Sheparding

[CureTheSane]

Anyone notice that a lot of our sheparding is leaving a bit to be desired?

With our running game, the players are quite often dishing the ball off quickly to another player.

Lately they've been putting that player under pressure some of the time, and I've felt that the very next thought in the mind of the player should be to block an opposition players close by.

Perhaps the game plan is to run on rather than shepard?

[liz]

Not something I've noticed particularly. They do try to shepherd, though I wouldn't have a clue how good they are compared to other teams.

If you handball to a player who already has an opponent right on top of him, shepherding is not an option. It's more important to have another player running past who can receive the ball straight away and hopefully break into space. Sometimes it does go wrong, but on the whole I've been pretty impressed by their ability to keep their nerve while passing it around until they do find someone who can clear the ball.

When it becomes frustrating is when a player handballs to another who's already under more pressure than the disposer of the ball. But then, I guess its very easy to sit up in the stand and see the best option - bit harder down on the ground.

[CureTheSane]

What concerns me is when a Swan A is running down the ground, and a Swan B is close by and just after Swan A handballs to Swan B, he doesn't shepard the player who was about to tackle him.
Instead the opposition player is allowed to 'get through' to Swan B and puts him under pressure.

What I have noticed generally is that other teams will lay the shepard as a reflex action, to play tough if for no otehr reason.

[scurrilous]

It's all to do with the psychology of the mind

[Go Swannies]

I think our shepherding is as good as any. And in the Port game our support of the other players was astonishingly good.

If you look at the Port-Dons game again you'll see the difference was the way Port always had players around the ball. Yet when we played them it seemed like that was our strong point - like we had twice the number of players they had. Too bad we're not facing the Bombers in the GF - just have to hope we can make Port look silly again.

[Rod_]

Drawing the player away and run on type, being open to take the ball. Thats why our ball skill have looked better this year. Only sheppard when it is necessary to get away from chasers

The team that chases and tackles have been harder to get away from...... Brissy does that well - Pressure on the ball, ball carrier or who gets in next..... Swans have had more than on option thats why we run their legs off them. (Flying swans - Ducks...... Flying V.......) Open forward line hard hitting the ball forwards....



Rod_

[CureTheSane]

Rod, never ever make an analogy to the Mighty Ducks again!!!! lol

[Sid]

I just think our physicality is not as good as some other teams. I think its because our team is so young. We concentrate a lot more on disposals instead.