What could we learn from the Season

[GVGjr]

I thought it might be interesting to get peoples views on tactics or a style of play we could learn from given the teams we played this season.

Carlton and the taggers

Mitch Wallis finished the 2013 season strongly and was given a tagging role after Clay Smith had gone down to a knee injury.
His form was that simpressive the Bulldogs decided to part with Nick Lower for the 2014 season.
In 2014 Mitch rightly assumed his tagging role and despite a poor start by the club Mitch's form was pretty good and his ability to curb his opponent was starting to gain a reputation.

Enter our round 5 clash against Carlton where Mitch was given the job on one of their chief play makers in Mark Murphy.

Carlton went into the game with a very clear plan, Murphy was going to be protected especially by the bigger guys and Wallis was going to be dragged forward as much as they could to expose the difference in pace between he and Murphy rather than make it a pure midfield or centre square slog.

The Carlton bigger blokes (Henderson, Waite and Casboult) continually cannoned into Wallis early on and made him feel every bump and physical contest they could. Wallis cracked early and just couldn't concentrate on the job at hand.

The result was Carlton got an easy enough win, Henderson and Waite kicked a number of goals and Murphy had a 28 plus possession game. From memory Wallis was subbed off.

Wallis was sent back to the VFL for 5 weeks to regain some form and confidence.

The big lesson I hope the club learned here is how we should be looking to set-up when players like Griffen cop the hard tag. Team Mates can make sure the hard taggers are given something else to focus on.

It's probably a very simple tactic that has been around for many years but during this season this game really stood out to me as one where Carlton should have given us a blue print on how to manage opposition taggers.

I'd be interested to hear you views on this game and any others where an opposition team where able to display a skill or tactic that we could use next season.

[Remi Moses]

Would have thought we would have learnt from the games against GWS, Brisbane and Freo that we shouldn't have the extra at the contest. Teams just wait for the mistake in tight ( or an outside turnover) and murder us on the transition .
How GWS were allowed to have Shaw loose the other day was disturbing.

[The Pie Man]

No doubt Mitch was monstered a bit trying to get to Murphy, but he also burned him on the outside quite a bit - while I get the buffeting he copped may have had some impact there, it looked a match up problem very early, and someone with more pace like Picken would've been better suited to the role.

Helping out on uncontested possession was one thing (sort of) highlighted when Macrae was made sub - more highlighted on Fox Footy than by Macca - that in the next game, when the ball was in dispute 20 metres away, he'd add that extra body to the contest, when perhaps he wasn't doing this before hand.

[Go_Dogs]

Kick ins and kick outs.

Too many examples to list, but dare I say we look at sides like the Power, and even GWS on the weekend, who were able to kick multiple goals from the kick out, and/or defend the kick in well.

It's not a significant facet of the game, but it's something I'd hazard to say we got beaten in every single week - and perhaps ends up being a 3-4 goal difference between our poor defending of, and offensive drive from.

[The bulldog tragician]

Kick ins and kick outs.

Too many examples to list, but dare I say we look at sides like the Power, and even GWS on the weekend, who were able to kick multiple goals from the kick out, and/or defend the kick in well.

It's not a significant facet of the game, but it's something I'd hazard to say we got beaten in every single week - and perhaps ends up being a 3-4 goal difference between our poor defending of, and offensive drive from.

I think this is one of our poorest areas and maybe I'm naive but surely one of the easier ones to fix? I couldn't even see what we were trying to do. It is so disheartening to see us labour so hard to clear the defensive 50, while even the weaker teams sweep it easily away to a loose man and then are quickly clear.

[bornadog]

Playing Minson in the ruck for 90% of the time. At times he was beaten, tired, but still plugged on. We really need to change this in the future. Trouble is Minson is not much chop resting up forward, so we need to think about how we use him.

[F'scary]

Playing Minson in the ruck for 90% of the time. At times he was beaten, tired, but still plugged on. We really need to change this in the future. Trouble is Minson is not much chop resting up forward, so we need to think about how we use him.

How about as trade bait?

[Hotdog60]

I think we tend to look to much to the flanks and quite often miss the player making the play in the centre. I understand the risk involved if they don't hit their target. But think their first look is out to the flank when the first look sometimes should up the middle and if it not on or too risky than look out wide.
If we release the ball quicker and honour the play maker we would open up their defence. Maybe this is just a confidence thing but I would like to see us take the game on more.

[bornadog]

How about as trade bait?

It's easy to say that, but you need someone that can takeover. I think Campbell and Cordy are not ready to take on the number one role at this stage. One thing you get from Will and that is 120% effort. He is still the number two ruckman in The AFL for hitouts - second to Sandilands, applied 81 tackles to 41, had more contested possessions, more centre clearances and more stoppages. However, way down on Marks.

Easy to write him off but he does alot of bullocking, clearing and tackling that goes unnoticed.

[comrade]

Defensive transitions/switch of play.

Too often, the responsibility to switch play is left to players such as Austin or Morris who don't have the skill or mindset to take the game on or hit targets. Rather than set up attacking forays, we'd simply slow the game down and then take the conservative option and kick long in the hope we'd secure a secondary throw in/ball up.

We're crying out for more play makers behind the ball. As much as I like JJ, I'm not sure he'll ever be a good enough disposer to suit the role.

[Remi Moses]

How about as trade bait?

Yep. Isn't it time Cordy and Campbell stood up?
Unfortunately Will hurts our structure because he can't play forward.

[Remi Moses]

It's easy to say that, but you need someone that can takeover. I think Campbell and Cordy are not ready to take on the number one role at this stage. One thing you get from Will and that is 120% effort. He is still the number two ruckman in The AFL for hitouts - second to Sandilands, applied 81 tackles to 41, had more contested possessions, more centre clearances and more stoppages. However, way down on Marks.

Easy to write him off but he does alot of bullocking, clearing and tackling that goes unnoticed.

What's the hit outs to advantage ?

[SonofScray]

Great observation GVGjr, the hard tag and how we take a team approach to dealing with it is something we could do better. Carlton game was a prime example. We see it weekly with tactics applied to Wallis and Picken, but rarely offer much up the other way.

[GVGjr]

Yep. Isn't it time Cordy and Campbell stood up?
Unfortunately Will hurts our structure because he can't play forward.

We already have 3 trade or list management threads going. This one is about game day tactics during the 2014 season.

[westdog54]

Defensive transitions/switch of play.

Too often, the responsibility to switch play is left to players such as Austin or Morris who don't have the skill or mindset to take the game on or hit targets. Rather than set up attacking forays, we'd simply slow the game down and then take the conservative option and kick long in the hope we'd secure a secondary throw in/ball up.

We're crying out for more play makers behind the ball. As much as I like JJ, I'm not sure he'll ever be a good enough disposer to suit the role.
JJs decision making with his disposal is really good in that he picks the right player to kick to and kicks straight. His one flaw is that he overcooks his kicks by about 5-10%. He irons this out of his game and he'll be fine.

For mine or biggest issue is getting sucked into the play in our forward half which then results in us conceding goal after goal on the rebound, which is exacerbated somewhat by the slow transition because we allow the opposition to set up around the ground. As our younger players mature I think our structures and game plan discipline will get better but I'd like to see a naive focus on our setup around the ground over summer.

[LostDoggy]

My pet hate, which concerns me week in week out watching us play, is our lack of awareness around the ball. We often have an extra player around the stoppages, however when you have 3 blokes running at the one bloke with the ball that advantage is lost and we get smashed on the spread.

It's all well and good to be eager and want to tackle a bloke at every opportunity. But the good teams will back in one player to stick the tackle while others cover outside options.

Seeing 3 blokes run at a player only for the quick handball to be fired out to a wide open teammate gives me the irrates.

[Prince Imperial]

This is not a tactical thing but the players really need to be switched on at the opening bounce. The amount of times we conceded a goal in the first 1-2 minutes was disturbing.

[Bulldog4life]

I think we tend to look to much to the flanks and quite often miss the player making the play in the centre. I understand the risk involved if they don't hit their target. But think their first look is out to the flank when the first look sometimes should up the middle and if it not on or too risky than look out wide.
If we release the ball quicker and honour the play maker we would open up their defence. Maybe this is just a confidence thing but I would like to see us take the game on more.

Yes I have noticed that time and time again this year. Sitting behind the goals regularly on level 3 gives me more insight into this problem. The good sides very quickly kick in after a point, sometimes even going coast to coast straight down the middle,
while we tend to take our time and always kick to a contest on the flanks. There are multiple times when we have free men down the middle or slightly off centre that are ignored time and time again.

[LostDoggy]

Problem is if your skills are average (tick) and you miss the target down the centre, the consequences are higher than the flank turnover.

[dadsgirl16]

AND ...why do we ALWAYS kick to the same side?? play is never on my side of the ground

[Ozza]

Kick ins and kick outs.

Too many examples to list, but dare I say we look at sides like the Power, and even GWS on the weekend, who were able to kick multiple goals from the kick out, and/or defend the kick in well.

It's not a significant facet of the game, but it's something I'd hazard to say we got beaten in every single week - and perhaps ends up being a 3-4 goal difference between our poor defending of, and offensive drive from.

We are still poor at the kick outs. I reckon we have been poor at these since maybe 2009/2010.
But I thought this year we defended the kick ins far better and were able to get repeat entries. I actually thought at most times we set up for an opposition kick in very well.

[Stefcep]

I think this is one of our poorest areas and maybe I'm naive but surely one of the easier ones to fix? I couldn't even see what we were trying to do. It is so disheartening to see us labour so hard to clear the defensive 50, while even the weaker teams sweep it easily away to a loose man and then are quickly clear.


You could go back to the days when we were making Prelims and see kick-outs were a problem even then.

Why we can never have a loose man at the kick out is beyond me.

[Stefcep]

Problem is if your skills are average (tick) and you miss the target down the centre, the consequences are higher than the flank turnover.

well then you have a designated kicker-innerer that can hit the target an a couple of quick guys that can out run their and take a mark

[bulldogtragic]

Owing to what has happened this year and the time of the year, the lesson is do not overestimate the bottom section of our list again like last year. If we miss another chance to cut players who must be cut, then we've learned nothing from this year.

[bull79]

What I took from this was we desperately need fullbacks & a power forward? I would go Carlisle as the $900,000. player? Frawley key back, Griffiths (Richmond as a forward), Maccas choice after that?

[boydogs]

We already have 3 trade or list management threads going. This one is about game day tactics during the 2014 season.

Put it this way then, I think we should play 2 ruckmen who can both be effective up forward

[Remi Moses]

Just the obvious
Big tall up forward, reader of the play down back ,and a key back .
More delistings of the bottom end ( they're not up to standard)

[Doc26]

What I took from this was we desperately need fullbacks & a power forward? I would go Carlisle as the $900,000. player? Frawley key back, Griffiths (Richmond as a forward), Maccas choice after that?

Griffiths has now re-signed with Richmond until end 2016.

[Dancin' Douggy]

I learnt that Stringer can play as a genuine full forward.
22 goals from the last 9 games is in the ballpark of a 50 goal year.
And this is from a 20 year old who's never done a proper pre season, in a dysfunctional and usually overcrowded forward line with sloppy delivery. I think he has delivered a tiny fraction of his potential thus far and we could almost play Stringer one out in the forward line in the future. He leads at the right time to the right spot. And is rarely beaten one on one. He is actually a very good contested mark as well and this will become more apparent as his fitness and confidence grow. He almost took an absolute screamer against the Swans but Bont drifted across in front of him to spoil the attempt. But he launched himself on to the pack and was in perfect position. A good sign for the future.

[Bulldog4life]

Problem is if your skills are average (tick) and you miss the target down the centre, the consequences are higher than the flank turnover.

I was talking about when Murph kicks out....I wouldn't say his skills are average.

[F'scary]

This is not a tactical thing but the players really need to be switched on at the opening bounce. The amount of times we conceded a goal in the first 1-2 minutes was disturbing.

It was a bit worse than that in a number of games. Building on what you have pointed out, not getting blown away in the first quarter would have to be a major tactical focus preparing for next year.

[Twodogs]

The big question for me is how do we improve our goalkicking conversion?

How many times this year did all the oomph go out of it by us missing an easy goal after sustained pressure or an exhilarating piece of play. Or did a player easily in kicking distance hand pass backwards to a player standing still. Or some players lousy set shot routine.

I think we need a goalkicking adviser. Someone who knows all the ins and outs of goalkicking. We really need to be paying attention to all the scoring opportunities that we waste.

[Torpedo]

Noticed that Essendon goal kicking coach Matthew Lloyd (with laptop in hand) started working with their players last week. No time like the present to be drilling players with set goal kicking techniques. Get Beaser now!

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Noticed that Essendon goal kicking coach Matthew Lloyd (with laptop in hand) started working with their players last week. No time like the present to be drilling players with set goal kicking techniques. Get Beaser now!

Beaser had a fantastic conversion rate, but better still, Shane Loveless who was 4th best of all time at converting:

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/accuracy.html

Shane would be 56 yo now and apparently is a cricket umpire in the sale Maffra cricket league, so may beat the 'no dickheads' criterion.

[1eyedog]

The big question for me is how do we improve our goalkicking conversion?

How many times this year did all the oomph go out of it by us missing an easy goal after sustained pressure or an exhilarating piece of play. Or did a player easily in kicking distance hand pass backwards to a player standing still. Or some players lousy set shot routine.

I think we need a goalkicking adviser. Someone who knows all the ins and outs of goalkicking. We really need to be paying attention to all the scoring opportunities that we waste.

I agree but in order to get better at set shots we need to get fitter. Nothing clunks a kick worse than having 30 seconds to release after running half the field at full tilt to take a mark late in the 3rd.