If we're in a situation that we need to tag someone, how would we do it?  Can't give the job to Oliver or Petracca and Viney isn't a tagger, you'd have to give the job to Harmes but where do you play Viney?

I'd be sending Harmes straight to Parish given Merrett it out. Trac & Viney can take a haircut on their midfield minutes and play a bit more forward. Clarry to stay as a pure mid. 

Harmes is the one to use. He can tag and still get useful possessions, including goals

12 minutes ago, adonski said:

 Trac & Viney can take a haircut on their midfield minutes and play a bit more forward. 

Do you really want to reduce Petracca's midfield minutes?

30 minutes ago, one_demon said:

Do you really want to reduce Petracca's midfield minutes?

Someone needs a reduction in minutes if Harmes roles through as a tagger. Petracca is the most versatile. 

I think Viney's role often is to curb the influence of the opposition's most effective centre square players.  He is the most defensive of our centre square mids which allows the others to be more attacking and get off the chain.  I think he is the preference as a stoppage tagger / cooler as bringing harmes in sends one of our first choice away from the action.

 

Interestingly following the grand final, Goody mentioned that Clarry took it upon himself to shut out the influence of the Bont in the second half.  I've tried to look for this when watching the replay and other than a couple of plays it doesn't seem particularly obvious - but I guess it could have been about when Bont drifted forward, Clarry went with him to ensure he didn't get any marks inside 50 like in the first half.  Certainly in that interview (pretty sure it was Goody) they said it was instrumental to our dominance.  And of course bont was off when the first of our 3rd quarter barrage began.

I think if our (potentially) best ever pure midfielder is prepared to sacrifice part of his game to curb the influence of the opposition's best player, it shows exactly what the team was preaching in terms of selflessness / sacrifice.  

1 minute ago, deelusions from afar said:

I think Viney's role often is to curb the influence of the opposition's most effective centre square players.  He is the most defensive of our centre square mids which allows the others to be more attacking and get off the chain.  I think he is the preference as a stoppage tagger / cooler as bringing harmes in sends one of our first choice away from the action.

 

Interestingly following the grand final, Goody mentioned that Clarry took it upon himself to shut out the influence of the Bont in the second half.  I've tried to look for this when watching the replay and other than a couple of plays it doesn't seem particularly obvious - but I guess it could have been about when Bont drifted forward, Clarry went with him to ensure he didn't get any marks inside 50 like in the first half.  Certainly in that interview (pretty sure it was Goody) they said it was instrumental to our dominance.  And of course bont was off when the first of our 3rd quarter barrage began.

I think if our (potentially) best ever pure midfielder is prepared to sacrifice part of his game to curb the influence of the opposition's best player, it shows exactly what the team was preaching in terms of selflessness / sacrifice.  

I agree with your point about Viney. However, as tough and as committed as Viney is, he can't do this role successfully against the bigger-bodied mids such as Bontompelli, Cripps and Fyfe. It's just physically impossible for him. He could, however, do it against Parish.

3 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I agree with your point about Viney. However, as tough and as committed as Viney is, he can't do this role successfully against the bigger-bodied mids such as Bontompelli, Cripps and Fyfe. It's just physically impossible for him. He could, however, do it against Parish.

You're right... it will be interesting to see how we go against these sorts of players.  Even an unfit Stringer this week - he caused us headaches last year.  If he gets on a role this year will they bring harmes in?

Viney doesn't need to tag but he does get the opposition through attrition.

Harmes is our best tagged but why would you rob Peter to pay Paul? We have the best midfield in the league.

Harmes is the go-to tagger and was amongst the best in the business a few years back when it was his dedicated role. He fills a variety of roles now, but he'd be the main choice if we need to deploy a tag.

Don't discard Viney though, he played some of his best football 5-6 years ago as a tagger who would then hurt going the other way. See his jobs on Joel Selwood and Gary Ablett Jnr as an example.

We use several techniques:

Complete shutdown from go to woe:  Harmes took Lliberatore out of the first game vs Bulldogs last year.  He has said before he likes tagging the best because they lead him to the ball.

I don't think we use that one too often.

Mind the mid at CB and hand over to a defender when they go forward:  A mid usually stands with Dusty then hand him over to Hibberd.  We do the same with Bontempelli.

Stop at CB only.  Can't recall which game but Viney did this a few times last year.  Also, In the finals at CB he would sometimes leave his man as the umpire stepped in to bounce the ball and by the time the ball hit the ground he was minding an unsuspecting opp mid or cutting off his running space. 

Stoppages:  Man them only at around the ground at the stoppages. 

So 'tagging' is a bit of a misnomer.  Goodwin has said he has no qualms tagging for all pr part of a game if needed.  We are fortunate we have mids we can use in these roles without giving up too much attacking capability.  If most clubs don't so if they employ a tagger or minder at CB they need to take an attacking player out.

 

For this week, I wouldn't bother tagging Parish, just have Viney, Sparrow or Harmes cut out his space at CB.  Springer may need a tag to start the game so they don't get off to a fast start but he will run out of puff by half time.   But if Max and Luke tap the ball to our mids we won't need to mind anyone.

viney is our midfield 'cooler'

harmes is our 'lockdown' if things aren't going to plan in the midfield

I’m worried about Stringer. He did some very damaging centre bounce clearances last year against us, until Hibberd went to him and shut him down but that is not an option this week. I really like James Harms, but I’m not sure he’s quite the man for Stringer, and I’m not sure who is. But I really believe we need an effective tagger on him.