I’m really confused, we looked really good yesterday and also looked ok against Sydney and Brisbane. The major tweaks seem to be:
Not manning the mark before centre wing
Personnel changes down back (BZT, McGrath)
Return of Snelling and Langers (defensive run?)
Is Robbo right that we’re playing more of a man on man style in defense? Have we dropped the zone?
I think its a more intelligent use of a zone that finally they all understand. Stand off with a bit of protection whilst the HBs run and gun but tighten up immediately on a turnover. I think our wingers and FFS finally the mids are tracking back hard rather than trotting.
Yes, live at the ground is very obvious that we now play way more 1:1 than zone.
Then again, most teams seems to be doing so as the season progresses.
Just like most teams now won’t man the mark after a short kick and stay > 5m off the mark blocking space for a pass. We are doing this as are most/all teams. The “stand the mark” rule is effectively obsolete.
Other major tweaks are :
More Hobbs and Caldwell onball and Shiel mk II , make a massive difference compared to Parish Merrett and Shiel mk I.
This is the Truck thread. And Kingy and the others are right as are many on here. We’ve been here before EFC.
But the difference this time is we’re ploughing through finals contenders at the junkyard time of the season, when its definitely not junkyard games for them. Unlike last year.
Put it this way. Its all about the first half of 2023 for Ben. And if we do the Pies and North convincingly and keep on winning this year then we’ve no argument with letting Truck keep in and have another go with this exciting bunch. And we’ll put a checkpoint in at the bye 2023 before any thought of extending.
But if we fall in a heap beginning next week and revert to the rabble we were earlier this season, then that so called review should come out before end of season and recommend considering a complete coaching change before 2023.
We then pickup the phone to a certain A.Clarkson who may or may not be interested in us. But we cannot let this great young squad be fritted away and through incompetence steal their dream of together winning finals in the red and black.
Not that you don’t develop further, but hopefully we have settled on the basics, at least, of our preferred playing style and in the pre-season we focus to build upon it.
The chatter for this year is that we changed things up too much from last season and players were unsure on what to do. Hence that lack of cohesion and all the finger pointing after stuffed up plays.
The core of the next side is there. We have a very good idea who is doing well in which positions - i.e. McGrath back, Langford forward, Hobbs onball, Martin wing, Gueli forward, etc
So build on that to make us finals competitive. Work really hard on our tanks and skills. And sort out how we hit the first games of 2023 in form. Maybe that last bit just comes with being a good side.
I only watch on tv, but Could there still be some sort of zone in place but instead of just guarding space, players have tightened up and move within their “zones” to cover opposition players in dangerous positions. They do this knowing their team mates will cover their movements?
Our defensive efforts in our F50 and around the ground, our work rate, willingness to sacrifice and cover for team mates has improved out of sight since the start of the year.
I promise a grand final in the next 1000 years.
Is an absolute mile longer than a regular mile? What about a country mile? Where does the nautical mile fit in these scenarios?
A pre-set team defence structure is not 1-on-1 all over the ground. Every team implements some version of team defence at stoppages when there’s time to set up. But when all the parts are moving the players need to adjust and ensure opposition players forward of the ball are covered. We appeared to be getting burnt in the transition between the 2 for most of this season so some adjustments have been made. Looking at the replay there are times when there are players without opponents covering space but it’s impossible on TV to see if this is part of the defensive structure or defenders getting lost. It’s working so we don’t care as much.
But I agree with King that we need more than great run off HB in finals in 2023.
The game plan has not changed significantly at all. I’ll never agree with those that think it has, so it’s a boring argument. It’s opinion on both sides. Most likely that stems from definition.
People taking screen shots from the tv and pointing to players returning from injury and ‘not manning the mark’ as significant game plan changes are miles off my definition.
Yeah agree, went to my first live game in a few years last night and you can see a very different defensive set up to the start of the year.
Part of me is pleased that the team is playing good footy, but I’m also kinda annoyed that we’re doing this when the season is dead, and this is just softening our draft hand. Historically we have been able to preform when the pressure is off, and this feels like another example of that.
Fkg lol. How would you know compared to the start of the year if you haven’t gone for a few years?
You can see the (poor executed) zone line setup from the tv was non existent.
I’d be highly surprised if a change is made for 2023 now, so he will be the coach for next season. What he needs to do is get greater buy-in into team defence, drive higher standards in terms of physical preparation, and make sure we hit the early rounds next year running. There are other aspects to this in terms of player/skill development, getting better fitness and conditioning staff into the club, etc. But he’s going to be a man under intense pressure next season. If we are anything worse than 5-6 come mid-season next year he won’t get his contract renewed. A repeat of this year and he won’t make the bye rounds. You can only hope that this group finally says enough is enough, we are sick and tired of being mediocre and really invests everything they have to get the very best out of themselves.
Genuine excuses for us losing the season has come down to injuries, skill execution, game plan but I wonder if we lost a game or two by not swinging our key position backman forward like a Stewart or even Laverde when we had Zerk and Reid sitting in the twos and a decimated forward line?
Lesson looks to be learnt now but how much structure and plan is lost when you only have one tall to kick to when going forward. Phillips, Jones, Stringer and Langford have been really significant to increasing our scoring.
I’m not too sure if we had a few more wins and in finals contention we could make a dint in September but our form is looking good now that we have experienced players back and a better structure ahead of the footy.
I think Rutten will stay on for next season.
I do worry though that if we have another poor start and end fighting through another season for bottom of the eight positions.
We have wasted this year - the list is good enough to compete in my opinion. We should naturally improve in the next few years with no signicant retirements on the horizon.
I want to know if the club can be brave and make a call on the coach. As mentioned before it can either like sacking Ratten for Malthouse or sacking Harvey for Lyon.
Yesterday was the best defensive effort I’ve seen for a long time and GC for their lack of intensity have more than enough weapons. After their 4 goals on the bouce in the 1st quarter we held them to 1 single major for the next 2 quarters.
We’re definitely playing for each other now which is pleasing.
He’s here to stay for 2023 but I’m still not buying in completely.
One thing i will give him credit for, he is actually planning to nullify the opposition’s assets the past few weeks (caldwell, kelly etc), something that amazingly most coaches don’t do and it has been very successful. Obviously this is easier to do if playing one on one.
The one concern about one on one is Nick Reiwoldt said on the couch last week re. Essendon, that it’s ok to use occasionally, but not all the time, because the opposition can plan against it and exploit it if they know it’s coming, not sure if this is right or not.