Handballs

[hammo]

The Swans' handballing tonight was appalling. How many times did Swans' hand passes go to the feet of players, over their heads or were passed to a Swans' player under pressure resulting in a turnover?

There were some handball exchanges in the backline which were comical.

It's hard to be competitive in games of football when professional footballers can't execute one of the most important skills in the modern game.

In contrast, the Cats are the best handballing team there has ever been.

[Legs Akimbo]

The Swans' handballing tonight was appalling. How many times did Swans' hand passes go to the feet of players, over there heads or were passed to a Swans' player under pressure resulting in a turnover?

There were some handball exchanges in the backline which were comical.

It's hard to be competitive in games of football when professional footballers can't execute one of the most important skills in the modern game.

In contrast, the Cats are the best handballing team there has ever been.

Agreed, but I think at least as much of a problem is the tendency to handball to stationary players or players under pressure

[ScottH]

Wasn't just the handpasses, that lasnded at feet, kicks were almost as bad.

[SassySwan]

Handpasses and kicks need to be effective.
If we could convert some of our less effective handpasses into kicks to a target we would be much better off.
Leads and movement is the key!

[TheGrimReaper]

We tried to copy Geelong's game plan but we failed, we just don't have the skills to do it right now.

[Nico]

Wasn't just the handpasses, that lasnded at feet, kicks were almost as bad.

Gee I thought the kicks to Hall were the best I have seen in 2 years. Just weren't enough to him or Goodes, we were too busy racking up stats in the midfield.

[swantastic]

Our hand passes were atrocious,but put it this was we were pretty poor at times but also very good.I just dont know how a team can go from one extreme to another.

[Nico]

The Swans' handballing tonight was appalling. How many times did Swans' hand passes go to the feet of players, over their heads or were passed to a Swans' player under pressure resulting in a turnover?

There were some handball exchanges in the backline which were comical.

It's hard to be competitive in games of football when professional footballers can't execute one of the most important skills in the modern game.

In contrast, the Cats are the best handballing team there has ever been.

At times I thought how incredibly lucky Geelong were with their handpasses, but if you watch they always seem to handball over their shoulder to a perfectly positioned player. Fair bit of practice and gameplan methinks.

They play simple footy we all learn as kids. Play on, look to a leading player, kick long to one out forward contests with players running in on both sides for the spill, goal. It's almost boring they do it so well. I had the privelege of seeing Alan Jeans speak and tell how he planned his premierships. Simple. we have it, they have it, the ball's in dispute. You always kick to a leading player, try to keep the dispute out of it. Isolate contests and have your players converge on the ball going forward into the forward line. Familiar.

On our tackling, Geelong hunt the footy like we did in 2005 and 2006, it's just they have taken it up a couple of levels or 10.

Speed is Geelong's no.1 weapon.

[liz]

Speed is Geelong's no.1 weapon.

Speed as in moving the ball so quickly, I agree. They do have some pretty pacy players but I'm not convinced that's what makes the difference. They are chock-a-block full of confidence and when that leads to great footy, it in turn feeds the confidence.

The thing that impressed me most tonight was the speed and quality of their decision making. They seem to have the knack of always releasing the ball at exactly the right moment, and almost always choosing the right player to pass off to. Of course it helps when they're able to create multiple options.

This evening Sydney managed to pull off lots of nearly-Geelong moves. Times when they'd move the ball quickly through handballs, seeming to run themselves into trouble but finding a way clear. Difference was that Geelong can do it the length of the ground, while the Swans can only do it for half the ground before someone releases too quickly or too slowly and sells a team mate into trouble.

[Goal Sneak]

On our tackling, Geelong hunt the footy like we did in 2005 and 2006, it's just they have taken it up a couple of levels or 10.

Speed is Geelong's no.1 weapon.

I agree. They pressured us into making bad decisions all night. They run for each other and get themselves into the best position for their fast game plan.

They trust their teammates ability in a contest, so that when the ball spills out, they are in the right position to go forward. It's what makes them look like the ball always bounces to their advantage.

They are fast and have endurance, and they know how to use it against slower, tired opponents.

[hot potato]

We came to watch the amazing skill and speed and teamwork of The Cats, and to see Sydney have a red hot crack, we saw both but into the second half it did get a bit boring, predictable and you knew no miracle comeback was going to happen.
These Cats are the best team I have seen play the game and they are so far ahead of the est it is bloody boring.
These Cats don't sweat or suffer fatique. They could win the Flag this year, next year and maybe the one after that.

[Mike_B]

Speed is Geelong's no.1 weapon.

I don't know if it is speed per se. Rather, the determination and confidence to run from behind and create extra options. How many times do they have a player take a mark leading up on the wing, and then handball off to a player running past, meaning the flow is maintained. None of this stuff that we do of going back over the mark, looking up to see no-one and slowing everything down. Not even a case of wheel around onto the favoured boot to move the ball on for the Cats.

By providing this run from behind, the other thing they get is extra numbers around the contest should they miss a target.

Quite simply, when I look at us, we don't run for 3/4 of the game, so anything about our fitness being top level is a load of hogwash IMHO. It LOOKS good because we run games out, but that running only comes in the last qtr having stood around exerting as little effort as possible for the first 3.

[Matty10]

Speed is Geelong's no.1 weapon.

They look a lot faster because they work a lot harder. I think that work rate is their no. 1 weapon.

Plus they are playing smarter football, both offensively and defensively. It was impressive watching the impending Geelong tackler run straight past the swans player with the ball - if they knew they could not catch them cold - and put immdeiate pressure on the receiver. Smart football.

We weren't that clever, with our players often taking the previous ball carrier out of the play - or laying hopeless tackles - as they released the ball, which simply created space for their receivers.

That being said we didn't have much choice as they had so many options - due to their greater work rate. We did not compete on that level and a number of our players with either unwilling or unable to work any harder.

[ScottH]

Gee I thought the kicks to Hall were the best I have seen in 2 years. Just weren't enough to him or Goodes, we were too busy racking up stats in the midfield.

To Hall, yes. Either in front for him to run onto, or to his advantage. You don't take 15(?) marks from poor kicking!
To some of the others, it was poor.