What's our problem?

[wolftone57]

I don't think it is speed.

We got opened up not because of lack of speed but lack of awareness of our players. Their blokes were dropping off and opening up huge gaps and our blokes were 2 on 1 back down the ground.

We played a defensive zone again against their kick ins and not man on man. We did go m on m for a while and we got results.

We take to long to bring the ball in after a kick in. All our set ups are geared up for this long kick out of defence and it stinks. We don't set up for a quick movement out of the defensive fifty. When we do get a free player down the guts the defensive players refuse to kick the ball to them and continue to go around the flanks. Reason, because that is the 'Game Plan'. I saw several times against Adelaide when we could have cut them to pieces but the defensive player wouldn't kick it to a player on his own in the centre square! The same against Richmond and they opened us up through the centre because we use the flanks and all our defensive efforts when we lost the ball were on the flanks with nobody covering the centre.

We don't set up in the forward line very well. All over the shop and the ball is just bombed in long with no system. Too much reliance on Reid & ROK. We do not honour the lead and kick over the leading players head to a contest up high.

Our Centre Bounce set ups never guard the offensive side or their defensive side and every side knows they can expose us on that side.

Our Wingers always go into the centre and never stay wide. Other sides expose this by leaving a wing or HB wide and shoot the ball out to a free man.

Any thing more you need? There is plenty. We work very hard and we have a lot of talent and the younger players are not slow. But I believe there are major faults in the game plan and good sides will always expose us. Some of the plan is outdated and some just sloppy. Sometimes it is wonderful, that is when we win the clearances. When we don't the game plan gets exposed!

[grarmy]

Very intelligent and thoughtful take, Wolftone. I completely agree. There seems to be a problem or two in the coaches box.

[Bloody Hell]

Aurora is bigger than the G, we didn't look to slow there when we beat the Hawks.

Hawks have a slow midfield.

[Nich]

Interesting stat last night on Fox - we are ranked 2nd last for ball wins in front of only Melbourne but are ranked 3rd for inside 50's. Supports the Swans mentality of when we get the ball just kick it inside 50.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Not too many teams win when they dont win the clearances.

[GongSwan]

Inaccuracy problem solved https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...12022311_n.jpg

Looks like some of the defensive unit lining up for practice at goal. Are we seeing a tactical change? lol

[Triple B]

Inaccuracy problem solved https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...12022311_n.jpg

Looks like a pinata.

Any player have a birthday this week?

[WeHaveTheGoodes]

I don't think it is speed.

We got opened up not because of lack of speed but lack of awareness of our players. Their blokes were dropping off and opening up huge gaps and our blokes were 2 on 1 back down the ground.

We played a defensive zone again against their kick ins and not man on man. We did go m on m for a while and we got results.

We take to long to bring the ball in after a kick in. All our set ups are geared up for this long kick out of defence and it stinks. We don't set up for a quick movement out of the defensive fifty. When we do get a free player down the guts the defensive players refuse to kick the ball to them and continue to go around the flanks. Reason, because that is the 'Game Plan'. I saw several times against Adelaide when we could have cut them to pieces but the defensive player wouldn't kick it to a player on his own in the centre square! The same against Richmond and they opened us up through the centre because we use the flanks and all our defensive efforts when we lost the ball were on the flanks with nobody covering the centre.

We don't set up in the forward line very well. All over the shop and the ball is just bombed in long with no system. Too much reliance on Reid & ROK. We do not honour the lead and kick over the leading players head to a contest up high.

Our Centre Bounce set ups never guard the offensive side or their defensive side and every side knows they can expose us on that side.

Our Wingers always go into the centre and never stay wide. Other sides expose this by leaving a wing or HB wide and shoot the ball out to a free man.

Any thing more you need? There is plenty. We work very hard and we have a lot of talent and the younger players are not slow. But I believe there are major faults in the game plan and good sides will always expose us. Some of the plan is outdated and some just sloppy. Sometimes it is wonderful, that is when we win the clearances. When we don't the game plan gets exposed!

You should give the club a call and try and take horses job, you sound like you could do a much better job than the ones who were employed by the club do. You can apply all that but with the cattle we have I bet you much of what you pointed out would be useless.

But 1 point for a good post.

[wolftone57]

What I worry about is that the coaching staff admit they have no idea what went wrong in the last two weeks. Surely they know the problems they encountered during the games and have analysed this. If after two weeks they still have no answers I'd put a bet on Melbourne as they are in double figures . Seriously I think I will have a bet on our western neighbours this week just a tenner as they are paying 5.5 against the Lions. I think they are in with a shot.

We need to come out and play our attacking brand of footy. It is no use going back to the old tired defensive style every time things look like going awry. The best defence is attack. You never score goals trying to share the ball in your defensive half.

[wolftone57]

Oh! I forgot trying to make defenders who have already proved they are not forwards back into forwards doesn't work in the long run either. Get some real forward pressure into the side.

On the mids get the match ups right and we win get them wrong and we lose. Lethal keeps saying it is a simple game, it is not rocket science! He doesn't like our game plan any more than Mick and I know why now. After the last two weeks of being opened up down the guts or spread wide and opened up again I see it. We concentrate on one area and all players go to that side leaving either the centre corridor or the opposite side or both empty. The opposition place players on the outer and just have to wait until we stuff up and spread and they have free players everywhere.

[erica]

What I worry about is that the coaching staff admit they have no idea what went wrong in the last two weeks.

We only hear what they say for public consumption. Why would they tell the footy world their plans?

[Frog]

Coaching staff admit they have no idea what went wrong in the last couple of weeks. It follows, logically, that if they do not know what is wrong, they do not know how to fix it (you can't fix a problem where there isn't one) ... We are flush with stars that know how to play football and a general that has NFI ... Wow, just wow. Next he'll take them to a movie. When you put "Coaching staff" on the poll selection list, tick it for me.

[Big Al]

*sigh*

[ShockOfHair]

The biggest worry is the slow starts. 3 goals vs 15 in the last three 1st quarters. Over the last three quarters against Adelaide we won easily and only just 'lost' to the Tigers over the last three terms despite playing poorly. Even with our malfunctioning forward line we're beating teams - we just can't do it over four quarters.

Apart from last week, our form has been good. LRT, Spang and Mumford should all be back over the next three weeks or so, giving us a lot more options up forward. Last weekend showed that everyone is vulnerable to everyone this year. I'm tipping we won't lose more than five games.

[Triple B]

I don't think it is speed.

We got opened up not because of lack of speed but lack of awareness of our players. Their blokes were dropping off and opening up huge gaps and our blokes were 2 on 1 back down the ground.

We played a defensive zone again against their kick ins and not man on man. We did go m on m for a while and we got results.

We take to long to bring the ball in after a kick in. All our set ups are geared up for this long kick out of defence and it stinks. We don't set up for a quick movement out of the defensive fifty. When we do get a free player down the guts the defensive players refuse to kick the ball to them and continue to go around the flanks. Reason, because that is the 'Game Plan'. I saw several times against Adelaide when we could have cut them to pieces but the defensive player wouldn't kick it to a player on his own in the centre square! The same against Richmond and they opened us up through the centre because we use the flanks and all our defensive efforts when we lost the ball were on the flanks with nobody covering the centre.

We don't set up in the forward line very well. All over the shop and the ball is just bombed in long with no system. Too much reliance on Reid & ROK. We do not honour the lead and kick over the leading players head to a contest up high.

Our Centre Bounce set ups never guard the offensive side or their defensive side and every side knows they can expose us on that side.

Our Wingers always go into the centre and never stay wide. Other sides expose this by leaving a wing or HB wide and shoot the ball out to a free man.

Any thing more you need? There is plenty. We work very hard and we have a lot of talent and the younger players are not slow. But I believe there are major faults in the game plan and good sides will always expose us. Some of the plan is outdated and some just sloppy. Sometimes it is wonderful, that is when we win the clearances. When we don't the game plan gets exposed!

What I worry about is that the coaching staff admit they have no idea what went wrong in the last two weeks. Surely they know the problems they encountered during the games and have analysed this. If after two weeks they still have no answers I'd put a bet on Melbourne as they are in double figures . Seriously I think I will have a bet on our western neighbours this week just a tenner as they are paying 5.5 against the Lions. I think they are in with a shot.

We need to come out and play our attacking brand of footy. It is no use going back to the old tired defensive style every time things look like going awry. The best defence is attack. You never score goals trying to share the ball in your defensive half.

Oh! I forgot trying to make defenders who have already proved they are not forwards back into forwards doesn't work in the long run either. Get some real forward pressure into the side.

On the mids get the match ups right and we win get them wrong and we lose. Lethal keeps saying it is a simple game, it is not rocket science! He doesn't like our game plan any more than Mick and I know why now. After the last two weeks of being opened up down the guts or spread wide and opened up again I see it. We concentrate on one area and all players go to that side leaving either the centre corridor or the opposite side or both empty. The opposition place players on the outer and just have to wait until we stuff up and spread and they have free players everywhere.

Our defence set up is all wrong, our mids get sucked to one side of the ground and lack awareness, our forward line is non existent and the guys in the box are clueless....

@@@@ me, it's got me beat how we managed to win any games with this lot