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EUFA EURO 2024 - Group Stage ⚽ EPL 24/25 starts Aug 17
Agree that pies will be the best test of our defensive set up but you can only go by who you play and dogs/crows may not be the best at transition but they arent slouches either.
Our backline structure was woeful against swans/hawks and for a half against Saints before the forward pressure game started to gel in 2nd half. THe port game is hard to read because we couldn't really get our pressure game going as port beat us at centre clearances and completely stifled our transition from backline, im hoping that was a good learning experience.
I was worried we would continue to get opened up on transition till ridley returned with how aggressive our forward press is and how much we turnover the ball but it does seem like the last two weeks Redman and Mckay are way more organised in the sweeper type roles and Martin/McGrath and co are starting to clean up their disposal too. Hope it continues on Thursday!
Martin is a factor but the lack of Ridley and Reid is also a big factor pushing Redman to a slightly different role. How it all looks with everyone available will be interesting for Redman as he is the one who most easily swings btw tall & small / lockdown & rebound.Since saad and mckenna left this is the best we've looked coming out of the backline...and its still a work in progress. I would put that down to martin and mcgrath. Im excited to see how it goes with ridley in mix too.
Im really happy with redman switching to a more defensive role too, he looks exciting coming out of backline but i feel like he is one of the guys whos game really gets impacted by high forward pressure teams.
Even david king was giving our backline structure props aftet the last 2 weeks, feels like the switch of redman to a secondary sweeper role to assist mckay allows us to be more aggressive with forward pressure with martin and mcgrath being the primary distributors.
Different circumstances, but it reminds me of when they moved McGrath from defence to the midfield.This may be an unpopular opinion, but I still don't like the change to HB. What will it take to move him back onto the wing? His kciking hasn't been good enough to warrant the change.
I prefer 2023 Martin far more than 2024 Martin. Maybe when Ridley comes back?
Ridley would indeed be licking his lips.I reckon the emergence of Jones being a really strong marking option that can follow up with ground level pressure has made a big difference to how our pressure up the ground has looked.
Way less opportunities for easy, fast exits from our F50 has meant McKay being able to push up higher and intercept mark. His size has seen him win some contested marks and even 2v1 contests.
Ridley would absolutely love playing in a side with good forward pressure letting him set up and just read the ball to intercept mark then drive it back in.
An important point in all this - Andy's disposal has been sublime at times this year and really opened things up resulting in critical goals at the end of the chain. Can't remember him kicking bullets with this quality before. If he keeps this going will give us flexibility in how we use Marto.and Martin/McGrath and co are starting to clean up their disposal too.
That's actually a really good example.Different circumstances, but it reminds me of when they moved McGrath from defence to the midfield.
In both instances they've taken a very good player and turned them into a cosi cosi one.
He can at any stage. We are winning now so it is not an issue. At least when he does get back there he will have a better understanding of the defensive side of things. Does it really matter right now ?Exactly. He was on track to be one of the best wingman in the game. He's nowhere near the best HB. I have high hopes for Martin so I think he should go back to what he was doing last year.
More inside 50’sFWIW Martin is averaging more inside 50s now than he was in the last two seasons (3.5 vs 2.7 last year). He's also averaging more metres gained (590 vs 334) and is leading the AFL there.
This is despite still having a lot of turnovers so there's even more upside in his game if he can iron those out.
A lot of teams have a really damaging player off half-back that can open the game up, and have used them to good effect.
Brisbane had Daniel Rich for years then had Coleman take a PF apart off half-back and very nearly do it again in the GF. They've now moved Zorko back there to do it.
Collingwood have moved Daicos back to half-back after struggling for drive out of the back half.
Geelong have Tom Stewart, Freo has Luke Ryan, Kangaroos use Sheezel, Swans use Blakey so on and so on.
Essendon has spent years struggling to escape the high-press once we're in the back half and desperately needed some line breaking users - especially with Ridley out.
Martin may not be playing the best role for him personally right now, but it's probably the one the team needs him, in at least until we've got Ridley back.
Does anyone know :FWIW Martin is averaging more inside 50s now than he was in the last two seasons (3.5 vs 2.7 last year). He's also averaging more metres gained (590 vs 334) and is leading the AFL there.
This is despite still having a lot of turnovers so there's even more upside in his game if he can iron those out.
A lot of teams have a really damaging player off half-back that can open the game up, and have used them to good effect.
Brisbane had Daniel Rich for years then had Coleman take a PF apart off half-back and very nearly do it again in the GF. They've now moved Zorko back there to do it.
Collingwood have moved Daicos back to half-back after struggling for drive out of the back half.
Geelong have Tom Stewart, Freo has Luke Ryan, Kangaroos use Sheezel, Swans use Blakey so on and so on.
Essendon has spent years struggling to escape the high-press once we're in the back half and desperately needed some line breaking users - especially with Ridley out.
Martin may not be playing the best role for him personally right now, but it's probably the one the team needs him, in at least until we've got Ridley back.
Yes, to bothMore inside 50’s
Does anyone know :
- If you play on from a kick-in does it count as meters gained?
- Do backwards kicks count as negative?
It’s the sort of cutting analysis we all cravebloke who kicks the sealer against the crows and sets up the gresham goal that broke the dogs, with an aggressive kick into the corridor from half back, is apparently not having a positive impact on the team
Who gives a *. We have won more games than anyone has predicted . It is not like it is losing us games. Playing him on the wing would not have got us out of the s**t in the Sydney and Port games.
He is more than likely playing there because Ridley is out injured and we needed Martin to go back to help set us up.A single player is never going to have an effect on an outright win or loss. To even think that is a simple minded approach to the game. Just as I would not attribute the Sydney or Port thrashing on Martin, I also wouldn't exactly attribute the wins to him either. And if we're going to go down that route, then a case could be made that some of the close wins would have been a little easier if he was played in the positions he thrives at.
The main point of it isn't about recent wins or losses though, it's a little removed from that. Stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, it's more about what's right for the future structure of the team, particularly when aiming to be strong in finals/contending for flags.
The last quarter could be classified as a thrashing against Sydney. At the time thought Draper coming was a factor and then Papley Papleyed. Putting the Port and Sydney losses in the same basket is unjust to both games.A single player is never going to have an effect on an outright win or loss. To even think that is a simple minded approach to the game. Just as I would not attribute the Sydney or Port thrashing on Martin, I also wouldn't exactly attribute the wins to him either. And if we're going to go down that route, then a case could be made that some of the close wins would have been a little easier if he was played in the positions he thrives at.
The main point of it isn't about recent wins or losses though, it's a little removed from that. Stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, it's more about what's right for the future structure of the team, particularly when aiming to be strong in finals/contending for flags.
Bigger picture.A single player is never going to have an effect on an outright win or loss. To even think that is a simple minded approach to the game. Just as I would not attribute the Sydney or Port thrashing on Martin, I also wouldn't exactly attribute the wins to him either. And if we're going to go down that route, then a case could be made that some of the close wins would have been a little easier if he was played in the positions he thrives at.
The main point of it isn't about recent wins or losses though, it's a little removed from that. Stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, it's more about what's right for the future structure of the team, particularly when aiming to be strong in finals/contending for flags.
Bigger picture.
Player learns how to defend better by playing half back and returns to the wing a more rounded player. Is now able to play a role in three areas of the ground rather than being pigeon holed into one spot.
Be careful the picture does not fall on your head.
You may be looking at a big picture but it is in a very small box.