deanox

Love this quote: "Coach Simon Goodwin is letting this team play different styles for minutes, quarters and full matches." The author has clearly recognised that we've been experimenting tactically this year. Also this: "They’re ranked third for marks inside 50s..." Combined with being the second highest scoring team for the season, it really makes it hard to understand people who are calling the forward line a disaster.

I'm in redlegs, Level 2 Punt Rd end directly behind the goals. I've sat there as standard as long as I can remember. The view of the structures and zone moving up the field, how it shifts side to side, and even how we lengthen it at times, is really clear there. Against Carlton was a mile ahead of anything else I've seen us do this year. I was surprised to see the pressure rating low because of how well we were constantly setting up, shifting and forcing them to just stop. I guess that running hard to space to set up a defensive zone doesn't qualify as a "pressure act" for the purpose of preasure points because it isn't about directly pressuring the ball carrier. I wasn't surprised that Goody was happy with what he saw. Last time I sat on the true wing I was really frustrated. It's better than TV, but it is so hard to see what's happening with shape.

I think some people don't see the forest for the trees. And subconsciously expect us to win every single game. 2021 was out best season since 1964. 2022 was our 2nd best home and away season since 1964 as well! In 2018 we were 8-4 after 12 games, but with a lower percentage and we were 5th not 3rd. There are only a couple of other seasons since 1964 that we have passed the half way point in a better position. We're doing ok and should try enjoying it. We've earnt it!

We've also been experimenting with throwing two very deep (ie one in the goal swaure and one next to it), something I haven't seen other teams doing. @DemonWA and @IRW in modern footy, there aren't really many "throw the magnets around" type in game tactical moves anymore, because the game is too professional, and because a lot of the time the reason a team is losing is because they aren't playing their game plan right, not because the match ups are wrong. Throwing things around confuses everyone on the field, destroying zones and structures, disrupting team harmony. But examples this year have included Petty forward (as well as trialling TMac and BBB, plus Smith), McVee's role in the back 6, the various ways we've used Gulrundy and Gawn, etc.

Bolton is a genuine match winner isn't he?

That looked like it changed direction off the post.

No wonder Jackson was hell bent on Freo.

@kev martin thanks for your report! Do you think this implies we were pushing the fitness work a bit harder than a usual mid week session?

I know we can bemoan lack of depth at times. But that Casey side would push some of the Melbourne sides I've seen us out on the park over the years!

2023 looks much more like 2022 so far, with the mid year dip But really in 2022 it's the trailing away from round 17 that looks like the problem. It looks like we loaded but injuries and fatigue etc caught up to us. It bodes well if we've made changes this year.

I don't know how relevant or reliable this date is, but if you look at our "total KMs" and "KMs at high speed" per game this year this is a distinct drop off in round 10-12 (so starting from the Port game). So there are lots of factors that would influence this stat: size of ground, style of play, weather, opposition game style, length of break, travel, accumulated fatigue etc. It could be an indicator that we increased some load that week. I'll be interested to watch these stats in the coming weeks to see if there are any trends. Round - Total KMs - KMs at high speed R1 288 43 R2 293 35 R3 284 44 R4 276 40 R5 289 43 R6 283 43 R7 294 45 R8 292 43 R9 284 47 R10 273 36 R11 276 37 R12 272 40 Data is available on the AFL app under "Tracker", including opposition data. Sorry I'm on my phone so can't graph nicely!

I'd be open to a red card system only with a couple of caveats: - It needs to be administered by a live, offfield MRO, not on field umpire and not a powerless "tv ref". Red card must also equal suspension/tribunal. We can't have MRO downgrading a red card incident after the fact. -Intentional assault type, off the ball, can be a red card. -In play activities should only be red card if another player is ruled out of the game through injury as a result of the reportable action.

Hawthorn are so bad the AFL app is trying to time travel back to 2015 for them.

I hate to spoil you fun, but we have lost a few on King's birthday. Fair to say we've never lost to Collingwood on King's Birthday though! http://demonwiki.org/Queens+Birthday

I think I was trying to say that I was judging him as not being on top of his game too, and then realised that's because my expectations for him had gotten so much higher. If he played that hasn't in the first couple of rounds I'd probably have been pretty happy.

I was thinking during the game: Wow my expectations of Rivers have significantly increased, given I think he is playing just ok tonight. He had equal 5th disposals on the ground, and equal third for demons.

On the footy field, skills can be poor because they are executed badly, or skills can be poor because they are executed under pressure. Was the Blues match a "high pressure" match or a "sloppy, low skilled" match? What statistics would guide/justify your assessment?

Our percentage increased tonight. We had the best percentage in the competition after 11 rounds. But after tonight it increased further. I know it felt like we could lose at any moment, but we won by higher than our average win % for the year. In fact we won by higher than the average win % than any other team for the whole comp. Scary to think that we only kicked 8.13.

He got away a copy of times, but overall Harry got good service and also Tomlinson was often left one out in those situations. I think sacrificial isn't a bad description, even if not entirely true. It's almost as if let that match up be the free one at times, making sure everything else was covered.

Agree completely RE Thomlinson. I'd like anyone who thinks he played poor to explain which situations, which passages of play etc. I watched him pretty closely and felt that most of McKays marks werent the fault of the defender.

The shepherding in every marking contest is outrageous.

While it isn't super pretty, I'd add a couple of comments: 1. Despite only 13 wins putting us in 8th place during that time, we have the second highest percentage in the comp, indicating potential under performance. 2. If we win clinch only two close games that we've lost, we jump to 3rd on the ladder. Freo by 7, PA by 4, Collingwood by 7, Dogs by 10, Sydney by 12 were all close games. Technically Brisbane by 11 as well. That's 6 games lost under 2 goals. (Conversely we've only won 2 close ones: GC by 5, Carlton by 5. With only another couple under 20 points) 3. Last year we all think we went to hard early and fell in a heap late. This year, we hope they have learnt from that, and are going through the motions now so that they are primed for finals. That means this ladder reflects the worst of last season and hopefully the worst of this season! If we won 10 straight to start this year we should have been asking "what have we learnt, are we going to fall over again?"

And yet we are the highest scoring team in the competition, and have the fourth best defence. The actually results don't reflect a team with no strategy and ineffective effort do they?

So that great practice match gamestyle and form against Richmond. Do we think we are trying to play that now, but being forced through opposition playstyle and pressure to do something different? Or do we think maybe we are trying different things tactically on match day? In terms of team selection, we were playing 3 talls down back. And TMac and Brown were out forward talls (with Fritsch injured). If it's the former (opposition tactics and pressure)what do we need to change up? If it's the later (our coaches trying things) it could be a combo of keeping our powder dry and experimenting with other set ups, positions, formations etc. so that we have practice when we need to switch things up (ie when we threw Petty forward against Brisbane in the semi, it looked threatening but we didn't have the team synergy with that set up, but this year we have lots of practice at it). Personally I think it is more likely the later. Compounded with May/Lever injuries, Max injury, Ben Brown injuylry, Petty injury, now Oliver injury.

This is the combined records of the teams that were in top spot, and 14th spot, before each round this year. So after 11 rounds the top side has won 6 out of 10 times (obviously no one was in top spot before round 1) and the 14th side has won 7/10 times.