Team Mgmt. Talk about the makeup of our list - midfield balance, height profile, endurance runners

[citizen-erased]

Surprised by the negativity amongst all you Essendon fans while reading this thread. You smashed us in that first quarter, were well in the game for 2 and a half quarters and have one of the better young sides in the competition. With a midfield that has Merrett, Caldwell, Shiel, McGrath and Parish in it, one of the better young rucks as well, I think there's plenty ahead ......
I think you are much better placed than Geelong, Hawthorn, West Coast, Richmond, GWS, Freo, St Kilda, Collingwood, Adelaide for example.

Ever since you beat us in 01 its been a downward spiral.
We get no joy from the club

Yet, here we are still

 

[Seb78]

Shiel to come back in is handy.

But ultimately, it's time Pidgeon and Caldwell showed us what they've got. We are about to find out with more prominent roles in the midfield.

Could Perkins get more midfield minutes? Would be a nice change to get some size in there, alternating with Jakey. .

 

[Vander18]

That's true, I still think he did a decent job even under Berrys attention though. Very surprised the same thing wasn't done with Lachie to be honest. Thought the lack of putting someone to do a job on him was a big reason for the final result.

Not like Neale has won a Brownlow or anything…..fancy suggesting we do something to disrupt the other teams systems/structures.

Crazy talk.

 

[citizen-erased]

Make or break time for mcgrath as both a future leader and full time mid.
As Parish did last year when shiel went down....time to step up

get your own posts Cal!

The Bombers had Jordan Ridley rise to prominence in 2020 and Darcy Parish do the same in 2021. And now, with gun midfielder Zach Merrett set to miss up to eight weeks with a syndesmosis ankle injury, attention will turn to McGrath to fill his spot. McGrath has trained as a half-back and midfielder across the pre-season and spent some time forward on Saturday against the Lions. But with Merrett now set for an extended absence for the first time in his nine-year career, the Bombers will look to McGrath to take on more midfield prominence like Parish did last year when thrown more opportunities after early-season injuries

Nine things we learned: Time for this Bomber to be a star

Mitchell Lewis is a serious player and Carlton finally has the twin towers it dreamed of, plus more round two lessons

www.afl.com.au

 

[Ati Tude]

Could Perkins get more midfield minutes? Would be a nice change to get some size in there, alternating with Jakey. .

I think we need Perkins up forward. Class finisher. Especially without Snelling and Walla at the moment. He will definitely some chances though. Hit targets a couple of times too. Is very promising prospect.

 

[Goat Hird]

Leave Perkins where he is as he's doing well.

 

[faible]

Could Perkins get more midfield minutes? Would be a nice change to get some size in there, alternating with Jakey. .

Perkins doesn't have size in the way Jake does, he's taller than most of our mids but relies more on lateral movement than brute force through a stoppage.

Think he's good where he is for now, Caldwell getting more minutes on-ball, along with McGrath and/or Shiel should cover it for the time being.

Perkins is one of our more dangerous options in the forward half of the ground, don't want him getting bogged down in stoppages.

 

[BrunoV]

It's not the worst thing in the world if we take the opportunity to have a look at the balance in the middle, though I'm not sure how we do that.

I'm not sure Hobbs is ready.

 

[Lore]

Think Truck is on AFL360 tonight (Coaches Night)

ICYMI | Rutten on AFL 360 (March 28)

Senior coach Ben Rutten joins the AFL 360 desk for Coaches Night on Monday March 28.

www.essendonfc.com.au

• Hardwick there too (former colleague). Rutten looks a lot more relaxed, Hardwick arms crossed sitting tight.
• James Stewart = brain fade. Questions about "what is deliberate".
• Poor performance against Geelong. Responded more the way we want to show up against the Lions. Continuing to evolve, not the finished product.
• Midfield was stretched a little with Shiel pulling out, now we have to redesign a little bit with Merrett out as well.
• Is there more than one kind of syndesmosis? Some concern about that on the night but we were hoping it was minor. Scan revealed it needs surgery and a "tightrope put around it". 6-8 week injury. Last two minutes of the game, Cox and Zach both doing ankles, really unfortunate to be without him for a period of time.
• Hardwick talking about being excited to see what the kids can do when driving into the game, then got blown out of the park by Carlton's dominant midfield. Talking about his ruckmen and Cotchin leading from the middle this week after issues with stoppage execution and structure, which was a stern conversation on the Monday and "that's not what we do how we play" and the players responded (this sounds familiar).
• 6-6-6 is becoming more important and centre bounce is becoming more important, becoming one of the most important sources of scoring.
• Questions about Dustin Martin.
• Back to Rutten asking about tactics tagging Neale etc.
  • Rutten: "It's a great question and as a coaching group we're constantly discussing that. What are the pros and cons? Because there's always a cost whenever you make a move like that, to tag. What I would say is I'd like to continue to develop within our playing list, the ability to be able to do something like that whether it be a full blown tag or probably moreso the ability to close someone out at stoppage for a period of time. There's no guarantees that that works mind you, Lachie Neale it wasn't like he was a spare player, we had players on him and good players as well and some of our guys you know Darcy Parish got his fair share as well but there's no doubt Lachie is a star, he's one of the best players in the competition and he likes playing Essendon. I would like to develop amongst our team the ability to do that from time to time."
  • Robbo: "What is the cost Ben? I often hear coaches talk about 'its a system and if we make it 17 against 17 it's going to disrupt...' what is the major negative component of running a tagger or a cooler or stoppage man or a person who runs from stoppage to stoppage with a guy, how does that disrupt the team defence?"
  • Rutten: "Well I think that depends on your style, I mean there are teams that are more 1v1 so it's potentially a bit easier for teams to play a tagger or a run with role, other teams work on developing more of a system based game and the costs are if we play more of a designated tagger, then we don't play one of Parish, Shiel, Merrett, Stringer as well, so we've got to weigh that up, that's the potential cost. Some clubs are fortunate to have someone who can play in the midfield be a stopper but also be a really productive midfielder as well, so they're the things we're always weighing up, certainly the scoreboard plays an impact as well, at 3QT we were down by 22 points, stoppage had been a score source albeit an inaccurate one, and we're also trying to win the game as well, so we're weighing up do we take one of our prime movers out of stoppage when we actually need to try to score from either intercept or stoppage to try and win the game. So they're all the things we're trying to discuss as coaches and there is often no perfect, there's no right answer, that's why it's difficult."
  • Robbo asks Hardwick for his view: "Lachie Neale averages about 45 against us to be perfectly honest, he gets us every time. I reckon if we tag him he gets 30!" [Did you ever run with a tag?] "Very rarely, we might as Ben said might be around stoppages there might be certain players that we'll hit up at stoppages, but we tried with Cripps obviously against Carlton and it was ineffective, but you know the game when it's on the line on the weekend, the guy we wanted to keep an eye on is Whitfield, he's the guy off the back of stoppage who can win the game up and going from the back half. So there are certain players you can monitor and have influence over but then as Ben said there are certain situations where it becomes really detrimental to how you want to set up..." [Is that when you use the wingman? Pickett? Pressure? Do y ou use the wingman for that role?] "Probably not as much, there might be stages but generally you've got players that can come in and nullify, generally it's a high forward who can come in and nullify that guy off the back, but various sides have different avenues, it's probably an area where like Ben we haven't got a true formula we just find someone who is not playing that well that might be able to nullify the impact of a key player, if that makes sense."
• Gerard to Rutten: What does 0-2 mean to you? Not the ideal start for us but not losing any belief about we're not the finished product use the season to improve, that's the nature of the early part of the season, small sample size, figuring out what the best game style, line up looks like. We are aspiring to be like Geelong, Richmond, Melbourne and we're really hungry to be like those teams, and to play those teams early in the season is a great opportunity looking forward to playing them Melbourne is no bigger challenge or opportunity to get.
• Robbo reels off Petracca's stats, Rutten "and Oliver?" Robbo "oh he's not damaging but oh they're both damaging". (– argh, gonna mozz us!) What do you do about them? Rutten reiterated previous comments about tagging Neale, Petracca and Oliver are a team, if one is having a bad day he'll set the other one up to succeed.
• Questions about Buddy Franklin 1000 goals. Rutten played on him back in the day...
• COVID - West Coast lost a lot of players, we lost Nic Martin... Hardwick: We're in a better situation than the WA teams, presumably the same will happen to Freo feel a bit sorry for Simmo. Good for the young kids to get a chance but then you get a lot of competition in your own boys. Rutten talking about supplementary lists. Significant amount of our squad have had it so if it comes through again it shouldn't wipe out the whole team hopefully.
• Hird was at the GWS game, asking Dimma about it.
• Wanganeen being the sub as a debutant?? Rutten: a fan as much as a coach. Fairytale with Martin last week, not ideal for Tex. Also trying to pick the team best you can for that game, Tex had the option to play in the VFL game down at Geelong or be the AFL sub, and he wouldn't change a thing. Hardwick: why not change the rule so after half time you can put them on like a regular sub? Doesn't make sense to have a perfectly healthy player sitting there all game unable to impact.

 

[BrunoV]

Lore the only thing you missed from Ruttens interview was, ummm, ummmm ummmm.

God won't someone teach these people to speak properly.

I am amused by the reluctance to delve more deeply into tactics around stoppages.

There are 18 bloody players on the field. The game is played in about 50% of the field.

Can we really not find anyone to try to put the breaks on dominant players at stoppages?

If you can't, your system is wrong because it's not flexible and you're a sitting duck by the time finals come around.

 

[Mercurial89]

I am amused by the reluctance to delve more deeply into tactics around stoppages.

There are 18 bloody players on the field. The game is played in about 50% of the field.

Can we really not find anyone to try to put the breaks on dominant players at stoppages?

If you can't, your system is wrong because it's not flexible and you're a sitting duck by the time finals come around.

Rutten said himself he is keen to develop someone to add that capability to the side.
It's not being ignored, they didn't have a player they felt could do the job on the weekend that would provide a benefit to the team without taking more away from it.

Don't mistake not wanting to talk publicly about tactics as we don't have any. This is a fraternity that clings to naming a player only to then rule them out to eat up as much opposition time as they can. They ain't going to discuss actual tactics in public.

He has said they would like to have a player to do that, but we are a developing side and as it currently stands we are still finding which players are going to be a part of our best 22.
They have used Langford in the role previously, they have used stringer in a role where they sit him on the opposition best player at stoppages and then a handover occurs around the ground.

They do things, what has undoubtedly occured is they didn't have someone that they regularly turn to in the role in the best 22 on the weekend, they discussed doing something about Neale, it wasn't missed or not understood, they decided that they had the best chance of scoring was from stoppage so they wanted to be as attacking as they could be.

They didn't have a move to make on the weekend because we don't have a player like that on the side.
Shock horror a developing not top 4 side in the league is missing pieces and not complete yet.
Are we hanging the 2nd year coach for this?

And at the end of the day restricting Neale from having 41 and limiting him to 30 doesn't help us win the game.
We lost because we couldn't kick straight, our skills were shit and we made dumb mistakes (on top of Neale carving them up).

 

[yodellinhank]

Rutten said himself he is keen to develop someone to add that capability to the side.
It's not being ignored, they didn't have a player they felt could do the job on the weekend that would provide a benefit to the team without taking more away from it.

Don't mistake not wanting to talk publicly about tactics as we don't have any. This is a fraternity that clings to naming a player only to then rule them out to eat up as much opposition time as they can. They ain't going to discuss actual tactics in public.

He has said they would like to have a player to do that, but we are a developing side and as it currently stands we are still finding which players are going to be a part of our best 22.
They have used Langford in the role previously, they have used stringer in a role where they sit him on the opposition best player at stoppages and then a handover occurs around the ground.

They do things, what has undoubtedly occured is they didn't have someone that they regularly turn to in the role in the best 22 on the weekend, they discussed doing something about Neale, it wasn't missed or not understood, they decided that they had the best chance of scoring was from stoppage so they wanted to be as attacking as they could be.

They didn't have a move to make on the weekend because we don't have a player like that on the side.
Shock horror a developing not top 4 side in the league is missing pieces and not complete yet.
Are we hanging the 2nd year coach for this?

And at the end of the day restricting Neale from having 41 and limiting him to 30 doesn't help us win the game.
We lost because we couldn't kick straight, our skills were shit and we made dumb mistakes (on top of Neale carving them up).

So who are we developing for the role?

 

[faible]

So who are we developing for the role?

Langford has done it, Stringer has done it, some of the other mids might do it in the future.

Who would you have sent to Neale at centre bounces without taking away from our own ability to potentially win a clearance?

 

[yodellinhank]

Langford has done it, Stringer has done it, some of the other mids might do it in the future.

Who would you have sent to Neale at centre bounces without taking away from our own ability to potentially win a clearance?

Stringer isn't the future. The excuse is we're developing, so I ask who are we developing?

 

[faible]

Stringer isn't the future. The excuse is we're developing, so I ask who are we developing?

Didn’t want to answer the question?

Who in the 22 on Saturday would you have sent to centre bounces to tag Neale without compromising our ability to win clearances?

 

[yodellinhank]

Didn’t want to answer the question?

Who in the 22 on Saturday would you have sent to centre bounces to tag Neale without compromising our ability to win clearances?

I asked you the question.

 

[faible]

I asked you the question.

I’m not the coach, I don’t know exactly who they’d use in that role.

Probably not Merrett or Parish, they’ve used Stringer and Langford, neither of whom were really options (Langford not playing, Stringer only used sparingly at centre bounces this week).

Guys like Hobbs or Voss are potentially future midfielders, Voss has the physical traits to do it if he’s good enough to justify playing in the middle.

I’d investigate Shiel given he’s got a mature body, is pretty sturdy, and is good enough to genuinely be in the middle.

Now your turn?

 

[ant555]

So who are we developing for the role?

Maybe he is keen but we have not drafted him yet . Maybe it will be Voss. the only thing I do know is the last one could not kick.

 

[Mercurial89]

So who are we developing for the role?

Not sure

 

[yodellinhank]

I’m not the coach, I don’t know exactly who they’d use in that role.

Probably not Merrett or Parish, they’ve used Stringer and Langford, neither of whom were really options (Langford not playing, Stringer only used sparingly at centre bounces this week).

Guys like Hobbs or Voss are potentially future midfielders, Voss has the physical traits to do it if he’s good enough to justify playing in the middle.

I’d investigate Shiel given he’s got a mature body, is pretty sturdy, and is good enough to genuinely be in the middle.

Now your turn?

You're not getting it. My point of interest is this year's "oh, but we're developing" narrative everyone is going with. I'm keen to follow the progress of that, if that's what we're doing.

Maybe he is keen but we have not drafted him yet . Maybe it will be Voss. the only thing I do know is the last one could not kick.

Did they play Voss forward on the weekend? If it's a role they want they probably should've at least tried to draft one last year. Too busy taking 25 year olds?

 

[faible]

You're not getting it. My point of interest is this year's "oh, but we're developing" narrative everyone is going with. I'm keen to follow the progress of that, if that's what we're doing.

Did they play Voss forward on the weekend? If it's a role they want they probably should've at least tried to draft one last year. Too busy taking 25 year olds?

So you just want to have a sook? Not discuss anything, or form a coherent thought based on the coach literally saying it’s something they’d like to develop.

 

[Keystone agony]

No point having all of Mcgrath, Zerrett, Parish, Caldwell, Hobbs, Shiel along with another inside midfielder all in the same side. They dont all fit.

This isnt even considering Strigner or Perkins. Who yes have ability to play more forward but are probably more crucial in the middle right now in stringers case and in 12 months time Perkins case

Ie: If were targetting Brayshaw its as a wingman or we see Stringer mainly a forward

We did beat brisbane on expected scores. We just couldnt kick straight. We shouldve had the game dusted at quarter time

Imo a half back is starting to become important.

Hinds over rated. Heppells close to the end if not already there from what ive seen. Can Nik Cox sort out his kicking to become a half back or release Ridley/Redman into the role. Do we just play McGrath there

 

[Lore]

You're not getting it. My point of interest is this year's "oh, but we're developing" narrative everyone is going with. I'm keen to follow the progress of that, if that's what we're doing.

Did they play Voss forward on the weekend? If it's a role they want they probably should've at least tried to draft one last year. Too busy taking 25 year olds?

Per the AFL360 interview it’s not always having someone who specialises as a tagger, it’s having someone who can still impact a contest in their own right, only minimising impact where the opponent is most damaging.

There’s no need to stop Neale if he decides to run away from the contest and sit on the bench for example, only when he’s actually at a stoppage.

Hardwick mentioned that it’s often just anyone who is having a bad night, might be asked to do that since they’re not sacrificing their game much on that particular night anyway.

But there are times when it just doesn’t work too — Richmond tried to tag Cripps and achieved nothing except to turn it into a 17 v 18, and it can also be cutting off your nose to spite your face as well.

 

[Lore]

So you just want to have a sook? Not discuss anything, or form a coherent thought based on the coach literally saying it’s something they’d like to develop.

This is yodell, he likes to play devil’s advocate

 

[Beerfish]

This is yodell, he likes to play devil’s advocate

That's very kind of you.