Can someone please explain our kick-ins ?

[Mappa]

Hold onto the footy as long as we're allowed, and wait until nearly all our guys are manned up. Kick to the pocket / flank, almost exclusively to the left hand side. Bomb the ball to a pack on the wing despite the fact we'd be close to the worst contested marking side in the league.

We do it all the time so it has to be by design, not necessity. Anyone else see it the same ? So many other teams move it out of our forward 50 with ease compared to the way we do it.

 

[cryptor]

Perfect torp into the centre square. Mark, play on, hand ball to Buddy, hurdle a fallen player and kick a bouncing goal from 70m out.

Too bad we've only been able to pull it off the once. But when we do it's damn good!

 

[hk89]

I haven't had a big problem with our kick ins this year. We do hold on to it as long as possible if a safe option doesn't appear right away, but I've felt we are safely clearing the defensive 50 from kick ins more often than we have in previous years, even though we are without Suckling. Like most teams, if an option doesn't present , we do sometimes end up being forced into the long bomb towards the boundary, but this is clearly a last resort, and I think we're still preferring (and finding) pinpoint passes to closer players where possible, and this is mostly working out for us.

On the other hand, other teams are getting out of forward 50 a bit more easily than I'd like, but that seems to happen with the teams that are pushing massive numbers back and then beating us on the slingshot. It is inevitable that a lot of teams are going to be trying this against us given Sydney's (amongst others) success with it last year. So far I think we are dealing a little better with this too.

 

[Agent Smith]

I often predict the inevitable that is about to happen when the kick is long to a contest. Opposition outmark us and send it back for another scoring opportunity. If we're lucky, we somehow force the ball out of bounds for a throw-in. If we wait too long and everyone is manned up, that's what happens. I guess it's against team rules to kick to the other side where few players congregate, probably as a turnover sets up an easy goal. Guess what? It ain't that much more difficult for them on the left side of the ground either! Have some balls and mix it up, at least show some unpredictability. If we pride ourselves on our kicking skills, then I see no reason why we can't utilise the entire span of the gound in front of us rather than the same pocket/flank each and every time. I agree with OP, sometimes it's very frustrating to watch.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

No Suckling, no Birch and Goo is low on confidence. Hodge needs to step up.

 

[hawkheart]

No Suckling, no Birch and Goo is low on confidence. Hodge needs to step up.

Have you seen Hodgy's kicking of late?

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Have you seen Hodgy's kicking of late?

I am more concerned about his handball. The one to Mitch in the goal square was diabolical.

 

[IdiotBox]

Perfect torp into the centre square. Mark, play on, hand ball to Buddy, hurdle a fallen player and kick a bouncing goal from 70m out.

Too bad we've only been able to pull it off the once. But when we do it's damn good!

Gold Coast executed this move (minus the hurdle) rather nicely yesterday on one occasion. On topic, I don't think we take advantage of the quick kick-in option nearly enough.

 

[RIOLINWITPUNCHS]

No I cannot explain it!

I am currently conducting a thesis on the matter and hope to have some sort of explanation at some point however at this early stage of investigation it appears this topic is likely to be thrown into the same bracket as the bermuda triangle with more questions then answers being raised!

 

[IdiotBox]

I am more concerned about his handball. The one to Mitch in the goal square was diabolical.

Conversely, some of Mitchell's handballs yesterday were simply sublime. There was one 30m special in the centre that set up a goal. God I hope he gets the Brownlow he deserves!

 

[cryptor]

We should train a hawk to swoop down and grab the ball in mid-air with its talons from the kick in. Fly the ball down to our attacking 50 and drop it into one of our players hands who then proceeds to kick a goal.

 

[Henry Jr]

Yep.. its clearly not working. Our 8-1 win/loss ratio proves exactly that.

 

[Agent Smith]

Yep.. its clearly not working. Our 8-1 win/loss ratio proves exactly that.

You're right of course. We don't need to change anything. Everyone should just sit back and chill and stop nitpicking these things and just let the club try to accomplish back-to-back premierships this year. After all, it's not like tweaking one or two small things would mean the difference between winning and losing a Grand Final.

 

[philohk]

Agree with the OP. Other sides chip it 30-40m to a player in the clear and then get it to the wing or the centre on the next kick. What's wrong with doing that? Why does it have to be a bomb to the flank that we almost never mark?

 

[Davo23]

Hold onto the footy as long as we're allowed, and wait until nearly all our guys are manned up. Kick to the pocket / flank, almost exclusively to the left hand side. Bomb the ball to a pack on the wing despite the fact we'd be close to the worst contested marking side in the league.

We do it all the time so it has to be by design, not necessity. Anyone else see it the same ? So many other teams move it out of our forward 50 with ease compared to the way we do it.

Well, Mr Selwood, when the ball goes between the goalpost and the point post, it's a point and the full back kicks the ball out.

Then, Mr Selwood you just duck your head and get the free kick ...

(I desperately want the ad to say this!)

.

 

[Henry Jr]

You're right of course. We don't need to change anything. Everyone should just sit back and chill and stop nitpicking these things and just let the club try to accomplish back-to-back premierships this year. After all, it's not like tweaking one or two small things would mean the difference between winning and losing a Grand Final.

I take it then you can tell me how our Opposition Scores from Kickouts stats this year compares to last?

 

[Agent Smith]

I take it then you can tell me how our Opposition Scores from Kickouts stats this year compares to last?

Hahaha, no freakin way, Henry. Even if I knew where to collate the stats, I wouldn't be stuffed doing it. I base my findings on casual observances which would be quickly dismissed in a court of law, your honour.

That being said, I've often found casual observances to have more bearing and logic in reality that statistics, which as we all know are made up of lies and damn lies.

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Well, Mr Selwood, when the ball goes between the goalpost and the point post, it's a point and the full back kicks the ball out.

Then, Mr Selwood you just duck your head and get the free kick ...

(I desperately want the ad to say this!)

.

Check out oogac's footify thread in the Bay. I think its stickied up the top on page 1

 

[Gene Simmons]

We have the 3rd least points kicked 'against' us...rarely do we have 100 points or more scored against us.

We are 1st for points 'for'...

#1 on the ladder...

I think you are nit-picking here if you are picking on our kick ins

 

[bindas12]

We have the 3rd least points kicked 'against' us...rarely do we have 100 points or more scored against us.

We are 1st for points 'for'...

#1 on the ladder...

I think you are nit-picking here if you are picking on our kick ins

But shouldn't we strive to improve all the time like all the players and coaches say ?

 

[Mappa]

We have the 3rd least points kicked 'against' us...rarely do we have 100 points or more scored against us.

We are 1st for points 'for'...

#1 on the ladder...

I think you are nit-picking here if you are picking on our kick ins

Not sure that kick-ins are "nit-picking". Just because we're on top doesn't mean that things can't be tweaked, and improved. We don't play to our strengths when we kick the ball back in from a point. If we did, we'd be much better at it.

 

[ACTion Hawks]

We should train a hawk to swoop down and grab the ball in mid-air with its talons from the kick in. Fly the ball down to our attacking 50 and drop it into one of our players hands who then proceeds to kick a goal.

Why not just make it so the Hawk flies through our goal at about mid-post height? Wouldn't this mean it is a goal to the player who did the original kick?

 

[cryptor]

Why not just make it so the Hawk flies through our goal at about mid-post height? Wouldn't this mean it is a goal to the player who did the original kick?

Ball has to come off a Hawk boot to be a goal. Hawk talon doesn't count

 

[backpage]

We should train a hawk to swoop down and grab the ball in mid-air with its talons from the kick in. Fly the ball down to our attacking 50 and drop it into one of our players hands who then proceeds to kick a goal.

This might get in the way as well. Another AFL conspiracy??

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/mcg-wired-to-ward-off-gulls-20130606-2ns4u.html

 

[Mitchell Madness]

It's fine
Its structured to allow more options

From the kick, it can go long in any direction, or short, not primarily short like most teams

If turned over long, our players are structured to ward off the inside 50

if short, we have options spread out in the middle, something other teams lack, we rarely go across goal like the other teams

If the ball is taken long, we then have players providing an overlap, which gets it up forward much quicker