Training 28/1/08

[Twodogs]

Got there just as match practice started.

Players missing/I didnt see

Andrejs Everitt
Nathan Eagleton
Wayde Skipper
Daniel Cross



Injured/working on sidelines

Tom Williams
Jarryd Boumann
Josh Hill



The match practice I saw was fairly slick with emphasis on moving the ball quickly on the skinny side of the ground. Skills were fairly good-

Cooney looks in particularly good form, most of his pick ups were one touch and he seemed to feed off Hudson pretty well.

Hudson made a few mistakes in his judgement of where to dispose of the ball

Welsh played across half back-takes a good mark is a beautiful kick of the ball

Acker looks more like Brisbane Acker-more defined and quicker over the ground

Hargrave played on a wing and looked good there

Johnno had shots from all over the place but actually centred the ball from a difficult angle

Mitch Hahn looked quicker than last preseason and really hit the ball with a lot of confidence

Bobby Murphy was just Bobby Murphy-making opponents look silly with his judgement and overhead marking ability

Cam Wight held a couple of good marks at CHB and otherwise spoiled really well

Street looks huge but actually picked the ball up of the ground and went for a run.

Ryan Griffen was fairly quiet

Guido came on late but had no knee padding or anything-didnt notice him otherwise.

Shaun Higgins really likes to make sure his teammates hears his voice when he wants the ball.

Farren Ray has gotten bigger again over the preseason-he looked comfortable on a half back flank and delivered the ball well. Hopefully he has found a spot-might be Jordy's instant replacement in defence.

Noticed Mc Dougall when he fell over in front of us at one stage.

Jarrad Grant will never die wondering-wants the ball everytime it came into the forward line and worked hard to make good position-I liked what I saw of the kid-big, clever, good skills and not afraid to present himself.

Jarryd Boumann-If the kid cant play footy he can certainly fight. Huge unit who will keep getting bigger. He was working with the boxing coach and throwing really quick combos that thudded around the ground. Could well be Australias first heavyweight boxing champ if the footy thing doesnt work out.

Brian Lake(Harris). Played some of the match practice and then sauntered of the ground, did some stretches and disappeared-didnt look injured though.


It's the first session I've been to this year. My impression was that skills were more prominent than last preseason and the players look bigger, some much bigger. There's lots more players in the sessions, last year for instance Cooney hadnt done anything but walk laps of the ground the whole year, so we shouldnt peter out halfway through the year like last year. I think we'll go back to the really slick gamestyle we went with in 2006.

[The Coon Dog]

Magnificent report Twodogs.

Harbrow? You were purring over him 12 months ago. Who are you purring over from the new recruits?

[LostDoggy]

Great report mate.

[LostDoggy]

It's the first session I've been to this year. My impression was that skills were more prominent than last preseason and the players look bigger, some much bigger. There's lots more players in the sessions, last year for instance Cooney hadnt done anything but walk laps of the ground the whole year, so we shouldnt peter out halfway through the year like last year. I think we'll go back to the really slick gamestyle we went with in 2006.


I doubt that. Cant afford to go back to that game style. We know it doesnt work

[hujsh]

Do you remember which players Murph made look silly?

Did Minson do much?

[aker39]

Cross did play.

I thought it was Lynch on the sidelines, not Hill.

[Templeton31]

Great reports guys. Tim Callan?

[Mantis]

[/B]

I doubt that. Cant afford to go back to that game style. We know it doesnt work

Do we?

If you think it doesn't then you know very little. What game style did Geelong employ last year?

[LostDoggy]

Do we?

If you think it doesn't then you know very little. What game style did Geelong employ last year?

Geelong 07
*Hard nosed, hard working, accountable midfield (with flair when required)
*GREAT defence
*Tall marking forwards (Ottens and Mooney ) with smart smalls at their feet (Chapman and Johnson)
*one on one contested footy.
Attacking footy yes, not the same as the Dogs in 06? (almost the opposite in a way)

You concur Mantis?

[Twodogs]

[/B]


I doubt that. Cant afford to go back to that game style. We know it doesnt work



With the addition of a decent ruckman and the increased size of the playing group it will.

[Go_Dogs]

With the addition of a decent ruckman and the increased size of the playing group it will.

Agreed, I have confidence in our methods and I'd like to see us really pump it up this year, as I think we now have a better, more matured side for the game style.

[Mantis]

Geelong 07
*Hard nosed, hard working, accountable midfield (with flair when required)
*GREAT defence
*Tall marking forwards (Ottens and Mooney ) with smart smalls at their feet (Chapman and Johnson)
*one on one contested footy.
Attacking footy yes, not the same as the Dogs in 06? (almost the opposite in a way)

You concur Mantis?


The Geelong of 06 and 07 teams were very similiar in personnel, but there was a huge change in there playing style.

As you have identified they are pretty even across the board, but played with much more flair and risk in 07 which paid huge dividends.

The 3 key players in there success last year I believe were G. Ablett, Egan and Mackie. Ablett gave them someone in the middle with some pace and flair that they badly required. Corey, Bartel and Ling improved, but played the same style that they had over previous years. Ablett gave them a player with the X factor. Egan played the crucial 'defensive tall' role which freed up Scarlett and Harley. And Mackie played the 'Gilbee' role. Ie offensive defender with good foot skills.

The style we played successfully at the end of 05 and the first half of 06 can be successful for us, but for a number of reasons it hasn't worked all that well over the past 18mths, abit for a few occassions.

As others have mentioned we need a competitive ruckman (hopefully Hudson), a more accountable midfield/ forwardline, a fit Murphy who is extremely important and a tall competitive forward, not a gun just a very solid competitor (hopefully Minson).

[LostDoggy]

The Geelong of 06 and 07 teams were very similiar in personnel, but there was a huge change in there playing style.

As you have identified they are pretty even across the board, but played with much more flair and risk in 07 which paid huge dividends.

The 3 key players in there success last year I believe were G. Ablett, Egan and Mackie. Ablett gave them someone in the middle with some pace and flair that they badly required. Corey, Bartel and Ling improved, but played the same style that they had over previous years. Ablett gave them a player with the X factor. Egan played the crucial 'defensive tall' role which freed up Scarlett and Harley. And Mackie played the 'Gilbee' role. Ie offensive defender with good foot skills.

The style we played successfully at the end of 05 and the first half of 06 can be successful for us, but for a number of reasons it hasn't worked all that well over the past 18mths, abit for a few occassions.

As others have mentioned we need a competitive ruckman (hopefully Hudson), a more accountable midfield/ forwardline, a fit Murphy who is extremely important and a tall competitive forward, not a gun just a very solid competitor (hopefully Minson).

Geelongs game plan in 07, was nothing like Bulldogs 06. I cant agree with you on that. I dont think the 'run and stun' (dogs 06) game plan will ever win a premiership. It hasnt in the last 100 yrs or so, why now? Sure you can tinker with that style, but then that isnt going back to the "really slick gamestyle" Twodogs mentioned.

[LostDoggy]

jerry, if you were Rodney Eade, what gameplan would you adopt?

Contested, one on one, accountable, long kicking, attacking, hard etc etc ...

[hujsh]

Geelongs game plan in 07, was nothing like Bulldogs 06. I cant agree with you on that. I dont think the 'run and stun' (dogs 06) game plan will ever win a premiership. It hasnt in the last 100 yrs or so, why now? Sure you can tinker with that style, but then that isnt going back to the "really slick gamestyle" Twodogs mentioned.

Because football has changed allot in the last 100 years. i can't see players being professional enough in the 70's to be as fit as our guys and they didn't use the bench like we do now

[LostDoggy]

Because football has changed allot in the last 100 years. i can't see players being professional enough in the 70's to be as fit as our guys and they didn't use the bench like we do now

Exactly, they are fitter nowadays, so there is no excuse for opposition midfielders running free on turnovers. Doesnt matter how much footy has changed in 100yrs, contested footy will always win finals

[mjp]

Contested, one on one, accountable, long kicking, attacking, hard etc etc ...

Can I say:

Agree, disagree, agree, disagree, agree, agree.

The ones I disagree with are 'One-on-One' and 'Long-kicking', mainly because I think that they are game plans that apply to a playing group that we dont have.

One-on-One is fine if you are West Coast - but not good enough if you are Footscray. Our players need to outnumber the opposition at every contest, and be encouraged to do so - this involves taking risks (leaving your man to help your mate) but it basically has to happen. In order for us to run and carry the ball - drilled into the players for 3 years under Eade - we have to get the ball to players in space, which can only come about by getting extra players around the ball.

If Eade changes this message I dont think we will ever recover.

Long-kicking? Maybe, but not in the traditional 'kick-it-long' mode. It wont work, opposition sides will again surround our forwards and sweep the ball forward as if propelled by a cannon. We need to kick longer than last year, but Johnson is (right now) still the strength of our forward line and kicking it on his head outnumbered 3-to-1 wont work any more effectively than in 2007.

Where I think you are 100% on the money is that the players simply need to be more accountable, and more willing to play simple, contested footy (when the situation demands it - as it will at times in every game). If the team is going to be successful, they simply HAVE to stop the opposition scoring so heavily...

[Sockeye Salmon]

Contested, one on one, accountable, long kicking, attacking, hard etc etc ...

Make up your mind. Are they accountable or attacking?

[hujsh]

Make up your mind. Are they accountable or attacking?

Maybe both. All we need is extra men on the field and we'll win for sure.;)

[Twodogs]

Geelongs game plan in 07, was nothing like Bulldogs 06. I cant agree with you on that. I dont think the 'run and stun' (dogs 06) game plan will ever win a premiership. It hasnt in the last 100 yrs or so, why now? Sure you can tinker with that style, but then that isnt going back to the "really slick gamestyle" Twodogs mentioned.


That type of gameplan plays to our strengths-running and hitting up a target, run more have a shot/hit up a target. That style is pretty hard to counter at Telstra and that's where we play most of our games. We must develop a main playing style that we use 9 times out of 10.

Hopefully where it'll differ from '06 is we'll have a better(or just a) plan B for when the primary style isnt appropriate or isnt working.

[Topdog]

Yeah we definitely need a better Plan B.

[Mantis]

Yeah we definitely need a better Plan B.

Or do we just need a better more refined plan A?

[Topdog]

Or do we just need a better more refined plan A?

Nope, a better plan B.

I don't think I've ever seen us use a plan B effectively. There are always going to be times where plan A, no matter how good it is does not work.

[Mantis]

Nope, a better plan B.

I don't think I've ever seen us use a plan B effectively. There are always going to be times where plan A, no matter how good it is does not work.

How many games do you watch us play a season?

And I am not being smart just interested.

[Topdog]

last year I saw 20 games. probably 12 live.

I'd love to know of a time when we have done it though.

[Go_Dogs]

I'm with Mantis on this one, I think we can re-define the current game plan, and absolutely smash teams with it. It involves hard running, and high skill levels, so when it doesn't go right, it can look very ordinary, however we need to have faith that Rocket will be able to implement his vision and that we are assembling a list that will be able to do the job.

I agree that we do also need a plan B, but if we get plan A perfect and to the level that we want, it should suffice against most opposition.

[Topdog]

I agree that we do also need a plan B, but if we get plan A perfect and to the level that we want, it should suffice against most opposition.

And just hope that it works perfectly against all teams in the finals.

[Go_Dogs]

And just hope that it works perfectly against all teams in the finals.

Hence why we need to continue to improve and revolutionise the game plan, whilst maintaining the general concepts behind it.

My thoughts are that Rocket believes he can generate a game plan which will run over the top of other sides, and already we have seen a number of sides take elements from that game plan and use it to create success for themselves. Towards the end of the 2005 season when we beat WC at the MCG when they were in full flight, that is the sort of performance we need to be able to generate week in week out. It won't be easy, but I think the vision is right.

[Mantis]

I'd love to know of a time when we have done it though.

I think over the past few years especially we have (when we are switched on) been the master's of 'tempo' footy.

We have the ability to kick goals quickly, but also the ability to shut the game down in a keeping's off style. We did this particualarly well in West Coast in 06 where we hit them on the counter, but slowed the game down late in quarters to conserve energy.

I hate all this talk about different plan's. We don't have the ability as yet to play a long kicking style as we have no tall targets to kick to. This may change over time as a few of the young guys fillout, but I can't see it happening for atleast 2 or 3 years unless Skipper or Minson can play as tall forwards and that's highly debatable.

We have to get back to playing a physical pressing style all over the ground and then smashing the opposition with our pace and skill when we have the ball. Our players need to be switched on at all times and apply physical pressure onto the opposition.

We have been told that our fitness and injuries didn't allow us to do this this past season. Really with an un-interrupted pre-season to most of our squad there will be hopefully no such excuses this year.

[hujsh]

That game against WCE was certainly a plan B. But i can't think of a time where we have played like that and won.

Maybe against Brisbane after we had injuries?

[LostDoggy]

Make up your mind. Are they accountable or attacking?

Haha.... you believe you cant be both? Attacking brand of football could be using the corridor on every opportunity. Or kicking long and deep into the forward line... it doesnt mean running of your man and being unaccountable

[always right]

I think the most effective game plan is one that revolves around getting the ball moving quickly into your forward line. That doesn't change whether you have a small forward line or a tall one. Our gameplan is about quick movement which we should retain. What we need to modify is our tendency to run forward of the ball every time. Find a balance between attack and defence and get more blokes winning the ball in contests instead of having most running past out wide while the extraction is left to two or three.

There....solved:)

[Dancin' Douggy]

Boooorrrriiiiiiiinnnggg