DeezNuts

I AM A BE-LEVER!!!! ?

Let's hope this is resolved by the end of next week. Not happy with Collingwood throwing a spanner in, they were never truly into him, just forcing Melbournes hand...

Ok, we've all seen the numbers this year on how many goals we've conceded. With all the trade talk of Lever plugging our backline etc, I was wondering what people's thoughts are on our defence. Is it that we fail to gut run the zone back in support, by over committing forward? Is it that the numbers en mass and the handball game exposes the backline? Or is it the individual talent/development of the backline that is the problem? Most games I watched this year, OMAC who has been the subject of a lot of criticism, has always been pretty good at spoiling a mark. Same for TMAC. Frost probably is best at taking the game on. All of their other skills require work no doubt, but I don't think it's purely their individual skills that have consistently failed. With that in mind, does one person (Lever) fix the problem, or do other things also need to change? I'd love to see some stats on how many spoils, intercept marks and turnovers the guys have achieved relative to inside 50's that have come their way. That might tell us if they're efficient defenders, or just over utilised due to structural issues/game style further up the ground. What are your thoughts?

@Binman this is really good analysis/questions to ask mate. Just what the coaches need to being doing really! Goody certainly can 'switch players around' (and out of position I might add) but really, we need more tools in the bag to switch tactics. How that gets communicated in time on the field, well difficult to say. One of my concerns with the high hand-pass keepings off game is that most hand passes seem to go to a static player. When we hand pass between running players, we cut teams apart. But static is just stupid... we get choked, pressured easily, and we make an error, and then it's a turnover. Clarry is the only exception (coz he's a freak) and can hand pass like no other... I wonder what he'd be like in the F50, darting a pass from a pack to a free Garlett?