Backing off the mark... the worst tactic ever employed by a Bulldogs coach?

[Timewillcome]

Fall into finals, seemingly with a shambolic game plan, only to throw off our 'mask' and turn into a far more nuanced balance between zone defence and man-on-man, and more targeted application of the backing off the mark tactic.

What you are suggesting is straight out of Micky's playbook in Rocky 2. Rocky fought right handed to protect his eye, then switched to southpaw and caught Apollo by surprise.

So its a whole season set up. Bevo is a genius, probably watched the Rocky series in the offseason.

 

[stefoid]

Collingwood do it pretty consistently in their defensive half, but rarely forward. They also are not as zealous in their application of it in the back half - it might not be a blanket instruction to back off on every occasion. The Collingwood application appears to me to be more nuanced than ours and they probably do it about half as often as we do or even less.

right. I mean, backing off the mark is designed to interfere with a certain thing - Im guessing the handball to a running teammate - so if there are no teammates in the vicinity, then why back off?

 

[Next Waiting]

right. I mean, backing off the mark is designed to interfere with a certain thing - Im guessing the handball to a running teammate - so if there are no teammates in the vicinity, then why back off?

Are you suggesting our players can't think for themselves and assess the situation on its merits, or that it's a hard and fast rule...or neither

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Are you suggesting our players can't think for themselves and assess the situation on its merits, or that it's a hard and fast rule...or neither

It’s too hard for players to pick and choose when they do it.

By the time they assessed what was happening around them, the umpire would be telling them to hold. Not enough time to assess and then make the move.

 

[stefoid]

Are you suggesting our players can't think for themselves and assess the situation on its merits, or that it's a hard and fast rule...or neither

we always back off