Analysis Ricks Analysis (The Shinboner Blog)

[The Anvil]

We are live with the Carlton post:

Going too quick: Round 3, 2024 v Carlton

On a day where the Good Friday Appeal tends to crystallise what is and isn’t important in life, the actual football tends to feel secondary most of the time.

theshinboner.com

Four topics in this one:

• 'Going too quick' and what that actually looks like illustrated (with video)
• Unexpected turnovers and how they kill a team (with video)
• Half backs getting 'lost' (unfortunately without video)
• Outmatched key defenders, which is pretty self explanatory (unfortunately with video)

Enjoyed the article, for all the woes on our key position stocks, the backs should look good in 3 months time with Comben and Logue as key posts.

 

[Ischenko]

Thanks so much Rick. Really good clips and analysis. I particularly like the Neale/Wardlaw one.

On the Wardlaw/Neale one, I think a lot of credit goes to Brisbane here too, and as you say, their experience.

When you look at the centre circle pie chart, North actually owns more of the pie. We've got the whole broadcast half of the pie with our two players on the inside. The pie between Wardlaw and our right is neutral, and the pie between Neale and the Lions player is owned by them, probably less than a third of the circle.

McInerney was always aiming to tap to that very small space and the Lions knew it. Look how early he jumps to guard space and help the ball into that really small part of the circle that they owned.

Our players were reading the tap itself, rather than anticipating that the moment the Big O got in the dominant position, the tap was always going there.

No one recognised what in hindsight was the obvious plan for the Lions, or else Wardlaw would have clamped on Neale and LDU would have closed down the first receiver. And it shows Xerri still has so much to learn on his tap work, he set up for that bounce in a position that made it hardest for him to tap to our dominant portion of the circle.

The clearest part about all of that is that our midfield aren't really working to a plan, yet the Lions were. Experience and coaching, coaching and experience.

---

The big question for me is what we do about the midfield mix. It needs a leader's brain in there.

Very good post. Any heat on (whoops) Leigh Adams?

Does anyone have a strong feeling that our midfield balance is definitively off and should be reset? Or is it just persist persist persist and it might click? LDU Powell Wardlaw sounds great and each is potentially an absolute jet but we’ve been beaten around the ball all year. Where does Philips fit? Surely he gets a crack soon?

 

[Themanbun]

Very good post. Any heat on (whoops) Leigh Adams?

Does anyone have a strong feeling that our midfield balance is definitively off and should be reset? Or is it just persist persist persist and it might click? LDU Powell Wardlaw sounds great and each is potentially an absolute jet but we’ve been beaten around the ball all year. Where does Philips fit? Surely he gets a crack soon?

Simpkin/Phillips can play that role, although we don't know how affected Jy is at the moment and Will will be so down on confidence he'll have too much to think about his own game.

Jy used to do it very well, bringing the boys together before each bounce.

 

[Rick18]

Only part of this post is about North, but it's a project I've been working on for months:

Introducing: Team Structures on The Shinboner

It’s probably not a unique opinion to say the best 22 format is barely fit for purpose these days.

theshinboner.com

Backstory: I think the best 22 format is basically useless these days for figuring out how a team is actually going to set up with their defenders, midfielders, and forwards. So I figured why not come up with an entirely new way to illustrate it for each team every week and nearly drive myself insane in the process?

The explanation for why it looks the way it looks is in the link, but here's North's illustration for their 22 each week so far this season. with the other 17 teams in the piece:

 

[JGreezy]

Simpkin/Phillips can play that role, although we don't know how affected Jy is at the moment and Will will be so down on confidence he'll have too much to think about his own game.

Jy used to do it very well, bringing the boys together before each bounce.

I think that Sheezel is ultimately the answer and that if we gave him an extended run in there then he'd be picking up on these trends and directing the others.

But we seem really committed to him setting up play from the backline.

 

[Rick18]

We are live with the Geelong post:

Minimising strengths, maximising weaknesses: R5 v Geelong

On face value, North losing the clearance count 38-31 doesn’t seem like more than a footnote in a 75-point loss.

theshinboner.com

There's been a bit of chat on it over the last few pages here and elsewhere, and it's been bugging me for a while but now I think there's enough evidence to go with it.

I'm pretty sure the stoppage setup - as an entire team - is holding things back and also causing a domino effect elsewhere. So this post gets right into the weeds, it's a little more dense than most talking about stoppage setups, things teams are trying to achieve and where (I think) North are breaking down.

 

[amaz199]

Took a screenie vs. Freo for the first bounce. Same setup basically.



and after we go 5 goals up:

 

[Premieroos]

We are live with the Geelong post:

Minimising strengths, maximising weaknesses: R5 v Geelong

On face value, North losing the clearance count 38-31 doesn’t seem like more than a footnote in a 75-point loss.

theshinboner.com

There's been a bit of chat on it over the last few pages here and elsewhere, and it's been bugging me for a while but now I think there's enough evidence to go with it.

I'm pretty sure the stoppage setup - as an entire team - is holding things back and also causing a domino effect elsewhere. So this post gets right into the weeds, it's a little more dense than most talking about stoppage setups, things teams are trying to achieve and where (I think) North are breaking down.

Really good effort and your observations seem valid. What I don't get though is we're six weeks into the season, what changes / decisions have been made to result in such a bad position against Geelong?

 

[Themanbun]

Rick, you are my hero. Thank you.

The only additional insight I can offer is that, although not in your clip which was a perfect example of our poor setup, LDU is often our midfielder in the neutral space of the pie chart. That's generally where you want your most accountable midfielder, which he is unfortunately not. When he bee lines the ball from that space we effectively concede the neutral third

 

[Only Forwards]

Rick18 your work is always fantastic and insightful.

In your opinion what are the first three things do we need to do to move away from sucking every goddamn week?

 

[Nylex]

Thanks Rick.
The overall midfield cohesion with Xerri needs to improve.
He is competitive, but limited.
I’d be asking Xerri where he is trying to get the ball to? Or where he likes to TAP the footy to. (it will be a dropped football, not perfectly palmed ruck-work into space) and try and protect that area.
Half the time Xerri seems to be attempting to grab the ball, this again makes it very hard for our midfielders to read and get some cohesion/synergy going

 

[Psi-Roos]

Thanks Rick.

This is exactly the point I have been making. It's nice to see it so clearly explained.

 

[Rick18]

Really good effort and your observations seem valid. What I don't get though is we're six weeks into the season, what changes / decisions have been made to result in such a bad position against Geelong?

It's been going on for a few weeks to be fair, I just didn't want to go with it until I was 100% confident it was genuinely a thing instead of just some errors here and there.

I could have had a bunch more examples from previous weeks, but then it would have been about 10,000 words and 20 clips long and no one wants to be bashed over the head that many times (I think).

Rick18 your work is always fantastic and insightful.

In your opinion what are the first three things do we need to do to move away from sucking every goddamn week?

1: Get a time machine and jump ahead to when 20-25 more games are under players' belts
2: If 1) doesn't work, find a fast forward button that can do the same
3: If 1) and 2) don't work, close your eyes for that long

Seriously though, I think it's a combination of wanting to make sure the foundations are in place player and setup wise, then constantly banging it into players' heads so they're doing the right thing. Then they'll do it for a bit longer, then a bit longer again, then it'll all come at once where we look around and think ... wait a minute, is this team ... decent?

But that'll only happen if the foundations are in place with setups which is why I was worried enough about this stoppage stuff to drop however many words on it this week.

 

[muttley45]

The lack of even one small forward's name in that chart in the article is both a little sad, and embarrassing.

 

[tazaa]

We are live with the Geelong post:

Minimising strengths, maximising weaknesses: R5 v Geelong

On face value, North losing the clearance count 38-31 doesn’t seem like more than a footnote in a 75-point loss.

theshinboner.com

There's been a bit of chat on it over the last few pages here and elsewhere, and it's been bugging me for a while but now I think there's enough evidence to go with it.

I'm pretty sure the stoppage setup - as an entire team - is holding things back and also causing a domino effect elsewhere. So this post gets right into the weeds, it's a little more dense than most talking about stoppage setups, things teams are trying to achieve and where (I think) North are breaking down.

Great write up mate.
All class as usual.

The midfield set up is the pits.

For me the alarm bells were ringing when we let 9 goals through in 40 minutes and then after the game there was praise on our mids and Xerri.
This was also on the back of being monstered the week prior by GWS.
And then bullied by Carltons mids, Brisbane's mids and Geelongs mids.

 

[Sillygit]

It's been going on for a few weeks to be fair, I just didn't want to go with it until I was 100% confident it was genuinely a thing instead of just some errors here and there.

I could have had a bunch more examples from previous weeks, but then it would have been about 10,000 words and 20 clips long and no one wants to be bashed over the head that many times (I think).



1: Get a time machine and jump ahead to when 20-25 more games are under players' belts
2: If 1) doesn't work, find a fast forward button that can do the same
3: If 1) and 2) don't work, close your eyes for that long

Seriously though, I think it's a combination of wanting to make sure the foundations are in place player and setup wise, then constantly banging it into players' heads so they're doing the right thing. Then they'll do it for a bit longer, then a bit longer again, then it'll all come at once where we look around and think ... wait a minute, is this team ... decent?

But that'll only happen if the foundations are in place with setups which is why I was worried enough about this stoppage stuff to drop however many words on it this week.

Option 3 it is!

 

[Only Forwards]

It's been going on for a few weeks to be fair, I just didn't want to go with it until I was 100% confident it was genuinely a thing instead of just some errors here and there.

I could have had a bunch more examples from previous weeks, but then it would have been about 10,000 words and 20 clips long and no one wants to be bashed over the head that many times (I think).



1: Get a time machine and jump ahead to when 20-25 more games are under players' belts
2: If 1) doesn't work, find a fast forward button that can do the same
3: If 1) and 2) don't work, close your eyes for that long

Seriously though, I think it's a combination of wanting to make sure the foundations are in place player and setup wise, then constantly banging it into players' heads so they're doing the right thing. Then they'll do it for a bit longer, then a bit longer again, then it'll all come at once where we look around and think ... wait a minute, is this team ... decent?

But that'll only happen if the foundations are in place with setups which is why I was worried enough about this stoppage stuff to drop however many words on it this week.

Thanks Rick.

No substitute for time.

 

[CBSlogger]

We are live with the Geelong post:

Minimising strengths, maximising weaknesses: R5 v Geelong

On face value, North losing the clearance count 38-31 doesn’t seem like more than a footnote in a 75-point loss.

theshinboner.com

There's been a bit of chat on it over the last few pages here and elsewhere, and it's been bugging me for a while but now I think there's enough evidence to go with it.

I'm pretty sure the stoppage setup - as an entire team - is holding things back and also causing a domino effect elsewhere. So this post gets right into the weeds, it's a little more dense than most talking about stoppage setups, things teams are trying to achieve and where (I think) North are breaking down.

Great analysis Rick.

The one that highlighted the poor ruck set up the most for me was the centre bounce that lead to Dempsey's point half way through the 2nd qtr, with Greenwood in the ruck. It was abysmal.

 

[Moti]

Rubber stamped my thoughts. Midfield setups been poor for quite a few years, Xerri is for me negatively affecting our mids who have no idea how to setup with him and we retreated to a negative stance against the Cats.

If we are going to lose by lots, lets release the shackles and get these mids to play in instinct.

 

[Merlin007]

Great analysis Rick.

The one that highlighted the poor ruck set up the most for me was the centre bounce that lead to Dempsey's point half way through the 2nd qtr, with Greenwood in the ruck. It was abysmal.

Personally I thought the worst one was the time Xerri won the tap and put it midway into the 'Geelong' slice of the pie; couldn't have been more helpful to the opposition

Ccaveat: I'm a Xerri fan, not as the best ruck we'll ever see, but as an honest soldier - he'll get better

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

Who is our midfield coach? They shouldn't be for too much longer.

 

[amaz199]

Who is our midfield coach? They shouldn't be for too much longer.

Patch

 

[Rick18]

Alright, Hawthorn post up:

Trust on a football field: Round 6, 2024 v Hawthorn

Trust is a funny thing. It has to be earned, so the cliché goes.

theshinboner.com

This could have been about 8,000 words to be honest but it's all about trust.

I didn't see any of it yesterday. From players to their teammates, from players in their own roles, from movement patterns, from everything. And that's why the second quarter in particular was just horrific.

I think the path to fixing it is relatively easy, but it requires a large confidence boost for a group that probably has none of it right now.

 

[Zondor]

Rick. Time to analyse our list cull of 2020 and all the players since who have been recruited and delisted. The resultant list balance and how that suits our current game plan. Oh and I give you permission to be very critical of those who made said decisions. Thanks in advance. Zondors. :stern look

 

[Merlin007]

Alright, Hawthorn post up:

Trust on a football field: Round 6, 2024 v Hawthorn

Trust is a funny thing. It has to be earned, so the cliché goes.

theshinboner.com

This could have been about 8,000 words to be honest but it's all about trust.

I didn't see any of it yesterday. From players to their teammates, from players in their own roles, from movement patterns, from everything. And that's why the second quarter in particular was just horrific.

I think the path to fixing it is relatively easy, but it requires a large confidence boost for a group that probably has none of it right now.

Calm and well said. Call it trust or confidence or both, but there's not much of any of it about