bornadog
23-04-2011, 12:12 AM
Paul Roos (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/are-the-western-bulldogs-one-dimensional-with-barry-hall-at-the-front/story-fn7si1vl-1226043519631)
From:Herald Sun
April 23, 201112:00AM
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/570466-barry-hall.jpg
WHEN making the decision to step aside as Swans coach, I was excited by the prospect of a family football weekend in one of the great sports cities of the world.
Tonight the family heads to Etihad Stadium for the Carlton-Adelaide game, and we'll be there again tomorrow for North Melbourne versus Richmond. Then it's the blockbusters at the MCG on Monday and Tuesday.
While most of the attention is on the Monday and Tuesday games, it is the other games I find most intriguing.
Carlton has had an interesting start to the season and my assessment, though results may not suggest it, is the Blues are improving.
It is true much of their form is still based around Chris Judd inside at stoppages, Marc Murphy, Kade Simpson, the Mr Fix-It role played by Bryce Gibbs and a reliance on outside forward-of-the-ball runners as well as crumbing forwards.
There are glimpses of an improved team. I felt their defence last week looked better than I had seen it in any other time during Brett Ratten's tenure.
Even when Essendon was dominating early, Carlton defenders constantly won the one-out battles. I thought the efforts of Michael Jamison and Nick Duigan, in particular, would have given Blues fans some hope.
Chris Yarran's move to defence has allowed him to blossom. However, his most difficult transition will be defending from the goalsquare. In the last quarter against the Dons, he was outmarked and looked uncomfortable at key moments.
At the moment, his positives far outweigh his negatives. But, given opposition teams plan so thoroughly, that could quickly change if he doesn't learn to defend.
The Blues seem to be keen on playing three talls in the forward half. Even though the three are not marking well, they do look dangerous.
Shaun Hampson is big, strong and athletic, and can take a contested mark. Lachy Henderson is mobile and looks at times capable of dominating a game. He really needs to add some consistency, though.
Arguably, the most important player in making Carlton a serious top four finals team is Jarrad Waite. At times, he looks unstoppable, yet he can look like a first-gamer. He must stay calm and do the basics well for 120 minutes. If he does, he will be a star.
Carlton should beat a young, injury-depleted Crows team convincingly.
North Melbourne and Richmond is a fascinating contest and could be season-defining for both.
I like the way coaches Brad Scott and Damien Hardwick are approaching their tasks. They seem to have a great balance of hardness and empathy with their young teams. But, believe me, the losing coach tomorrow will not be pleased.
There is no doubt they will see this as a must-win game and they will be on edge the entire contest.
When I say "must-win", that is because both clubs will see it as a momentum game, a game that will lift team morale and reinforce to players, staff and supporters they are on the right track.
It will be a win to create a positive environment around the club.
Young players need hope, they do not want to feel at 7.30pm tomorrow they are destined for a long, hard season, four months of which is still ahead of them.
The one intriguing game I'll be watching closely, albeit on TV, is Monday evening's Fremantle versus Bulldogs clash. Most football people I have spoken to agree it's hard to asses how the Bulldogs are going. I've already said I would not be surprised to see the Dogs win by 10 goals or lose by the same margin.
Despite early concerns about Freo's injuries, I'm convinced the Dockers will play in September, but it's hard to gauge whether the Dogs are better or worse than last year.
I felt the Bulldogs were at their best in 2009. They were hard, fit, quick and unpredictable. They had multiple players who could change forward and midfield, and would confuse the opposition by changing roles.
The Dogs' forward line two seasons ago was the hardest to match up in the competition. No backline had the flexibility to cover Brad Johnson, Robert Murphy, Mitch Hahn, Jason Akermanis, Daniel Giansiracusa, Will Minson and the others who rotated through it.
This meant their ball use going forward was unpredictable, and you had no idea who their main target would be, preventing you flooding or zoning off.
Now they seem a far more traditional football team in their composition. No Johnson, Akermanis or Hahn at this stage, while Murphy has shifted to the backline.
They have a more conventional forward set-up with Jarrad Grant and Barry Hall.
Will this model go one better and reach a Grand Final?
One enjoyable part of living in Sydney is you escape the constant scrutiny the Victorian teams are subjected to, and this can be an advantage.
But, equally, living in NSW means players don't get to experience how massive AFL football can be in a week like this.
The Roos family are eagerly anticipating a long weekend of football, Melbourne style.
From:Herald Sun
April 23, 201112:00AM
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/570466-barry-hall.jpg
WHEN making the decision to step aside as Swans coach, I was excited by the prospect of a family football weekend in one of the great sports cities of the world.
Tonight the family heads to Etihad Stadium for the Carlton-Adelaide game, and we'll be there again tomorrow for North Melbourne versus Richmond. Then it's the blockbusters at the MCG on Monday and Tuesday.
While most of the attention is on the Monday and Tuesday games, it is the other games I find most intriguing.
Carlton has had an interesting start to the season and my assessment, though results may not suggest it, is the Blues are improving.
It is true much of their form is still based around Chris Judd inside at stoppages, Marc Murphy, Kade Simpson, the Mr Fix-It role played by Bryce Gibbs and a reliance on outside forward-of-the-ball runners as well as crumbing forwards.
There are glimpses of an improved team. I felt their defence last week looked better than I had seen it in any other time during Brett Ratten's tenure.
Even when Essendon was dominating early, Carlton defenders constantly won the one-out battles. I thought the efforts of Michael Jamison and Nick Duigan, in particular, would have given Blues fans some hope.
Chris Yarran's move to defence has allowed him to blossom. However, his most difficult transition will be defending from the goalsquare. In the last quarter against the Dons, he was outmarked and looked uncomfortable at key moments.
At the moment, his positives far outweigh his negatives. But, given opposition teams plan so thoroughly, that could quickly change if he doesn't learn to defend.
The Blues seem to be keen on playing three talls in the forward half. Even though the three are not marking well, they do look dangerous.
Shaun Hampson is big, strong and athletic, and can take a contested mark. Lachy Henderson is mobile and looks at times capable of dominating a game. He really needs to add some consistency, though.
Arguably, the most important player in making Carlton a serious top four finals team is Jarrad Waite. At times, he looks unstoppable, yet he can look like a first-gamer. He must stay calm and do the basics well for 120 minutes. If he does, he will be a star.
Carlton should beat a young, injury-depleted Crows team convincingly.
North Melbourne and Richmond is a fascinating contest and could be season-defining for both.
I like the way coaches Brad Scott and Damien Hardwick are approaching their tasks. They seem to have a great balance of hardness and empathy with their young teams. But, believe me, the losing coach tomorrow will not be pleased.
There is no doubt they will see this as a must-win game and they will be on edge the entire contest.
When I say "must-win", that is because both clubs will see it as a momentum game, a game that will lift team morale and reinforce to players, staff and supporters they are on the right track.
It will be a win to create a positive environment around the club.
Young players need hope, they do not want to feel at 7.30pm tomorrow they are destined for a long, hard season, four months of which is still ahead of them.
The one intriguing game I'll be watching closely, albeit on TV, is Monday evening's Fremantle versus Bulldogs clash. Most football people I have spoken to agree it's hard to asses how the Bulldogs are going. I've already said I would not be surprised to see the Dogs win by 10 goals or lose by the same margin.
Despite early concerns about Freo's injuries, I'm convinced the Dockers will play in September, but it's hard to gauge whether the Dogs are better or worse than last year.
I felt the Bulldogs were at their best in 2009. They were hard, fit, quick and unpredictable. They had multiple players who could change forward and midfield, and would confuse the opposition by changing roles.
The Dogs' forward line two seasons ago was the hardest to match up in the competition. No backline had the flexibility to cover Brad Johnson, Robert Murphy, Mitch Hahn, Jason Akermanis, Daniel Giansiracusa, Will Minson and the others who rotated through it.
This meant their ball use going forward was unpredictable, and you had no idea who their main target would be, preventing you flooding or zoning off.
Now they seem a far more traditional football team in their composition. No Johnson, Akermanis or Hahn at this stage, while Murphy has shifted to the backline.
They have a more conventional forward set-up with Jarrad Grant and Barry Hall.
Will this model go one better and reach a Grand Final?
One enjoyable part of living in Sydney is you escape the constant scrutiny the Victorian teams are subjected to, and this can be an advantage.
But, equally, living in NSW means players don't get to experience how massive AFL football can be in a week like this.
The Roos family are eagerly anticipating a long weekend of football, Melbourne style.