Hypen, every team would like to go down the middle, and every team would like to stop the other team going down the middle, so I reckon how often a team goes down the middle is a sign of how well they’re going, not a cause.
Squaring into the centre is the hardest kick in footy. Most of the time teams go through the middle it is off a turnover. So you mostly do it if you force the other team to cough it up. If the other team is too timid and only go down the line, even if you win it on the boundary very few teams manage to centre into the corridor. They either go down the line or round the back where there are no defenders.
We looked like we attacked against North because they took the game on kept messing it up. Same with GWS.
Adelaide didn’t even try.
I’m sure we could try taking the game on a bit more. I think that’s a valid criticism. But to say Lyon starting by saying go down the middle, had some success, then pulled the boys in and said ‘hey, stop doing that’ makes no sense.
The game will be more open under the roof against Essendon because that’s how they play. It won’t be Lyon saying ‘the pass through the middle is back on lads.’
