Posted: 1 Week ago
Midfield to win a GF
|
#299270 |
|
Happy with team we sent to the Who Cares Cup.
Need to teach a bunch of young midfielders what it takes to succeed in the AFL?
Send them to play team that finished H&A first last year (and choked away a GF) at the ground they play best minus our best ruckman - so they have to earn the ball themselves.
There was no easy ball in the middle of the park on Sat. When they weren't strong enough, got caught out of position, didn't run hard enough to get to a contest or gave their direct opponent too much latitude the Saints chopped us up through the corridor. All those blokes would have learnt a heap (including Zac Clarke) and that's what pre-season is about.
Syd, Egirls, Hawks, Geelong, all won flags when they had 10+ guys who can REALLY hurt you as they rolled through middle for various lengths of time. The Dogs are nearly there with their current group, and anything less means you're just maing up the numbers for finals.
We need the same and we're getting closer: Mundy (age 25), Scham (age 25), Hinkley (21), Hill, Palmer, Morabito, de Boer, Suban, Pearce, Crowley, Barlow, and even Ballantyne a la Steve Johnson (Geel) will form that group. Plus the unkown factor of a few of the other draft picks and rookies.
We'll need some luck, savvy contractual/player management, and the player progression to continue but we might just be there in the last weekend in September in the next few years.
I'm really enjoying watching the kids develop and (some of) the older squad members step up.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1 Week ago
Re:Midfield to win a GF
|
#299273 |
|
i think harves was right though, it looked like alot of the midfielders just expected that the ball would be there. i suppose you do get complacent when you have the tallest/best ruckman in the comp getting the ball to you on a plate. besides at contests though i can't fault the midfielders for where they are at the moment. they all chased the ball hard and worked it well when they had it. once they learn that sandi can't be there all the time and they fine tune their forward 50 delivery i reckon we'll have one of the best midfields around.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1 Week ago
Re:Midfield to win a GF
|
#299277 |
|
I like the way you think, 391.
Ballas will definately get a few runs through the middle, he just needs to get better at making the right decision when he has the ball away from our forward line. As it is, he's not too shabby in that area and will improve. But his pressure, tackling, evasive skills and reading of the play (and ability to get the ball) are excellent for such a relatively inexperienced player. We wouldn't want to rob Peter to pay Paul, as the saying goes, so his best posi for a while will be as a live-wire small forward.
i think the three main keys (apart from injuries) to a successful season for us will be:
i) to be able to set up a good midfield rotation to take advantage of the big fella's domination. This is a constant work in progress that we still haven't achieved consistently satisfactory results from.
ii) to be able to play a spacious forward line that gives the likes of Pav, DJ, Chopper, Ballas and Johnno a chance to lead or beat their opponents one-one-one.
iii) extreme forward line pressure. Ballas (again) and Chopper have set the standard and DJ will help out in that area, but it has to be a constant, unrelenting effort. A non-negotiable, as they say.
|
|
|
|
|
