This is the glaring issue I have with players over the past few years. Lacking the belief and confidence to be calm under pressure, to sell the dummy and to back themselves with possession or even with space to move. The forward line especially. Simply having the confidence to take the game on with confidence…
The VFL side last weekend against the Cats seemed to look very calm and elegant with possession.
When blokes have time with the footy, its because there are 4 or 5 team mates are either pushing into space giving them an easy kick/handball or sheparding/blocking so they have time and space to run.
It’s 95% mental and 5% training, you can run drills but players will not do it if the simply cbf doing it on the day.
Frankly, I would be more impressed if the players showed dedication off the ball… around the ball …some real team etiquette than the composed ‘look at me’ fluff with the ball.
Chicken or the egg scenario almost. I know what come first in this case.
That is where this team needs to start. No names excluded.
Our players are told to play on to move the ball quickly, which they do but quite often they’ll look up and see either nothing, someone standing stationary next to their opponent or congestion. Lack of composure is from pressure, be it real or perceived, because they have made that decision to play on straight away and there is no option. They panic and get rid of the ball to whoever they can.
There’s also been instances where poor awareness of their opponent has meant they virtually turn straight into their man.
Some are better dealing with the pressure than others. How good was Collyer’s dance v Geelong last week?
Still, to points above, players up the ground need to read the play and run to position better and there will be less of this.