Icing the game

[Mantis]

In another thread Sedat! gave some recent examples of when we haven't been able to close the game out.

So how do you do it?

I watched the final qtr again last night and one of the things I noticed was that when we put numbers back they don't know what to do. What I mean is that they guard space, but very little else. Our loose players do not track the leading player. There seems to be no awareness of what is around them. This is also the case we we play a zone at kick outs and when we flood back.

In my time Doug Hawkins was the best I have seen at reading the play. He was the master of the loose man in defence because he was able to position himself between the leading player and the ball. Our current players have no idea how to do this. I watched Murf on the tape and he was standing around like a headless chicken.

Is it time for the players to watch a few old tapes of the Hawk in action on those wet and windy days at the Western Oval such that they can see how to play this loose man in defence??

[aker39]

They could watch some tapes of Chris Grant as well.

[Mantis]

They could watch some tapes of Chris Grant as well.

Yeah no doubt, but Hawkins for his size was a master of this role.

[LostDoggy]

Cousins was a master of icing the game. ;)

Is the question who is good at controlling the game tempo when things are tight late in the game or who is good at being a spare man in defence?

The old adage is best form of defence is attack. I think throwing extras in defence didn't really help us.

[Mantis]

Is the question who is good at controlling the game tempo when things are tight late in the game or who is good at being a spare man in defence?

The old adage is best form of defence is attack. I think throwing extras in defence didn't really help us.

Agree.

But what happens nowadays is that as soon as you hit the front late in the game everyone rushes into defence. You see the players waving there arms to each other telling the forwards to push into defence. Is this message coming from the coaches box or just the players taking the initiative? Is this flooding the answer?

I am with you keep attacking, but if you are going to push players behind the ball you would like to think that the have a specific task and they just aren't there to create more number's at the contest.

[The Coon Dog]

I always worry about that helter skelter dash into defence late on. Inevitably you win a tough contested ball in the middle & out of habit bang it forward, only there are no forwards there, they've all got on their bike & are now ensconsed in defence. It invites the opposition in in my view.

[Bulldog Revolution]

What did people think of Minsons efforts on the cityside wing at the dome in the last quarter?

Hes probably not the one we want leading wide on the wing to ice a game

[Dancin' Douggy]

What did people think of Minsons efforts on the cityside wing at the dome in the last quarter?

Hes probably not the one we want leading wide on the wing to ice a game

Bouncing the ball while being tackled was DUMB. But poor Will had no options. No one was presenting for him, he was forced into playing on.

[hujsh]

Bouncing the ball while being tackled was DUMB. But poor Will had no options. No one was presenting for him, he was forced into playing on.

It was like watch Bartlett but Will's 30 years too late

[The Bulldogs Bite]

In another thread Sedat! gave some recent examples of when we haven't been able to close the game out.

So how do you do it?

I watched the final qtr again last night and one of the things I noticed was that when we put numbers back they don't know what to do. What I mean is that they guard space, but very little else. Our loose players do not track the leading player. There seems to be no awareness of what is around them. This is also the case we we play a zone at kick outs and when we flood back.

Rocket said after the match that a number of players ran to the wrong positions, so obviously they need to be educated on this because if we are to improve as a side, it's things like this that need to practiced. Surrendering a 10pt lead in about 30 seconds in the dying minute of a close game in the last quarter is unforgivable.

It's interesting you brought this up Mantis, as a few things have been said about this. Rocket obviously commented on it, but so too did SEN. Can't remember who it was, but they mentioned how a few Dogs players dropped back but were not really having any effect, they were in the back half but they weren't positioned too well & didn't have too much idea of what to do.

Against the better sides we've gotta do better, too many times The Crows had midfielders running into open space. Against sides like Geelong & West Coast, you'll be burned - especially when they're players like Ablett, Johnson, Stoakes & Chapman. It's obviously an area we paid some attention to during the off season, which is good, because we were definitely more 'defensively minded', the only thing was, we stood in the wrong positions and didn't pick our men up on a few occasions. So instead of it being positive defensive play, it ended up looking ordinary and poor accountability.

It'll be good to see throughout the year if we improve in this aspect, because we've never been great at icing games. Seem to play well in the close games, our attack is always dangerous and generally steps up, we find ourselves in front often in the tight games but we let ourselves down big time with defence.

[1eyedog]

What did people think of Minsons efforts on the cityside wing at the dome in the last quarter?

Hes probably not the one we want leading wide on the wing to ice a game

Should have torped it as far as he could and create a 50/50 rather than give away a free on the wing