Deny the opposition the football. It is like the final 2 minute play in a game. Hard to score without the ball. Surely it's not rocket science. Keepings off, lead at the ball carrier where possible not sideways unless well in the clear, spread. Do not kick to a contest and give it up.

Deny, deny, deny.

Regards Cazzesman

I wonder if Vossy might eventually try the opposite. Our midfield bulls have been super this year but maybe getting some runners in there like Fisher for a burst or two would give the midfield a bit of a refresh. So that we can keep up with Rozee Butters types in second halves when Kennedy types start to slow down.

In the bigger picture we could always do with recruiting another pacy mid or two

Yep, when you are down 50 at half time, time is the pressure.
And the longer you have the ball, the less time they have.
I'd rather see 3rd quarter keepings off than giving them a look in and momentum.
You save energy too.

Deny the opposition the football. It is like the final 2 minute play in a game. Hard to score without the ball. Surely it's not rocket science. Keepings off, lead at the ball carrier where possible not sideways unless well in the clear, spread. Do not kick to a contest and give it up.

Deny, deny, deny.

Regards Cazzesman

very interesting stats... thanks Sidefx

I mentioned in another thread our issues with not getting players in motion, making space ahead of the ball and therefore the ball carrier needing to kick to a contest, but to add to this, our kick in system needs serious work.

Fix both of these and the repeat entries into our defensive 50 will be reduced, which in theory, should stop these runs.

Seems like this isn't hard to fix, both are simple training drills... which can be well... "drilled" into the players.

Go blues, I feel we are very close.

G

What about trying to force a second ball up, where the 6-6-6 wouldn't apply (admittedly it's not an attacking approach)

In the good (?) old days, you would start a fight and/or give away “professional” 15 metre penalties to slow the opposition down. Essendon** were great at doing it to us in the 80s.

I realise this is not a helpful contribution to the current discussion.

I can’t believe no-one has suggested “go the biff” yet.

Or a streaker as in the 1982 GF

In the good (?) old days, you would start a fight and/or give away “professional” 15 metre penalties to slow the opposition down. Essendon** were great at doing it to us in the 80s.

I realise this is not a helpful contribution to the current discussion.

Players aren't robots and like the rest of us, when under pressure we resort to what is safe.
It's reasonable to take risks and step outside your comfort zone when the stakes are low. Going for a risky 45 degree corridor kick or taking on a high risk/high reward option is a lot different early in the game or when you're 5 goals up.
When the opposition get a run on, they're no different that the get energy and belief, They chase harder, they communicate better and they definitely work harder offensively.
But let's not feel we are the only team that suffers momentum swings. As I posted elsewhere, the current premiers and best team in the AFL coughed up 6 goals in a row in Round 1. Last year, we gave up a lot of 5 goal runs. Without looking at the stats, I'd suggest we are far better this year.

The key is to analyse how the opposition are playing, how they have changed their structure and to have leaders who can adapt on field. Port would have looked at how GC exposed us through the corridor and went in with a plan to do the same. Fortunately our FD worked on it through the week and our zone protected the corridor well. We conceded the wide option and it threw out Ports planning.
It enabled us to get on top and to dominate them.
After half time they came out with a different strategy of switching the ball, moving our zone and they exposed holes in it. We couldn't adapt and their turnover game flourished and gave them belief and consequently momentum.
It will take time. The great sides have on field leaders who can adapt and impact strategically mid game/mid quarter. Watch Steven May and Jake Lever. They drive their team like a gaming console.
We're not that fortunate yet.

When the pressure was on Sunday, Weiters made as many errors as anyone. Or Cripps will try to do everything instead of trusting the system. Its takes time. But as each week goes by and another team challenges and exposes us, it gives the players real time learning opportunities. It gives the coaches game specific scenarios to teach and allows them to cater strategy specific drills at training to counter the options.
But it cant happen overnight. Basic tactics and strategies can take weeks or months to bed down. Go and watch a team train, whether it be AFL or lower levels and watch the drills. When the players are competent and confident, watch what happens when an extra footy or an extra defender is thrown into the drill. Most times it will deteriorate significantly. Because what is becoming instinctive now requires additional attention and the instinct is challenged.

So when our players have the game on their terms, they are world beaters. But when the opposition take it away from them or disrupt our flow. Like every other team, we must adapt and counter it. It's going to take time.
But look at the positives. Port closed to 2 points on Sunday before the half way mark of the last quarter. Yet we won the game.
We arrested some of their momentum, we found a way to score and our pressure rating increased. Once our players become proficient in adapting mid quarter, once they learn to understand the methods the opposition are implementing and once they instinctively understand as a collective how we can tactically counter it, we'll be a real contender.
It's a lot closer than it was this time last year. Every training session, every game review and every opportunity to play against finals sides are absolutely invaluable to us at the moment. Because we rightly view them as great learning opportunities.
Last year we went out and played a flaky game of footy. This year we are going out and practicing what we're learning. It's a huge difference. But it's rightly taking time. When you can see our deficiencies and can then see us come out with a countering strategy the following weeks, you know that we're finally learning to become a real team with an integrated game style with substance. That's the sweetest part of it all.
Just my opinion. Sorry for the long winded ramble.