As much as I hated the idea, I went back and watched a replay video of the game yesterday. We need answers - lopping the head off players isn't a viable solution; trying out youngsters is for the pre-season comp (not the home/away). The players we have are what we will be going with in 2016, that's a pragmatic certainty. RoLy was right in his presser - our problem is execution - but it's pointless to keep pressing ahead with something that can't be executed. So I went through the video looking for a solution - looking for some big answers to the big problems.
This is what I've come up with - three basic premises:
i) <strong>Control the tempo/control the opposition</strong>:
Quick ball movement is meant to scatter the opposition's structure - if it doesn't, stop after taking a mark and allow the opposition to flood ahead of you. This would mean that the opposition are behind the ball - yes, harder to puncture through a clear avenue to goal, but if they're behind the ball they're not behind you (to capitalise on a turnover if something goes wrong). If they get the ball, dictate how they can move it (not the other way around) - put our notorious forward pressure on them - push them off to the wings, make them earn every mark, challenge the kicker on every occasion to cause a miskick. If you can touch an opposition player you can drop him or stop him from doing what he wants - <strong>hang onto and finish a tackle</strong>. The basic field structure of every team is clearly evident from the opening bounce - send someone up into either end of the ground to see what this is - it's clearer than Google Earth, I see it every game - make it hard on the other guys. I laughed on Sunday at how Carlton set up - I couldn't believe that Freo actually congested the wings with that structure.
<strong>ii) Playing on at all costs is baloney:</strong>
Playing on at all costs isn't working - you would either have to have the skill-set of the WeePoos or the speed/dash of the Bullies to make that work. Too often a perceived threat from the opposition causes our players to pass the ball off to a teammate (or jet tip it up in the air in the general direction of a teammate). The idea is (I would imagine) that you keep circulating the ball until an opening (or some space) opens up. This has developed into chaos ball for us - more often than not in our defensive 50.
I think we should hang on to the ball more in order to make a good choice (not a panicked one), challenge a perceived threat - put the onus on the opposition to either stick the tackle or cough-up the ball. <strong>It's actually quite simple: if you've got the ball, you're in control</strong> - Fyfe got a Brownnose with that mindset. Make the best choice for a disposal - overlap patterns forward of the zone should present 2 or 3 options. If need be, hold your ground - <strong>stop and prop</strong> - let the opposition expose an opportunity if your teammates can't open one up. This changes the tempo, let them flood an area to open one up for you. If the opposition congest the area, there must be someone free over the back of them. If necessary, implement a 20 - 25 metre short kicking route that zig-zags across a zone (it will suck them in for an intercept and open a hole behind). Always have a good long kick (i.e. Hill, Suban or Pearce) in the centre of the ground, 10 metres behind the play - this is your fail-safe option if their flood overwhelms you.
The same is true forward of centre - our opposition are all playing the same structure of interrupting our ball movement. One ill-directed disposal and they'll be going the other way in a flash. Therefore, they all know what we're going to do: a long kick up the wing, or some kick/handball dash up the middle. Too often we've relied on the boundary to present a worst case option for us: if all else fails, get it over the line and reset at the stoppage. Play a short kick and run game that uses the corridor as a focus - use the wing for spreading the corridor (i.e.: run and handball towards the wing, kick back into the corridor). At Subi you could almost kick wing to wing (we've got at least 5 players capable of doing this) - get the opposition to chase the ball.
Our focus needs to be between the two 50 metre arches - one for holding them in, one for holding them out. Get the ball and keep the ball - slow it down before coughing it up, maintain control.
<strong>iii) Kick to space to create space:</strong>
The WeePoos do this a lot - now Adelaide and the Bullies do as well. There's no such thing as a hard tag anymore, but most teams play man-to-man defensively. Kick it to space, back your teammate in to get the ball in a contest that opens up the ground for others. The geometry of this is fairly basic and most players understand it well (especially those that are good at reading the ball in the air). Use this better - sure, the accurate kick to the guts is preferred, but you're left with a stationary target. Coach your players to be 'space side' of the opposition player manning up on them - kick it to the 'space side' and let your teammate run with/into the flight of the ball. Don't kick it into Pav steaming up towards you - it's going to bounce straight back, you want the ball going the other way. If you want to move the ball fast, don't have everyone running patterns back to the kicker (unless you have a good run-through player that can take a quick handball).
Those are my three points - I think we looked better on the tv yesterday than at the ground What I saw at the ground was horrifying (hence this post).
<strong>iv) Finally, longer term:</strong>
You can't trade players in or out, you can't sack coaches and training staff during the home/away. What you can do is sack your entire recruiting/talent spotting crew and reset for the end of the year. It's no good having your local talent guys sharing a beer and a laugh at Moss Street every game when the WA talent is grinding it out at Basso, Belmont and (dare I say it) the Showgrounds. Spill the lot of them.
My great big idea would be to throw the bank open and get Phil Smart to assume charge of everything to do with recruitment - and trust him this time. Sure, maintain your focus in country Vic and Hicksville SA - but don't forget the quality you've got here at home. I still maintain that we have the best right here.
