Changes for round 15 v Port Adelaide

[MattW]

I get the same feeling about our tackling, except for Wicks, who has a very good technique. Yet the numbers say that we are the best tackling team in the AFL.

Speaking for myself, I notice when our players miss tackles, but not so much so when opposition players miss tackles. The way I see it, Chad Warner always breaks tackles because of his talent. I never see it as the the opposition player failing to complete the tackle.

[Sigh re exit function on the phone.]

According to available statistics we're the most *prolific* tackling team in the AFL, but I'm not aware of statistics suggesting we're the most *efficient* tackling team.

[Ludwig]

According to available statistics we're the most *prolific* tackling team in the AFL, but I'm not aware of statistics suggesting we're the most *efficient* tackling team.

It makes you wonder who's leading in the statistical category:

Feeble tackling attempts meeting the minimum requirements not to draw the ire of the coach during the Monday morning game review.

I can't find it in Champion Data.

I'll check what Wooden Spoon Data has and get back to you.



Could take a while.

[707]

I notice on RWO the term handball being used, with the current blight on the game, throw should be substituted for handball. Throwing is driving me nuts when I watch games!

This of course has nothing to do with Changes for R15 against Port :-)

[707]

The cavalry is still some time away :-(

Braeden Campbell Shin 3-4 weeks
Errol Gulden Foot 1-2 weeks
Will Hayward Concussion 1-2 weeks
Lewis Melican Hamstring TBC
Sam Reid Calf TBC
Chad Warner Leg Test
Updated: Tuesday, June 15

[Roadrunner]

+1 to this Liz! I agree as you say its primarily a technique issue more so than anything - sometimes also a case of not quite enough body strength for some of the younger guys too. Get Kizza in for a month and get him on to it I reckon - could make a huge difference.

Its a perfect example of how just a tiny improvement (even say a 10% improvement in tackles sticking) could make a huge difference, as you have succintly described!

Yes, it’s all down to technique. I don’t get when we tackle, the opposition player gets a handball (throw?) away to a teammate behind him, who then handballs or kicks to a teammate in space who then kicks to a target further up the field. This happens so often- it makes the original tackle pointless and shouldn’t even be counted in the stats.

As pointed out by Liz and others, we need to work on this a lot and pin the arms or at least one arm to prevent the opponent spinning around and handball to a teammate who is not under pressure. It’s a coaching issue, surely!

[RogueSwan]

The cavalry is still some time away :-(

Braeden Campbell Shin 3-4 weeks
Errol Gulden Foot 1-2 weeks
Will Hayward Concussion 1-2 weeks
*Lewis Melican Hamstring TBC
*Sam Reid Calf TBC
*Chad Warner Leg Test
Updated: Tuesday, June 15

These three would some great "In's".
Reid has been out for more than half our season. He last played in rnd 6 :-(

[111431]

[Sigh re exit function on the phone.]

According to available statistics we're the most *prolific* tackling team in the AFL, but I'm not aware of statistics suggesting we're the most *efficient* tackling team.

with our young bodies it is not surprising that we go for many tackles (enthusiasm of youth) but can't make them stick (lack of strength). We need to be patient. We are ahead of expectations. We are another 2 preseasons and another Tom Hickey from being a serious threat

[SwanSand]

We have a chance if we get on top of clearances but given Lycett is likely to come in - it’s unlikely. They are tall in front and back half. Not sure how we are not going to get smashed by them. Brand as a Tall in back half is minimum requirement. I hope it is not ugly viewing at the Adelaide oval and we come up with a good plan to stop them.

[mcs]

We have a chance if we get on top of clearances but given Lycett is likely to come in - it’s unlikely. They are tall in front and back half. Not sure how we are not going to get smashed by them. Brand as a Tall in back half is minimum requirement. I hope it is not ugly viewing at the Adelaide oval and we come up with a good plan to stop them.

I don't disagree, but do wonder if we might give them a pretty decent scare. Just seeing how teams have come off the bye this year so far, freshness seems to be a big boost. We certainly don't appear to match up well, but I think we will be smarting to put in a pretty solid performance. Don't think necessarily we can win, but I didn't early in the season either when we got teams on the hop.

[Agent 86]

I think that after the first month or so we were 1st or 2nd at efficiency inside forward 50. We were leading marks inside forward fifty by some margin, and most of them were from a position where the set shot was quite straightforward.

As we've seen, our ability (or willingness) to take risks and move the ball through the middle has fallen off sharply since then. Part of it is the opposition preventing us, but I also think the team isn't displaying the run or the dare that we saw early on. I wonder if this is partly deliberate in that the coaches are worried about the vulnerability of our defence, and so are instructing the half-backs to be conservative in how they kick out. Certainly Dawson isn't trying anything like the kind of kicks he was early in the season.

As for forward 50 entries, the quality has clearly declined, particularly over the last month. Gone are attempts to kick vaguely to a target, and instead we are back to the mindless, aimless bombing it in. Who knows why they've stopped doing what worked well for the first couple of months. Sure, Gulden was one the the prime movers in this department over the first month, but he wasn't the only one. Now they've all reverted to the long mindless bomb.

The other aspect of our game that stands out to me (and has been noted by a few others) is the quality of our tackling. We seem to be expending a lot of effort but for little effect. That's one reason why the backline is being exposed - we're not really slowing down the opposition moving the ball through the midfield. Too often they are able to get a handball off to a team mate, then to another in space with the ability to kick the ball to a target.

Quite a few things to work on, but I think the tackling technique should be a priority. Start getting that right, and getting more reward for effort, and a few other things will flow. We will turn the ball over (in our favour) further up the ground a bit more often, and get more chances to get the ball into our forward 50 before it is clogged up with defenders, and thus more chance to find a target. And also provide a bit more protection for the defence. I don't think it's a work rate thing, a willingness to tackle. I think they are trying, just not doing it well. Surely that's one of the easier things to fix, even within season?

Things can change pretty quickly, hey? A few being the umpires interpretation of the rule changes. Nowhere near as many 50s from markers moving off the Mark. It’s actually gone the other way and umps are calling play on way too quickly - puts pressure back on the player with the ball when not expecting it.

Another change has been the clogging up of the corridor - makes for ugly footy as the game has reverted back to more conservative routes around the boundary.

As for our tackling, I reckon it’s a strength thing rather than technique. Our tackling wasn’t terrible on Friday, for example, but the hawks were simply stronger. They were able to get something that resembled a handpass away even though the tackle was pretty effective.
umps seem to be more forgiving with throws - this is pretty common across all games I’ve watched recently.

[NeonBible]

Looks like Gulden won't be right to go.. shame. A concern will be our forward pressure. No Gulden and no Wicks now through suspension! They were perhaps our leading forward pressure players in the first six or seven weeks!!
It will be so important that we hit our targets inside 50 because ground balls won't be our strength this time!!

Could the mystery man Ben Ronke make a comeback for this one?? How has his defensive stuff been going in the VFL?

[Bexl]

Whoever played in Round 1 can play this week.

so no Franklin for you then?

[Mark26]

Looks like Gulden won't be right to go.. shame. A concern will be our forward pressure. No Gulden and no Wicks now through suspension! They were perhaps our leading forward pressure players in the first six or seven weeks!!
It will be so important that we hit our targets inside 50 because ground balls won't be our strength this time!!

Could the mystery man Ben Ronke make a comeback for this one?? How has his defensive stuff been going in the VFL?

What's your source on Gulden Neon?

[stevoswan]

What's your source on Gulden Neon?

Injury list states 1-2 weeks for Errol.

[Mark26]

I read that too and adopted the opposing view - he could be ready to go! Just happy there is no subsequent injury at this point.