After returning home last night and recovered from my disappointment of our second half capitulation I decided that not all was lost I came to the following conclusions.

1. Our first quarter and a half was a revelation. We moved the ball with fluency, found space and hit targets consistently. Our backline was well on top. We owned the corridor, looked confident in possession and our obvious strategy of centring the ball in the forward 50 was paying didvidends. We also had a clear plan of getting the ball to Aaron Davey, our best decision maker and executor. We were winning most of the clearances. We made a few silly mistakes that gave goals to the opposition and we failed to make the most of our opportunities. I went to the game with a collingwood supporter and he was genuinely concerned that we were outplaying them.

My point being that winning clearances, finding space and spotting up difficult kicks is not something I have been accustomed to seeing as a Melbourne supporter. The game plan was working, we were on top of a strong opposition but for all too short a time.

2. Our Inability to sustain the gameplan needs to be looked at and can be attributed to the following.

- a coaching response by the opposition to counter our game plan and a counter coaching response from us. We failed to respond yesterday.

- a lack of confidence and the dropping of heads when things start to get hard. We went within our shell and stopped attacking the game yesterday very quickly after Collingwood wrestled control back. Good sides find a way to get the ascendancy back again because they believe in thier ability.

- the absolute capitulation of our rucks and midfield after half time. The midfield were winning most clearances prior to half time, after half time we won about 2. I feel the fitness of Paul Johnson and Brock are a worry. Neither look capable of running out a half let alone a game at the moment. We also need more than one go-to man in the game besides Davey. I believe that Aussie was being groomed for this type of role. We desperately need more class in this area.

-the concerning developing trend of the dominance of the oppositions ruckman.

3. In conclusion yesterday I feel I saw for the first time a succesful execution of a plan. Now the coaching staff and our players need to find a way to sustain it for more than a half and develop the ability to counter-punch. We will see this side win a few games this year, and we will win a couple well. This is not something I would have said last year.

Couldn't agree more.

A few of time\s we moved the ball from one end of the ground without the Fulth touching it. Our skills were superb.

We also took a truckload of marks inside forward 50.

yesterday I thought I could see a game plan coming together, and it felt good.

Good post Dandeeman:

I expect most games that we will start well and show good fluency and structure. I also expect as the game wears on the structure, skills and defensive pressyre will deteriorate as immature bodies tire.

Good post Dandeeman:

I expect most games that we will start well and show good fluency and structure. I also expect as the game wears on the structure, skills and defensive pressyre will deteriorate as immature bodies tire.

Yeah Dandee excellent post. I had all the same thoughts coming home from the `g`. Last year i was frustrated as hell but we have improved markedly even taking into consideration y`days capitulation. What cost us more than anything was the amount of goals the Pies scored in the 1st half due to poor turnovers. That will disappear as the group play together more often and gain confidence of each others game. We need to keep in mind how young and inexperienced this team is. wait until the last few rounds of footy this year. This team will be gelling very well by then and may even cost us a priority pick!

I'm happy to be corrected by those at the game, because being in Canberra I rely only on what I can see from the tele and any insight from the relevant commentary teams

1. I'd say that the first 45% of the game was assisted with neither ourselves nor Collingwood playing a zone. Like Dandee says, the game plan is coming together, but it does fall apart as the game goes on. Nick Maxwell mentioned our intensity early, but as you'd expect with a very young list that eventually fatigue and lack of experience/confidence will conspire to rob you of consistently being able to find team mates and create opportunities. Professional outfits like the Pies will continue to punish our mistakes.

2. Of the list yesterday half had played less than fifty games and only four had played more than 100 (five next week with Davey), so you'd expect there to be mistakes. Not hard to understand that there's a fair comparison between resilience and experience as well as fitness.

3. Our two ruckman yesterday had 46 games of experience between them. One is 25 and one is 20. Neither is really AFL grade at this stage, but given that most ruckman don't come good until their mid to late twenties, we've just got to be patient.

I can start to see it, im not sure i like it. Its based very much on uncontested footy. When the teams eventually crack onto it and clamp us down at the stoppages we get slammed. We dont tackle nearly enough for a team that is always chasing a lead, and when we do tackle so many dont hold. Before our horror injury year of 2007 ND was turning us into a harder tackling team and it was working.

I can start to see it, im not sure i like it. Its based very much on uncontested footy. When the teams eventually crack onto it and clamp us down at the stoppages we get slammed. We dont tackle nearly enough for a team that is always chasing a lead, and when we do tackle so many dont hold. Before our horror injury year of 2007 ND was turning us into a harder tackling team and it was working.

PF I don't think its a matter of playing contested and uncontested footy. Its a matter of keeping the footy in your possession to get the ball into the 50 and kick goals.

There are 3 different games played in footy.

-The one you play when possession is in dispute.

-The one you play when the opposition has possession

-The one you play when you have possession.

The little revelation I had with our gameplan was that we were able to control our possession and in a creative manner for a portion of the game. You contest the footy to get possession, once you gain possession of course you need to keep possession.

I agree with one part of your post ie that we need to respond in the coaching box when we begin to be cramped or zoned. I am sure that the coaching and playing group see exactly what we see and will respond.

Tackling and defensive pressure are still crucial to any gameplan.

Your last sentence is a little bit unusual.

Someone please explain to me how our game plan differs from last. I see the same handballing out of the backline etc as last year, but our execution is vastly improved.

There was also little to no pressure from Collingwood in the 1st quarter and a half. So yes, we were able to execute our gameplay and the move the ball quick because Collingwood weren't applying the pressure. Now that we know that handballing, run and gun gameplan can work (as we've seen with success as Port anyway), it's a matter of getting the experience against quality opposition and knowing not to handball to players running past that are going to be under immediate pressure, which is exactly what happened from the 3rd quarter onwards.

PF I don't think its a matter of playing contested and uncontested footy. Its a matter of keeping the footy in your possession to get the ball into the 50 and kick goals.

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The little revelation I had with our gameplan was that we were able to control our possession and in a creative manner for a portion of the game. You contest the footy to get possession, once you gain possession of course you need to keep possession.

I agree with one part of your post ie that we need to respond in the coaching box when we begin to be cramped or zoned. I am sure that the coaching and playing group see exactly what we see and will respond.

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Yes. Good post. Agree. Definitely in the coaches box, when the opposition have responded to our sides movement of the ball. We need a counter punch, it didn't come on Saturday.

Someone please explain to me how our game plan differs from last. I see the same handballing out of the backline etc as last year, but our execution is vastly improved.

I agree.

And to be perfectly honest, the game plan was executed magnifciently in the first quarter and then we froze up in the second half and also lost the contested possies, the clearances, and the tackle count.

There are so many threads bemoaning, or explaining and championing, the game plan and the forward line.

The midfield has been awful for three quarters out of 8 this year and it has cost us.

Someone please explain to me how our game plan differs from last. I see the same handballing out of the backline etc as last year, but our execution is vastly improved.

Agreed, it hasnt changed, thats why the thread was titled "Game Plan Execution". I think what we are seeing is the early stage of the playing group coming to terms with it and thier failure to sustain it for various reasons.