jabberwocky

Concerning because it lacks 2 ingredients. Strength on the full forward line and pace.

Not bad but Brad struggles to pull off the hard man. It looks like someone has knocked off his chocolate milk.

Can you do an assessment please C and B?

The purpose of pushing numbers into defence isn't unusual and can be about getting the numbers to the football. Dynasties have been built on this tactic which I think was pioneered by the great Hawthorn sides of the eighties and has evolved further. Since then we have seen all the great sides push numbers to the ball with the aim of running goalward in packs. North, Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn again all used this tactic and won premierships with it. I have no doubt that this is the style of footy Bailey is aiming at and forms the basis of the "gameplan". Getting behind the footy is a great way of pushing team momentum forward ie toward your goal. When it is executed well with good skills and strong bodies is hard to stop. When it is not executed correctly...or confidently and/or is hampered by good defensive zoning you end up constantly going sideways and backwards and it looks like unsuccessful defensive flooding. Check where the players set up when the ball isn't deep in defence. Bailey is running with a gameplan that has won flags. He will ask the players to perform to a standard to make the gameplan successful. He will not compromise the gameplan to the players current or past standards.

Which begs the question how did you come into possession of it in the first place. Simple stuff. Your teamate has the ball you provide an option, shepherd, clear space. Your opponent has the ball you shut down options, invade/close down space. All football teams do it, some better than others. A couple of times there were no targets to kick to up the ground. I would be certain that having no targets to kick forward to is not part of the master plan. This was ceratinly not a significant contributing factor to the loss. I am sure you realise that not all that evolves on the football ground is part of the coaches' plan.

Yeah he needs to be fresh and enlightening for you stranga. This should be his priority. Maybe give us a recipe or two, sing a little, even a monologue. I simply demand more entertainment from our senior coach.

This era that the club currently finds itself is different to any other for a variety of reasons. The ND era is far removed from where we are at the moment and is a ridiculous comparison.

I thinks that's the point. We have many critical of "the gameplan" without considering all of the factors which go into implementing one successfully ie these factors are key in rendering the gameplan successful. The gameplan was evident at various times last year and had many of us pretty impressed.

Respect Hightower my brother, was thinking of starting a similar thread.

nice one to get off the mark with.

Personally I think we don't have enough creative play emanating from the midfield. I think there are a combination of factors at play here but I see these being well on thier way to being sorted by the end of this season and into next. It is a developing midfield. The developed players that we have in there are similar styles of player. The developing ones will compliment them.

Yeah that's all part of DB's master plan, to have no targets to kick to. Have a look at Akum's post you might get an idea. And freo had players at the fall of the ball. They ran it quicker and hit more targets by hand and foot and it appeared that they had superior fitness, but winning normally does that to you. The reasons for our failure had nothing to do with game plan and we will see some of these results this year. We will also see some unexpectedly good results. I'm tipping a big roller coaster ride for 2010/11. If you recall correctly we were being lauded by experts as an attacking team when our "gameplan" began to become evident for stages of games last year.

Have to agree Enforcer, a lot of ridiculous reactions being posted in demonland. A lot of people bemoaning the game plan offering no alternative with actually not a lot of idea of what they are talking about. This loss could be a minor blessing.

Seriously what does that mean, just a throwaway line or can you explain it?

It amazes me how little credit Nathan Jones gets on this site. He won the equal high amount of centre clearances with Mundy. He took the game on and always looked to dispose of the ball to advantage and executed well. He looks leaner and quicker. Easily our best player and had a hand in more scoring opportunities than any other player. If all of or players had this mindset we would have a different result.

Fremantle got 30 centre clearances to Melb 21. Mundy and Jones with equal highest with 5 a piece. Despite only getting 18 possies and 4 tackles I though Jones was clearly our best midfielder tonight.

Same as last year, we got first hands on it as much as a they did but often failed to get the footy out to advantage. Not enough numbers around the footy. Not quick or sure enough by hand, not enough options. Not just at stoppages, same goes for breaking at half back or through the guts. Not enough confidence to break the lines, not enough confidence in our skills to take the game on with run and handball. This will destroy any game plan but can change pretty quickly. Intensity and spirit was also not consistent throughout the team. We have a couple of players who consistently fail to put thier head over the footy which is concerning. Confidence, intensity and time for the chemistry to happen. The club will identify this and work on it.

Yep We have a young side, we got off to a bad start and we never looked confident or clean. We will get some poor results this year mied in with a couple of unexpectedly good ones. This is a very young footy side. Freo are are reasonable side especially at home. This is not the same freo side of 2 years ago. They have some very good footballers and a good running game plan. Hayden and mundy destroyed us.

Jones has been our most dangerous player, has picked up a yard and his disposal has been spot on. to jurrah to miller, goal

the difference has been that thier senior players have well and truly outperformed ours. hayden, johnson mundy and pavlich have carved us up. we just dont have enough assured run. our young players would be on even keel. when our improvement comes it will be in the midfield. relax it will come.

Jurrah's confidence is skewiff, seems to be working hard but his judgement is way out. needs to take a big mark to get going. warnock's disposal has been ordinary bennell is having a crack, i don't know if he is suited to a shut-down role martin and spencer have at least held thier own at the tap outs. martin played a key defensive role well, has a lot to learn about giving value around the park. Frawley has been good. Jones has been very good, something happens when he gets it. his flat penetrating kicking has been great. green hasn't been his assured self, davey has struggled to get into it, sylvia has contested well but not involved enough, ditto moloney.

fair dinkum, broughton let his knees go and pushed himself forward i would rather see him lay a tackle than stand back

freo kick a nine pointer on the run after the siren.....somehow it counts

has done some real good things under pressure, first instinct is good

jones our best by a fair way