At half time on Channel 7 they showed some vision of the Dee's training at the G - apart from the obvious good humour I noticed some interesting things. Even watching training from the sidelines, you don't really get an appreciation of the micro level the coaches go to at a training session.

1/ Bails commenting on things like Howe's ball drop - telling him to run in straighter to get a better "spin"

2/ Bails commenting on Lynden Dunne - grabbing the ball and imploring him to hold until his "run past" player was in position

I know these thing should be taken as a coaching given but it seemed it was a non stop education going on

3/ Brent Moloney never shuts up - I know we can criticise his long bombs but in 3 minutes of vision there were at least three shots of Moloney or Moloney in the background barking, encouraging - basically never shutting up

sAW that too. its on the melbournefc website too. bails knows what his talking about!

sAW that too. its on the melbournefc website too. bails knows what his talking about!

I wish he'd tell the players to hold onto the ball when taking a tackle directly after taking possession. We cough it up a lot instead of locking the ball in when we have no option/player ready to give the ball to. Noticed it numerous times yesterday, which lead to a turnover.

I wish he'd tell the players to hold onto the ball when taking a tackle directly after taking possession. We cough it up a lot instead of locking the ball in when we have no option/player ready to give the ball to. Noticed it numerous times yesterday, which lead to a turnover.

Exactly what my son said yesterday as we watched the game. The only one who bucked the trend was LJ who held it when tackled and then handballed to Dunn for a goal. The Swans were doing it all day.

apart from the obvious good humour

I was in a rotten mood when they showed this at half-time because we'd been pathetic up to that point. Then to see them joking around at training only made things worse.

It ended with Bails saying something to the effect of "Too much fun today...too much fun."

Might have woken up the neighbours at this point.

I wish he'd tell the players to hold onto the ball when taking a tackle directly after taking possession. We cough it up a lot instead of locking the ball in when we have no option/player ready to give the ball to. Noticed it numerous times yesterday, which lead to a turnover.

That's a bit chicken and egg I reckon...

I mean, usually I get annoyed when the players don't look to move the ball on as QUICKLY as possible. Take the option every time, because if you don't you run the risk of getting tackled and it's a fifty-fifty ball or in this day and age, a free against. At least if you insist they dispose of it quickly, you are at least in control somewhat of the direction the ball goes.

I think mostly it was round 1 blues. From about round 3-5 last year, culminating in the Brisbane game which was epic, the team found their timing in this regard and started backing their team-mates to be where they're supposed to be. Personally I hope they keep trusting their judgement and at least TRYING to dispose rather than wait to be hit. Pretty soon it'll click I reckon, and there were passages with players like Davey, Bennell, Trengove etc where they were aaaalmost there.

I agree with that Dappa.

It's not chicken and egg at all Dappa, it's making the right decision in the circumstances.

Of course we want quick ball movement and to get and give the ball quickly to enable this to happen.

What bonkers is saying is that when being tackled, that is the time when it may be better to hang on to the ball rather than just flip it out to no one.

I agree with this. Quite often on Sunday we got caught and just got rid of the ball, which often resulted in the Swans getting possession and having an open forward line to kick to and hurt us on the counter attack.

If we instead had locked the ball in and caused a ball up, it would have prevented this. Even if the umpire called holding the ball, it at least forces the Swans player to go back and kick over the mark and gives our players time to push back and crowd the Swans forward line. What it does is effectively prevent the "quick break" that can be so dangerous.

Obviously if there is a player open to receive the ball when you are being tackled, you try to give it. And if you can clear the area with a long kick or handball that is also preferred. But the situation I am referring to is when there are no options available and you are surrounded by the opposition. In that situation it may be better to try to force a ball up.

Obviously I understand the difficulties of making such decisions under immense pressure and know that you can't always get it right.

It's not chicken and egg at all Dappa, it's making the right decision in the circumstances.

Of course we want quick ball movement and to get and give the ball quickly to enable this to happen.

What bonkers is saying is that when being tackled, that is the time when it may be better to hang on to the ball rather than just flip it out to no one.

I agree with this. Quite often on Sunday we got caught and just got rid of the ball, which often resulted in the Swans getting possession and having an open forward line to kick to and hurt us on the counter attack.

If we instead had locked the ball in and caused a ball up, it would have prevented this. Even if the umpire called holding the ball, it at least forces the Swans player to go back and kick over the mark and gives our players time to push back and crowd the Swans forward line. What it does is effectively prevent the "quick break" that can be so dangerous.

Obviously if there is a player open to receive the ball when you are being tackled, you try to give it. And if you can clear the area with a long kick or handball that is also preferred. But the situation I am referring to is when there are no options available and you are surrounded by the opposition. In that situation it may be better to try to force a ball up.

Obviously I understand the difficulties of making such decisions under immense pressure and know that you can't always get it right.

Spot on. If you have an option dish it out. If you have just taken possession & have no option lock it in, take the hit/tackle & force the ball up. 8 times out of 10 the umpire will give the benefit of the doubt to the player going for the ball & call a ball up providing it doesn't look like they're hatching an egg.

It's not as cut & dried as you'd like to portray it.

Often when the option is there, the act of giving it off is affected by the tackle and can fall short, being picked off by the opposition, which is the complaint.

It's not as cut & dried as you'd like to portray it.

Often when the option is there, the act of giving it off is affected by the tackle and can fall short, being picked off by the opposition, which is the complaint.

All I was saying in my initial post was that if you are going to take possession whilst being tackled don't spill the ball out aimlessly to a group of opposition players. If the option is there to give it to a team mate make an attempt, I accept that in this instance there may be errors. If there is no option to give it to a team mate then attempt to lock it in. My complaint is regarding a specific passage of play where there were no visible options to give the ball to by hand. But instead of just locking the ball in, they dished the ball out aimlessly & repetitively to no one but opposition players. The smart thing to do would be to just hold the ball, or make it look like your making an attempt to dispose of the ball whilst being tackled. Even if the free kick is paid it has stopped a quick turnover.

All I was saying in my initial post was that if you are going to take possession whilst being tackled don't spill the ball out aimlessly to a group of opposition players. If the option is there to give it to a team mate make an attempt, I accept that in this instance there may be errors. If there is no option to give it to a team mate then attempt to lock it in. My complaint is regarding a specific passage of play where there were no visible options to give the ball to by hand. But instead of just locking the ball in, they dished the ball out aimlessly & repetitively to no one but opposition players. The smart thing to do would be to just hold the ball, or make it look like your making an attempt to dispose of the ball whilst being tackled. Even if the free kick is paid it has stopped a quick turnover.

Yep, I was talking at the game to my dad about this very point. Example was the difference where Jurrah held on a fraction longer to suit a developing option where Trengove just dished out to no one (I'm not bagging Trengove before anyone wants to jump down my throat)

The point is that once tackled, you have X amount of time to dispose of the ball. If the tackler does not control your arms, you have a say in where and when the ball goes within the parameters of the holding the ball/correct disposal rule and you may want to maximise your opportunities by taking a second longer to choose your option, you're not going anywhere after all, you may as well have a look

One way that this is less relevant now is the growing incidence where once tackled if the ball is hit from your hands you are deemed to have dropped it, the longer you hold it the greater the chance of ball dislodged by opponent, even if the ball is directly dislodged

Yep, I was talking at the game to my dad about this very point. Example was the difference where Jurrah held on a fraction longer to suit a developing option where Trengove just dished out to no one (I'm not bagging Trengove before anyone wants to jump down my throat)

The point is that once tackled, you have X amount of time to dispose of the ball. If the tackler does not control your arms, you have a say in where and when the ball goes within the parameters of the holding the ball/correct disposal rule and you may want to maximise your opportunities by taking a second longer to choose your option, you're not going anywhere after all, you may as well have a look

One way that this is less relevant now is the growing incidence where once tackled if the ball is hit from your hands you are deemed to have dropped it, the longer you hold it the greater the chance of ball dislodged by opponent, even if the ball is directly dislodged

Big difference between the ball in your fwd line or defensive line. The Umps are hotter on the defensive guys hence the propensity to dish it off quicker. The fwds are told to hold it in if they can.

Big difference between the ball in your fwd line or defensive line. The Umps are hotter on the defensive guys hence the propensity to dish it off quicker. The fwds are told to hold it in if they can.

Fair enough, though I see other teams holding it for as long as possible looking for an option, forward and back. But if our guys are told to in defence dish it off ASAP then that is the end of that.

I have no idea what the umps are thinking in this or any other matter :-S

I wish they would hold it more in a tackle - try and hit a target.

But at least they aren't just avoiding contact by throwing up a hospital handpass, or a 'Bruce,' to anyone near.

Progress.