The "gameplan". What was different against the Ds?

Perhaps.

I wouldn’t mind seeing the actual presser, cos I reckon someone’s got the wrong end of the stick.

I think the game plan includes -

  1. where all 18 players position at centre bounces, and at stoppages in the forward and back halves ie how they structure up. There would be variations on the standard structures depending on the state of the game.
    1a. I guess this mostly covers the structure of the team defensive unit - but only as to where the players position at the stoppage. Once the parts start moving there must be a ‘plan’ as to how they move as a cohesive unit?
  2. how we connect from the back half through the midfield into the forward line - it looks random (at times) but I don’t think it is - ie there are some set plays
  3. there are a bunch of team rules. Hirdy talked about this on his poddy.

Frankly, as you realise by now, I have no idea as to what the game plan is. But I think there are layers of complexity to all 18 club’s game plans (much of it would be quite similar) which we common folk have no idea about. All we see is a general style of play, which breaks down when the opposition are better on that particular day.

Yep for once we could hit an inside 50 forward with no one on them. I hope we have turned the corner but it looks like we have to give it everything we’ve got to get a win. Tippa played great but we still kick it to him in a 1 on 1 contested marking contest. Zakka also played well but he can’t make the distance from 45 out. We have a winning combination in there somewhere just need to sort it out. Oh and draft another Scotty Lucas.

Just an observation -the bench dude used the board with a dotted signal, rotated in a different orientation at different times during the game.

I think the commentators said (speculated) it was to change the tempo.

Say what you like, but I’d rather watch a Matthew Knights coached team than a Ross Lyon one.

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Don’t know if this has been mentioned but maybe Richmond let Rutten go because the 6-6-6 rule disrupted his defensive gameplan, which he brought to Essendon. A significant part of Richmond’s success was based on defensive running and forward pressure. Not sure they or us are doing that very well at the moment.

Also remember Richmond rely heavily on their AA bookends who are both out. Just like our two AA bookends, JD and Hooksey. Hopefully their inclusion will straighten us up.

Whatever the gameplan was for the last 14 games last year it worked. This year should have seen an upgrade of that plan with the same basic fundamentals. Not seeing this at the moment.

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Yep.

You can (if you’re at the game, particularly if you’re up high) watch one player to work out what they’re doing.
When they go up at the ball, when they drop off, when they cut inboards, when they spread wide. Whether they stick to a man at stoppage, always stay goalside, always “cheat” forward (sometimes they’ll have one player designated to do this) etc. Whether they stay with their man all the way back, or hand off to stay in a particular zone. Whether they’re confident and keen to go for options, or just want to dump the ball off. And on and on it goes.

You soon work out why coaches always bang on about the boring stuff rather than whether someone kicked 1 goal or 3, they’re just doing boring running and positioning crap for 99% of the game.

It’s actually a pretty interesting thing to do, arguably easier if it’s not a game you’re particularly invested in!

Fkg hard to work out what the whole team are doing - just too many variables. And impossible on TV.

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Do actually watch how Richmond play?

They had some of the lowest clearance numbers in the comp the last two seasons - it was based around sweating on a player in the contest and pressuring to turn it over, especially if they won the clearance by a pressure induced kick as they would set up with 1-2 players behind the stoppage. Basic philosphy was “…if we can win an easy clearance/loose ball, do it but if we can’t, let them win it and then pressure them to turn it over…”. This philosophy was applied over the whole ground. You end up with average players like Castagna being a good player on the night with more tackles than possessions. Helps when you have the best bookend combination in the comp playing nearly every game to either save goals or create them (note: as well as kicking a stack of goals, Riewoldt was the #1 rated key forward for pressure acts over the last 2 years).

Geelong actually did something similar in the last 1-2 years as they started to decline before Dangerfield arrived. They were lacking players (outside primarily Selwood) to win clearances/contested all so they focused on putting pressure on the opposition at stoppages so they pressurised clearance would end up with a James Kelly or a Harry Taylor some 20m to 30m behind the ball.

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Definitely something in this.

Tigers, like Adelaide, typically set up with 2 behind the ball. Crows, in particular, set up with 8 defenders at bouncers the last two seasons.

They are both susceptible to centre clearances under 6-6-6. Both have only won 1 game each, like us, this year.

Yes. Which is why I can’t believe you saying they set out to “let” the opposition win a clearance. It’s the antithesis of what they’re about.

Any idea when this Kelly press conference was, that you’re saying he made this comment/s?

Clean hands!
We could have an unbeatable game plan but if we don’t have the skills to execute it is worthless.

GWS we were like under 11’s
StKilda like under 17
Dees we were AFL standard

Most of the other issues are symptoms not causes.

Prime example this week was Parish on the near side boundary line, under pressure, contested ball and quick clean hands to Fantasia who was then bursting away because he anticipated Parish winning the ball and then being clean.

In previous weeks he took that same half step, there was a fumble, turnover and he would slow because he was moving in the ring direction to put defensive pressure on.

Clean hands, clean hands clean hands.

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  1. I didn’t imply to let them with the clearance easily - it was to pressure them hard on their clearance so their kick/handball turned over to their spares up to 20m + away behind the ball.

  2. The James Kelly reference was about his last couple of years playing for Geelong; nothing to do with a press conference. He was a master at cleaning up 20m or so behind stoppages. Harry Taylor ditto. They played to those strengths as their on-ball strength was fading.

Then you’ll have to forgive me for taking you literally!

All is forgiven.

Dunno why you are so hung up on this i remember you hanging around last year being a pain about it too. Unsure why you struggle so much to see structure changes in a game style or refuse to believe it because you can’t see anything yourself. To dumb it down, early 18 and 19 we tried the richmond style of play. That meaning, every player within 50m or so of the ball, compressing the field so there are so many numbers in a small part of the ground that it makes it difficult for the opposition to move the ball. When we get the ball we are ‘suppose to’, bolt back towards our goals and score our goals out the back. You have seen richmond play this way and a good example of this style this year is also gold coast. This system works when you have younger and quicker teams and players that are really good getting back quickly and marking running back with the flight of the ball. Our players don’t have the leg speed or are not comfortable running back into space to score. Well either that or they are better leading towards the ball carrier. A player perfect for this style is sexton from gold coast. He is quick, agile and good at the ground ball and sneaking out the back.
The change in game plan that occurred against geelong last year and again this year from the saints game onwards is that the 18 man full team press is no longer being implemented. This is a change in plan because it means it’s a 16 man team defence. This works for us because our players like to look up and have an option leading at them, as opposed to away from them. This also creates space when we win the ball back for our runners to have space to move because a couple of our players plus the opposition defender follows them out of the congested area back into our deep forward area. The issue comes in that it also makes it easier for the opposition to score because it isn’t as congested for them to move the ball, but really our players weren’t using a zone defence anyway so it was a bit pointless. We just ended up clogging up the field even more for ourselves when we won the ball back in defence (the reason for our slow ball movement).
So yes the game plan two years in a row has clearly been changed, to put simply by having forwards deep and stay at home and therefore not playing an 18 man defensive press. The essendon players for some reason can’t play this style, don’t trust in it and sook it up until it’s changed. As soon as they are allowed to play the way they prefer, all of a sudden their defensive pressure lifts, the smiles are back because they are able to play more freely and show their skills because they have more room to move. Problem is, so does the opposition.

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‘maintain control’

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A few of us had that knock on them last year as well.

Maybe the best clearance winning team, but possibly the worst clearance defending team as well.

Too many slow/slower mids.

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Like I said (quoted) the other day - everyone has a game-plan, until they’re punched in the face.

Even when I called you a stinky poohead just now?

:wink:

but how does the board compete against the fans shouting “KICK IT. JUST KICK THE BLOOODY THING.”?

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