HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

[Demonland 72,185]

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Whispering Jack

I have a confession to make. I didn't attend yesterday's game at the MCG between the Demons and the Hawks due to the fact that I was invited to a wedding and, as a consequence, I managed to watch the first half on Foxtel before heading off to the city at around the time the third quarter started.

As a consequence, I wasn't going to write the report on the match this week but due to the disappearance of the correspondent we had lined up to cover the game, I have been convinced by the powers that be that I should do a write up on what I saw and that would be "good enough". Apparently, this is because the team went out onto the ground at a little after 4.30 pm and an hour and a quarter later they went back into the rooms holding a 19 point lead and that was "good enough" too! Indeed, a few minutes before the half time siren blared, the lead was up to 27 points but we all knew that the Demons were very fortunate to hold a lead of any kind because, the Hawks were in front everywhere but on the scoreboard as a result of their inaccuracy in front of goals. They led the disposal count by 208 to 179, were ahead on clearances (18 to 16) and tackles (22 to 18), went inside 50 a whopping 33 times to 22 and had sixteen scoring shots (16-10) and trailed by 19 points.

Notwithstanding that, it must be said that Melbourne made the most of its opportunities in the first quarter when Hawthorn dominated the start for a meagre return of 1.5.11. The elusive Cyril Rioli was everywhere and the Hawks appeared in complete control in a reprise of so many poor starts from the Demons in recent years. However, this time they fought back and managed to briefly take the lead before a late goal to the Hawks just before quarter time, gave them a slender lead at the break. The highlight of the first quarter for me was Jack Watts' mark against three opponents deep in the forward line and his conversion for a goal. We had been waiting a long time for this first and he has come along slowly but hopefully, this was a glimpse of the future.

The Demons came out and played irresistible football in the second term. They methodically moved the ball forward, were patient and had the better of the tactical battles kicking the five unanswered goals including a couple to the captain and a brilliant snap on an angle from Jack Trengove. They looked fast and sharp and made the opposition look second rate but late in the quarter, took the foot off the pedal content to allow the clock to run out to half time. The tactic is acceptable I suppose but in a way, it represented a sea change which must have become a tidal wave after half time but, as I said above, I missed it and can only go by the scores and the statistics of the second half to understand what transpired during what must have been one of the club's darkest hours.

The best players awarded below were provided by somebody else but on what I saw Luke Tapscott carried on from where he left off last week. He's tough, makes good decisions and an excellent kick and I loved the way he was first on the scene to give his old school chum Trengove a pat on the bum after he kicked his goal in the second quarter. Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney worked hard but the Dees really missed the likes of Tom Scully, Jordie McKenzie and Cale Morton even when they were travelling well before half time.

In the event, I drove off with my wife to the wedding reception just as the third quarter was starting. For some reason, I hate listening to the footy on the radio and driving at the same time so I tuned into to some music (from the early sixties to bring us some luck) and headed off to the city. We passed the MCG on our way in and I told the missus that I had been hoping to see Hawthorn supporters leaving the ground in the droves and was disappointed that there was not a single red faced brown and gold scarf wearing football fan in sight on Brunton Avenue. "Probably about five minutes too early," I remarked.

After I had safely parked the car, it was time to check the Footy Live iphone application and, when the score flashed on the screen, "Hawthorn 73 to Melbourne 57", you could have blown me over with a feather. Little did I know that there was more - and much worse - to come. When I got into the hall, one of the first people I noticed was Joeboy who hailed me with his usual greeting of three words. I won't repeat them but they are abbreviated as "WTF"! And it came to pass that the Hawks kicked 8.11.59 in a single quarter to 1.1.7 and then they romped home against what must have been a hapless Demon rabble. Not a single brown and gold scarf left the ground before the final siren but lots of red and blue ones surely did just that.

So how did the Demons blow a 27 point lead and finish 45 points in arrears in half a game? The title suggests they weren't really trying but I can't accept that. I've seen Dean Bailey suggesting that the Hawks were dominant, will beat just about every time in the competition and could become Collingwood's main challenger for the 2011 flag. The coach admitted after the game that he was totally unprepared for the Hawks' third-quarter onslaught but surely, it was a repeat of what took place a month earlier in the third quarter of the NAB Challenge game at Launceston. Then, as with yesterday, some of their youngsters like Suckling and Shiels, outshone ours. The team should have been better prepared for this.

There clearly are some problems at Melbourne which still must be looked upon as a developing team. The midfield is not winning enough clearances out of the ruck domination and the team seems to have a predictable approach to goals. Hawthorn led the possessions by 29 at half time and finished ahead by a whopping 453 to 309 which means Melbourne players got their hands on the ball a mere 130 times. The figures for the last half suggest that even the game against Gold Coast in a fortnight's time will prove a challenge.

Melbourne 3.1.19 8.2.50 9.3.57 12.5.77

Hawthorn 2.8.20 3.13.31 11.24.90 16.26.122

Goals

Melbourne Dunn Green Jurrah 2 Bennell Davey Jamar Petterd Trengove Watts

Hawthorn Burgoyne 4 Franklin Roughead Suckling 2 Bateman Bruce Ladson Osborne Rioli Shiels

Best

Melbourne Tapscott Sylvia Moloney Grimes

Hawthorn Rioli Suckling Mitchell Shiels Burgoyne Franklin Sewell

Injuries

Melbourne Garland (knee)

Hawthorn Renouf (shoulder)

Reports

Nil

Changes

Nil

Umpires Donlon Stewart Chamberlain

Crowd 49.905 at the MCG

[Sir Why You Little 37,035]

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

Youch!!!

[Grapeviney 9,718]

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

Remove the word "how" and you've got yourself a succinct, accurate game summary right there WJ

[Blistering 541]

It's all well and good for Bailey to praise Hawthorn for their great play but all that really does is mask the fact that we were pathetic and meek.

[praha 11,240]

Our midfield was disgraceful yesterday. No pressure at ALL! What was the inside 50s differential? Hardly our backlines fault. Our midfield continues to dig a grave for us in games. Without a tall forward to kick goals, out midfield needs to step up to counter that, so that our lack of goals isn't countered by the oppositions goals. To do that, we need to stop inside 50s, which would in turn take pressure off our backline. Our midfield let us down miraculously yesterday,

[deanox 9,915]

I watched the replay this morning (after going to the match yesterday) and made some observations.

Kick ins:

Hawthorn's zone was effectively a grid of players across their 50. We did two main things - our forwards pushed up into the midfield and our backs all sat up on our half back line. We had very few players short inside the D50 as options (except on the boundary/pocket), most were close to the 50 arc.

There was lots of space in the D50, but no players moved into it. A zone is always designed to allow the players to cut off any kicks to stationary players within them, but we didn't move to counter that. Players should be leading into the spaces available and the good kicks who take the kick outs should be able to hit them hard and flat.

We also allowed Hawthorn time to set the zone up - why don't we take the kick quickly? Even a very quick short kick into the pocket can catch the zone off guard if it hasn't yet set up.

When we were playing well:

Everyone streamed forward to make position. It was encouraging to see how hard everyone ran into space, how well we linked when we were running the ball etc. The forward structure I thought was pretty good (and our efficiency inside 50 showed that). The only times our forward structure struggled was late in the game when all the forwards were up the ground and we had no one at home.

Our skills were great - we hit moving targets by hand and foot well.

When we were playing poorly:

The biggest stand out for me (particularly on the replay) was our inability to win the ball. Jamar got heaps of taps but the ball always fell to Hawthorn, they always got the clearance. Not sure why this is, it was the same two midfields out there (I don't think Jordan Lewis makes that much difference). The loose ball never fell for us either. This leads me to suggest two things: Hawthorn stepped up their defensive pressure around the ball which meant we couldn't clear it as easily and that Hawthorn players position around the ball and stoppages better than we do.

The next big thing for me was our lack of work the other way. This is something I have seen over the last couple of years too: when a teams gets a run on towards goal we don't always push hard to man up and make it harder for them. It is never acceptable for a player who has taken a mark on a tight angle 50 m out to be able to pass to an un-marked man directly in front 40 m out. It is like we, collectively, give up once the ball is kicked towards our back line.

The kick ins and the second point above are both things I think we can fix easily with a little bit of work and direction, but I have no idea how to fix the smashing we got at the stoppages. If anyone has anything else to add (good or bad) or comments on the above, go for it.

[biggestred 5,085]

How to fix getting smashed at stoppages?? 2 years in the gym. unpopular eh?

just to contradict myself though, im concerned that scotty west might need some help coaching the midfield.

however, what i am most impressed about is that you watched the replay again. ive spent the last 20 hours trying to remove the 2nd half from my memory.

[Flying Cloud 152]

The inside 50s bit is easy to understand. In the 3rd quarter all 18 Melbourne players plonked themselves in the Hawks 50m arc. Yeah sure we kicked it out a few times but there was no Melbourne player there to get it. So surprise surprise it came back in.

One suggested change for next week.... Have a couple of players from our team somewhere near our goals.

[John Dee 445]

The inside 50s bit is easy to understand. In the 3rd quarter all 18 Melbourne players plonked themselves in the Hawks 50m arc. Yeah sure we kicked it out a few times but there was no Melbourne player there to get it. So surprise surprise it came back in.

One suggested change for next week.... Have a couple of players from our team somewhere near our goals.

Yeah, I simply cannot understand it. One forward, Jurrah or Watts, should be instructed to play five metres behind the last player in the opposition wall, no matter what. If that player drops back, drop back as far as needs be. That will ensure that there will always be someone to kick to, should we gain possession of the ball.

[deanox 9,915]

Aparat from the first 10 minutes where they kicked a swag of behinds, the first half was worth watching again!

[e25 5]

How to fix getting smashed at stoppages?? 2 years in the gym. unpopular eh?

just to contradict myself though, im concerned that scotty west might need some help coaching the midfield.

however, what i am most impressed about is that you watched the replay again. ive spent the last 20 hours trying to remove the 2nd half from my memory.

but wait, haven't we been hearing in pre-season that Scotty West is the reason behind our improvement?

I think you could easily be right, but I just find it funny the way when things have gone right, some have attributed the success of our midfield to him personally...

[Harrisonrules 273]

How to fix getting smashed at stoppages?? 2 years in the gym. unpopular eh?

just to contradict myself though, im concerned that scotty west might need some help coaching the midfield.

Good thought but with Sylvia, Maloney, Jones, I cann't be convinced that the lack of the gym is the problem. These three bulls might need to trim down a bit.

.

As unpopular as it is to question the coaching. Brian Royal has never coached a backline, Josh Mahony had modest experience to build upon, Mark Williams VFL?. Dean Bailey, prefers personal encouragement on the bench than being focused on the unfolding strategy of 100 minutes of football. They may all be good coaches but I can't see the evidence that alays the questions I have.

[Harrisonrules 273]

Interesting thought on the gym but with Sylvia, Maloney, Jones, I cann't see that the lack of the gym is the problem. These three bulls might need to trim down a bit.

[biggestred 5,085]

in regards to the gym.....i mean, you could go through our whole list......

bail, bennell, blease, cook, davis, fitzpatrick, garland at a pinch could do with some more bulk, gawn, gysberts, jetta, morton, scully, strauss watts....

Edited April 4, 2011 by Benno

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

As unpopular as it is to question the coaching. Brian Royal has never coached a backline, Josh Mahony had modest experience to build upon, Mark Williams VFL?. Dean Bailey, prefers personal encouragement on the bench than being focused on the unfolding strategy of 100 minutes of football. They may all be good coaches but I can't see the evidence that alays the questions I have.

Honestly how would you know? And from the snippets above your prone to conclude in absence of the facts.

Unless you are close to the football action and actually understand what the individual coaches are doing then having posters assess assistant coaches has all the accuracy of shooting fish in a lake with a blindfold.

Interesting thought on the gym but with Sylvia, Maloney, Jones, I cann't see that the lack of the gym is the problem. These three bulls might need to trim down a bit.

Aside from Sylvia where the jury is out the other two are not good enough against the best midfields.

See Snoopy's thread on stars and midfields.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,052]

Looking at the game objectively, there was about a 20 minute period where we were on top. Aside from that, the Hawks were all over us. It was a combination of luck and good defending that so many of their scoring shots went wide. Had they been better at finishing they would have blown us out of the water in the first quarter and then we probably would never have made a run at them in the second.

I think that the people who were so very upset about the turnaround in the third were looking more at the score than the game. The only difference between the first and third is that they kicked goals instead of points. We were outplayed all day by a team that could very well make the grand final this year. There's no shame in that.

[Sir Why You Little 37,035]

Looking at the game objectively, there was about a 20 minute period where we were on top. Aside from that, the Hawks were all over us. It was a combination of luck and good defending that so many of their scoring shots went wide. Had they been better at finishing they would have blown us out of the water in the first quarter and then we probably would never have made a run at them in the second.

I think that the people who were so very upset about the turnaround in the third were looking more at the score than the game. The only difference between the first and third is that they kicked goals instead of points. We were outplayed all day by a team that could very well make the grand final this year. There's no shame in that.

You are correct, but i found it disturbing that 5 minutes before Half Time we went Defensive, that was a very Poor call.

We must learn to keep hunting Hard until the siren goes. The game was not over at half time in respect to holding up the play.

We gave them back the sniff. Grrr

[bazza226 74]

Grimes had trouble kicking in after a point was scored. Does the opposition forward have to stand back 5 metres from the end of the goal square? or is it 10 metres?

We really do need an experienced defensive coach to replace Wellman - Royal is good bloke but why are we expanding his knowledge base instead of the other way around?

[Disco Demons 92]

HOW WE MANUFACTURED A 72 POINT TURNAROUND WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Whispering Jack

Best

Melbourne Tapscott Sylvia Moloney Grimes

Where is Garland and Rohan Bail ??? I don't agree with Moloney being in the best.

[deefuture 1]

You are correct, but i found it disturbing that 5 minutes before Half Time we went Defensive, that was a very Poor call.

We must learn to keep hunting Hard until the siren goes. The game was not over at half time in respect to holding up the play.

We gave them back the sniff. Grrr

Hawthorn scored a goal and davey started waving "slow down" with 10 mins to go in the second.

WTF! After this our run completely stopped! I had not rated Bail as a player but what he did when the ball was in dispute was fantastic. He showed the others what was required. The mids lets us down badly the 3rd quarter.

Do we need to play Green in the centre? Davey outside? I could nt see a lot from the cheersquad but from what people

have been saying here, when lacked poise in the middle (we fumbled). Perhaps we need to alter our structures as

they know what to expect from us. We could certainly play in the second. I said to the guy behind me that it reminded me of 1987, tough but this time we had skill. I wished I had shut up after half time.