Our Negative Style !!!

[juliec]

Loved watching the Swans play that free flowing attacking football against Carlton, with that forward line of ours surley this is a good style for us to play, but it seems to me, and I am not a football Brainiac that we tend to play that negative game style against sides that are higher on the ladder than us, maybe if we just had more confidence in ourselves and played more our own game, we could do a lot better. Go Swans

[Sean]

It's possible that we change the way we play against the good sides but I think that it's more likely that we use pretty much the same gameplan and the quality of the other side affects how we look. If we are playing a weak side our midfield will tend to do reasonably well, win a few clearances and off we go.

Against a good side, it's our midfield that really struggles - therefore the opposition are getting the clearances and we have to shut them down.

We can at times look boring against poor sides if their midfield gets on top and we can look exciting against good teams if Jude in particular starts getting the ball at stoppages.

Confidence, as you said, is probably part of it as well. This season our skills have been poor and the players would be more scared that a mistake would be punished against a good team.

[liz]

The better teams are also either more tactically astute or have the personnel capable of implementing the tactics.

Job number one for opposition coaches for the past season and a half has been to keep the run from half-back under control. Barry playing as a KPP has played into other teams' hands but the positioning of Kennelly is clearly a focus for the opposition. I don't think it is any coincidence that in every quarter where the Swans have played good, skilled, direct football it is when Kennelly has worked himself into the play - first quarter yesterday was a case in point; the second half against Brisbane another.

It's not just about what Kennelly does himself - it is almost as if the sign of him running wakes the rest of the team up a bit and gets them moving better and backing themselves.

[Snowy]

The best sides have better midfields who can exert greater pressure on the ball carrier, hence the ball goes up forward in a more haphazard manner and the supply dries up. They also force the chip game to come into action. Carlton does flood but its midfield is offensive and very unaccountable.

[barry]

Sides beat us by playing very switched on man-on-man accountable football when we have possession. We rely on run and creating a loose man. If no loose man is able to get free, they invaribly force a turnover.

Carlton did this on ocations and it was pleasing to see we had a plan B: bomb it long down the corridor. 1st time this year.

[Tuesday]

Originally posted by liz
It's not just about what Kennelly does himself - it is almost as if the sign of him running wakes the rest of the team up a bit and gets them moving better and backing themselves.

Another v good point, Liz.

When he busts clear, suddenly the team responds. We can trace some of the best play down to him. Big call, but he carved up Brissie, and then Carlton at times on the weekend. When he's hot, he's hot, inspiring his teammates to rally. Other times, one can (sadly) forget for a while he's out there. Tough, but true.

I know his role is not a primary attacking one, but if only I could tell him to back himself and repeat that mantra of his: "Have a craic!"... so back yourself 100%, Kennelly. You have have the skills, so take charge and dominate, fight hard and earn it!

[I wonder if the Swans are looking for a new backs coach? ]

[ScottH]

Kennely tearing thru the centre "sucking in his cheeks" reminds me of David King (Kangas). When he used to tear away with the ball from half back, you knew something good was about to happen.

[Wil]

Originally posted by liz
Job number one for opposition coaches for the past season and a half has been to keep the run from half-back under control. Barry playing as a KPP has played into other teams' hands but the positioning of Kennelly is clearly a focus for the opposition. I don't think it is any coincidence that in every quarter where the Swans have played good, skilled, direct football it is when Kennelly has worked himself into the play - first quarter yesterday was a case in point; the second half against Brisbane another.

It's not just about what Kennelly does himself - it is almost as if the sign of him running wakes the rest of the team up a bit and gets them moving better and backing themselves.

IAWTP.

I was thinking about this during the game, and I think Scott Burns from Collingwood on MMM said something about dragging the running halfbacks into the goalsquare to stop these tactics.

Sometimes the Sydney defense seems a bit of a shambles as it is but perhaps they should get someone like Dempster to work with Kennelly during the matches. Swap who they defend when the opposition number goes to the goal square. Or maybe just put Kennelly on the wing and force the opposition to cover him.

Great to see Goodes in the centre on Saturday and not rucking! Finally!!

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Wil
Sometimes the Sydney defense seems a bit of a shambles as it is but perhaps they should get someone like Dempster to work with Kennelly during the matches. Swap who they defend when the opposition number goes to the goal square. Or maybe just put Kennelly on the wing and force the opposition to cover him.

I'm amazed they don't do either of these things.

Great to see Goodes in the centre on Saturday and not rucking! Finally!!

I've been wanting this to happen for a while.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by Wil
Great to see Goodes in the centre on Saturday and not rucking! Finally!!

I wonder if this will continue in games where they might not be such an obvious opponent for him to match up on as Kouta. I would hope that the coaching staff see his value in the centre and make the opposition find a player for him, rather than moving him out of the centre to find someone he would match up on well.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Originally posted by Wil
Scott Burns from Collingwood on MMM said something about dragging the running halfbacks into the goalsquare to stop these tactics.

To which we should perhaps consider playing Tiger as a loose man in the back half?

[Wil]

Originally posted by Mike_B
I wonder if this will continue in games where they might not be such an obvious opponent for him to match up on as Kouta. I would hope that the coaching staff see his value in the centre and make the opposition find a player for him, rather than moving him out of the centre to find someone he would match up on well.

I haven't seem Carlton this season and was wondering about Kouta being in the centre. Is that usual? If so how does that work well for them?

I would love to see Sydney make some moves to force the other team to have to defend us. I believe this may be the difference between us and the top 4 sides, we tend to match up against the other teams rather then making them match up against us.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Wil
I haven't seem Carlton this season and was wondering about Kouta being in the centre. Is that usual? If so how does that work well for them?

Kouta is awesome in the centre - one of the best in the competition at getting out the ball. I think he currently has an injury cloud over him - there was a lot of talk of him pulling out of the match on the weekend.

[SimonH]

Based on the idiosyncratic use of Goodes this year (albeit partly forced by injury), it does seem like he was played where he was on Satdy because Kouta was in the opposition team.

I also agree that Goodes' use has been too reactive, whereas his virtue is (as everyone knows) he's a big, very mobile and athletic guy with a strong mark. It's time to start taking the 'where does a 10 ton elephant sit?' approach with Goodes-- let him run wherever he will create the most havoc (albeit not too close to the opposition's goals!), and make it the other team's problem how to counter him.

It's important to remember that after the bounce of the ball, Aussie rules has no offside or zone rule. So whether he's in the centre square, coming into the square from the wing, or coming in from the CHF side, need not dictate where he goes after the ball is bounced.

[giant]

Watched part of the Roos v Melb game on Saturday - it was awful. Full of horrid skill errors and plenty of defensive footy from the Roos in particular.

Am I waiting in vain for Andy D and the entire Melbourne press to berate these teams for their "ugly" football?