Toast Our undermanned defence

[Falconx]

Just to give you an idea of how stingy our defense has been, in the first 3 rounds we conceded 309 points, in the next 8 games we have only conceded 432 at an average of 54. Not bad for a makeshift defense.

 

[Vdubs]

Is there any thought that the I50's both Blues and GC had against us would have resulted in much heftier scores if they were more competitive?
Would our miserly defence still stack up as well?
I'm loving what they're doing, but it's not totally the obliteration of those 2 teams' attack, a bit more like poor kicking. Obviously our pressure contributes to that, as does Mr. Rushed.
The next 2 games will clearly tell us about our defence, and our whole season and future.

 

[catempire]

Is there any thought that the I50's both Blues and GC had against us would have resulted in much heftier scores if they were more competitive?
Would our miserly defence still stack up as well?

And if my Aunty...

It’s comparing the whole league. After 11 rounds it’s a decent sample as most teams have played a sample of poor teams and a sample of good ones.

On a per i50 basis it’s a really good tick for the backs.

Couldn’t be more pleased that it’s on the back of Blicavs, Kolo, Henry and now Black looking really solid.

 

[Vdubs]

And if my Aunty...

It’s comparing the whole league. After 11 rounds it’s a decent sample as most teams have played a sample of poor teams and a sample of good ones.

On a per i50 basis it’s a really good tick for the backs.

Couldn’t be more pleased that it’s on the back of Blicavs, Kolo, Henry and now Black looking really solid.

I agree, and love what our defence is doing, minus Taylor and Hendo. If you'd said at the start of this season that we would ever be bemoaning a possible return of Harry to defence...
Just commenting on the number of behinds the opposition teams scored, and why.

 

[catempire]

I agree, and love what our defence is doing, minus Taylor and Hendo. If you'd said at the start of this season that we would ever be bemoaning a possible return of Harry to defence...
Just commenting on the number of behinds the opposition teams scored, and why.

I haven’t seen all of the GC game. Was their inaccuracy a factor?

 

[Vdubs]

I haven’t seen all of the GC game. Was their inaccuracy a factor?

I'm like you, just wanting clarification. Because I really thought we were poor against Blues, and had they taken their shots at goal a bit better, who knows. But 2 weeks in a row of a team kicking something like 5-15 is pretty bizarre. Not related to venue either.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I'm like you, just wanting clarification. Because I really thought we were poor against Blues, and had they taken their shots at goal a bit better, who knows. But 2 weeks in a row of a team kicking something like 5-15 is pretty bizarre. Not related to venue either.

Nope. Defence did very well v Carlton 9 rushed behinds and not a lot of easy shots conceded.

 

[Landgraft]

I'm like you, just wanting clarification. Because I really thought we were poor against Blues, and had they taken their shots at goal a bit better, who knows. But 2 weeks in a row of a team kicking something like 5-15 is pretty bizarre. Not related to venue either.

The Blues were pretty much at their X-Score - so statistically speaking their kicking was roughly as expected. Resorting to 10 hail mary passes does not mean it was a realistic expectation to score 10 straight touchdowns (I'm thinking more of Blood Bowl than NFL here, I don't watch the Iron Grid)

Good backlines restrict the quality of opposition entries. That is what ours has done very well, because we cut off/intercept/spoil entries to the dangerous spaces and force opposition forwards into much poorer positions to take a shot.

 

[foxdog50]

It's going to be interesting to see who comes out of the back line. When Taylor, Henderson, and even Cuthrie to come in.
Do have to say Black looks good as Defender for us. Can play tall and on Medium Defenders. He did play a couple of times on Lynch threw out the game.. .

 

[STPer18]

It's going to be interesting to see who comes out of the back line. When Taylor, Henderson, and even Cuthrie to come in.
Do have to say Black looks good as Defender for us. Can play tall and on Medium Defenders. He did play a couple of times on Lynch threw out the game.. .

Who'd have thought pre-season that Aaron Black would be looking like a competent defender at AFL level, while Gardner is kicking bags in the VFL up forward.

 

[Mahlepi]

It's going to be interesting to see who comes out of the back line. When Taylor, Henderson, and even Cuthrie to come in.
Do have to say Black looks good as Defender for us. Can play tall and on Medium Defenders. He did play a couple of times on Lynch threw out the game.. .

cuthrie will replace a cunico
there is no gtee henderson and taylor will be back

 

[hamG]

Interesting concept that we are both an undermanned defense and the best defense in the league by numbers. Also shows work the ethic and discipline from our midfield to pressure and hold structures that our no plan B coach has installed. Also, Scarlett.

 

[JohnZ]

Is there any thought that the I50's both Blues and GC had against us would have resulted in much heftier scores if they were more competitive?
Would our miserly defence still stack up as well?
I'm loving what they're doing, but it's not totally the obliteration of those 2 teams' attack, a bit more like poor kicking. Obviously our pressure contributes to that, as does Mr. Rushed.
The next 2 games will clearly tell us about our defence, and our whole season and future.

It depends why it is in the 50 and who has it. A lot of the I50s we conceded yesterday were us taking the ball into their 50 to switch the play, and when it was them taking it in, they were shallow entries that we rebounded easily (them kicking under pressure and turning the ball over). I can't recall too many times when the ball was deep in their 50, or indeed in an "attacking" position.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

No surprises here that we've maintained our defensive status after conceding 4.12 on the weekend. So not much to say there that hasn't already been said.
The graph however is for Vdubs benefit given the query over opposition scores. What it represents is the comparison in opposition scoring accuracy. The orange line is the accuracy of all 11 opponents from Melbourne R1 on the far left to the Suns R11 on the far right, but it has been adjusted. Adjusted by removing our match with each opponent to derive their accuracy v everyone else they have played. The blue line is their accuracy in their game with Geelong.

It's clearly no coincidence or mere luck that every opponent has shot at goal far less accurately against us that v the rest. It's clearly impacted by our set up defensively to force shots either from wide angles or from long distances. If Landgraft pulled up all our shot plot maps this season I'd bet that our losses would be due to conceding far more quality shots from the arc and/or within 20m from goal. This is why the Carlton game Vdubs wasn't really a case of being lucky. They weren't allowed too many great shots and the one's they did get in good positions were free kicks. Our defence simply sets up to push teams wide and our pressure up the ground forces shallow entries from dump kicks, that often result in turnovers.

 

[BORIS332]

We’re now #1 for points against. Port are next best but they’ve played one less game.

 

[fpm84]

Who would have thought in early March that this backline would be ranked number one in the league at the halfway point?

Blicavs (barely played a game in the backline six months ago)
Stewart (second year player, on track for AA)
Henry (debuted in round 2)
Kolodjashnij (wasn't considered a lock for best 22 pre-season)
Tuohy
Bews

?

 

[Strange Cat]

We’re now #1 for points against. Port are next best but they’ve played one less game.

View attachment 506865

But but the North supporters were telling me they are better

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Gee I've been really impressed with how well Blitz has adapted to being a key defender. It looks like he has been in that position for years. He really is very versatile and I think we've found his best spot back there.

 

[Down at K Park]

Gee I've been really impressed with how well Blitz has adapted to being a key defender. It looks like he has been in that position for years. He really is very versatile and I think we've found his best spot back there.

At least when he is back towards the goal he can't kick backwards. Which is the one thing that he does that drives me insane.

Cause he goes sideways and backwards way too often.

 

[Ratcat]

At least when he is back towards the goal he can't kick backwards. Which is the one thing that he does that drives me insane.

Cause he goes sideways and backwards way too often.

He's killed every name forward so far this year he's played on and the reason our defence at times hasn't been exposed.
Boy! the ingratitude is unreal.

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

At least when he is back towards the goal he can't kick backwards. Which is the one thing that he does that drives me insane.

Cause he goes sideways and backwards way too often.

Yeah I thought he was never a natural mid. He isn't a great inside contested player and isn't a quick, outside player either. He was a good tagger though, but we already have Scooter in this role (well, when he's fit anyway). I reckon his attributes are best suited to being a key defender. He looks like a natural back there.

 

[fpm84]

I wonder how what the final results may have been against Hawthorn and West Coast earlier in the season if we had Blicavs at FB.

Roughead and Darling kicked two goals each in the final quarters of those games against Zuthrie/Kolo.

 

[JohnZ]

I wonder how what the final results may have been against Hawthorn and West Coast earlier in the season if we had Blicavs at FB.

Roughead and Darling kicked two goals each in the final quarters of those games against Zuthrie/Kolo.

From memory, that last goal Roughead kicked on Zuthrie, Blicavs was in the vicinity of the ball. So to say he wasn't playing back isn't true for that game, but he wasn't the direct opponent and with how team zones work these days, he may not have been in "defence" so to speak.

edit: Here it is (sorry in advance). You can see he was playing on Mitchell, but I don't have the context as to whether he was the forward tag for mitchell, or just his tag in general.

Besides the point, he's much better and more settled as our key back now, and it's good we have found our Harry T replacement.

 

[cats_09]

From memory, that last goal Roughead kicked on Zuthrie, Blicavs was in the vicinity of the ball. So to say he wasn't playing back isn't true for that game, but he wasn't the direct opponent and with how team zones work these days, he may not have been in "defence" so to speak.

If I remember one of the news articles about Scott's press conference correctly, with the Hawthorn match they had Blicavs starting higher up the ground almost in a tagging role at centre bounces should Hawthorn win clean possession, and then he would work his way into defence.

Similar to when he was providing assistance in the ruck in that he would compete at the centre bounce before going back to his defensive role - so they tried to get him to do too much that game which really didn't help us, and it's good to see that since that match they have had a better focus on him playing as a defender first

 

[Down at K Park]

He's killed every name forward so far this year he's played on and the reason our defence at times hasn't been exposed.
Boy! the ingratitude is unreal.

He has been good down back. Just pointing out the one thing he doesn't do well at times, which is less of an issue down back. To me he belongs there now.