HIMSELF, turnover - goal to Collingwood. And there are more, more more ....

I HATE being beaten, but I even more HATE throwing it away. We've been beaten by 18, 11 and 17 points all after good starts. Just think if we'd straighten up and stop making bad skill errors we could be 4.0

Phew - feel better now. Great game Hille - finally come of age. Hird - well .... he's Hird. And to think I'll be able to tell my grandkids that I wathced him play!

that's it.

First of all, get off big footy, there is no place for people who think about what they write .

Good post and rpetty spot on. We are indecisive after the 1st quarter, we stop running, and here's the biggy, we don;t go the first option.

How often did we get the ball, have someone leading further afield and we just didn't pass it to them. Then the ground was flooded in frton of us and we went sideways.

We just have to learn how to move the ball quickly as it is killing us.

Our skill errors kept Collingwood in it in the first half.

The good- NLM, Hille, Gus, Watson (when he doesn't kick it), McVeigh, Fletch.

The bad - the Johnsons (carrying them way too long), Solomons inability to keep the ball in our possesion, that missed handball int he last, WTF!!, Lucas at FF when we are breaking down across the Half forward line, McPhee s**ting himself every time he matches up on a name, all of our young KP stocks being injured.

The season is over. Mark it down. We will continue to look for Lloyd when going forward and we will continue to start well and fade, and its not a fitness issue, although with Dyson and Rioli both half fit, we were a player short.