Now i will start by saying i am taking my argument to the extreme but i think it will make for a good topic atm.

How easy is this game?

On the weekend we played a pretty good Collingwood outfit who smashed us big time last year, yes we can all take what we want from this game, this is not the point.

What has changed in the last 6 months which meant we can do this? after all everyone who played on the weekend, baring a couple of rookies ect played last year.

The Coach? yes but what else? The game plan changed. and two things in particular imo. We won the contested possession and we completed far more pressure acts than previously?

Is this how easy football is? win your own ball, pressure and tackle your opposition and win the one on one contests?

3 years ago it was all skill ect ect running yadda yadda. but if you put the pressure on like Collingwood do and the good teams do then the skilful game is not as relevant, people make mistakes. win your own ball and move it fast and long gets results.

Thoughts?

I'm yet to see a game this year. But the stats suggest a kick to handball ratio more suited to a long kicking game. If that is what the changed gameplan has delivered, I'm all for it.

Revisit the pro Bailey threads from last year. Apparently it takes three to five years to teach a game plan, so surely you must be wrong!

Revisit the pro Bailey threads from last year. Apparently it takes three to five years to teach a game plan, so surely you must be wrong!

I know, it is still early days and once the season starts we will know alot more.

But i think it is showing now that being hard at the contest and working hard off the ball gets results. hard work in general.

I think the commentators even mentioned that our zone seemed hard to break down......wow didnt expect this so early in all honesty

Amazing what happens when you can stick to the fundamentals . Coaches who go away from this eventually get found out . The top 5 teams from last year all had what I would describe as "nuts and bolts" coaches .

All those teams were generally.................

Excellent at contested ball , won the clearances , beat their man to the ball , put their body on the line .

Have forwards who play in front all the time and can "keep the ball in" .

Tackle well , pressure well , have numbers at the ball , create space , shepherd , block ,

Have defence's that work as a team and are miserly .

etc , etc , etc

The above could well describe footy of any era .

It's not all about talent , many fundamentals are a mindset . And it's hard enough learning all the fundamentals . It's even harder to do them all the time .

We're starting to see the signs in the nab cup .

Cheers

Edited March 5, 201213 yr by Macca

Revisit the pro Bailey threads from last year. Apparently it takes three to five years to teach a game plan, so surely you must be wrong!

Please find that post.

Love to know who wrote that...

Winning contested ball is a huge KPI and it showed last year when we were blown out of the water in many games.

But we will see whether our best 22 can win the footy and pressure the best 22 of other sides.

Because the NAB Cup doesn't tell us that.

I want to know what happens when we cop the same pressure we applied on Sat night

Please find that post.

Love to know who wrote that...

Winning contested ball is a huge KPI and it showed last year when we were blown out of the water in many games.

But we will see whether our best 22 can win the footy and pressure the best 22 of other sides.

Because the NAB Cup doesn't tell us that.

I was honestly one of them i reckon, wouldnt have said 5 years or 3 but definitely thought it would take Neeld longer than 1 off season to change our structures.

very happy to admit i was wrong, and even happier that we are playing better football.

I was honestly one of them i reckon, wouldnt have said 5 years or 3 but definitely thought it would take Neeld longer than 1 off season to change our structures.

very happy to admit i was wrong, and even happier that we are playing better football.

I guess the volume of competitive match simulations trained weekly drums it into them, which is great btw

While not getting carried away at all. If he can make noticable changes this early, what does the future hold?

I like to see players defending the mark rather than standing it.

I like to see our players putting pressure on the opposition standing the mark.

I like to see that when we get a mark or free on the wing, players are unbelievably in the forward line and they actually presented an option. I love this...

I expected to see less skill delivering the ball by foot, due to 'get it, kick it" strategies. But nup I saw skill.

The dog still ran outside thinking i was yelling at him not Big Steph, but thats OK.

I guess the volume of competitive match simulations trained weekly drums it into them, which is great btw

While not getting carried away at all. If he can make noticable changes this early, what does the future hold?

"Back to basics" might not be that difficult for our players . They probably spent most of their junior careers doing the basics .

Cheers

Edited March 5, 201213 yr by Macca

I think confidence also plays a huge factor. Confidence is not just based on your own abilities, it also about confidence in your game plan, confidence in your coach, and confidence in your team mates. Last year whenever we gave up a couple of quick goals we would drop our heads and the opposition would run away with the game. I think Neeld is working very hard to instil in our players that they need to keep playing and trying no matter the score. I don't think that Dean Bailey was a master motivator.

Edit: Spelling.

Edited March 5, 201213 yr by Good Times Grimes

I think confidence also plays a huge factor. Confidence is not just based on your own abilities, it also about confidence in your game plan, confidence in your coach, and confidence in your team mates. Last year whenever we gave up a couple of quick goals we would drop our heads and the opposition would run away with the game. I think Neeld is working very hard to instil in our players that they need to keep playing and trying no matter the score. I don't think that Dean Bailey was a master motivator.

Edit: Spelling.

Yeah Neeld saying he was happy we could stick to the game plan i remember, even when they kicked a few. this is the key

Yeah Neeld saying he was happy we could stick to the game plan i remember, even when they kicked a few. this is the key

We looked like a much more organized and competitive team than we have in recent memory. If it weren't for all the skill errors we would have won the game by a lot more.

It is all about winning Contested Possession of the ball. Or as it was called "The Hard Ball"

& that includes defending hard when the opponent has the ball, to win it back.

That style when applied correctly will always win. But you need big strong skillfull players to execute it.

I will defend Dean Bailey on that one. Our list was not big enough or strong enough to do this. So he tried something different, which in 2010 was so close to working.

In 2011 it fell apart. But The list is now getting big enough & our new coach knows it.

This style will become the trademark of the MFC.

It is all about winning Contested Possession of the ball. Or as it was called "The Hard Ball"

& that includes defending hard when the opponent has the ball, to win it back.

That style when applied correctly will always win. But you need big strong skillfull players to execute it.

I will defend Dean Bailey on that one. Our list was not big enough or strong enough to do this. So he tried something different, which in 2010 was so close to working.

In 2011 it fell apart. But The list is now getting big enough & our new coach knows it.

This style will become the trademark of the MFC.

I agree with you there. The main reason behind recruiting the likes of Magner, Sellar, and Couch.

I agree with you there. The main reason behind recruiting the likes of Magner, Sellar, and Couch.

Yep , but ........ you don't need to be big to win contested footy . Needs a strong will and plenty of courage . Having a big body helps but it's not a prerequisite .

Getting players to win contested footy can be coached . Some players are just naturals but many others need to be inspired to do it consistantly .

Cheers

Edited March 5, 201213 yr by Macca

Yep , but ........ you don't need to be big to win contested footy . Needs a strong will and plenty of courage .

Having a big body helps but it's not a prerequisite .

Cheers

A strong will shall win the contested footy in the first quarter & sometimes even the second. A big strong body will win the contested ball in the late 3rd Q & Final Q.

Think Round 2 2011...a perfect example.

Yep , but ........ you don't need to be big to win contested footy . Needs a strong will and plenty of courage . Having a big body helps but it's not a prerequisite .

Getting players to win contested footy can be coached . Some players are just naturals but many others need to be inspired to do it consistantly .

Cheers

Courage is key, but only when combined with size will you consistently get the hard ball.

A strong will shall win the contested footy in the first quarter & sometimes even the second. A big strong body will win the contested ball in the late 3rd Q & Final Q.

Think Round 2 2011...a perfect example.

Don't agree 'Wyl' , I've seen hundreds of little fella's win the hard ball all game , on numerous occasions . We were dubbed "bruise free" for a very good reason . And we've still got that tag unless we do something about it .

And "Good Times Grimes" , this post applies to your post as well .

As an example , Mark Murphy won hundreds of contested ball last year . Hardly a big body . According to afl stats - contested possessions last season - Murphy 306 , Moloney 271 .

Gary Ablett jr isn't exactly the "Incredible Hulk" either .

Cheers .

Edited March 5, 201213 yr by Macca

What has changed in the last 6 months which meant we can do this?

1) We are a lot fitter.

2) We have a game plan which is effective for AFL football as it is played in 2012, not 2008, and it has been well drilled.

3) We have very experienced/capable coaches in place who have given the players renewed self belief.

Edited March 5, 201213 yr by Allen Jakovich

Don't agree , I've seen hundreds of little fella's win the hard ball all game , on numerous occasions . We were dubbed "bruise free" for a very good reason . And we've still got that tag unless we do something about it .

And "Good Times Grimes" , this post applies to your post as well .

As an example , Mark Murphy won hundreds of contested ball last year . Hardly a big body . According to afl stats - contested possessions last season - Murphy 306 , Moloney 271 .

Cheers .

Watch the last Q of the 2011 Grand Final. Collingwood had the will to "do it for Mick"

Geelong still had the strength within themselves. Within 2 minutes of that last Q starting Geelong had the Filth by the balls and powered away.

Will to win the contested ball had made for a classic shoot out for 3 Quarters, with strength winning when it counted.

Our boys are getting bigger. We will match a geelong soon if the footy dept get it all right.

But i do believe we saw the Neeld style last saturday. I was stoked how quickly the boys have picked it up. Old & new. Brad Green as an example. Brilliant stuff. He wants to win.

Watch the last Q of the 2011 Grand Final. Collingwood had the will to "do it for Mick"

Geelong still had the strength within themselves. Within 2 minutes of that last Q starting Geelong had the Filth by the balls and powered away.

Will to win the contested ball had made for a classic shoot out for 3 Quarters, with strength winning when it counted.

Our boys are getting bigger. We will match a geelong soon if the footy dept get it all right.

But i do believe we saw the Neeld style last saturday. I was stoked how quickly the boys have picked it up. Old & new. Brad Green as an example. Brilliant stuff. He wants to win.

Yes , there were some positive signs . This Saturday night is another little stepping stone .

I'll be looking for the same sort of attack on the ball , regardless of who Hawthorn put up against us . A win will be a bonus .

Cheers

Don't agree 'Wyl' , I've seen hundreds of little fella's win the hard ball all game , on numerous occasions . We were dubbed "bruise free" for a very good reason . And we've still got that tag unless we do something about it .

And "Good Times Grimes" , this post applies to your post as well .

As an example , Mark Murphy won hundreds of contested ball last year . Hardly a big body . According to afl stats - contested possessions last season - Murphy 306 , Moloney 271 .

Gary Ablett jr isn't exactly the "Incredible Hulk" either .

Cheers .

Agree with all you have said except regarding Ablett. Like his father he is extremely strong, I would not be surprised if he is one of the strongest midfielders in the AFL (maybe not at lifting dumbbells, but through the legs and core). It's why he is so hard to tackle, and can still get the ball off with three blokes hanging off him.

Agree with all you have said except regarding Ablett. Like his father he is extremely strong, I would not be surprised if he is one of the strongest midfielders in the AFL (maybe not at lifting dumbbells, but through the legs and core). It's why he is so hard to tackle, and can still get the ball off with three blokes hanging off him.

I've heard it said many times that he can do squats like a freak.