I'm starting this thread hoping to generate some actual footy discussion, instead of the "I hope we lose this week so Ratten gets sacked!" and "All our players sleep with the light on!" rubbish that's dominated TC lately...
I've been thinking about the way we play. A lot has been posted about our kick-ins, our tackling, our disposal and our forward structure. All valid issues for discussion - but I want to talk transitions....
What do I mean by transition?
Well, an old coach used to say that there is 3 stages in a game of footy - (1) when we have it; (2) when they have it; and (3) when it's in dispute.
I think a weakness of ours is that we don't make the transition between those stages effectively enough. These days, all players have to be able to contribute at each of these game stages. Gone are the days when a player could be all one way. And with the speed of the modern game, players need to switch from one to the other more quickly than ever...
From my (very) humble observations, we seem to be slower than the better teams at making position in a transition switch. When a turnover occurs, we often seem to be flat footed - in terms of making position to create an option when a teammate gets it AND in picking up an opponent (or getting into a defensive zone position) when the opposition gains possession AND in going in and getting it when it spills into dispute.
Possible reasons for this are:
a) mental lapses - maybe a bi-product of a young(ish) team, but we seem concerningly prone to dramatic dips in concentration levels;
b) laziness - 'nuff said;
c) lack of confidence in teammates - players could be reluctant to run hard away from their opponent to create an option if they don't have faith in their teammate to choose the right option and hit the target, or confidence that their teammates will help provide defensive cover if a turnover occurs;
d) selfishness - a self preservation instinct kicks in when things aren't going well (and when players are at the start of their careers), eg. "unrewarded running....what's in it for me?"..."I'm not really going to put my body on the line in this contest, but I'll make it look like I am"...."I don't want my man to get a kick, so I'll just stick close to him - doesn't matter what's happening in the game"...."I'll let my opponent run up the ground so that I'll be on my own if we get it back"...."My teammate has the ball, so it's his problem what he does with it"..."That's not my man, so I'm not going to pick him up" etc;
e) struggling with fitness and/or the pace of the game - again, a possible a bi-product of a developing side; and
f) poor coaching - as outsiders, I think it's very difficult for us to assess how much of our recent problems are the result of the coaching. I think good coaching can limit the problems of a)-e) above, but I'm also a believer in the
players taking the ultimate responsibility. Having said that, it's important that players understand and embrace a coach's gameplan.
I made the comment in the pre-game thread this week that one or two personnel changes won't make a difference. Our list has plenty of talent. The Carlton team that played on Saturday had plenty of talent. Sure, we could do with another quality key forward, another inside midfielder, another running HB with elite kicking skills....but what club ever has a perfect list? Premiership teams are the ones that combine talent with discipline, concentration, game awareness, durability, unselfishness and intensity. It takes YEARS for an AFL club to become as well-drilled as Geelong.
We have a long way to go, but I'm looking for subtle signs now that our players are learning to make quick transitions between the 3 game stages. That they are learning that they need to be INVOLVED at all times. That would be, for me, an indication that our players understand the game and what's happening out there. I'm sick of seeing Carlton players "game watching" while the opposition gets pro-active after a transition.
Has anyone else noticed this?
And do YOU have a pet hate or a specific area of our play that you're looking for us to improve in over the next 4 weeks?