1. Start by introducing the simplest strategy possible. One on one, hard, accountable football. Everyone must know who their man is (increasingly difficult these days) and be directly accountable for their output vs that of their opponent. Best way to learn and precisely the style of teaching won us flags in 83,84,93 and 2000.
2. Gradually implement three strategies:
a. An "even" strategy as per 1. This strategy is to be implemented whenever neither team has momentum.
b. A defensive strategy similar to your 4-5-1 formation in soccer. Men behind the ball and space in front. Try to score on the fast break by leaving the forward line open and having players run into the space. Play our quickest players furthest up the field and kick to the wings and in front of them. This is to be implemented whenever the opposition has the momentum.
c. An offensive press strategy (more like 3-4-3) whereby the opposition's half back and midfield is clogged and players run forward of the ball. Quickest players are positioned towards the back of the "zone" to break the lines and deliver incisive passes into the forward line.
3. Build up midfield "teams" that complement these strategies. Your "crack" team comprises of your best ball winners and your best ruckman and is implemented for (a). Your "scrap" team comprises your best tacklers / taggers / hard ball players and a mongrel ruckman who will throw his body around and is implemented whenever (b) is in place. Your "class" team complements (c) and comprises a mix of your best ball winners and the best users of the ball. We should try to start to consider the midfield as a unit rather than moving players in / out based on a rotational policy. Track the performance of each of the units as a whole and use it to engender competition amongst the group.
4. Determine the best position for your youngsters at Bendigo follow through with it in the seniors. Let them play in the position that they were named in and if things don't look right then experiment when they're getting a rest in the magoos. Senior players should provide the flexibility.
What I'd Do...
Re: What I'd Do...
5. Sack Knights
6. Appoint Andrewb as coach
Good logical thoughts andrew, not rocket science, but apparently far to advanced for our current senior coach who is happy to
1. rotate players through positions they are not and will never be any good at
2. apply an offense and risk at all cost policy with defence coming a distant second to running off your man
3. let floggings continue instead of adapting tactics to the momentum of the game
4. Rotate and interchange players just when we appear to have the right mix in place
You would still lose most games mate, but I'd be far happier watching a team develop a gamestyle based on accountability during this 'rebuilding period' and the development of 'midfield teams' who are working hard to keep their spot.
6. Appoint Andrewb as coach
Good logical thoughts andrew, not rocket science, but apparently far to advanced for our current senior coach who is happy to
1. rotate players through positions they are not and will never be any good at
2. apply an offense and risk at all cost policy with defence coming a distant second to running off your man
3. let floggings continue instead of adapting tactics to the momentum of the game
4. Rotate and interchange players just when we appear to have the right mix in place
You would still lose most games mate, but I'd be far happier watching a team develop a gamestyle based on accountability during this 'rebuilding period' and the development of 'midfield teams' who are working hard to keep their spot.
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billyduckworth
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Re: What I'd Do...
Some good thoughts there, andrewb. Just one question (but a crucial one):
who exactly would you have in your (a) (b) and (c) midfield teams?
who exactly would you have in your (a) (b) and (c) midfield teams?
Re: What I'd Do...
I'm not 100% sure on how i would set up each unit but when the opposing team has momentum I would like us set up like this:
Ruck: Hille Rover: McVeigh Centre: Hislop Ruck Rover: Watson
The whole unit are happy to get into the rough stuff, you have Hille throwing his weight around and keeping the taps very close to his feet, causing congestion and which will help lock up any free movers from the opposition, since the ball is due to come out eventually you need players willing to support on the outside for this I would have Stanton and Winderlich on the sides, McPhee on the defensive side and if the ball comes out on the attacking side the whole unit moves forward crash and bash style with Winderlich and Stanton staying out wide to receive. The reason I picked Stanton, Winderlich and McPhee is; I think McPhee can't be accountable for one man however he can tackle so if you tell him just to wait and sack any midfielder who may receive the wide ball he'd do a fair job he has size let him throw it around. Winderlich and Stanton both have tanks but don't like the tough stuff keep them wide and have them running their guts out up and down each wing, I want them to be told I expect them as the first free option when coming out of defense on each wing, they are quick and fit enough to find space and it should be left there for them, then if they are not there they have no excuse, this will keep them accountable no one likes to be seen as the player who didn't do their job and it will become very obvious if they are being lazy.
My biggest problem with setting up any midfield side is I'm unhappy with it unless McVeigh, Watson and Hille are in there, We don't have a spare ruckmam (yet to see Bellchambers), and without Watson and McVeigh we just can't win the footy. Stanton should never go into the centre square, I like Nash but we need him down back. Welsh is a BACKMAN nothing else, none of this rubbish HFF or Midfield, he has finished top 10 in our B&F as a Backman, get him down their to take the oppositions best FP and give Slattery the other, have Welsh and Slattery both play completely negative football, I don't care if they don't get a kick just don't let your opponent get one either.
The only players I'm happy to see in at the Centre bounces are: Hille, Watson, McVeigh, Hislop, Reimers, Davey (when not injured), Hocking (when not injured), Lonergan and possibly McPhee just to smash packs. It's sad that we have so little Midfielders. Our soft receivers like Stanton, Lovett, Winderlich, Jetta should only ever be seen on Wings or HFF's never in the middle. I think they have a role to play in the side but it's not at stoppages. Get the footy and send a SWEEPING handball out to them, not this 1M handball that by the time it gets there the bloke who has it is under just as much pressure as the bloke who gave it, you can't afford to do that unless the bloke who received it is running at full tilt and can break a tackle or if your handballing to Chris Judd which we are not.
Ruck: Hille Rover: McVeigh Centre: Hislop Ruck Rover: Watson
The whole unit are happy to get into the rough stuff, you have Hille throwing his weight around and keeping the taps very close to his feet, causing congestion and which will help lock up any free movers from the opposition, since the ball is due to come out eventually you need players willing to support on the outside for this I would have Stanton and Winderlich on the sides, McPhee on the defensive side and if the ball comes out on the attacking side the whole unit moves forward crash and bash style with Winderlich and Stanton staying out wide to receive. The reason I picked Stanton, Winderlich and McPhee is; I think McPhee can't be accountable for one man however he can tackle so if you tell him just to wait and sack any midfielder who may receive the wide ball he'd do a fair job he has size let him throw it around. Winderlich and Stanton both have tanks but don't like the tough stuff keep them wide and have them running their guts out up and down each wing, I want them to be told I expect them as the first free option when coming out of defense on each wing, they are quick and fit enough to find space and it should be left there for them, then if they are not there they have no excuse, this will keep them accountable no one likes to be seen as the player who didn't do their job and it will become very obvious if they are being lazy.
My biggest problem with setting up any midfield side is I'm unhappy with it unless McVeigh, Watson and Hille are in there, We don't have a spare ruckmam (yet to see Bellchambers), and without Watson and McVeigh we just can't win the footy. Stanton should never go into the centre square, I like Nash but we need him down back. Welsh is a BACKMAN nothing else, none of this rubbish HFF or Midfield, he has finished top 10 in our B&F as a Backman, get him down their to take the oppositions best FP and give Slattery the other, have Welsh and Slattery both play completely negative football, I don't care if they don't get a kick just don't let your opponent get one either.
The only players I'm happy to see in at the Centre bounces are: Hille, Watson, McVeigh, Hislop, Reimers, Davey (when not injured), Hocking (when not injured), Lonergan and possibly McPhee just to smash packs. It's sad that we have so little Midfielders. Our soft receivers like Stanton, Lovett, Winderlich, Jetta should only ever be seen on Wings or HFF's never in the middle. I think they have a role to play in the side but it's not at stoppages. Get the footy and send a SWEEPING handball out to them, not this 1M handball that by the time it gets there the bloke who has it is under just as much pressure as the bloke who gave it, you can't afford to do that unless the bloke who received it is running at full tilt and can break a tackle or if your handballing to Chris Judd which we are not.
Re: What I'd Do...
I see the midfield as being the centremen and the wingmen. Naturally you'd also have to consider around the ground situations as well as thebillyduckworth wrote:Some good thoughts there, andrewb. Just one question (but a crucial one):
who exactly would you have in your (a) (b) and (c) midfield teams?
Unit a) would be something like:
C: Lovett Watson Houli
R: Hille McVeigh Stanton
Pretty standard setup, one on one footy. Line-up with six up forward, six down back, everyone knows their man. Perfect strategy for the start of quarters or when things are in the balance - get your best team in there and try and get the momentum.
Unit b) I see as more of a mongrel setup.
C: Hislop McVeigh Slattery
R: Hille McPhee Monfries
This team would be instructed to get between the opposition midfield and the goals and force them back towards their own defensive fifty or out to the wings. Tackle, tackle, tackle and then tackle some more. Lock the ball in and minimise the abuse we cop while the opposition's tails are up. Two men - in the mould of Nash, Dyson, Winderlich (or similar) with foot skills and a bit of toe would line up as extra men on the defensive side of the square and head for the middle. If we did win the clearance against the run of play this unit would be instructed to look for these guys running off the half back flanks where we should have a numerical advantage. The aim would be to stop the run that teams are getting out of the middle when they are on a run and to try and clog things up. Longer term we'd probably see Hislop and Reimers take spots in the middle and add the mongrel that has been missing but atm Slattery and McPhee would have to do - you need your most senior players in the guts when things are going against you.
Lloyd and Lucas (or Neagle and Gumbleton) would line up in our forward fifty with the rest of our attackers up or around the square ready to clog up the wings.
Similar setup around the ground - force the opposition to release the ball backwards or away from the middle and clog up the forward 50. Ugly football.
Unit c) we probably couldn't implement yet with our current personnel but it's a setup for when you are on top (i.e. never at the moment). Watson in the middle to extract it and then a bunch of guys around him with pace and skills to drive it forward. Not sure who the ruckman is going to be, either. Laycock has a enormous amount of talent but he won't put his body on the line and he's either unfit, lazy or all of the above. In a few years Ryder might be the man but he needs to settle in at CHB for the rest of the year and learn how to dominate that position week in week out before he moves on. It's hard enough playing AFL football without having to try and learn the ins and outs of different positions in your first couple of years.
Something like:
C: Jetta Watson Davey
R: Laycock Houli Stanton