- Mar 12, 2003
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Yeah their skills are exceptional, which they need to be to be able to hit a lot of these kicks.Pressure on the next kick might be the key to break this one down. If Hawks are allowed to mark and opposition just tries to corrall them, it'll play right into their hands. Pressure should be through the roof on the immediate next target. Even if they manage to hit it, maintain the same level of pressure on every next kick and the chain will break eventually. Needs a lot of discipline across the board, if one slacks off then they'll keep playing through that free player.
We'll struggle as there is lot of ill-disciplined players around the middle and forward of center for us. They tend to cheat by sneaking forward and those attempts to cheat will be exploited by Hawks style of play. We are not meticulous across the ground yet and so far have been staying afloat with the talent in our list.
I think if I were to have a go at this, it would be
(1) clog up the corridor. We know they'll go via the cape: let them. It's still the longest way home.
(2) maximum pressure on the ball carrier while it's in chaos. The best way (possibly the only way) of breaking up this transition is to do so at the source.
(3) then as soon as it breaks out one way, those 2-3 defenders marking those players on the extremities of the field have to do everything they can to slow them down. Even if they're marking the ball, see if you can clumsily lunge over the top, giving away a free kick "in the marking contest". Hopefully this slows them down enough to give us a few seconds for...
(4) Everyone else has to bolt back inside 50. Just make it really hard for them to find that final target. Double team (one in front, one behind) the likely marking targets where possible. I'd prefer a zone but they might be able to kick through that too, even inside forward 50. We'd probably need to be more accountable than that. It's a bit of a basketball defence here. You're essentially conceding the middle third of the field, hoping to force a turnover when they get into shooting range.
(5) If you're going to concede a mark and a shot at goal, do so as close to the boundary as possible.
That's my rough back of an envelope thoughts. But maybe some other coach will come up with something better. In the meantime, I think I'll just sit back and enjoy the show