- Jun 11, 2013
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My thinking too, Steve Kerr for example does this a lot with GS where the other team gets a run on and he doesn't immediately call TO because he wants the players to learn to deal with it.Was thinking the same, almost like it’s intentional to see how we react in game?
The more I reflect on this game the more I'm confused about it.
We left 7 rotations on the board in a hard running match, we only had Moore attend a centre bounce outside of the rucks and our main mids, and he only attended 1. Sam left positions mostly the same, he never really tried to have Day shake the tag up forward, in the backline or otherwise. We didn't see much of Newc in the forward line, Ward in the centre. Sicily wasn't really thrown around as would be expected when we were struggling for a target.
Strange game, strange coaching.
Sam has spoken a lot about how it can't be the coaches setting the standards – it must be the players. That was the change after the GC loss that turned us from the 17th-ranked side into a potential finalist. Internal goals in games, like scoring 120 vs Adelaide and Collingwood – from the players.
Obviously the coaches still have to make changes to win games and we didn't make any at all when the tide started turning on Sunday. But there's going to be lots of big finals where another team steals momentum mid-quarter and there isn't a whole lot the coaching box can do.
I think Sam is learning to straddle the line between letting the players figure it out and grow, versus where the coaches need to have an influence and change the way the game is played, whether that's through matchups, ball movement or structural strategy.