Changes vs Dockers

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I want Lienert playing half back in the Hartlett role. I think he'd be great at it, and I think like Lindsay Thomas he'll add a completely different dimension to the side with his long kicking. Too many times we were forced to head down the line against St Kilda or switch back through defensive 50 to get to the other side when someone with a decent leg could have got the ball to the other side of the ground where we had free players. I wouldn't be bringing him in to replace Jonas, but to keep him as a permanent fixture of the best 22 if he's capable of performing to the level.

The trick to the switch is 4x20 meter chop kicks in quick succession, it reduces airtime for the ball and sets up Defensively. One preyer kick across the ground may work 2/10 times, the other 8 costs a team dearly.
 

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Lockwoods back again?
What could have been? Tredrea was the best CHF from 2001-2005, and a young Bowen left WarMachine in his wake! Imagine any of those 2001-2003 teams with Lockwood at Full Forward, 2004 Lockwood instead of Thurstans, 2005 Lockwood against the Crows... we may have won 5 in the trott!
 
Houston was good.

He was good - apart from that one absolute shocker kick.

Hombsch will probably come in for Jonas.

IMO if Pittard doesn't get up, or if we simply choose not to risk him for the trek west (that's my uneducated guess, adding weight for a bit of being spooked by Broady's setback), there's a chance Lienert comes in for an unlucky Trengove. Trengove's been cool calm collected but also just a little bit *slow* looking back there... I mean that in a complimentary Rockliff-slow sort of way.

I want to persevere with AJ... but I think it's Farrell time! #putkaneontheplane
 
The trick to the switch is 4x20 meter chop kicks in quick succession, it reduces airtime for the ball and sets up Defensively. One preyer kick across the ground may work 2/10 times, the other 8 costs a team dearly.

That’s only part of it.

It also requires players who work hard to get into space and separation from their opponent. When the switch is covered by two defensive forwards and there is no player movement, I’d rather ball airtime to the player that is 30m in the clear in space then trying to thread the needle.

Just because Richmond’s pressure is the soup de jour at the moment, don’t discount how effective Adelaide’s ability to get the ball to the opposite wing was when they were up and about. We need more Watts kicks across the ground...the issue is knowing when to pull out the driver and when to pull out the pitching wedge, and that requires a feel and read of the game.
 
The trick to the switch is 4x20 meter chop kicks in quick succession, it reduces airtime for the ball and sets up Defensively. One preyer kick across the ground may work 2/10 times, the other 8 costs a team dearly.

That’s only part of it.

It also requires players who work hard to get into space and separation from their opponent. When the switch is covered by two defensive forwards and there is no player movement, I’d rather ball airtime to the player that is 30m in the clear in space then trying to thread the needle.

Just because Richmond’s pressure is the soup de jour at the moment, don’t discount how effective Adelaide’s ability to get the ball to the opposite wing was when they were up and about. We need more Watts kicks across the ground...the issue is knowing when to pull out the driver and when to pull out the pitching wedge, and that requires a feel and read of the game.
Watts can line drive a kick for 30/40m, which means he is worthy of two "chop kicks". The ball simply doesn't hang in the air, but cuts through it like a missile. He did that a few times already for us...
 
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Houston was good.


Remember earlier in the season (I think the Essendon loss) when Janus claimed Houston deliberately handballed at the feet of a teammate to make the teammate look bad so the teammate would get dropped instead of Houston, and that Houston should never play for the club again?..........
 
Our backline is very inexperienced. Houston, Howard and Bonner will make more mistakes yet but are doing very well as a unit all things considered.
 
Remember earlier in the season (I think the Essendon loss) when Janus claimed Houston deliberately handballed at the feet of a teammate to make the teammate look bad so the teammate would get dropped instead of Houston, and that Houston should never play for the club again?..........

Still believe he did (though not consciously, but subconsciously), and McKenzie did get dropped. Saw the same thing with that ridiculous kick to an outnumbered Trengove in a poor position right in front of goal, which he never owned up to as being a poor decision. I believe Houston is primarily concerned with his own survival in the side and we will never become a great team until he loses the fear that someone is going to take his place, which is overriding instinctive play. I said last year that our success depends on how fast his development happens. Well, it’s time for the next stage of that development.

I don’t think our side is playing great football or anywhere close to what it could be playing and I blame the lack of run from Bonner and Houston for it because neither wants to work hard to create options, because that would mean they have to run hard back into defence if there’s a turnover and it might expose them. That’s why you get slow ball movement and Bonner’s ridiculous attempted torp against Carlton.

I look at guys like Clurey, Jonas, Byrne-Jones and Howard and I see them giving their all. I don’t see Houston or Bonner doing that. And Bassett himself said that it’s time for the team to really make a commitment to playing good football instead of simply grinding out sloppy wins. And great football means wanting to make your teammates look great.

Sometimes you don’t just drop a player for what they did do, but for what they didn’t do. Rewarding the running of Trengove would send the right message about how we want to move the ball out of defence. I’m not saying get rid of him forever. I’m saying there is a certain way we should be moving the ball, and the players who attempt to do that should be selected first.

It probably won’t happen because our coaches are conservative, but it should.

We need Houston and Bonner in the side, but not the timid versions we see now. I want the players they can be, who don’t play with fear but excitement.
 
Still believe he did (though not consciously, but subconsciously), and McKenzie did get dropped. Saw the same thing with that ridiculous kick to an outnumbered Trengove in a poor position right in front of goal, which he never owned up to as being a poor decision. I believe Houston is primarily concerned with his own survival in the side and we will never become a great team until he loses the fear that someone is going to take his place, which is overriding instinctive play. I said last year that our success depends on how fast his development happens. Well, it’s time for the next stage of that development.
I wonder if he's been promised an upgrade to the main list in 2019 yet? It's that or cut by Port (he'd be snapped up by multiple clubs, so it wouldn't be a fear of out of the AFL). If he's uncertain, then it's a good chance the club bares some of the responsibility.
 
Remember earlier in the season (I think the Essendon loss) when Janus claimed Houston deliberately handballed at the feet of a teammate to make the teammate look bad so the teammate would get dropped instead of Houston, and that Houston should never play for the club again?..........
I love Port's BigFooty community!
 

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I wonder if he's been promised an upgrade to the main list in 2019 yet? It's that or cut by Port (he'd be snapped up by multiple clubs, so it wouldn't be a fear of out of the AFL). If he's uncertain, then it's a good chance the club bares some of the responsibility.

He’s contracted for next year. It’s more fear of losing his spot than not getting a contract.

I really rate Houston and I think he’s integral to our success but I want him to defend AND attack, not one or the other. I’d much rather he follow the Pittard model and make a few execution mistakes going for a good option (like the kicks he was attempting against Adelaide) rather than the short kicks that do nothing.

He’s got a good kick. He should be using it.
 
The defenders are instructed to play conservatively. Hence why Janus is pissed Houston and Bonner aren’t defending attacking more.

We are about holding defensive structure and grinding the ball forward or winning from a stoppage.
 
The defenders are instructed to play conservatively. Hence why Janus is pissed Houston and Bonner aren’t defending attacking more.

We are about holding defensive structure and grinding the ball forward or winning from a stoppage.
Yup, Bonner and Houston do exactly what they are instructed to. We are not starved of opportunities to score. We create plenty of opportunities coming out of a sound defense and we strangle opponents.

Boot out two integral parts of what is seemingly a premiership backline no thanks.
 
Houston is not a dasher from defence. He takes intercept marks and then directs the ball by foot to teammates in better position. Apart from the slow loopy kick that caught out Trengove he has been doing his job.

Opposition coaches know Bonner is a dashing rebounder and they sit closely on him. He's not being instructed not to rebound but when he gets caught with the ball early he goes back into his shell, understandable in a young player still gaining confidence at the highest level. He still needs more experience and body strength.

That's why Pittard is so important to our attacking defence and why Ken is looking closely at giving Lienert a chance - he's 195cm, has pace, a booming kick and a mature body. Seems the media paid attention to Ken's presser because Lienert is getting mentioned in reports as a selection option this week. Second best in the twos helped light up his case too.
 
If SGray is out for a couple of weeks then AJ has to get another run. He had a stinker but can play at this level and started to get into the game more as it wore on.
agree with this, otherwise we are just hanging AJ out to dry I reckon
 
Yeah Houston was looking to deflect blame on a shit choice. At least Polec owned his **** up.
Houston has been in terrific form of late, really impressed with his hardness and disposal coming out of defence. I can live with his monumental error once or twice a season
 
The defenders are instructed to play conservatively. Hence why Janus is pissed Houston and Bonner aren’t defending attacking more.

We are about holding defensive structure and grinding the ball forward or winning from a stoppage.

Our short passing possessions style out of defence has more Chocco than people will be willing to admit but when teams flood back to counter our run and gun it is the only sensible option. There is no point playing on fast and pumping the ball long to an outnumber or running ourselves into trouble with handball when their zone is well set.

We need to maintain possession to draw them out and run and gun when they come out.

As out young backline gets more experience they will know when to do each better.
 
Houston is not a dasher from defence. He takes intercept marks and then directs the ball by foot to teammates in better position. Apart from the slow loopy kick that caught out Trengove he has been doing his job.

Opposition coaches know Bonner is a dashing rebounder and they sit closely on him. He's not being instructed not to rebound but when he gets caught with the ball early he goes back into his shell, understandable in a young player still gaining confidence at the highest level. He still needs more experience and body strength.

That's why Pittard is so important to our attacking defence and why Ken is looking closely at giving Lienert a chance - he's 195cm, has pace, a booming kick and a mature body. Seems the media paid attention to Ken's presser because Lienert is getting mentioned in reports as a selection option this week. Second best in the twos helped light up his case too.

Footywire says 193cm
Let's make it 194 +/- 1cm
 
The defenders are instructed to play conservatively. Hence why Janus is pissed Houston and Bonner aren’t defending attacking more.

We are about holding defensive structure and grinding the ball forward or winning from a stoppage.

Nah, they really aren’t. If they were Bassett would have been happy with how we are going, but he said that it’s time to get out of the grind and start playing good football.

The way we are playing now goes against everything Hinkley has spoken about brave football. People don’t change philosophy on how they want to play.

What you’re seeing is the “you don’t defend, you don’t play” philosophy of 2013 when we ground out teams. It’s time the 2014 attacking philosophy added to that now.
 
He (Houston) was good - apart from that one absolute shocker kick ....
I'm just watching the replay now and saw that passage of play 10 min ago. Crazy kick but very little obvious effort from Trengove to spoil which bothered me a bit more, because it has had me focus on a few more of Trengove's efforts since.
 

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