Strategy Clarksons Game Plan

[Psicosis]

We need to have a talk about this...

Kingy has been alluding to it for weeks. With his contacts at the club, I have no doubt that there is some truth to it...

Our game plan under Clarkson was not how the best sides play in 2023. It was slow ball movement, chip chip long down the line. The polar opposite of what Collingwood do.

The game now lends itself to transition. "Transition is king". Numbers to the ball, using the corridor, speed on the ball, penetrating opposition zones with foot skills and handball.

Brett Ratten

Brett Ratten

Age

53

Ht

184cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.4

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

10.3

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

3.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

26.4

5star

K

13.8

5star

HB

12.6

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

is a ball movement coach. His criticism within the four walls of St Kilda was that he didn't focus enough on contested work. Transition footy is his bread and butter which is how he has gotten the most out of players like Jack Sinclair

35

Jack Sinclair

Age

29

Ht

181cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.5

4star

K

8.1

3star

HB

8.4

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

3.2

5star

MG

235.0

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

5.0

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

MG

376.0

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.2

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.0

4star

MG

138.2

3star

and now Bailey Scott

8

Bailey Scott

Age

24

Ht

186cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

1.5

3star

MG

155.6

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

114.8

2star

D

11.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.2

3star

MG

171.6

3star

. What we saw in his first 4-5 weeks in the Head Coach role was an emphasis on transition, moving away from the stale brand that we were previously playing. Surprise surprise, we started improving and should have won a couple of games.

I heard that the comments that "we are just implementing Al's plan". However, you'd have to be a football illiterate to think that this was the case, if you watch us every week. They 100% revised what they were doing to play a more direct, transition style & the output began to shift. Many of us finally saw "a light at the end of the tunnel".

In the last three weeks (Since Clarkson has returned to the club in some capacity), we do appear to have reverted back to the style we played prior to Ratten walking in. All of a sudden we were more focused on trying to control ball movement and rarely using the corridor. That light has disappeared.

Personally, I do not buy this coincidence. The fact that Kingy keeps alluding to it "Let Brett coach his style for the rest of the year" - This morning on SEN, only confirms it for me.




We talk about quick fixes and how they're impossible. Well guess what? They're not. Revise the f****** game plan to something that makes winning a possibility in 2023 and allows players to play to their strengths, and watch how quickly things do improve. The evidence is there for all to see in Rattens first 4-5 weeks.

 

[King Corey]

Good fodder for thought but geeze I hope you're wrong on this one.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

For the whole year I've found it very hard to see any resemblance of a game plan particularly when look at our transition between the arcs,

Just the same old, mind numbing long down the line shit to an out numbered Larkey. While defensively we see a "zone" where our defenders let their direct opponents roam free into open space and allow them a heap of uncontested marks and easy shots on goal.

 

[zoomba23]

For the whole year I've found it very hard to see any resemblance of a game plan particularly when look at our transition between the arcs,

Just the same old, mind numbing long down the line s**t to an out numbered Larkey. While defensively we see a "zone" where our defenders let their direct opponents roam free into open space and allow them a heap of uncontested marks and easy shots on goal.

You're letting the last few weeks cloud your view here, mate. There've been at least seven games by my count where the 'mind numbing down the line shit' was put to the side and a more aggressive approach adopted. Seven out of seventeen isn't great, especially when it only yields two wins, but come on. Take some perspective. We've played some genuinely good footy this year, it just hasn't been anywhere near consistent enough

 

[amaz199]

players are simply not executing what is required.

They've regressed. It's all mental.

 

[SSSSSS]

I come in peace.

You had 14-16 players in your defensive half for huge portions of the game.

You failed to attack the corridor against one of the worst sides at defending quick transition.

This was 16th vs 17th. There was absolutely no need to play such cynical defensive football, especially with the knowledge that you guys have played some attractive direct footy in earlier weeks under Ratten.

It was the same ugly football that we witnessed as Hawks fans from 2019ish and onward. The type of football that might work when you have a dozen or so elite field kicks (Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Birchall, Rioli etc) and the pace of the game wasn't so chaotic (thanks Richmond). The 6-6-6 rule was the death knell to Clarko's footy - the very same Clarko who considers clearances/centre clearances to be an overrated statistic.

I saw the same slow ball movement on the wings. I saw the same indiscriminate mindless bombing it to nobody inside 50.

Clarkson was a great coach - maybe he still is. He is an incredible motivator of men. He has a talent of finding the best supporting coaches to surround himself with. He's also incredibly stubborn to a fault. I haven't seen any evolution from Clarkson from 2019 onwards, and while I'm sure he's learned plenty on his break post Hawthorn and in 2023, I am still yet to see anything different in the way he plays his footy (very limited viewing for obvious reasons) at North either.

Jury is out as we haven't seen much Clarkson footy at North, but it was an almost carbon copy of the way we played in that damned Covid year, where we were able to grind out some wins but it was some of the most putrid footy to watch.

Will be interesting to revisit once he gets the reigns back hopefully in a fortnights time.

 

[Ashley B]

If there was a confidence rating ours would be near zero. When you have zero confidence in each other it is very difficult to get out of it. This as much as anything is a reason we are where we are. We have forgotten how to win. Unfortunately there is no secret formula to remedy this other than time and belief . We must stick with the coach though as this will just delay things further again if we don’t. Stability is a must.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

You're letting the last few weeks cloud your view here, mate. There've been at least seven games by my count where the 'mind numbing down the line s**t' was put to the side and a more aggressive approach adopted. Seven out of seventeen isn't great, especially when it only yields two wins, but come on. Take some perspective. We've played some genuinely good footy this year, it just hasn't been anywhere near consistent enough

There have been times were we have attacked the ball, and played with flair and speed. Particularly in the first two round and against Sydney. However, I haven't seen it consistently enough to think that was a definitive game plan. I can see what we are trying to do with our press and zone defence, what offensively I think it's a bit of a shambles and our inability to kick consistent scores is reflective of that shambolic nature.

 

[koshari]

Given our composure for the best part resembles a keystone cops episode i dont hold out that some of the blokes on the list could adhere to the simplest of plans.

In fact i would go as far to say kick to kick would be a drill that would challenge a couple of blokes that are getting a game currently.

 

[chubbspeterson]

I guess we'll be able to get a better read on it next year after a full preseason under Clarko. Could still be we are experimenting with different modes of moving the ball to see which players can execute that style.
Not unusual to have variation in the way teams play, as Mitchell had that unconstested mark game against us in Tassie and now his team is handball happy, so perhaps there is some experimentation going on.
I dare say if you also want to stay bottom two to you also come up with a plan that doesn't really work and then the following year you make some changes and voila you bounce pretty quickly.
Another issue could be we just don't have the fitness to execute that more aggressive corridor game as our transition defense is awful.

 

[r_boy]

I come in peace.

You had 14-16 players in your defensive half for huge portions of the game.

You failed to attack the corridor against one of the worst sides at defending quick transition.

This was 16th vs 17th. There was absolutely no need to play such cynical defensive football, especially with the knowledge that you guys have played some attractive direct footy in earlier weeks under Ratten.

It was the same ugly football that we witnessed as Hawks fans from 2019ish and onward. The type of football that might work when you have a dozen or so elite field kicks (Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Birchall, Rioli etc) and the pace of the game wasn't so chaotic (thanks Richmond). The 6-6-6 rule was the death knell to Clarko's footy - the very same Clarko who considers clearances/centre clearances to be an overrated statistic.

I saw the same slow ball movement on the wings. I saw the same indiscriminate mindless bombing it to nobody inside 50.

Clarkson was a great coach - maybe he still is. He is an incredible motivator of men. He has a talent of finding the best supporting coaches to surround himself with. He's also incredibly stubborn to a fault. I haven't seen any evolution from Clarkson from 2019 onwards, and while I'm sure he's learned plenty on his break post Hawthorn and in 2023, I am still yet to see anything different in the way he plays his footy (very limited viewing for obvious reasons) at North either.

Jury is out as we haven't seen much Clarkson footy at North, but it was an almost carbon copy of the way we played in that damned Covid year, where we were able to grind out some wins but it was some of the most putrid footy to watch.

Will be interesting to revisit once he gets the reigns back hopefully in a fortnights time.

Oh piss off you flog. Come in peace my arse

 

[koshari]

Oh piss off you flog. Come in peace my arse

Only gloating he will be conducting.

 

[zoomba23]

There have been times were we have attacked the ball, and played with flair and speed. Particularly in the first two round and against Sydney. However, I haven't seen it consistently enough to think that was a definitive game plan. I can see what we are trying to do with our press and zone defence, what offensively I think it's a bit of a shambles and our inability to kick consistent scores is reflective of that shambolic nature.

I agree that the appearance of a visible gameplan has faded since the opening two rounds. But you'd think that in the patches of good footy that we've played, that would've been the result of some sort of directive regarding the movement of the ball. Unless they just worked it out on the fly or just reacted to an opposition defence that was lax on the day. There have been enough passages through the corridor to make me think there is at least a vague objective, but we certainly haven't been working towards that consistently

 

[The acurate one]

We need to have a talk about this...

Kingy has been alluding to it for weeks. With his contacts at the club, I have no doubt that there is some truth to it...

Our game plan under Clarkson was not how the best sides play in 2023. It was slow ball movement, chip chip long down the line. The polar opposite of what Collingwood do.

The game now lends itself to transition. "Transition is king". Numbers to the ball, using the corridor, speed on the ball, penetrating opposition zones with foot skills and handball.

Brett Ratten is a ball movement coach. His criticism within the four walls of St Kilda was that he didn't focus enough on contested work. Transition footy is his bread and butter which is how he has gotten the most out of players like Jack Sinclair and now Bailey Scott. What we saw in his first 4-5 weeks in the Head Coach role was an emphasis on transition, moving away from the stale brand that we were previously playing. Surprise surprise, we started improving and should have won a couple of games.

I heard that the comments that "we are just implementing Al's plan". However, you'd have to be a football illiterate to think that this was the case, if you watch us every week. They 100% revised what they were doing to play a more direct, transition style & the output began to shift. Many of us finally saw "a light at the end of the tunnel".

In the last three weeks (Since Clarkson has returned to the club in some capacity), we do appear to have reverted back to the style we played prior to Ratten walking in. All of a sudden we were more focused on trying to control ball movement and rarely using the corridor. That light has disappeared.

Personally, I do not buy this coincidence. The fact that Kingy keeps alluding to it "Let Brett coach his style for the rest of the year" - This morning on SEN, only confirms it for me.




We talk about quick fixes and how they're impossible. Well guess what? They're not. Revise the f****** game plan to something that makes winning a possibility in 2023 and allows players to play to their strengths, and watch how quickly things do improve. The evidence is there for all to see in Rattens first 4-5 weeks.

We don't have the players to carry out a modern day game plan.

I asked around and I'll ask here, name the players capable of

• Spreading
• pushing back to assist the defense
• Linking up and proving run.

It's ok, I'll do it, in no particular order

1. LDU - Gun
2. Thomas - most likely gone
3. Wardlaw - starting out
4. Scott - has made me look foolish
5. Bergman - starting out
6. Goater - starting out
7.Bonar - cooked
8. Hall - cooked
9. Sheezel - starting out
10. Perez - hanging on by the skin of his teeth
11. Zurhaar - Gun
12. Tucker - padding out the numbers lol.


Our list is for the tip, seriously Wayne Brittian who coached Carlton said 2002 you'd want to be fleet of foot to play under the Dome. FMD & FML. I knew that and so did a fair few on BF.

KIngy is wrong, we need to move on all those fat arsed mids that we have loved for years, no longer draft them. Yeah they're our type of player, well not any longer.

oh well

and **** you North

 

[Psicosis]

We don't have the players to carry out a modern day game plan.

I asked around and I'll ask here, name the players capable of

• Spreading
• pushing back to assist the defense
• Linking up and proving run.

It's ok, I'll do it, in no particular order

1. LDU - Gun
2. Thomas - most likely gone
3. Wardlaw - starting out
4. Scott - has made me look foolish
5. Bergman - starting out
6. Goater - starting out
7.Bonar - cooked
8. Hall - cooked
9. Sheezel - starting out
10. Perez - hanging on by the skin of his teeth
11. Zurhaar - Gun
12. Tucker - padding out the numbers lol.


Our list is for the tip, seriously Wayne Brittian who coached Carlton said 2002 you'd want to be fleet of foot to play under the Dome. FMD & FML. I knew that and so did a fair few on BF.

KIngy is wrong, we need to move on all those fat arsed mids that we have loved for years, no longer draft them. Yeah they're our type of player, well not any longer.

oh well

and * you North

I just sat through Hawthorn execute one with a number of hacks. Finn McGuinness is Kayne Turner 2.0. I don’t buy the purely personnel excuse.

 

[The acurate one]

I just sat through Hawthorn execute one with a number of hacks. Finn McGuinness is Kayne Turner 2.0. I don’t buy the purely personnel excuse.

Yes probably right, but I feel we could delist 19 without that impacting on the results.

 

[Event Horizon]

I see a completely different problem. Ratten was recruited by Clarko to help with ball movement and the two are mates. Clarko would listen and adapt. Not an issue. The problem is mental with this group. Not a coincidence that two coaches ended up with mental health issues while working with this group. And Noble would too if he could actually coach.

This group comes out to play and extracts the digit only when there is a circuit breaker. Hence Shaw’s early success, Patch’s first up win, Clarko’s early win in Perth and Ratts’s near misses in couple of early games. After that they simply go back to the old habit of coasting and collecting paycheques.

And because of current woke culture Clarko hasn’t yet tore paint off the walls and hadn’t yet delivered some home truths to a few who are overdue for it. Mind you, Noble did try that but failed miserably due to lack of coaching nous and standing in the game. He simply wasn’t strong enough to take on the players and win.

I’m afraid several of our so called leaders are in that group.

Clarko is either going to shake the place up and get rid of the cancer or will retire early with mental illness


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Event Horizon]

Another clue regarding my previous point is the fact Clarko did try to give them a bake after the Port game and actually ended up going on his leave straight after that

We shouldn’t assume his mental state was due to the racism saga, although it would have contributed to it


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[shintemaster]

We don't have the players to carry out a modern day game plan.

I asked around and I'll ask here, name the players capable of

• Spreading
• pushing back to assist the defense
• Linking up and proving run.

It's ok, I'll do it, in no particular order

1. LDU - Gun
2. Thomas - most likely gone
3. Wardlaw - starting out
4. Scott - has made me look foolish
5. Bergman - starting out
6. Goater - starting out
7.Bonar - cooked
8. Hall - cooked
9. Sheezel - starting out
10. Perez - hanging on by the skin of his teeth
11. Zurhaar - Gun
12. Tucker - padding out the numbers lol.


Our list is for the tip, seriously Wayne Brittian who coached Carlton said 2002 you'd want to be fleet of foot to play under the Dome. FMD & FML. I knew that and so did a fair few on BF.

KIngy is wrong, we need to move on all those fat arsed mids that we have loved for years, no longer draft them. Yeah they're our type of player, well not any longer.

oh well

and * you North

Nothing wrong with one of them, maybe two - but you'd want to surround those blokes with absolutely blistering run and spread.

I see a completely different problem. Ratten was recruited by Clarko to help with ball movement and the two are mates. Clarko would listen and adapt. Not an issue. The problem is mental with this group. Not a coincidence that two coaches ended up with mental health issues while working with this group. And Noble would too if he could actually coach.

This group comes out to play and extracts the digit only when there is a circuit breaker. Hence Shaw’s early success, Patch’s first up win, Clarko’s early win in Perth and Ratts’s near misses in couple of early games. After that they simply go back to the old habit of coasting and collecting paycheques.

And because of current woke culture Clarko hasn’t yet tore paint off the walls and hadn’t yet delivered some home truths to a few who are overdue for it. Mind you, Noble did try that but failed miserably due to lack of coaching nous and standing in the game. He simply wasn’t strong enough to take on the players and win.

I’m afraid several of our so called leaders are in that group.

Clarko is either going shake the place up and get rid of the cancer or will retire early with mental illness


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Those home truths, they'll get delivered either way - even if it's in the off season and with nice pink slip. They will learn, one way or another.

 

[tommy_uman]

I have to agree. Yesterday what stood out to me were 3 things:
1) You can't fault the players efforts (especially early on) but...
2) The game plan isn't right. Either its outdated or it doesn't suit our players
3) We lack athleticism - Hawthorn players were faster and more agile than ours and it really stood out

 

[Engimal v3]

Well Clarko's game plan has got us 2 more wins than Ratten has.

 

[Forever North]

Pretty hard to execute any sort of game plan with 10 or so players in a team that really should’t be playing AFL footy. Clarko isn’t the problem, we have far too many dumb, hack players.

 

[JGreezy]

It sure would be nice to utilise Larkey's running ability

 

[SnowyontheTram]

I have to agree. Yesterday what stood out to me were 3 things:
1) You can't fault the players efforts (especially early on) but...
2) The game plan isn't right. Either its outdated or it doesn't suit our players
3) We lack athleticism - Hawthorn players were faster and more agile than ours and it really stood out

Strongly disagree:
1) You can't fault the players efforts (especially early on) but...

In the first, third and last quarters I saw some of the laziest, most defensively insipid efforts I have EVER seen in North Melbourne jumpers.

 

[tommy_uman]

Strongly disagree:
1) You can't fault the players efforts (especially early on) but...

In the first, third and last quarters I saw some of the laziest, most defensively insipid efforts I have EVER seen in North Melbourne jumpers.

I think on the weekend there was at least 95% effort and considering where we are in the season after 14 or so losses we couldn't have asked for much more. I think the efforts look worse than they are when the players are lost in the system and our game plan is so bad.