Knights need to chane his attitude

[Walda]

Knights needs to do some serious thinking about the way he coaches. The all out handball policy that he has in place is not going to work at the moment basically because we don’t have the skill set or the man power to execute. What he need to do is build confidence with small step and then build up from there like restrict handballs to 2 or 3 then a kick, make the players be more aware of the position the receiver is in, and most importantly not to kick to contests where we are out numbered, our crumbing is vertually no existant. We need to be more proactive rather than reactive (we have been smashed the last few weeks, because we have been waiting for the ball to come to us rather than go get it). I have never been a big fan of the "taking risk" attitude because risks degenerate into bad play under preasure.I can’t see how having 4 turnovers to 1 risk that comes off as being a good plan. Unfortunately its starting to look like a repeat of 2006, all the Sheedy mannerisms are staring to fester again and as fan’s we desperately don’t want to see that. I know injuries have hit us hard, but we need to build up to a solid game plan rather than be thrown into the deep end, because all that is going to do is erode the player confidence and we will drown.

[BenDoolan]

Good post. I agree that there needs to be some fine adjustments to the game plan to accommodate the ability of the players at his disposal. However, I'm not in agreeance to any radical change to the overall plot of his game plan. The execution of skills has dropped enormously with the unavailability of quality players. This will cause several embarrassing moments (as we've all witnessed) during the course of games. Fine adjustments can be made by limiting the amount of unnecessary handballs and move it on with a long kick option to our forward line. This allows for Lloyd to be one out with his opponent (as he was on a couple of occasions last week).

[Windy_Hill]

You know what, I reckon he gets all that. I dont think Knights is that stupid not to realise what the team's limitations are and what is the right and wrong coaching direction. I liked the earlier thread comparing Knights to Alistair Clarkson. Clarkson got Hawthorn playing with their currently successful gameplan 4 years ago. Only now is it really paying dividends as the players mature and grow in eperience.

Better to learn young and cop a few thrashings than no learn at all

[MH_Bomber]

My question is - what is it that is being learnt ? Is it that playing unaccountable football leading to the other side waltzing in unchallenged and scoring goals at will, will result in being thrashed ?

Shouldnt the lesson be that there are 3 phases of the game - 1) times when we've got possession - hence protect the ball carrier through shepherding and running in numbers 2) times when the ball is in dispute - go in and get it and 3) times when they've got it - tackle, man up, make it hard for them to move the ball. I dont know how you can just play as if there is only one phase of the game. We are teaching the kids nothing. Worse still we are unteaching them everything they were correctly taught as juniors. Matthew Knights is confusing flooding with being accountable.

[j-mac31]

My question is - what is it that is being learnt ? Is it that playing unaccountable football leading to the other side waltzing in unchallenged and scoring goals at will, will result in being thrashed ?

Shouldnt the lesson be that there are 3 phases of the game - 1) times when we've got possession - hence protect the ball carrier through shepherding and running in numbers 2) times when the ball is in dispute - go in and get it and 3) times when they've got it - tackle, man up, make it hard for them to move the ball. I dont know how you can just play as if there is only one phase of the game. We are teaching the kids nothing. Worse still we are unteaching them everything they were correctly taught as juniors. Matthew Knights is confusing flooding with being accountable.

That's what I reckon.

Surely it isn't too hard to be learning both ways, rather than one now and one later.

And also, what if bad habits sink in and the current players never really pick up the concept of defending?

[tom9779]

we have a shit load of injuries.

the only thing the EFC needs to do is work on training and recovery.

because we simply do not have the firepower.

too hard to judge Knights when we are playing our twos.

[Mick]

Whether or not you agree with Knights game plan, he can not reverse 7 years of poor list management and player development in one draft and seven games.

[hop]

We are - at best - a competent VFL team - ATM.

We are competing against match hardened men, with kids.

Two certainties of the AFL is the salary cap and the drafting regulations. The great uncertainty is injuries. It is no accident that the top teams each year are the ones with the fewest injuries (overwhelmingly - however I'm sure someone can find the odd exception).

This is the area of the game that EFC just does not compete. If we cannot get our core group on the park week after week, we will not be competitive. This is true for every club.

The point here, is that for too long our senior team has been blighted with soft tissue injuries which are repeated, or protracted. Remember when a hammy was 3 weeks? Our club has been negligent in its persuit of an answer to this problem. Until we have a proper, full scale inquiry into all aspects of our training, conditioning and recovery - along with the medical support we provide - by a credible EXTERNAL agency or individual - then we will continue to perform at a poor to mediocre level.

We can analyse, bitch, whinge and potificate over how and why our playing style is effecting outcomes of games. If we aint got the cattle - we simply wont get the job done!

[rockhole]

Good post. I agree that there needs to be some fine adjustments to the game plan to accommodate the ability of the players at his disposal. However, I'm not in agreeance to any radical change to the overall plot of his game plan. The execution of skills has dropped enormously with the unavailability of quality players. This will cause several embarrassing moments (as we've all witnessed) during the course of games. Fine adjustments can be made by limiting the amount of unnecessary handballs and move it on with a long kick option to our forward line. This allows for Lloyd to be one out with his opponent (as he was on a couple of occasions last week).

The trouble with this philosophy was that on many occasions, Lloydy was coming up to the centre with his opponent and the forward line was completly empty. We would get the ball to the half back/centreline and there was no where to go. This was usually after a string of hand passes and we were therefore forced to kick (usually under pressure) thus prompting a turnover.