Anyone for Roosie's head yet?

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
I completely agree that at a totaly circular ground like the SCG you can very easily get lost on the wide expenses on the wings. I know the Swans like to use that extra width to get around the oppositions defensive net at our kick offs. But seeing it at close range, it remains clearly visible that they NEVER opt to kick long to the centre square.

This one is amazing. Brereton often comments on the width of the ground and the depth of the pockets and how the only way to play the ground is straight down the middle - don't get sucked into going wide because there is a lot of free space there. You think we'd know that playing there all the time, however the visiting teams seem to play the ground better than we do.

And excuse my ignorance, but why are the Swans seemingly so afraid of a contested possession?! Can somebody who has played the game at a high level explain this to me? are we saying that we do have the body strevgth to take a pack mark? Or the desire to want to get hit in the interests of getting the pill?

Hard to say. There is a perception perhaps that we don't have the skill to match it one-on-one hence we play the possession game. However, football is a contact sport and eventually this sort of precise play will come undone, particularly if the skills aren't that good!!

AFL generally has gone the way of possession game, however I think Roos might have become too smart for his own good and tried to push it too far. As far as contested marks, with a couple of exceptions, it's hard to tell if we can take them as we never see them, but I can't imagine too many who can.

As far as contested possessions go, our guys really struggle to deliver the ball well when under pressure, and frequently lose it when tackled. Therefore they get rid of before being tackled, rather than ride the contact, and this results in this haphazard volleyball game.

[barry]

Originally posted by Glenn
Ditto on that, I am not sure if Roos feels Hall doesn't get enough protection to do this, or he doesn't have the faith that someone would be there to get the crumbs.

We dont. Take a look at the Crows game. When the ball came long into our forward line, the "crumbers" were 9 times out of 10 behind the pack, doing sweet f.a.

What every happened to "front and centre". If the crumbers are in front of the player going for the mark, then he can at least knock it forward if unable to mark.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by barry
We dont. Take a look at the Crows game. When the ball came long into our forward line, the "crumbers" were 9 times out of 10 behind the pack, doing sweet f.a.

What every happened to "front and centre". If the crumbers are in front of the player going for the mark, then he can at least knock it forward if unable to mark.

One problem with this is we no longer have a designated player who is just a small forward pocket. In 2003 it was Schneider. He very rarely left the F50. Ever since Roos has tried to turn him, and every other player under 185cm into part of the midfield rotation, so they end up resting in the forward line instead of being there to attack.

It is time to simply pick someone who will play 120 mins in the forward pocket, given one job - front and centre at every one of Barry Hall's marking contests deep in the F50.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by sharpie
One problem with this is we no longer have a designated player who is just a small forward pocket. In 2003 it was Schneider. He very rarely left the F50. Ever since Roos has tried to turn him, and every other player under 185cm into part of the midfield rotation, so they end up resting in the forward line instead of being there to attack.

It is time to simply pick someone who will play 120 mins in the forward pocket, given one job - front and centre at every one of Barry Hall's marking contests deep in the F50.

There aren't too many players like that in the AFL these days - Farmer, Milne and Davey are probably the only ones who play that traditional crumbing forward role.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by Mike_B
There aren't too many players like that in the AFL these days - Farmer, Milne and Davey are probably the only ones who play that traditional crumbing forward role.

Maybe so, but someone like Milne is capable of adding up to 4 goals in a game. There are others as well - Medhurst and Leon Davis are another 2 that come to mind.

I think we should really just use Schneider in this role without the pressure of having to play in the midfield. Apart from scoring goals himself in 2003, he was so valuable in giving us the important defensive pressure to keep the ball in the F50 instead of the opposition clearing it out so quickly and easily as they have been doing recently.

[liz]

Originally posted by Mike_B
There aren't too many players like that in the AFL these days - Farmer, Milne and Davey are probably the only ones who play that traditional crumbing forward role.

Matera and Sampi probably fit into that category too, though they are both capable of taking strong marks as well.

Medhurst plays more of a traditional marking forward role, a bit like Nicks when he plays forward.

[Mike_B]

Forgot about Leon Davis. Agree with Liz about Medhurst, and Sampi and Matera sometimes crumb but also play as marking targets, so make it 4 that are primarily there as small forwars to feast on crumbs, taking the occasional mark when open.

[liz]

It is hard to make it as a long term small forward, whether or not you can play a lead and mark role or are more of a crumber. And there has been plenty of discussion of the likes of Sampi and Davis needing to move into the midfield to really establish themselves as important members of their team.

[NMWBloods]

There's nothing wrong with playing in the midfield for a while and then resting in the forward pocket. Worked for years.

[dendol]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
There's nothing wrong with playing in the midfield for a while and then resting in the forward pocket. Worked for years.

Unless you're a dud in the midfield like Schneider has been in the first few games.