Jake Lever - Stick an elbow IN HIS BACK!

[mjp]

Just finished watching the game.

I don't understand a lot of things but I do understand this. If Lever is allowed to float around, he is going to take intercept marks. You need to play with an elbow IN HIS BACK. Don't lead - he reads it better than you. Don't double back into space - he reads it better than you. STICK YOUR ELBOW IN HIS BACK.

Like - how hard is it. When you are playing against someone like Lever, telling players to lower their eyes etc is great in theory...but then the pressure comes and he marks it. Instead, just stick your elbow in his back and every time he jumps for the ball he has some serious heat on him. He is forced to compete, not allowed to be the 3rd man.

Sure, it wasn't our night, but we can at least do this. And I know if we are sitting on Salem then sitting on Lever as well might make it 'hard' but he impacted so many times....

[DOG GOD]

Just finished watching the game.

I don't understand a lot of things but I do understand this. If Lever is allowed to float around, he is going to take intercept marks. You need to play with an elbow IN HIS BACK. Don't lead - he reads it better than you. Don't double back into space - he reads it better than you. STICK YOUR ELBOW IN HIS BACK.

Like - how hard is it. When you are playing against someone like Lever, telling players to lower their eyes etc is great in theory...but then the pressure comes and he marks it. Instead, just stick your elbow in his back and every time he jumps for the ball he has some serious heat on him. He is forced to compete, not allowed to be the 3rd man.

Sure, it wasn't our night, but we can at least do this. And I know if we are sitting on Salem then sitting on Lever as well might make it 'hard' but he impacted so many times....

Agree. I don’t understand how teams can allow him just to float like you say. If it’s obvious to you MJP, why not the MC ? By watching the game, what was the thinking of the MC regarding Lever ?

[bulldogtragic]

Brisbane took the advice Mike. Working well.

[G-Mo77]

I'd rather someone put a knee in his back. I don't mind Melbourne but just can't take this bloke.

[comrade]

Just stick a bloke on him all game and don't give him more than a foot of space.

[Hotdog60]

Just stick a bloke on him all game and don't give him more than a foot of space.

May be we should have moved Cordy forward

[Grantysghost]

I'd rather someone put a knee in his back. I don't mind Melbourne but just can't take this bloke.

Oi oi easy now gov'na.
https://i.postimg.cc/X7bQPM9m/Screenshot-20210604-212156-Chrome.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[chef]

May be we should have moved Cordy forward

Knee to the back of the head?

[jeemak]

Trying not to kick to him (or May) would have been the starting point.

[Testekill]

Just plow into him and May at every contest, make them hesitant.

[bulldogtragic]

Anything you want to add MJP?

[jeemak]

What I've seen with these guys is that they're really good at pushing forwards higher up the ground, pulling back to take the ball that's been kicked too full/ long.

[bornadog]

As Comrade has mentioned, Hawthorn made sure the high ball didn't come in so that Lever and May didn't have the opportunity to take intercept marks. We need our forwards to lead and our mids/wingman to hit the players on a leading chest.

This game should be ideal for Weightman and Garcia to mop up the spoiled balls and snap some goals. With rain forecast, our smaller forwards need to do the job.

[GVGjr]

As Comrade has mentioned, Hawthorn made sure the high ball didn't come in so that Lever and May didn't have the opportunity to take intercept marks. We need our forwards to lead and our mids/wingman to hit the players on a leading chest.

This game should be ideal for Weightman and Garcia to mop up the spoiled balls and snap some goals. With rain forecast, our smaller forwards need to do the job.

I would have thought Weightman was a more mark and kick type player than a crumbing one
Lets hope they can both adjust

[Topdog]

I would have thought Weightman was a more mark and kick type player than a crumbing one
Lets hope they can both adjust

Weightman has shown that he is pretty good at both but has certainly kicked more from marks.

[Bulldog4life]

Oi oi easy now gov'na.
https://i.postimg.cc/X7bQPM9m/Screenshot-20210604-212156-Chrome.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I hate you Butler.

[The Underdog]

Does the fact that it looks like it’s going to be wet and cold help us?

[bornadog]

Does the fact that it looks like it’s going to be wet and cold help us?

I wonder if we go smaller in the forward line and drop JUH?

[comrade]

I wonder if we go smaller in the forward line and drop JUH?

God I hope not.

[Bulldog4life]

I wonder if we go smaller in the forward line and drop JUH?

Wash your mouth out BAD.

[Grantysghost]

Does the fact that it looks like it’s going to be wet and cold help us?

My Melbourne friends have said all year they play really well in the wet.

[bulldogtragic]

Does the fact that it looks like it’s going to be wet and cold help us?

Arguably. Our defenders are more spoil than mark types, perhaps Keath less so. Their defenders rely on it absolutely.

Our tall forwards aren’t huge pack Marks except Naughton whose hands are probably still good enough. McDonald will have to lead more.

If it gets slippery then Salem might need an extra split second to get the ball in his hands and ready to kick. If JJ is going to do the job, hopefully his speed to shut him down with that extra split second.

Perhaps Gawn gets less purchase on some of his precise deft hit outs. We both have a good small (Cody vs Pickett).

We need to hunt and tackle. We played a pretty good game in the rain vs Brisbane in Ballarat in Bailey Smiths first season. From memory he got around 10 tackles himself. That’s what I want to see. If the ball can get to ground at both ends their strength is mitigated and we need some good ‘one grab’ smalls and mids to clean up or attack.

I don’t think on its own it’s sways the result, but if we can pressure and hunt, tackle and hurt, and take our chances in front of goal, then I think we are going to around the mark.

[bulldogtragic]

My Melbourne friends have said all year they play really well in the wet.

What if it’s a bottom 8 team?

[bornadog]

My Melbourne friends have said all year they play really well in the wet.

They beat Richmond in the wet when Tigers were up and about, but then we beat WCE in the rain in Perth (mainly first half rain, but we were well on top)

[The Underdog]

My Melbourne friends have said all year they play really well in the wet.

“Melbourne friends” plural? Did you got to private school?

I think a wet game suits us but we’ll need to crack in at the contest way better than last time. Reckon it makes Ben Brown more of a liability than usual. Will hurt our handball game is my major concern, but the West Coast game gives me some optimism given how well we handled it.

[Grantysghost]

“Melbourne friends” plural? Did you got to private school?

I think a wet game suits us but we’ll need to crack in at the contest way better than last time. Reckon it makes Ben Brown more of a liability than usual. Will hurt our handball game is my major concern, but the West Coast game gives me some optimism given how well we handled it.

Ha no as far from it as possible actually a tech.

These are guys I've met through work.

[westbulldog]

Cordy legally dumping Lever or May at every opportunity is appealing.

[Axe Man]

Ha no as far from it as possible actually a tech.

These are guys I've met through work.

Tech student associating with private school types through work - are you a drug dealer? ;)

[Dancin' Douggy]

If we insist on long bombs to congestion I'll SPEW UP!!!

[Grantysghost]

Tech student associating with private school types through work - are you a drug dealer? ;)

My secret shame.

The drug : packaged up highlights of the 2016 finals series. Strangely not that popular in Sin City but does a roaring trade behind the Footscray Market.

[Mofra]

I wonder if we go smaller in the forward line and drop JUH?
And bring in who? Somebody slower?
JUH is seriously quick.

[Rocco Jones]

And bring in who? Somebody slower?
JUH is seriously quick.

Funny when fans say smaller/taller with forwards. It's mobility/ability to offer defensive pressure. Often more typical from smalls but I believe say Naughts is our best at offering i50 pressure.

Marra has that real speed too that impacts the contest. My issue with him is his tank/growing game sense to get to these contests and then offer something. The biggest concern 'tall' wise though for me is Bruce. I think we will/have to go in a bit different to the Hawks, that's fine, trying to replicate it to a tee would be folly anyway. We really need Bruce to be as competitive as he can but also use the strength of our tall forwards being a scoreboard danger.

[Hotdog60]

Every time we bomb the ball in high we need Bruce to go for mark of the year and play either May or Lever from behind.
Doesn't matter if he marks it or not just inflict a bit of pain in the process.

[1eyedog]

Yeah we really needs to make sure we get opportunities around the feet of ours forwards. The high ball must be brought to ground.

[AshMac]

Real test IMO. Lever the best intercept defender in the league this year - May would be close to best lockdown. Very tough defence and our forward line hasnt looked effective without Martin playing IMO.

Good advice re. lever. We need to play like we want it this time. Had our pants pulled down by Melbourne last time. I hope this game has been circled in the calendar since we last played them and we leave nothing out there.

[Axe Man]

I hope this game has been circled in the calendar since we last played them and we leave nothing out there.

It was but unfortunately it turns out we circled the wrong weekend through no fault of our own. We will be up and about for the Crows next week though! ;)

[bulldogtragic]

Or instead of the elbow, when the game is on the line, lead hard away from Lever leaving him in your wake as you get it flush from Bonts. Then go back and ice the game from 40m over Lever’s head.

Lever didn’t look even close to matching Jamarra’s speed.

[jazzadogs]

We played the May/Lever combo very well tonight. 2 goals to each of Hannan, Bruce and Naughton, while Lever and May had only 5 and 1 marks respectively.

Creating a contest and bringing the ball to ground was huge. Great work from our forward line and forward coaching.

[Ghost Dog]

We played the May/Lever combo very well tonight. 2 goals to each of Hannan, Bruce and Naughton, while Lever and May had only 5 and 1 marks respectively.

Creating a contest and bringing the ball to ground was huge. Great work from our forward line and forward coaching.

Wet weather helps.

[Ghost Dog]

Or instead of the elbow, when the game is on the line, lead hard away from Lever leaving him in your wake as you get it flush from Bonts. Then go back and ice the game from 40m over Lever’s head.

Lever didn’t look even close to matching Jamarra’s speed.

When he led, he was miles away. Lever was almost out of the frame.

[AshMac]

We broke off him or forced him into one on ones well. He had his moments intercepting but far less impact on the game than last time we played them.

Naughtons contested mark in the second and jamarra a lead, mark, goal in the last on him were great!

[comrade]

Wet weather helps.

Naughts would have also clunked a couple more in better wetter.

[Testekill]

Dragging one of them away from the contest is the best way to nullify them, May also didn't get away with scragging the entire game which also helped.