Is the Shepherd dead?

[Diamond_Jim 11,740]

Noticed a few times on Saturday that when in the old days the play would have called out for a shepherd to release the ball carrier our non ball carrying player just stood off.

I can understand the run away and take the handball over the top but what often happened is that the looping handball got touched and the play stopped or even worse.

Just wondering if we have gone too far and that there is still a place for a good shepherd to release the running player.

On a positive note I cannot remember too many of the old ring a rosie handball drills that we saw so often in 2017.

[Sideshow Bob 2,156]

thought the exact same thing on Saturday Diamond Jim. In fact i beleive i was screaming at blokes to lay a [censored] shepherd ....

[Gorgoroth 12,308]

Been saying (screaming) it for years, the player with the ball already has control and so often a shepherd releases him into space but players want the handball over the top which of course can be stuffed up.

[Diamond_Jim 11,740]

6 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

Been saying (screaming) it for years, the player with the ball already has control and so often a shepherd releases him into space but players want the handball over the top which of course can be stuffed up.

and what is interesting is that they don't run away and thus open up space for the handball ... rather they hover nearby waiting for the short high one over the top. By the time they get it an opposition player is sitting on them or even worse intercepting.

When Collingwood played GWS Pendlebury made a comment post game that they knew GWS were a looping handball type side and that allowed them to pressure the ball carrier into fluffing the hand pass

[chook fowler 18,213]

No, he plays for West Coast.

[DV8 2,271]

16 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

Been saying (screaming) it for years, the player with the ball already has control and so often a shepherd releases him into space but players want the handball over the top which of course can be stuffed up.

stats, stats, stats.

 

just do the right thing you guys, to win the game for the club, and team.

[Jibroni 4,042]

Unfortunately I think it its,  when Douglas got done for what I thought was a fair hit I knew then the bump was dead. The game just isn't the same anymore.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Jibroni

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,154]

11 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

and what is interesting is that they don't run away and thus open up space for the handball ... rather they hover nearby waiting for the short high one over the top. By the time they get it an opposition player is sitting on them or even worse intercepting.

When Collingwood played GWS Pendlebury made a comment post game that they knew GWS were a looping handball type side and that allowed them to pressure the ball carrier into fluffing the hand pass

Like Frost when Oscar got tackled and pinged in the 4th quarter.  Looked in two minds as to where he was meant to be and ended up frozen to the spot.

Seems we like to handball our way out of tight squeezes and the consequence of this is players in the clinches are looking to receive rather than shepherd.

[dpositive 1,547]

I have been saying for many years that the shepherd is vital.

it creates space and allows balance and clean disposal.

While umpires often penalise an off the ball shepherd,it is still the most valuable tool for offensive play.

Any player who disposes of the ball should instantly shepherd the player they gave it to, this would make their disposal more valuable.

Bring back the shepherd!

[biggestred 4,281]

 Yeah its something we've been very poor at for years.  A shepherd doesnt have to be a giant bump,  just a block that protects the ball carrier and allows him to settle before he kicks is sufficient. Hibberd did this saturday and i said it was a kodak moment 

[Guest]

Why? Did he get mauled by a wolf then have his flock eaten?

I'll see myself out....

[Deemania since 56 6,132]

21 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Noticed a few times on Saturday that when in the old days the play would have called out for a shepherd to release the ball carrier our non ball carrying player just stood off.

I can understand the run away and take the handball over the top but what often happened is that the looping handball got touched and the play stopped or even worse.

Just wondering if we have gone too far and that there is still a place for a good shepherd to release the running player.

On a positive note I cannot remember too many of the old ring a rosie handball drills that we saw so often in 2017.

These are good observations and the shepherd is a good tactic with which to create a clearance. With our 'on ball' setups - usually involving three to four players of which one is the combatant for the ball - another could relatively easily apply the 'shepherd' to assist in the overall time taken for clearance and the 'eyes up' selection of an intended receiver. The whole process does not have to be slowed, in reality, just to have the ball carrier clear and protected to effect a 'decent' lace out pass. Maybe it is one of our next steps in this terrific process of skills mastery within the '...long way to go...' that we hear of, so often, from the coach.  If this is something that Goodwin is trying to encourage, it deserves our attention and support. 

[Deemania since 56 6,132]

15 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

in the clinches are looking to receive rather than shepherd.

True, and costly. 

[DV8 2,271]

4 hours ago, dpositive said:

I have been saying for many years that the shepherd is vital.

it creates space and allows balance and clean disposal.

While umpires often penalise an off the ball shepherd,it is still the most valuable tool for offensive play.

Any player who disposes of the ball should instantly shepherd the player they gave it to, this would make their disposal more valuable.

Bring back the shepherd!

sometimes called a 'block'.

 

We don't do these things, 'intuitively', enough.

[DV8 2,271]

3 hours ago, biggestred said:

 Yeah its something we've been very poor at for years.  A shepherd doesnt have to be a giant bump,  just a block that protects the ball carrier and allows him to settle before he kicks is sufficient. Hibberd did this saturday and i said it was a kodak moment 

IMO, its a thing done by selfless players, instinctively.

[monoccular 16,042]

Thought he was on Good Friday but returned on Easter Sunday?

[DV8 2,271]

3 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Thought he was on Good Friday but returned on Easter Sunday?

did we miss our chance ?

[Stretch Johnson 2,568]

19 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Seems we like to handball our way out of tight squeezes and the consequence of this is players in the clinches are looking to receive rather than shepherd.

This is the trend

[pineapple dee 2,892]

The players must have been told to run to space to receive the next possession but I would loooooooooove to see a Melbourne player with the ball being protected by a shepherding team mate. It's an old fashioned idea I know but I love seeing it happen.

[DV8 2,271]

2 hours ago, pineapple dee said:

The players must have been told to run to space to receive the next possession but I would loooooooooove to see a Melbourne player with the ball being protected by a shepherding team mate. It's an old fashioned idea I know but I love seeing it happen.

And you don't even have to overuse the bloody ball when under all that pressure.

 

But the last shepherd i saw was a very impotent shepherd.  Not much conviction in stopping the approaching defender.

[Winners at last 4,716]

Great comments ... I had noticed.

 

[Dr. Gonzo 22,412]

Been happening for years. One of my pet peeves.

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

It's not dead.  We see other teams doing it frequently.  It's just another thing that none of OUR players do, largely because they have been told to all dive in and try to win the ball themselves. 

[Diamond_Jim 11,740]

One can understand the instruction run free and take the handball in the modern game but as many have pointed out the shepherd which releases the ball carrier can be just effective and in many case is a lower risk play than the over the top handball.

The ball release is increasingly  important because in todays game the opposition players other than the tackler will run away as well to cover the receiving player. Accordingly if the original ball carrying player can be released by the shepherd  he will often not have an immediate opponent.

Obviously it is not appropriate in all circumstances but like any tactic it has its uses. Perhaps the players are so highly drilled there is not much room for "improvisation"

[pinkshark 935]

I too have been screaming for years for our boys to shepherd.  Doesn't happen.