cortez wrote:
I hope and pray we are on the right track, I think we are, next season will tell the tale. But I just can't bear to go to any more games this year, sitting there with my head in my hands after yet another terrible stuff up, I've had it. I can't even watch them on TV, it's finally broken me. When I came home from the Freo game my wife said "stop going, stop doing this to yourself", I'm a slow learner. Year after year bemoaning our terrible kicking skills, when will it change? I've just had enough for this year. Roll on 2019.
It is more than difficult to watch. We all have our limits. I watched five-10 minutes of footage on tv and that was my limit, but within that ten minutes I saw an important point as raised by Gerard Healy, one of the best commentators in the game.
He said "I can't stand corralling" and that made me celebrate as that is something I have been thinking about for years. It is my NUMBER 1 pet hate of football today. Corralling.
The defender (I think it was Caleb Marchbank) had the option of tackling Roughhead or just corralling him near the boundary. The first option would have pressured him and made him either dispose the ball quickly and the second option gave Roughhead time to set up the kick he wanted.
Whoever is their tackling coach needs to be sacked. I looked at their other tackles...(admittedly in only 5-10 minutes of viewing) and it had no impact. Look at their hips, tackle them- if you get run around even after that, so be it. It is better than corralling a vacant space.
I think the lack of one on one footy makes them a non-physical type of team.
Look back 12 months.
Why did Carlton beat Hawthorn in 2017 - tackling was a big part of it. They pressured them. Even a small bloke like Pickett hammered Gunston. Smashing him to the ground when he tried to dodge him. It was morale lifting. He did another outstanding tackle later in same quarter. If a player of his size can do it-why not others?
Docherty- another great tackle 3rd quarter- around the hips, brought him to ground.
You can find 100 examples in the 3rd quarter alone. eg 1:10 left - Umpire calls play on. Curnow doesn't just "corrall" the space. He attacks the kicker, tackles him, brings him to ground. Gets a free kick. That is infectious. It adds to the intensity of a team.
It all begs the question -
What has happened to tackling in one year?
Other observations from the 2017 match.
Kerridge- his kicking skills are terrible. Not much has changed in 2018. Pressure acts-not great either in 2017 match.
Ciaran Byrne - has style. If he can come back fully fit could be important.
Silvagni - not effective. I hope things change in 2019.