GreatBradScott
Horny for UFOs
- Aug 21, 2011
- 8,236
- 21,324
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- Manchester City, Melbourne Victory
It's clear that at times we can play very good football and very poor football.
After a season(s) (2012 had similar incidents) of bleeding goals and failing to control the tempo of the game, we've obviously changed our game plan, as has most of the competition.
If you've noticed and football being cyclical, defensive and dour contests have come back into fashion.
I'll rattle off some quick numbers to illustrate the point I'm getting:
First four rounds of 2013 and 2014:
- Average score down from 99.0 to 86.7.
- 35 100+ scores in 2013 to 19 in 2014.
- 128 less goals league wide in 2014 compared to 2013.
Defense is the flavor of the month and this is something is very linked to the lack of cohesion of yesterday and round 1. Sitting right up in the back of the Ponsford Stand yesterday, it was incredibly clear what the problem is/was with our forward line.
In our attempts to shut down and play a more leaner style, our offense would press up the ground and look to shut off the Collingwood defenders with the ball/as potential targets of passes.
We were often successful.
The first time this happened, we would pressure and would win back the ball. The problem was, that looking up the ground, our forwards had not adjusted to this transition fast enough and failed to get into position. The ball would head back towards the 45 - 65 meter zone and then we got hurt on the turnover.
Even though we won in Rounds 2 - 4, highlights will show that we had this problem too. This is a teething phase of adjustment.
Improvements will come:
- in time (I've stressed in numerous posts that we will be unpredictable for the first half of the year)
- with Robbie/Majak playing more mobile 3rd tall role
- a greater communication between Black/Petrie/3rd tall
- perhaps introducing Nahas to the fold on occasion to add unpredictability.
I have been incredibly critical of Scott in the past and I will continue to be as I think he still has issues on game day. That being said, this is a more sustainable way of learning to play.
Unless you have the quality of Hawthorn, you don't have the firepower to bust down team zone defenses. We don't, so we must conform and we must learn to scrap with the best of them.
We are yet to concede 100 points in our first five games of the season (including two 35+ point losses). This time last year we had already conceded the 100 point mark three times and in 2012 we had let it happen three times also.
I understand the wait is frustrating, and that this whole post is cautious optimism (it could unravel too and Scott and co. could get it wrong), but if we are to get there, this is the best path. This is the way we have to go.
After a season(s) (2012 had similar incidents) of bleeding goals and failing to control the tempo of the game, we've obviously changed our game plan, as has most of the competition.
If you've noticed and football being cyclical, defensive and dour contests have come back into fashion.
I'll rattle off some quick numbers to illustrate the point I'm getting:
First four rounds of 2013 and 2014:
- Average score down from 99.0 to 86.7.
- 35 100+ scores in 2013 to 19 in 2014.
- 128 less goals league wide in 2014 compared to 2013.
Defense is the flavor of the month and this is something is very linked to the lack of cohesion of yesterday and round 1. Sitting right up in the back of the Ponsford Stand yesterday, it was incredibly clear what the problem is/was with our forward line.
In our attempts to shut down and play a more leaner style, our offense would press up the ground and look to shut off the Collingwood defenders with the ball/as potential targets of passes.
We were often successful.
The first time this happened, we would pressure and would win back the ball. The problem was, that looking up the ground, our forwards had not adjusted to this transition fast enough and failed to get into position. The ball would head back towards the 45 - 65 meter zone and then we got hurt on the turnover.
Even though we won in Rounds 2 - 4, highlights will show that we had this problem too. This is a teething phase of adjustment.
Improvements will come:
- in time (I've stressed in numerous posts that we will be unpredictable for the first half of the year)
- with Robbie/Majak playing more mobile 3rd tall role
- a greater communication between Black/Petrie/3rd tall
- perhaps introducing Nahas to the fold on occasion to add unpredictability.
I have been incredibly critical of Scott in the past and I will continue to be as I think he still has issues on game day. That being said, this is a more sustainable way of learning to play.
Unless you have the quality of Hawthorn, you don't have the firepower to bust down team zone defenses. We don't, so we must conform and we must learn to scrap with the best of them.
We are yet to concede 100 points in our first five games of the season (including two 35+ point losses). This time last year we had already conceded the 100 point mark three times and in 2012 we had let it happen three times also.
I understand the wait is frustrating, and that this whole post is cautious optimism (it could unravel too and Scott and co. could get it wrong), but if we are to get there, this is the best path. This is the way we have to go.