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Slow off the Mark; Our First Quarters

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in Melbourne Demons

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it takes us a while to work out how to set up our structure to stop ball movement

against the crows it took a quarter and a half, against north the same - all to do with change structure to the 'back 7' i think

gw$ we got lucky; it took about 2/3rd of the first quarter, but by then they'd scored 5.0

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    I think a lot of our problems in the first quarter are the first 10 minutes. I think we over possess the ball. This works when the pressure dies down but we need to be more focused on territory early in the game (i.e. hit outs forwards and quick kicks).

     

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    We play better when we're being more methodical and controlling the game (why Salem has been so important to us). It allows us to setup behind the ball and cut off opposition chains from our forward 50. The start of the game is usually more free flowing until things settle down which is why we tend to get off to a slow start. On Saturday the game never settled down which is what cost us. Even against North it took until the 3rd quarter to slow things down.

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    5 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

    We play better when we're being more methodical and controlling the game (why Salem has been so important to us). It allows us to setup behind the ball and cut off opposition chains from our forward 50. The start of the game is usually more free flowing until things settle down which is why we tend to get off to a slow start. On Saturday the game never settled down which is what cost us. Even against North it took until the 3rd quarter to slow things down.

    Agreed.

    Salem was solely responsible for getting us back into the game against Richmond mid way through the 1st qtr. He is such a steadying influence down back and now a high possession/high efficient player - a lethal combo.

    We thought he'd be sorely missed in the Adelaide game, and was.

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    7 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

    We are or were top dog. Teams are coming out totally fired up to knock us off.

    We take a while to readjust.

    Sorry @leave it to deever, this is an ambiguous cliche which in of itself is meaningless.

    Each team comes each week to knock the other team off... 

    We start slow for a variety of reasons from week to week... 

    but not - 'other teams are fired up'.

     

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    Slow is an understatement. There are glaciers that move faster. If we were in a less successful position than 9-1, I reckon it’d be addressed posthaste. 

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    18 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

    Sorry @leave it to deever, this is an ambiguous cliche which in of itself is meaningless.

    Each team comes each week to knock the other team off... 

    We start slow for a variety of reasons from week to week... 

    but not - 'other teams are fired 

    Dont be sorry. You are probably correct. Im just guessing. Of course every team wants to knock the other off but there not all up to it.

    My theory was teams like north ..hawthorn....freo.. have sprinted out of the blocks ro take a scalp and have done alright for a while.

    One could argue we havent been slow but tge other teams have been faster.

    Other than that I guess we are asleep at the wheel. Why?

    Who could say. Maybe are mids are to blame and just not switched on.

    Do you have any reaaons why we have started slowly?

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    We've been doing this for years - during the Roos/Goodwin development years we'd often go four goals down then try to find a way out of the hole. I can't find where it was posted but I had a list of how often we'd come back from 24 points down to get within a goal and it was ridiculously long. In 2017 it happened about three weeks in a row.

    Difference is now we've got a better team to overhaul deficits. Then there's last Saturday, where we got so confused at having a decent early lead that we let them kick two goals before quarter time.

    Edited by Supermercado

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    • Like 1

    6 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

    Dont be sorry. You are probably correct. Im just guessing. Of course every team wants to knock the other off but there not all up to it.

    My theory was teams like north ..hawthorn....freo.. have sprinted out of the blocks ro take a scalp and have done alright for a while.

    One could argue we havent been slow but tge other teams have been faster.

    Other than that I guess we are asleep at the wheel. Why?

    Who could say. Maybe are mids are to blame and just not switched on.

    Do you have any reaaons why we have started slowly?

    So refreshing to read your response, LITD. I just left the covid thread coz it’s a little unsettling to read some of the posts there. Ppl responding to one another with unnecessary aggro. Well done, you! ?

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    Who can ever forget having to beat 13th placed Collingwood to make finals for the first time in 11 years and we didn't even lay a tackle in the first 20 minutes.

    There's no coincidence.

    Personally I'd keep Goodwin away from them pre-match. They're half asleep by the time they hit the ground. Takes them a quarter or so to wake up after being put to sleep.

    I'd have Williams fire them up

    Edited by jnrmac

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    2 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

    it takes us a while to work out how to set up our structure to stop ball movement

    against the crows it took a quarter and a half, against north the same - all to do with change structure to the 'back 7' i think

    gw$ we got lucky; it took about 2/3rd of the first quarter, but by then they'd scored 5.0

    Agreed, defensive structure that:

    • repels the opposition attacks forward, and
    • initiates corridors and supports for offensive, forward progress to score
    • sets up the midfield channels and depth/arcs to freely move the ball into outer and deep forward connections.

    We gotta do betta ... time is finite so delays will ultimately crucify us against most sides we play.

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    We are fitter than other teams; they come out guns blazing and tire and then we kick on...

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    • Like 1

    Opposition fatigue plays to our strengths in regards to less precision on kicks, more long hack kicks. so we get better as the game goes on, and our improved fitness really highlights this. 

    it's why we've been very good at grinding out games

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