17th for inside 50s but 6th for efficacy inside 50
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So if we’re 17th for I50 and 17th for tackles I50, then we’re possibly actually about average for tackles I50.
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First its round 4 and players are still trying to adapt to the circumstance that the last 4 years have given us.
I think there has been a defensive strategy put in place that either the team is failing to implement properly or is crap and needs changing ASAP.
All through the JLT and the first four rounds it seems to me that the team has put in place a rolling defense where they are guarding patches of ground. Similar to Hawthorn 2008. But the result has seen the opposition use run and carry or short kicks to “step through” the defense without much difficulty. Opposition players seem to be being allowed to come forward and receive short passes without much pressure. The emphasis seems to delay the entry into the opposition forward line rather than prevent it.
The tackles inside 50 are particularly disappointing as you would think that defensive pressure would be Tippa and Fantasia’s strong point.
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We have midfield woes?
1 - Recruit utility half forwards and half backs
2 - Recruit more utility half forwards and half backs
3 - ???
4 - GREAT MIDFIELD
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Play them there. You know, like how our 2000 team had Hird, Mercuri, Long, Bewick, Moorcroft and Caracella spend a lot of time in the middle and up the wings.
Check out the "hitouts to advantage " stat. Its not so flattering. This could be caused by 1 of 2 things. He is not good at hitting it to advantage or, our mids are not getting to where he expects them to be.
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it is their strong point. but if the ball’s not getting in there, you’re not tackling anyone.
Woosha says its workrate. Its pretty clear re the “wall” comment that at round 4 several mids work rate had dropped off in the last quarter.
A midfield with too many tractors will not cut it in this competition.
They dont want to put Darcy in there too much, but I think he will have to play more minutes inside stoppages. He is #5 at the club in terms of clearances but spends half the game in the forward line or on the bench.
Tippa is a proven clearance winner, for the time he has been inside at clearances, he has probably been most successful. Trav is also good, but very often they will line up for the first bounce of the quarter with Jobe, Hepp, and BJ .
Too many tractors. No No No.!
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Loony is a good ruck-man, but it is all about first use of the ball. Adelaide killed us in clearances from the middle, and they grabbed more of the Loony taps than us.
It has been like that for a number of years, expect when Paddy Ryder would have one of his “on” days and the ball would hit Jobe or someone else consistently. Not sure that our mid-field coach is getting the message across,
Leuys taps didn’t really hit our mids much last season too. Bit of a worry. if they’re gonna miss our midfielders might as well just thump it towards our goal, let tippa and raz get it then.
Luey seems to like to Tap it forward rather than to a controlled space behind him
Looney getting the taps to the right place is as much about chemistry as it is about his ability. Ryder and Jobe had great chemistry. Looney doesn’t seem to have it with many yet, it will come.
We seem to be lacking a constant intensity around the footy, which could be related to the returning players being flat.
I’m all for throwing more guys through there to keep the intensity up. Only one of Watson, Hepp, Goddard Stanton in there at a time. Move the HFs up to take more clearances.
Bring in another ball winning midfielder with some pace, laverde I’m talking about you! Such a shame he went down, exactly what we need right now.
Playing Francis over langers and getting him to role through a couple of centre clearances a quarter would also help.
We don’t have much we can do this season to add pace to our contested ball winning midfield.
McGrath would be great but he’s young and needed until Bagley stops getting smashed by small forwards.
Langford might be okay, but he’s not ready. His intensity would be tested. He isn’t exactly blessed with speed. Even though he’s of value in the forward line, I think he might need to move into the midfield. I don’t think he’s a midfielder, but he’s a better solution to the problem than others.
Laverde and Francis can barely get fit enough to know what they can do. Hence why one of them takes Langford spot while Langford plays middle.
Myers us definitely not a solution to the problem.
Hocking might be okay. He’s not blessed with speed but he is quicker than Goddard, Heppell and Watson.
The real problem is which player do you drop to improve the midfield. Heppell can’t be dropped. Goddard is still of value while his skills are slowly regressing. Jobe is the lead candidate to be dropped but it’ll be like shooting Bambi.
Zaka could be dropped but he plays off the wing and we really need to free up a spot in the middle. Goddard off the wing could help, but he’d be exposed for leg speed too often. Plus his defensive pressure is traditionally poor.
I don’t think we have a short term answer, but at some stage we need start trying other options so we’re not back here next year trying to work out what we can do.
Step 1: Recruit Jacob Hopper
Step 2: Profit.
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does he want to go home or did he barrack for us as a kid?
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Wouldn’t it be easier to recruit a midfielder and rest him at HFF (especially early in career like Hep) rather than recruiting a HBF and teach him the mid?
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After years of research doing it the other way, yes would appear to be the answer.
It would be easier to just watch the games instead of playing them.