Semi Final v Dees

[dlanod]

I'm tempted to ask for previews but you lot dropped the ball once already.

 

[martinson]

Was listening to David King today and I agree (had already thought the same thing) with his take on this game.

We can’t go out and do the same thing again.

We have been determined to match or beat them in contested possesion as the key to our strategy, it hasn’t worked. So just give them contested possesion. That’s their thing, we can’t beat them there, give them it.

Winning contested ball takes your whole focus and energy and changes the way you approach the game, you could see how we got sucked into the contest in round 23 - then we had no play for the next possesion. They just torched us on the outside.

Instead prepare to lose clearance/contest and focus on what we are going to do to stop their next possesion once they get it. We will still get our own, but if they get more, no worries - their forward line is controllable, give them ball to take it off them if we can’t win our own.

Swans lost contested possession by 25. They just harassed, intercepted, got a knock away, forced it over the boundary, they took confidence away in their next possion after clearance.

I’d be saying - ‘go out and compete for contested ball, like you always do, you’re ok at it, but we arnt watching that stat’.

I think because we have wound ourselves up into a frenzy to match them in contested ball, that when the train goes off the rails after 10 minutes in that area, the entire purpose gets lost and the bubble bursts.

They are struggling to score, generally, their forward line is a weakness, we just give them too much space by over emphasising the coalface rather than having a plan around stopping them or pressuring them once they get it.

I’d be saying ‘let them win contested ball, let them win inside 50s, but we MUST be prepared to defend back 50 and be absolutely commited to our 1 on 1 match up and pressure’.

We need to pressure and stifle them, backman are back shoulder, put a preemptive extra back if needed.

Then.. when we get the ball, just go, use our slingshot, we are best coast to coast team in the league and the last few times we’ve played them, we’ve tried to be perfect with precise kicking and played a slow game. I heard players say ‘we can’t give it back to them’ in the lead up. This just isn’t us, it takes away our instinct. Just go in waves, even if they punish us a few times, we just need to win our 1 on 1s in defensive 50.

I’d say just go up the middle like the Tigers game, take risks, tap the ball forward, run in waves. Use our strength to try and unsettle what the are going to expect.

They are better than the tigers defensively but they arnt great, 70% of their edge over us is mental, if our boys can have 20 minutes where we rattle them, we can get on top of this team.

So many teams worse than us have beaten or taken it up to them, they just are not that good.

Maybe put McStay on May as a defensive tag, chuck Dev on Oliver.

Maybe don’t bring Fort in? Sounds like that decision is made, but who cares if they have Gawn and Jackson, give them that, let’s go more mobile?

I’d rather lose playing our way or a different way, trying to score over 100 and just taking them on, with a focus on defending the back 50 at the expense of contest, than trying the same thing again and losing.

It’s a free swing, just say ‘go out and play our style, you’re the best attacking team in the league’. If that means we lose by 50 points that’s fine, but I just don’t want to go down the same way again.

That's very well thought out and a good strategy if you're the Swans. Contested/uncontested doesn't matter if you're not good enough to match the opposition and keep the pressure up either at the contested stage or at the next stage . The Swans had the cattle/pace/ endeavour to do it.

We haven't been thus far against Melbourne so this week is a good test as to whether we've learnt anything and whether we're good enough to do anything about it.

 

[lioninthesand]

That's very well thought out and a good strategy if you're the Swans. Contested/uncontested doesn't matter if you're not good enough to match the opposition and keep the pressure up either at the contested stage or at the next stage . The Swans had the cattle/pace/ endeavour to do it.

We haven't been thus far against Melbourne so this week is a good test as to whether we've learnt anything and whether we're good enough to do anything about it.

Of coarse, that it suited to their style, do they have our fire power though?

We don’t need to throw as much of a blanket over the game as they did, it’s not our be all and end all, we just need to do enough in that area instead of the soul focus being on contest. Then sling shot from there.

If the Swans plan was to lose contested ball, at least they planned for it, we plan to win it and lose that area by that much anyway.

Of coarse thinking outside the box, it’s easy to find 15 reasons why every suggestion might not work. That’s why we haven’t done it the last 4 times we’ve played them.

All I know is we will not win contest so focus on something else, our strengths would be a good place to start.

 

[Sproj]

If we beat Melbourne (and this is a HUGE if), we might go all the way. Beating Melbourne would give our boys so much belief. Unfortunately, I doubt it will even be close.

 

[pulpdriver]

If we beat Melbourne (and this is a HUGE if), we might go all the way. Beating Melbourne would give our boys so much belief. Unfortunately, I doubt it will even be close.

I feel a bit more confident than I probably should. Tempting fate but surely not three blowouts against the one team in a year.

 

[pulpdriver]

Also the rain that’s expected on Friday will give us a better chance of shutting them down. Less of a chance to be burnt on the counter.

Supposed to be rain in the afternoon then cold and clear night. MCG drains well so doubt rain plays a part at this stage.

 

[martinson]

Of coarse, that it suited to their style, do they have our fire power though?

We don’t need to throw as much of a blanket over the game as they did, it’s not our be all and end all, we just need to do enough in that area instead of the soul focus being on contest. Then sling shot from there.

If their plan was to lose contested ball, at least they planned for it, we plan to win it and lose that area by that much anyway.

Of coarse thinking outside the box, it’s easy to find 15 reasons why every suggestion might not work. That’s why we haven’t done it the last 4 times we’ve played them.

All I know is we will not win contest so focus on something else, our strengths would be a good place to start.

I sort of agree with all that. Our issue is that it's hard to turn players around in the way they do things just because it's now a final and we need to do something different. Fagan has said many times we pride ourselves on winning the contests.

If we don't make a battle of contested ball then their guns stay fresh and free to keep doing it all night. We need to get a balance but it's very difficult to say to your players let them win contested ball and we'll focus on the rebound.

It's too late at this stage of the season.

But I'm all for throwing some different tactics in there as far as we can because as you say they've belted us every time we've played them so far.

We know they're a bit wounded and mentally beaten up a little from last week. I know there's a school of thought out there in the inner sanctum to just throw the kitchen sink at them.

 

[lioninthesand]

I sort of agree with all that. Our issue is that it's hard to turn players around in the way they do things just because it's now a final and we need to do something different. Fagan has said many times we pride ourselves on winning the contests.

If we don't make a battle of contested ball then their guns stay fresh and free to keep doing it all night. We need to get a balance but it's very difficult to say to your players let them win contested ball and we'll focus on the rebound.

It's too late at this stage of the season.

But I'm all for throwing some different tactics in there as far as we can because as you say they've belted us every time we've played them so far.

We know they're a bit wounded and mentally beaten up a little from last week. I know there's a school of thought out there in the inner sanctum to just throw the kitchen sink at them.

Yep great response. I actually don’t think we need to change too much.

Just not obsess over and plan so much for contested ball and ‘picking apart their zone’.

Plan for them, don’t try and reinvent the wheel - just play our game instead of trying to mitigate theirs.

 

[martinson]

Yep great response. I actually don’t think we need to change too much.

Just not obsess over and plan so much for contested ball and ‘picking apart their zone’.

Plan for them, don’t try and reinvent the wheel - just play our game instead of trying to mitigate theirs.

Absolutely. If we're good enough we can win it if we relax as far as possible ,play our game and defend like wild devils when we're under pressure.

If we're not good enough written in stone tactics will only mitigate the damage if they work.

 

[lioninthesand]

Absolutely. If we're good enough we can win it if we relax as far as possible ,play our game and defend like wild devils when we're under pressure.

If we're not good enough written in stone tactics will only mitigate the damage if they work.

Just saw they have given up over 90 points 3 times recently.

Their defensive status is overrated.

If we try and ‘pick holes through their web’ we will just be hemmed in again.

Gotter just go down the highway and not die wondering.

 

[martinson]

Just saw they have given up over 90 points 3 times recently.

Their defensive status is overrated.

If we try and ‘pick holes through their web’ we will just be hemmed in again.

Gotter just go down the highway and not die wondering.

It's evident that whenever the opportunity presents go in low and bouncy where we have the smalls to take advantage. This worked for Sydney.

Drag Lever up the ground and go over the top into space. If a lead presents then take it.

May isn't much chop and Lever is totally hopeless when it hits the deck. Our small forwards are better than their small defenders.

All Daniher and Hipwood need to do is keep Lever and May honest. Make them earn any high balls.

 

[alscotoz2]

Secured tickets this morning. Just looking for four quarters of passion, with nothing left on the field. Deliver that, and who knows?

 

[lioninthesand]

It's evident that whenever the opportunity presents go in low and bouncy where we have the smalls to take advantage. This worked for Sydney.

Drag Lever up the ground and go over the top into space. If a lead presents then take it.

May isn't much chop and Lever is totally hopeless when it hits the deck. Our small forwards are better than their small defenders.

All Daniher and Hipwood need to do is keep Lever and May honest. Make them earn any high balls.

Yep and as discussed in the couch, Charlie has been a non factor vs Hibbered. We didn’t go to Charlie once last time we played and twice round 15. Charlie needs to get up the ground like he has been, not sit deep, there are limited crumbing ops with their talls and hibbered has his measure. Get him up and down the ground and try and get a couple out the back. Take hibbered out of his comfort zone, say to him ‘you’re running tonight’.

 

[vic_LION]

Going to be one hell of a game.

 

[Sproj]

I’ll be far more confident if we essentially keep the ins from last week in Willmit who was freakishly exciting, Dev and Ah Chee as sub. No confidence at all if we go back to Lyons and drop Prior. We need to give the kids this shot and let them run run run. Reyner could be a huge in, he likely has a point to prove.

 

[vic_LION]

I’ll be far more confident if we essentially keep the ins from last week in Willmit who was freakishly exciting, Dev and Ah Chee as sub. No confidence at all if we go back to Lyons and drop Prior. We need to give the kids this shot and let them run run run. Reyner could be a huge in, he likely has a point to prove.

Was years ago, but he was great back in '20 against Richmond

 

[Quested]

They are REALLY emphasising that Pettraca is playing, like too enthusiastically. Either it means he's not playing, or some other players won't be and they're trying to use his profile to hide the attention.

 

[bungalow_bill]

I’ll be far more confident if we essentially keep the ins from last week in Willmit who was freakishly exciting, Dev and Ah Chee as sub. No confidence at all if we go back to Lyons and drop Prior. We need to give the kids this shot and let them run run run. Reyner could be a huge in, he likely has a point to prove.

Rayner and Fort the only certainties for me. Lyons would be 0 chance.

 

[FLVanLandingham]

My feelings throughout the year has been we are really focused on prepping for finals. That lead to some switching off at times during the season, and so on, but now we're here and this is everything.

Neale is one who lifts, Charles is another. Bailey and McCluggage showed they can. I'm hoping Starc and one or 2 of our talls can also.


I want Hippy/Daniher/McStay to just run into the center square or somewhere as soon as we have possession to take out may/lever. get free or make them leave their d50.

Last few times we've vsed them our i50 entries haven't been able to take care of them, so we need them just out and away.

 

[fugitive]

Mind games, he’s their toughest player so they have to underplay his injury and add uncertainty to our planning.

They are REALLY emphasising that Pettraca is playing, like too enthusiastically. Either it means he's not playing, or some other players won't be and they're trying to use his profile to hide the attention.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Not long ago we were well in front of Melbourne at half time. We had won 8 or 9 contested ball in forward 50 up to half time.

Got smashed in the second half. Only one win of contested ball inside 50 for the second half.

This was the stat that changed completely.

Hipwood, McStay and Joe have to stand up.

Winning contests inside 50 will win us a game. Winning only one in a half means more pain.

 

[lioninthesand]

They are REALLY emphasising that Pettraca is playing, like too enthusiastically. Either it means he's not playing, or some other players won't be and they're trying to use his profile to hide the attention.

He looked ok at yesterdays training, I’d say he plays. Won’t be 100% though. Risky.

 

[Squizz89]

Think most of us here have put the hand up for you mate. Need a big preseason. Get fit and hopefully can bounce back next year.

 

[lioninthesand]

My feelings throughout the year has been we are really focused on prepping for finals. That lead to some switching off at times during the season, and so on, but now we're here and this is everything.

Neale is one who lifts, Charles is another. Bailey and McCluggage showed they can. I'm hoping Starc and one or 2 of our talls can also.


I want Hippy/Daniher/McStay to just run into the center square or somewhere as soon as we have possession to take out may/lever. get free or make them leave their d50.

Last few times we've vsed them our i50 entries haven't been able to take care of them, so we need them just out and away.

If our focus was on prepping for finals whilst stumbling through the season playing average footy, to finish 6th as one of the worst defensive teams in the comp - I’d be very disappointed.

 

[mpal6]

Just saw they have given up over 90 points 3 times recently.

Their defensive status is overrated.

If we try and ‘pick holes through their web’ we will just be hemmed in again.

Gotter just go down the highway and not die wondering.

Chaos ball formula. Parker mentioned it in the post-match interview. Just kick it short or low, put the onus on the next player to mark it or provide a contest. Don't worry about if it'll come back in rebound, don't try to kick it high. Now this formula goes out of the window if its a wet game and all both sides keep trying is kick long.

Scrappy wet match will suit us fine as their skills will come down and potentially level up with us. Matho will love those conditions.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Tackle hard, surge the ball forward, run all game, take our chances, apply scoreboard pressure, keep our cool and we win.