We have had ample training sessions and time to figure out a solution to our unimaginative terrible kick-in/rebounding 50 setup, and I've seen nothing change since we first encountered the problem this year against Hawthorn. We have been destroyed by the West Coast press since, and now the masters of the press Collingwood. Kick long to a pack. What's plan B Dean? I am beyond frustrated.

yeah we struggle, the inside 50 count is woeful stimes inlcudin today

hate to be a forward at our club

yeah we struggle, the inside 50 count is woeful stimes inlcudin today

hate to be a forward at our club

Worse to be a backman, it comes at you continously.

I don't understand the difficulty in beating the press.

We have had ample training sessions and time to figure out a solution to our unimaginative terrible kick-in/rebounding 50 setup, and I've seen nothing change since we first encountered the problem this year against Hawthorn. We have been destroyed by the West Coast press since, and now the masters of the press Collingwood. Kick long to a pack. What's plan B Dean? I am beyond frustrated.

If you want to beat the press you run through it toward the ball holder, passing the stationary defenders on the way to receiving the short pass.

We stand still which plays into the hands of the defenders who are also standing still

A stationary defender cannot stop an opponent who is already at top speed

An organised gaggle of handballing will easily beat the press. Commentators and football 'experts' scoff at it but noone has come up with a consistent plan. The problem is, football experts think like footballers. Which commentator, current coach or 'expert' ever encountered this type of tactic in their playing days? None of them. It's an approach from other sports, so ask coaches from other sports for their ideas.

I don't understand the difficulty in beating the press.

me neither, constant ball movement, hard running and precise skills.....oh wait a second, i now understand why we struggled today B)

We have had ample training sessions and time to figure out a solution to our unimaginative terrible kick-in/rebounding 50 setup, and I've seen nothing change since we first encountered the problem this year against Hawthorn. We have been destroyed by the West Coast press since, and now the masters of the press Collingwood. Kick long to a pack. What's plan B Dean? I am beyond frustrated.

Well? So whats your answer? How does a young team beat the press?

I don't understand the difficulty in beating the press.

We're waiting. How?

We're waiting. How?

Don't stand still.

Don't handball to a stationary team mate 2 metres away.

Put more than 1 player inside or generally around our 50m.

Get a new coach.

An organised gaggle of handballing will easily beat the press. Commentators and football 'experts' scoff at it but noone has come up with a consistent plan. The problem is, football experts think like footballers. Which commentator, current coach or 'expert' ever encountered this type of tactic in their playing days? None of them. It's an approach from other sports, so ask coaches from other sports for their ideas.

There's only a few ways to get through a Press or a flood. you either have to move the ball through it,,, Or move the ball over it... They want us to go wide, so they leave the deep pockets and wide flanks open to invite the opposition wide. Reason being it's statisticalloy garder to dcore maximum points from out wide.

Control the corridor is the name of the game, and at present the Pies are the masters at it.

We have to learn to use our handball and our kicking through the congestion, under pressure. We have a list of skilled kids that need to grow quick and learn to handle that pressure when disposing of the ball and when making their decisions.

That takes time, and many games of experience to change.

Don't stand still.

Don't handball to a stationary team mate 2 metres away.

Put more than 1 player inside or generally around our 50m.

Get a new coach.

These are basic things that will be being taught to the boys. They have to develop the composure under fire, to Use these tools without faultering. Kids to Men is what your saying.

These are basic things that will be being taught to the boys. They have to develop the composure under fire, to Use these tools without faultering. Kids to Men is what your saying.

Ummm how long does it take to teach that?! Not exactly difficult.

EVERYONE was standing still today, not just the young blokes.

Adelaide seemed to do it very effectively for 3 quarters, at the MCG, and they are certainly no more skilled than we are at the moment.

The short handballing approach worked fine against Essendon's press, because they are Essendon in a horrible run of form. Against the likes of Collingwood and WC our approach has been exposed.

Well. The press from what I understand is a concept from other sports. I liken it to a zone press in basketball. The easiet way to beat this type of defense is through attacking gaps to draw a defender thus creating another gap in which a team mate will move to receive a pass and therefore drawing the next defender and so on. With a structured approach and by out-numbering the defenders, a support player (often slightly behind the play) will enable an 'out' if needed, a number of successive handballs to moving players will essentially get the ball to the 30-40m mark where a well placed kick will effectively clear the congestion.

I understand that this is a seemingly simple solution and that teams have somewhat tried this. But, it needs to be structured, players need to collapse in on an area, more effectively if they can join the play penetrating from behind the defenders.

If the defenders are swithed on and well organised they will fill gaps as they happen, but they cannot fill a gap without creating another. Basically, if you have the numbers advantage, and the first player attacks a gap to draw 2 people, it will work.

Actually, the Demons did it today by pure coincidence in the fourth quarter. It only took 3 of them all up and it was messy but it was also totally off the cuff. They managed to draw a player and hit another, then another, sucked in two defenders and the original possession getter ran past to finally break the pressure and cleared the ball. The crowd threw in some oohs and aahs but it worked really well. If it can be done in an organised pattern, consistently, the press will be put to bed, and we can move on to a more exciting game style again, maybe.

Well? So whats your answer? How does a young team beat the press?

I am not paid to come up with strategic solutions dee-luded. That's what the coaching staff are there for. What I do know is that I saw 18 players on the field who looked like they didn't have a clue where to run, or what to do when faced with Collingwood's zone. The same cluelessness which was evident in the 3rd quarter against Hawthorn all those weeks ago. When something is not working, you need to change it, and develop a better system. You cannot tell me that what we witnessed against Hawthorn, West Coast, or Collingwood from the kick-ins worked at any stage. Would you rather Strauss bomb it 55m to a pack on the forward flank and repeatedly watch it come back into our D50, or have him have the confidence to utilise his supposed elite foot skills and pick out a target. I couldn't give a rats arse if he turns it over trying to create the play rather then play into the oppositions hands time and time again and bomb it to a contest, when we are obviously getting killed in the contested possessions. It doesn't help when everybody is flat footed but again is that the players not following instructions or a coaching thing. I don't know.

Ummm how long does it take to teach that?! Not exactly difficult.

EVERYONE was standing still today, not just the young blokes.

It's not the teaching. It's the learning and the composure needed to Implement the structures required, and for the Team to Maintain the structures. Green is Captain, and is a disciplined type. The structures are largely breaking down around the middle areas. So he should be in there to Help maintain those structures, and Use his Voice to direct, and to yell at players who aren't doing their part.

He's not.

It's not the teaching. It's the learning and the composure needed to Implement the structures required, and for the Team to Maintain the structures. Green is Captain, and is a disciplined type. The structures are largely breaking down around the middle areas. So he should be in there to Help maintain those structures, and Use his Voice to direct, and to yell at players who aren't doing their part.

He's not.

Green is one of the worst offenders at standing still when in the middle, and Moloney's voice is plenty loud enough in there to give direction.

Teaching, learning, structures... all buzz words we buy into TOO much. Back to basics, move when you don't have the ball.

I am not paid to come up with strategic solutions dee-luded. That's what the coaching staff are there for. What I do know is that I saw 18 players on the field who looked like they didn't have a clue where to run, or what to do when faced with Collingwood's zone. The same cluelessness which was evident in the 3rd quarter against Hawthorn all those weeks ago. When something is not working, you need to change it, and develop a better system. You cannot tell me that what we witnessed against Hawthorn, West Coast, or Collingwood from the kick-ins worked at any stage. Would you rather Strauss bomb it 55m to a pack on the forward flank and repeatedly watch it come back into our D50, or have him have the confidence to utilise his supposed elite foot skills and pick out a target. I couldn't give a rats arse if he turns it over trying to create the play rather then play into the oppositions hands time and time again and bomb it to a contest, when we are obviously getting killed in the contested possessions. It doesn't help when everybody is flat footed but again is that the players not following instructions or a coaching thing. I don't know.

Our kickins were a disgrace today, and this setup the rout in the 1st Qtr. Frawley the main culprit. He's not having the best season and is down on confidence. He caused the rot today by being too slow with his decisions of where to kick and to who.

He missed too many close options to kick to, and Bombed the ball wide and Long to contested pack situations. This is exactly collingwoods Bread and Butter. They love to contest the loose ball and get it out to their mates.

He should have taken the short kicks and run past to recieve and carry on occaisions and generally mixed it up a bit. But really the main thing is to trust himself and make decisions quickly, and to get it on to teammates to keep the thing on the move. Static footy is our enemy.

Green is one of the worst offenders at standing still when in the middle, and Moloney's voice is plenty loud enough in there to give direction.

Teaching, learning, structures... all buzz words we buy into TOO much. Back to basics, move when you don't have the ball.

Floods and presses are not basic footy, and they fail if all their players are not keeping up their part. To break them is the same. And it's harder to maintain the pressure to break them with young players.

The side gave up late in the game because too many stopped their efforts. These are the ones who should get chopped for next week. Their the ones who break the chain.

Floods and presses are not basic footy, and they fail if all their players are not keeping up their part. To break them is the same. And it's harder to maintain the pressure to break them with young players.

The side gave up late in the game because too many stopped their efforts. These are the ones who should get chopped for next week. Their the ones who break the chain.

Too much credit there, they gave up about 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter.

We are just sheep at the moment, sheep with a decent shepherd who may help us become older sheep but not wolves.

This years resignation hits harder than any other season I can remember, there has only ever been spirit when we've won.

How do you beat a press?

Study rugby union

Too much credit there, they gave up about 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter.

We are just sheep at the moment, sheep with a decent shepherd who may help us become older sheep but not wolves.

This years resignation hits harder than any other season I can remember, there has only ever been spirit when we've won.

They didn't give up in the 2nd Qtr at all, they were just becoming non plussed. Bewildered at the inability to collectively break the press and collingwoods pressure. It's the weakest link in the chain scenario. You just cannot have any soft players in this type of footy.

If you watch the Teams after the 3qtr time break, I think you'll notice a difference in the Collingwood setup and their running efforts dropped off. This was in response, I believe to our stopping and their need to conserve their bodies for the following game.

Anybody else want to see a version of the Mighty Ducks famous 'Flying V'? Get every player on the team back at the opposition goal square and run as a massive pack the length of the ground. The blokes on the outside of the scrum shepherd the man in the middle. If a tackler does get to the bloke with the ball, he's just got to dish it off to one of his 17 options, and the whole lot of them keep running.

Done. I am this decade's Paul Roos.

And it has the added benefit that Dimwitriou will die of a heart attack when he sees footy so bloody ugly!

They didn't give up in the 2nd Qtr at all, they were just becoming non plussed. Bewildered at the inability to collectively break the press and collingwoods pressure. It's the weakest link in the chain scenario. You just cannot have any soft players in this type of footy.

If you watch the Teams after the 3qtr time break, I think you'll notice a difference in the Collingwood setup and their running efforts dropped off. This was in response, I believe to our stopping and their need to conserve their bodies for the following game.

Non plussed... Bewildered... Sounds like giving up to me, but if that's enough of an effort for you then I hope you enjoy winning a few quarters for the rest of the year