Should we maybe think about zoning up in the back half?

Just an idea, here, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

I keep hearing everyone on all the podcasts talk about how important forward pressure is, and how important it is to lock it in the forward line, but after watching this team for the past couple of years I have a nagging feeling that maybe this is wrong. I am actually starting to think that the forward press pioneered by Clarkson's Hawks and perfected by Hardwick's Tigers and our own beloved Dees, may be becoming out of date.

It seems to me that the congestion the zone creates means that even if you are able to turn it over, you tend to still be operating in a very crowded forward line, which reduces the value of those turnovers. And on the flip side, if you don't manage to turn it over and the other team gets through, they are then operating in huge, wide open spaces, where it is easy to create high quality scoring chances. 

I wonder if there is a next step in the evolution of the game where teams will actually start zoning up in the back half. Similar to how basketball teams don't generally defend the front half of the court, but set up closer to the basket, the idea would be that you don't really care about the other team advancing to halfway, what you really care about is avoiding them getting any marks or uncontested possessions in their forward 50. And the best way to avoid that is to create a well structured zone in the back half. Yes, this would mean no more forward half turnovers, but it it would also mean no more open forward lines for players to stream into and snag easy goals.

The main benefit of this strategy is that if and when you do get a turnover, as long as it isn't too deep in the backline, you can likely often instantly get on a fast break with a tonne of space in your forward line for players to run into on the counter attack. Also, if you are set up in a zone rather than man-to-man, once you do turn it over, it's probably going to be quite difficult for the opposition to quickly mark up every one of your players streaming forward.

Now, I know that this isn't really that new of an idea. Flooding has existed forever, and there was 'Pagan's paddocks' in the nineties, etc etc. But I think the idea of a team in the modern era conceding the first 80 or so meters of the ground and setting up a well structured zone in the back half would represent quite a change of approach, especially for a team like ours who still seem to think the forward press is clearly the best way to defend the ground. 

The zone has a place and is an effective method of defence. My issue is that when you play teams that are very efficient in their disposal and pierce your zone by chipping through it we are very slow to change our method. It also relies on tackling pressure from your forwards and we have too many passengers in our forward line when it comes to defensive pressure. Finally when you do force a turnover it is a golden opportunity to go quickly and direct into your forward line to beat the opposition flood and give your forwards time and space which  something else we don’t do often enough for mine as we like to be our offence is based around protecting our backline which means hold until we are set up behind the ball. 
 Would love to borrow the philosophy of the great Bill Shankly. Put the ball in / thru the goal and worry about everything else later. 
 I hope to see a more attacking and proactive coaching box this year. 

Edited March 11, 20251 yr by Dee Viney Intervention

8 hours ago, Rollo2 said:

Should we maybe think about zoning up in the back half?

Just an idea, here, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

I keep hearing everyone on all the podcasts talk about how important forward pressure is, and how important it is to lock it in the forward line, but after watching this team for the past couple of years I have a nagging feeling that maybe this is wrong. I am actually starting to think that the forward press pioneered by Clarkson's Hawks and perfected by Hardwick's Tigers and our own beloved Dees, may be becoming out of date.

It seems to me that the congestion the zone creates means that even if you are able to turn it over, you tend to still be operating in a very crowded forward line, which reduces the value of those turnovers. And on the flip side, if you don't manage to turn it over and the other team gets through, they are then operating in huge, wide open spaces, where it is easy to create high quality scoring chances. 

I wonder if there is a next step in the evolution of the game where teams will actually start zoning up in the back half. Similar to how basketball teams don't generally defend the front half of the court, but set up closer to the basket, the idea would be that you don't really care about the other team advancing to halfway, what you really care about is avoiding them getting any marks or uncontested possessions in their forward 50. And the best way to avoid that is to create a well structured zone in the back half. Yes, this would mean no more forward half turnovers, but it it would also mean no more open forward lines for players to stream into and snag easy goals.

The main benefit of this strategy is that if and when you do get a turnover, as long as it isn't too deep in the backline, you can likely often instantly get on a fast break with a tonne of space in your forward line for players to run into on the counter attack. Also, if you are set up in a zone rather than man-to-man, once you do turn it over, it's probably going to be quite difficult for the opposition to quickly mark up every one of your players streaming forward.

Now, I know that this isn't really that new of an idea. Flooding has existed forever, and there was 'Pagan's paddocks' in the nineties, etc etc. But I think the idea of a team in the modern era conceding the first 80 or so meters of the ground and setting up a well structured zone in the back half would represent quite a change of approach, especially for a team like ours who still seem to think the forward press is clearly the best way to defend the ground. 

Isn’t that just the other side keeping it in their 50 waiting for you to bust out the back into wide open space? 

Edited March 12, 20251 yr by Roost it far

The forward press will be part of the AFL forever because it's used in a lot of sports because it's so effective,  and history shows that once it's introduced into a particular sport, it stays.

I don't read replies or reactions 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 20251 yr by greenwaves

Not seeing much in two rounds to convince me I'm wrong on this.

Isn't anyone else tired of seeing other teams break through our press into wide open space on half forward? Or watching us win inside 50s but convert them into scores at historically low rates?

The way we're set up, even if our press succeeds and we turn it over in our forward line 70% of the time, those turnovers rarely result in anything because we're operating in congestion. The other 30% of the time the opposition breaks the press and they go straight down the field into a wide open forward line and score. 

Basketball defence, people. Goody if you're reading this it is the only thing that'll save your career at this point bud. 

Edited March 24, 2025Mar 24 by Rollo2