Kicking Straight?

[Bron]

Originally posted by Charlie
For a 51 point win... I'm very quiet. That's because it should've been more like 80 or 90.

more like 100!

[liz]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
... the Saints got the ball out of defence too easily tonight...

JF

We had 37 scoring shots on goal from something like 60 entries into the forward 50. I can't quote league averages or anything, but I suspect that ratio is well higher than the "norm".

I know the team isn't perfect, but to grumble about the forward line structure after a night when we fumbled a lot in midfield yet still would have kicked 25+ goals had the gettable set shots been scored, seems harsh.

And I agree with BBB's comments - Bazza is probably one of the top 3 in the team for 1%ers.

[Jon]

Originally posted by lizz
We had 37 scoring shots on goal from something like 60 entries into the forward 50. I can't quote league averages or anything, but I suspect that ratio is well higher than the "norm".

I know the team isn't perfect, but to grumble about the forward line structure after a night when we fumbled a lot in midfield yet still would have kicked 25+ goals had the gettable set shots been scored, seems harsh.

And I agree with BBB's comments - Bazza is probably one of the top 3 in the team for 1%ers.

Totally agree. The 22 points might be a concern, but not so much if we're also kicking goals....

We were struggling to get inside the fifty earlier this year. The 60 plus we managed last night is a big improvement. One thing to consider, also, is that we were kicking well above the League average with shots on goal from outside fifty before this little drought we've hit. That was always going to drop back...that we're compensating by breaking through the defensive lines more often is a positive.

As for JF's comments that Barry Hall has no team focus...huh? All he does is create opportunities up forward.

Anyone who rates him solely on the goals he kicks, or the odd mark he drops (which ain't that often) isn't properly asssessing his impact on our forward line. Right now, he mightn't be the best full forward in footy, but so what? He'd be pretty close to the being the best centre half forward right now, and he's STILL right up there with his goal tally!

[desredandwhite]

IMHO Barry Hall isn't a full-forward at all. Plays his best footy at HF where he's able to lead out and not get harrassed by a defender as much. Agree with Liz that his 2nd efforts are fantastic, as is his work off the ground, but if he took more marks that come his way, he wouldn't NEED to have 2nd efforts all the time

[footyhead]

any team who can win a game by 50 points without it's "main" forwards kicking more than 1 goal each, is doing damn well.
(As long as those "main" forwards perform at other times , of course . And Hall, mickey, Schnieds and Davis all have and will )
the options we have up there are seriously daunting for oppositions.
Predictablity was our great problem in the Lockett era. No longer.

[Damien]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG


Barry Hall's lack of team focus is of GRAVE concern to me. Of course when he spoilt Nicks about 15 metres from me, I was near ropable. But his lack of 1%s is of huge concern. We would hate to be in a final with a forward set to take a certain mark, only for one B Hall to try and take it himself.



JF

The only concern I have with Barry is contested marks. I think his team work ethic is fantastic though - he is always chasing opposition players and also looking for better options within the forward 50.

I don't think we would be sitting at 10-5 with BBB - him just being there makes it a lot more difficult for opposition coaches to match up our forwards.

[Jon]

Originally posted by Damien
The only concern I have with Barry is contested marks. I think his team work ethic is fantastic though - he is always chasing opposition players and also looking for better options within the forward 50.

I don't think we would be sitting at 10-5 with BBB - him just being there makes it a lot more difficult for opposition coaches to match up our forwards.

I'm not so sure about the contested mark thing. He took 10 marks last night, and I can't remember many of them being uncontested. He's best on the lead, I'll concede that. But I know this, the onus is on the midfield not to just bomb the ball on his head all day.

Regardless, his second efforts after the ball hits the ground have bought us many goals this year, as have his tackles, team orientated handballs, and forward fifty hitouts.

[Big Country]

Most of the marks he took were on a lead outside or around the Forward 50. Now he can take a contested mark one on one, but when he has to handle 2 or 3 players for the other team, he can't mark the ball. That's the worry

Team work around the ground is good when he play's CHF, but when he play's FF the team play isn't so good. Still a good sign that we don't need him to kick a bag of goals to win

[Snowy]

And Davis has been spending quite a bit of time in the midfield and getting some good stats there. Harder for him to kick bags though. The point is the wins are still coming.

[swan_17]

look, in my opinion Hall's inaccuracy in front of goals is a confidence thing.

But not giving 1%ers is ridiculous, he may not be shooting the goals himself, but the number of goals he gives off and sets up is amazing.

[graemed]

JF wrote:

Barry Hall's lack of team focus is of GRAVE concern to me. Of course when he spoilt Nicks about 15 metres from me, I was near ropable. But his lack of 1%s is of huge concern. We would hate to be in a final with a forward set to take a certain mark, only for one B Hall to try and take it himself.

Can I just add to others comments that clearly the reason he "spoilt" nicks and O'Loughlin last week was the very reason JF is critising him he is so team focussed that he realises that when they bomb long he is expected by his teammates to contest and it his focus on the 1%ers that gets him to thise contests.

Get past it JF and move on.

[Jon]

Originally posted by Big Country
Most of the marks he took were on a lead outside or around the Forward 50. Now he can take a contested mark one on one, but when he has to handle 2 or 3 players for the other team, he can't mark the ball. That's the worry

Team work around the ground is good when he play's CHF, but when he play's FF the team play isn't so good. Still a good sign that we don't need him to kick a bag of goals to win

Granted. But I'd argue that very few players regular beat 2 or 3 men tag teams in a marking contest unless the delivery is right on.

The point of alternating him between the two positions, is to keep the defenders moving. If we go tall in the forward line (as often happens when Goodes and Ball push forward) he can run outside 50, demanding a run-with defender. This helps to set up our handballing and short pass game. His pace is pretty good on the burst, and if he can get a straight run at the ball, few players can do much about it. He ends up with the ball more often than not. And his disposals are usually very effective.

But the marking issue I think you're worried about happens when we go small in the forward line (leaving him as a more obvious target for defenders) or when we go long with our kicking. If the balls come in quickly, at best he's hard to cover. But even when the defenders have time to organise those gangs of defenders you claim he can't handle, I still think it's a good mix. Micky plays tall and short, with his agility. And the packs Hall crashes leave plenty of crumbs for his teammates around him.

[penga]

bazza's main inability comes through him being unable to take marks, it frustrates the hell out of me, oh and also looking for a free kick (he will NEVER get one! something u have to deal with)

i do like however his 1%ers, he adds that fear as well for defenders when they gather the ball that they will end up being pole axed

[Syd Swan]

How the hell can anyone bag Barry Hall, Its amazing. If it wasn't for Hall, the likes of Schneider, O'Loughlin, Davis and Creswell wouldn't even be getting a sniff of the goals. Obviosly a lot of you have never played aussie rules, the hardest thing to do is to take a mark over head while running full tilt, with an opposition player breathing down your neck. Currently he would have to be in the most 3 dangerous forwards in the entire AFL, including Full Forwards and Centre Half Forwards.

[penga]

Originally posted by Syd Swan
the hardest thing to do is to take a mark over head while running full tilt, with an opposition player breathing down your neck

thats his bread and butter