Strategy While we’ve been tearing our hair out - has Don completely changed the gameplan?

[Eagleboy2011]

Have we forgotten how we played earlier this season and have now reverted back to our bomb it into the 50 system. Has Don too many advisers or just a dumb coach.

 

[Golumless]

Have we forgotten how we played earlier this season and have now reverted back to our bomb it into the 50 system. Has Don too many advisers or just a dumb coach.

That's all we've been doing this season. We had some ingenious idea of doing some slow methodological build up in preseason but that was always going to fail once the regular season does.

It's good worst case scenario development but won't work if that is your main avenue to scoring. The worst part if drafting we had the right idea, pace pace and more pace.

 

[1970crow]

There's a few who still pedal that idiotic line.

The fools.

 

[hey shorty]

The fools.

Basically

 

[1970crow]

Basically

Would be if not for the glaring similarities in philosophies.

 

[hey shorty]

Would be if not for the glaring similarities in philosophies.

Which there isn't, but I don't expect you to know that.

 

[Tex200]

Have we forgotten how we played earlier this season and have now reverted back to our bomb it into the 50 system. Has Don too many advisers or just a dumb coach.

Well according to Don it’s all good, we just need to do it for a bit longer.

Great first half team though

 

[hey shorty]

Well according to Don it’s all good, we just need to do it for a bit longer.

Great first half team though

There's an element of truth in that, but are we capable of it ?? Clearly not one would say.

 

[1970crow]

Which there isn't, but I don't expect you to know that.

Oh come on, selection for one, trust in system ahead of talent is another. Valuing the same assistants is another. Are you really trying to say that there’s no commonality between the 2?

 

[1970crow]

There's an element of truth in that, but are we capable of it ?? Clearly not one would say.

Another similarity. We just need to keep working harder at what we’re doing.

 

[Tex200]

There's an element of truth in that, but are we capable of it ?? Clearly not one would say.

Well yeah....but it’s pretty simplistic though don’t you think?

 

[hey shorty]

Oh come on, selection for one, trust in system ahead of talent is another. Valuing the same assistants is another. Are you really trying to say that there’s no commonality between the 2?

All coaches trust in system, we've changed many assistants over his time.

Selection is an interesting one, Craigy actually played a lot of kids in his time but he also had more top end talent. Again, signs earlier this year were that Don and the MC had changed somewhat. Those signs have become very very few and far between in the last month.

 

[hey shorty]

Well yeah....but it’s pretty simplistic though don’t you think?

If that's the message given to the players then yeah I'd be worried

 

[Cap]

So at 1-3 we changed, successfully to an structure.

After losing our first 2 after the bye we changed and have proceeded to get done by the Dons

Do they need to change it up again? Or is it as simple as getting the right players in?

 

[hey shorty]

So at 1-3 we changed, successfully to an structure.

After losing our first 2 after the bye we changed and have proceeded to get done by the Dons

Do they need to change it up again? Or is it as simple as getting the right players in?

We changed the plan from the kamikaze 2017 style and rightly so, we simply don't have the cattle to play that way now.

But the style we have appeared to go with, requires contested marking talls which we don't have (in the seniors), and laser kicking skills. We have a few of the latter, but they've been in poor patches of form, and the ones we drafted we haven't played.

 

[Tex200]

We changed the plan from the kamikaze 2017 style and rightly so, we simply don't have the cattle to play that way now.

But the style we have appeared to go with, requires contested marking talls which we don't have (in the seniors), and laser kicking skills. We have a few of the latter, but they've been in poor patches of form, and the ones we drafted we haven't played.

How much has the loss of CEY hurt?

 

[hey shorty]

How much has the loss of CEY hurt?

Unbelievably so, and I'd never have thought that in a million years.

Strange though, we lack legspeed and he doesn't provide it. What he provides is a genuine attack at the ball carrier and an enormous frame.

 

[Tex200]

Unbelievably so, and I'd never have thought that in a million years.

Strange though, we lack legspeed and he doesn't provide it. What he provides is a genuine attack at the ball carrier and an enormous frame.

Agreed - it may well be his monster contested ball output frees up others too. So not giving leg speed himself but his loss leaves a hole that drags others to the contest

 

[John Who]

Agreed - it may well be his monster contested ball output frees up others too. So not giving leg speed himself but his loss leaves a hole that drags others to the contest

With CEY’s big frame, he’s likely to withstand the collisions for longer in a game. Our other inside-mids are mostly medium build and are likely to be more battered by the last quarter.

So effectively, he can also help absorb the collisions for our other mids to be at their best during the latter part of the games.

 

[Cap]

So the whole team relies on 1 player?

That doesn't sound right.

 

[Tex200]

So the whole team relies on 1 player?

That doesn't sound right.

No of course not. Just trying to isolate some factors.

Maybe it’s nothing, but maybe he was integral to the type of game style we were successful in implementing prior to the bye.

It’s a variable for discussion at a minimum

 

[Scrogdogg]

A couple of things I have noticed. We are really happy to play a scrappy style that encourages our strong inside mids to win the ball. I also note we have this two handed tap thing that pretty much ensures the ball has to be won from the ground...which we seem to be good at. I am still concerned about our outside mid efficiency aaa the link up between inside and outside seems to be a tad disconnected

With respect Bovo, you are being kind in using the descriptor tad. We haven't been connected for years.

 

[Cap]

No of course not. Just trying to isolate some factors.

Maybe it’s nothing, but maybe he was integral to the type of game style we were successful in implementing prior to the bye.

It’s a variable for discussion at a minimum

That's the worrying part if it was true. Why would you have a game plan that relies on pretty much 1 player.

I think that we are getting cut up in the second half because teams are setting themselves for big 2nd halves, arm wrestle in the first, try to blow them away in the 2nd.

We still want to blow teams away in the first but so far have been completely inept at it, either through poor skills or just not being good enough.

We then don't have enough scoreboard pressure to absorb the 2nd half onslaught nor the ability to slow it down.

Both the Port and Essendon games would, imo been significantly different if we'd kicked even remotely close to 50%.

 

[John Who]

That's the worrying part if it was true. Why would you have a game plan that relies on pretty much 1 player.

I think that we are getting cut up in the second half because teams are setting themselves for big 2nd halves, arm wrestle in the first, try to blow them away in the 2nd.

We still want to blow teams away in the first but so far have been completely inept at it, either through poor skills or just not being good enough.

We then don't have enough scoreboard pressure to absorb the 2nd half onslaught nor the ability to slow it down.

Both the Port and Essendon games would, imo been significantly different if we'd kicked even remotely close to 50%.

You’ve highlighted the first half inaccuracies. Recent responses have highlighted missing a big-bodied unit in the midfield ie. CEY.

Not to mention, he was probably our most in form mid prior to his leg injury. This of course allow others to have more opportunities but at the expense of having a solid inside-mid who was contributing well.

 

[marvin]

How much has the loss of CEY hurt?

Well, given we are 7-3 with him in the line up (wins GC, StK, Freo, Port, Melbounre, GWS, Richmond; losses NM, Bris, WCE) and 2-5 without him (wins Sydney, GC; losses Hawthorn, Geelong x 2, Port, Essendon) it's a massive factor.

After the North Melbourne debacle, there was a notable switch. We realised can't afford to let it become a game with spread and run, because our inside mids don't have the (speed / ability / willingness) to go with most of their direct opponents, and we aren't dripping with elite outside mids. We decided that if made it an inside pound and grind game, we could muscle out some not very pretty wins. And CEY was a key part of that - with CEY, 2 Crouches, Sloane and Greenwood, and ROB being more Ben Hudson than Matthew Clarke, we looked OK.

Without CEY, we are matchable on the inside. And because a combo of Seedsman / Atkins / Mackay / 2019 Laird terrifies exactly nobody, teams don't need to beat us inside - match us there and they will destroy us outside.