Note to MFC Coaches & Players... Kicking to the Pocket or Bombing = Losing Strategy

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

FCS wake up Goody and Co.  Stop the boys from playing this insane strategy method!  We are losing far too often as a result and when we don't do it so often eg; the match prior against the Lions, we win by a massive margin and have our best efficiency / conversion rate inside 50 for the entire season!

It's a mind numbing strategy with opponents now easily setting up their numbers and often a plus one to hit that area, kill any chance of connecting with a forward and even if we do, the chances of converting are super slim.

Please watch the match against the Lions where this was a minor option and most of our entries went to dangerous parts of the 50 either in front or on occasions to the fat side where the opp wasn't set up and couldn't counter / get numbers to the drop as easily.

Also if the mids / HBs are under severe heat coming inside could they at least chaos the ball in low and fast to help get the ball to ground so our smalls/mediums have a decent chance to mop up and score!?

Could our small forwards also please get front and square more often if we are bombing it in!??

Also can those playing higher inside 50 make sure they are keeping out of and away from the leading lanes of some of our key lead up forwards like Fritsch??  Why does he have to ask this of them 'in game'!??  Amature stuff for mine as they were experienced players blocking his lane, and why is this happening so late in the season in a final!?  Should not be happening.

Lastly if the ball is kicked OOTF anywhere from about HB and forward, can we please make sure the player on the mark does NOT take the mark/line and instead stays outside 5 so he has a better chance of stopping player taking the free kick from connecting or switching into the corridor and/or easily running around the man stuck on the line, as we saw with Langdon last night, and making up the meters to kick a goal from 50 from an OOTF free kick!  Again, amature stuff, especially this late in the season in a critical final!

[Demon Disciple 12,068]

I think they’re too stubborn to change……………this year at least.

[1964_2 2,357]

Spot on.

I don’t buy the theory that Sydney’s pressure forced us into the game style vs the free-flowing play against the lions either.

We went into the game with the strategy 

 

[Gorgoroth 12,924]

We refuse to get it in quick to our forwards, look at todays game and especially from fast clearancesetc they went long and quick to the forwards, defenders instantly under pressure. Kozzie would love it.

[1964_2 2,357]

We have 3 of the best 5-10 players in the comp, and 5 of the top 20. With that level of talent, I can’t accept that we are not capable of executing a better plan and/or game style. 

Edited September 3, 2022 by 1964_2

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

43 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

I think they’re too stubborn to change……………this year at least.

 

42 minutes ago, 1964_2 said:

Spot on.

I don’t buy the theory that Sydney’s pressure forced us into the game style vs the free-flowing play against the lions either.

We went into the game with the strategy 

 

We went from one of our best conversion / efficiency games inside 50 the match before against the Lions to one of our worst results, if not the worst, for the entire season reverting back to this horrible method against the Swans.

Surely the coaches / players can see the massive chasm of what happens when you play one way vs the other?

Yes pressure around the ball and up the field is a factor but there is no way Sydney are that much better than Brissy, nor do the oppo force us in to playing this way so often.  It's a choice / default option by too many in our team, including some very experienced players.  Needs to be stamped out ASAP other than when we are needing to ice a match or a quarter.

Goody & Co. can't be blind to this.  Surely it will be on the table as a major concern that needs fixing this week?

Edited September 3, 2022 by Demon Dynasty

[SFebes 4,884]

Watching all games over the weekend, we seriously lack some elite ball users by foot unlike most of the other top 8. Its a real issue IMO, we need to recruit for this, it'll give any game plan a chance to succeed. Sydney remind me of the Hawks of old, pin point passes and game plan built around it. Outside of Spargo, who doesn't get it enough, I don't trust many others by foot sadly.

[Tracca 841]

Bowey is elite by foot. I guarantee he will be in next week :)

[The heart beats true 18,110]

I dunno. 90% of the game is played between the ears. Steven May deliberately took 3-4 high risk kicks through the middle of the ground from defence. They come off and we are running through the middle and the Swans are panicking about our waves of players and speed.

Sadly, he missed them, Swans goaled, and we all went into our shells and played too predictably again. This is where a fit and healthy Salem makes a huge difference. He can take that kick and make it and we do different things, and clubs set up differently around us. It’s hard to ask that of Bowey just yet, but he should be doing that too. We have to balance risk and reward better - especially at the G where we haven’t got it right and are far too predictable.

[Demon Disciple 12,068]

We don’t play the G all that well. Its deep wings and flanks allow for teams to switch with ease and then run and gun or just pick through our defence. Why not go with a 1:1 setup.

[Watson11 2,240]

12 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

We don’t play the G all that well. Its deep wings and flanks allow for teams to switch with ease and then run and gun or just pick through our defence. Why not go with a 1:1 setup.

That’s true,  but we played it pretty well last year.  Maybe we have sacrificed a bit of our defensive edge for various reasons.  Brayshaw on the wing was very defensive last year and ran extra hard to get beck inside d50 when we turned it over. He also reads the game much better than Jordan/Harmes who are there now. Max is almost like an extra defender when in the ruck and maybe we lose the extra protection with LJ playing so much time on ball.  Max’s spoil numbers are down quite a lot (beside his 2 injury ravaged years 2015 was his next lowest output for spoils).

Sydney played a lot better against us at the G last year than this year but lost.  Purely because we were much harder to score against last year.

[John Crow Batty 8,862]

Its  not a losing strategy. Its when we fail preventing the opposition to clear out from the pocket that’s the problem. Poor forward pressure is when it breaks down. When we lock it in and deny the opposition to clear defence we do well. This strategy won us a flag and and got us top two this season. 

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,840]

16 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

FCS wake up Goody and Co.  Stop the boys from playing this insane strategy method!  We are losing far too often as a result and when we don't do it so often eg; the match prior against the Lions, we win by a massive margin and have our best efficiency / conversion rate inside 50 for the entire season!

It's a mind numbing strategy with opponents now easily setting up their numbers and often a plus one to hit that area, kill any chance of connecting with a forward and even if we do, the chances of converting are super slim.

Please watch the match against the Lions where this was a minor option and most of our entries went to dangerous parts of the 50 either in front or on occasions to the fat side where the opp wasn't set up and couldn't counter / get numbers to the drop as easily.

Also if the mids / HBs are under severe heat coming inside could they at least chaos the ball in low and fast to help get the ball to ground so our smalls/mediums have a decent chance to mop up and score!?

Could our small forwards also please get front and square more often if we are bombing it in!??

Also can those playing higher inside 50 make sure they are keeping out of and away from the leading lanes of some of our key lead up forwards like Fritsch??  Why does he have to ask this of them 'in game'!??  Amature stuff for mine as they were experienced players blocking his lane, and why is this happening so late in the season in a final!?  Should not be happening.

Lastly if the ball is kicked OOTF anywhere from about HB and forward, can we please make sure the player on the mark does NOT take the mark/line and instead stays outside 5 so he has a better chance of stopping player taking the free kick from connecting or switching into the corridor and/or easily running around the man stuck on the line, as we saw with Langdon last night, and making up the meters to kick a goal from 50 from an OOTF free kick!  Again, amature stuff, especially this late in the season in a critical final!

Please advise when the footy department responds. 

[spirit of norm smith 16,304]

Yes it’s a question asked every week 

Why do we consistently have a high count of inside 50 and a very low conversion rate

(ie as Goody says “we need to improve our connection going into forward 50”) 

Reason 1.  Kicking into forward 50 is often a “bomb” , up and under high kick.  It gives the defenders time to set and often it’s a heavily congested marking contest. I can’t think of any player who drills with bullet like accuracy or elite skill into 50 or thinks of ‘space’.  Not our superstars Trac nor Clarry, not Viney not Harmesy not Brayshaw not even Salem. We saw a snapshot of an effective lower skilled pass when Langdon kicked to Fritsch in the first qtr v Swans for our first goal. It gave the forward to run and ability to mark in front.  That’s the template. 

Reason 2. As we have debated all year, why do we predominantly kick to the forward pockets instead of the hot-spot.  Reason offerred by others is because it means we can lock in the footy and it is proven to reduce other teams scoring on a rebound.  Ffs. I get it’s statistically better for defence. But if you kick into forward50, it’s with strong intent to score not to defend.  Kicking to the pocket allows the defence to get the ball across the boundary line and reset.  Or if you win it, it’s a tougher shot at goal.  MFC even had 5 out of bounds on the full from kicks into the forward50 with deep unpressurized entries. (And by the way, our kicking into forward pockets is getting so fu@$($&n predictable). 

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

1 hour ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Please advise when the footy department responds. 

Maybe in another life QD 😄

[The heart beats true 18,110]

2 hours ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Please advise when the footy department responds. 

I forwarded this thread onto Gary Pert. He responded and said he’s still getting back to all the emails from Glenn Bartlett but should get to this in early 2023.

[Maldonboy38 6,390]

The strategy itself is actually brilliant. It is the easiest part of the F50 to lock the ball in and defend. With our contested possession game it should actually work. Currently, it is not working for the following reasons:

1. We use it almost every time, making it easier for opposition teams to plan around. Other options should also be happening (leading patterns, switching, 3 or 4 short passes etc...)
2. Our small forwards are either not at the drop of the ball, or being kept away too easily. 
3. BBB is not a great contested mark. For this to work, the main forward target has to be a genuine threat in the air. In last year's finals, BBB, TMac and Fritsch were causing havoc in the air. 

I maintain the strategy can work, but not with the limitations listed above dominating.

Edited September 4, 2022 by Maldonboy38

[Supreme_Demon 3,758]

Playing a 2nd tall forward would be nice.

We desperately need to play a Centre Half Forward.

Tom McDonald, Mitch Brown, Sam Weideman, I would even debut Jacob Van Rooyen if we had to.

[Nasher 33,607]

19 hours ago, Demon Disciple said:

I think they’re too stubborn to change……………this year at least.

The old “we supporters know best but the coaches are too stubborn/stupid to listen” is my absolute favourite thing on footy forums.

[cantstandyasam 700]

34 minutes ago, Supreme_Demon said:

Playing a 2nd tall forward would be nice.

We desperately need to play a Centre Half Forward.

Tom McDonald, Mitch Brown, Sam Weideman, I would even debut Jacob Van Rooyen if we had to.

No to Mitch Brown, he isn't KPF at AFL level. He plays HFF as a tall forward but little to no contact or pack marks so is ineffectual.

[Redleg 40,856]

38 minutes ago, Nasher said:

The old “we supporters know best but the coaches are too stubborn/stupid to listen” is my absolute favourite thing on footy forums.

Ever noticed why we don’t come back from being behind late in games?

[Fritta and Turner 4,345]

24 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Ever noticed why we don’t come back from being behind late in games?

Like against carlton?

[Demon Disciple 12,068]

We’ve done a complete 180 compared to 2018, and imo have gone too far defensively. 

Goodwins mantra of contest and defence does not work when our forward line applies zero pressure and midfield is too lazy to cover the switch. Last year we were ruthless, this year we are fragile.

We were looking pretty good at 10-0, but the entire footy club became extremely complacent during that streak. Whatever happens for the rest of the finals, changes to the game plan need to occur otherwise we will quickly be overtaken by many teams

[Deeman5 10]

21 hours ago, 1964_2 said:

We have 3 of the best 5-10 players in the comp, and 5 of the top 20. With that level of talent, I can’t accept that we are not capable of executing a better plan and/or game style. 

If only Goodwin could come up with an effective game plan. The guy is too stubborn and refuses to accept that the competition has gone past us .

[BDA 22,735]

I don't think the strategy is the issue per se. Reckon execution isn't good enough on Friday or in the second half of the season

Players are 5% off. Not sure why. We need to get back to basics, clean in possession and make better decisions

And lower the eyes going inside 50. IF the oppo think we're going to the pocket and commit numbers there then there must be free targets we can hit