pfft - defence isnt the issue

[penga]

thanks to prostats, this is how our defence ranks:

DEFENCE

POINTS AGAINST

we rank 4th in points against at 87

better than brisbane, who rank 6th at 89

SPOILS

we rank 14th with 18 a game

st kilda rank 13th with also 18 a game; they rank as the no. 1 defence

carlton are 2nd with 22 a game


RUCK

SCORING FROM CENTRE BOUNCE

scoring from the centre bounce we rank 15th with 31 goals

brisbane are no. 1 with 57


SCORING FROM BALL UP

we rank very well at 2nd, i assume this would be from bazza's influence in the forward 50


SCORING FROM THROW IN

back to normal, we rank 14th with 35 goals

brisbane rank 1st with 57


CLEARANCES

we rank 11th

brisbane rank 1st



we rank better than brisbane's defence but are poorly lacking when it comes from scoring from clearances and clearances themselves

which area do we need to address again?

[robbieando]

Re: pfft - defence isnt the issue

Originally posted by penga
which area do we need to address again?

The forward line

[penga]

Re: Re: pfft - defence isnt the issue

Originally posted by robbieando
The forward line

LOL!

granted, if youre implying the forward line actually being on the park!

[robbieando]

That could always help, but I was saying that as a joke. I agree, its not our defence that needs improvement, its our rucks. The key however will be if Ball plays on for another season, thus given Doyle and Ericsson a chance to get ready to be our ruck duo in 2006. As to how to go about getting a ruckman this year, I say draft one.

[NMWBloods]

The midfield!

We are coming 13th for Inside 50s, with 46 cf StKilda who are first with 55.

We have too many handballs - 42% of our disposals are handballs; other sides are 40% or less (eg: Brisbane 38%).

We are poor at going coast-to-coast (14th and only 9 goals).

We have a lot of handling errors - 11th.

We are doing well in contested ball gets though - 1st with 37, but not well with uncontested ball gets (12th) and hence total (8th).

[penga]

have all those people demanding a tall back suddenly gone quiet or something?

comment within please!

dont let the facts get in the way of an emotion

[dendol]

ok, how do we fix our clearance problems?? With a short, fat-arsed "extractor" types who can get down low and go go go. Last year, Roosy and co recruited Willoughby and Schmidt. We have seen Buchanan and Fixter show very good signs, and we may well see Bevan get more of a run in the middle. I dont know what plans they have for Schnieder, but in that bunch, I am very confident we will get find some hard, clearance-getting midfielders. Add this to BoltonL and Kirky and things are looking for the future.

We need a STAR midfielder (clearances would be a bonus) or a high potential KPP defender this draft/trade peroid.

[penga]

Originally posted by dendol
ok, how do we fix our clearance problems?? With a short, fat-arsed "extractor" types who can get down low and go go go. Last year, Roosy and co recruited Willoughby and Schmidt. We have seen Buchanan and Fixter show very good signs, and we may well see Bevan get more of a run in the middle. I dont know what plans they have for Schnieder, but in that bunch, I am very confident we will get find some hard, clearance-getting midfielders. Add this to BoltonL and Kirky and things are looking for the future.

We need a STAR midfielder (clearances would be a bonus) or a high potential KPP defender this draft/trade peroid.

yup, i agree, but change what is italicised to: KPP ruck or forward...

[RogueSwan]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

We have too many handballs - 42% of our disposals are handballs; other sides are 40% or less (eg: Brisbane 38%).

I have posted this elsewhere but there is a direct correlation between our no. of handballs and points scored.

average handballs and average points scored

the more handballs the more points

[Nico]

Re: Re: pfft - defence isnt the issue

Originally posted by robbieando
The forward line

Slightly wrong there Robbie. Try kicking into the forward line.

Watch last weeks game, 1stQ. We should have been 5 goals in front against the wind at Q time. Kicking and handballing to targets going into the forward line was nothing short of appalling. Get this right and we almost beat anyone.

We did grubbers, kicks 20 metres past leading forwards, kicks 5 metres short of a leading forward (Micky must be waiting for the twang), they kicked sideways to no one and even backwards. And that was not from standing kicks.

This has been our main problem all season. If and when we get it right, watch out.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by RogueSwan
I have posted this elsewhere but there is a direct correlation between our no. of handballs and points scored.

average handballs and average points scored

the more handballs the more points

Hey - that's really interesting. I'd also like to see kicks and opponent disposals on the same chart though.

[Rob-bloods]

Re: pfft - defence isnt the issue

Originally posted by penga
thanks to prostats, this is how our defence ranks:

DEFENCE

POINTS AGAINST

we rank 4th in points against at 87

better than brisbane, who rank 6th at 89

?

These stats are interesting, does that mean if we rank No 1 in defence on Prostats we get the Premiership Cup?

Afraid not, we have to hold players like Lynch, Brown,Lloyd, Neitz etc in tight finals, and we need a defensive BBBH option IMHO to complete the picture.

Yes we can improve with a midfield 'star' , but our small brigade is OK and improving. Give me a Leppitsch Harley Maguire Scarlett type and I would feel a lot happier.

[Nico]

I think it is pretty hard to quantify handballs. I would love to see how many we stuff up where we have complete control going forward from anywhere on the ground. This is where the turnovers happen regularly.

Also the unnecessary ones where they handball sideways to someone who calls and is under extreme pressure, when they are well clear themselves. Surely a quick penetrating kick to an open forward line is a better option.

Handballs in extreme traffic and when scrambling around in packs can be somewhat excused if they don't always hit targets.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by dendol
ok, how do we fix our clearance problems?? With a short, fat-arsed "extractor" types who can get down low and go go go.

Nup that's not it

We have too many handballs - 42% of our disposals are handballs; other sides are 40% or less (eg: Brisbane 38%).

Ah yes put these two together and what do you get????

We DO get enough ball in at the stoppages BUT stuff around too much with it which leads to

We have a lot of handling errors - 11th.

creating another stoppage or more damaging turning it over.

Watch any game in the past year or so, we very very rarely do a clearing disposal with the first hands on the footy at a stoppage 9 times out of ten it is a handball to another player more often than under similar pressure to the guy with the footy in the first place.

Very generally, we need to clear the ball quicker from the stoppage and not worry about that 4th or 5th handball. I believe this is a result of our very effective high handball running game which works wonderfully out of defence but not so good close in.

[dendol]

Originally posted by floppinab
Nup that's not it

umm. how is it done then? if a smallish player who has good skills below his knees and a great handball cant be relied on to get the bulk of our clearances, who will? Care to elaborate?