Field Layout & Player Placement

[ignition. 1,466]

It was very frustrating sitting at last weekend's game.

The thing that both baffled and frustrated me most was the placement of players.

For the majority of the first three quarters, we had no one, or at least Lockhart at full forward. The likes of Smith and T.McDonald were starting and leading from CHF (or close to).

The current game plan is horrendously congested. The mentality behind it is to win the ball. The problem is getting it out. Far too often our players look to the right or left for a teammate immediately next to them. This wastes time and causes our forwards to run back into our open 50 (sh*t we saw in the Bailey years). If our forwards fail to get free the inefficient ball movement wastes crucial time resulting in a flooded forward 50.

Now, as I said above the most frustrating thing was the starting positions at a stoppage. In contrast, GWS had Cameron leading from the square all day. They also had their half-forwards spread out wider. So when they won the ball they had more room to run and more room to lead and hit a target. YES, basic football.

It wasn't until the start of the final quarter Tom McDonald started, and somewhat stayed, deeper at stoppage. This IMO was a major catalyst for our final quarter run on (exc. GWS knowing they had it in the bag). Why Goodwin waited all game to make this move is beyond me. Maybe it's the inner gambler thinking things will miraculously come good when down (that's a bit harsh).

I've been harping on about our inefficient ball movement for years. But my word, is it too much to ask the team properly utilises the MCG's enormous space properly? On top of that, put faith in our ball winners such as Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw, Jones, and Harmes, and let them clear it out to a man in space (preferably further than 15m).

[RalphiusMaximus 6,050]

Yup. 

Yup to all of this. 

Goodwin thinks more is better in every situation and our forward coach has NFI. 

[Wells 11 5,400]

GWS also had three running players injured on the bench in the last.... so I’m pretty sure that was a significant factor. 

[Ugottobekidding 1,186]

I am quite worried about Goodwinds coaching. When things are going well... all good... but Goodwin seems unadaptable to doing things differently. We seem to get coaches who really cannot keep up with the development of the game.

[rjay 24,920]

I've posted similar before.

Our set up in the forward half for centre bounces is way too congested & doesn't let us take full advantage of 666.

We get around 15 to 20 seconds without numbers flooding back into our forward half yet we don't use the space to advantage.

The one time we did open it out was in the last minute of the GC game because we needed to score quickly & we did.

Now i know my thinking may be a bit simplistic but why don't we use this as our default set up rather than our current inefficient model that sees high inside 50 numbers with poor score conversion????

Edited May 31, 2019 by rjay
Meant Gold Coast game not GWS

[Kent 2,909]

36 minutes ago, rjay said:

I've posted similar before.

Our set up in the forward half for centre bounces is way too congested & doesn't let us take full advantage of 666.

We get around 15 to 20 seconds without numbers flooding back into our forward half yet we don't use the space to advantage.

The one time we did open it out was in the last minute of the GWS game because we needed to score quickly & we did.

Now i know my thinking may be a bit simplistic but why don't we use this as our default set up rather than our current inefficient model that sees high inside 50 numbers with poor score conversion????

Because we have a coach who is in denial and stubbornly sticks to an unworkable game plan.

Blind Freddy can see the problems but week after week we use the same setups

This is compounded by having far too many players attempting to get the pill. It looks completely disorganised and it probably is.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

I've attended every game at the G this year. 

And in everyone (even when we won) our forward line has (for varying amounts of time) has looked a shambles.

We either have no one to kick to or, we kick to a crowd.

[Moonshadow 17,676]

8 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I've attended every game at the G this year. 

And in everyone (even when we won) our forward line has (for varying amounts of time) has looked a shambles.

We either have no one to kick to or, we kick to a crowd.

Or we kick directly to an opposition backman on his own

[Dee Zephyr 19,267]

We had our own version of the mosquito fleet going on in the 3rd quarter last week for at least 3 centre bounces.

HF: Baker, Spargo, Stretch

FF: Hunt, Garlett, Lockhart.

[Redleg 40,911]

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

 

We either have no one to kick to or, we kick to a crowd.

One of our specialties.

[Redleg 40,911]

1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

Or we kick directly to an opposition backman on his own

Our other specialty.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,215]

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I've attended every game at the G this year. 

And in everyone (even when we won) our forward line has (for varying amounts of time) has looked a shambles.

We either have no one to kick to or, we kick to a crowd.

Or we kick it in high to midgets like Spargo, Garlett, Lockhart, Hunt who are outnumbered 3 to 1.

The delivery from the mids has been shocking but our forward setup is also dysfunctional.

Edited May 31, 2019 by Dr. Gonzo

[Redleg 40,911]

9 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Or we kick it in high to midgets like Spargo, Garlett, Lockhart, Hunt who are outnumbered 3 to 1.

The delivery from the mids has been shocking but our forward setup is also dysfunctional.

Another specialty.

[Deemania since 56 6,635]

13 hours ago, ignition. said:

They also had their half-forwards spread out wider. So when they won the ball they had more room to run and more room to lead and hit a target. YES, basic football.

When is this simple and effective plan going to emerge? Our smalls and bigs, so to speak, recover well - it is not as if they are all ageing, handicapped veterans, nor is it the case that they are asked to run in such a manner to and fro for 100 minutes.

No-one is looking into their zone for spaces at all. The players are locked into the mentality of combat football, and lose it and themselves repeatedly. The mantra of see footy, get footy, keep footy has now totally disappeared because footy space is not being exploited. 

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

41 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Another specialty.

Indeed Red , we must devote quite some training time to this unique skill set

[leave it to deever 17,511]

2 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

Or we kick directly to an opposition backman on his own

Our ability to find a player from the other team in our congested forward line is outstanding. 

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I ranted about this years ago.

Players want the ball 30-40 metres out from goal and yet they start about 25 metres out from goal and give themselves no space to lead into.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

30 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I ranted about this years ago.

Players want the ball 30-40 metres out from goal and yet they start about 25 metres out from goal and give themselves no space to lead into.

Yeah correct Clint - when we actually provide a lead that is!