bondiblue wrote:
Blue Vain wrote:
I agree Bondi that Ed has been a great tagger but let's not undervalue the job Kennedy did on Adams last week.
He was disciplined and smart by negating Adams' ability to get to the ball and then Kennedy won more than his own share of it. It was an effort that most of our other mids should take notice of. He should get first crack at Cunnington this week. Plus his size will make it a decent match up.
Simpkin is the other midfield problem. He's winning heaps of ball and he's a good runner. Perhaps let him and Walsh go head to head and monitor it.
Goldstein will be our biggest headache. He's playing great footy and he always performs well against us.
Game style will be interesting. I've really liked our strategies over the past month. I don't know if it's the influence of Luke Power, if the assistants are getting more input or Teague has wised up but whatever the case, we're playing much better footy.
Our defensive mechanisms are far better (defensive communication, connection and willingness, getting back to assist the defence and in turn, giving our running defenders more opportunity), we are not being so one dimensional with our forward entries (it's not Harry or nothing), our contest work is far smarter (players are now pairing off outside the stoppages instead of everyone going in for the ball, finally!)
The one improvement I want to see is not going back to the old ways because Cripps comes back. We saw last week how using better runners in the middle improves our midfield. That shouldn't change this week. Short, sharp midfield rotations so the 2 way workrate can be maintained. Cripps come into a midfield rotation. He doesn't overwhelm it.
As I've said, I don't want Teague to be sacked. I just want him to be more flexible and contemporary in his approach. Over the past month, we've finally seen it come out. It has to continue.
This will be a huge challenge for us. North always match up well on us. There contested stuff is very good.
Let's see if the coaches hold their nerve and don't go back to looking for individual saviours instead of staying the recent course.
Well thought out post BV.
Kennedy's return to the team has produced 5 really good games, even in the losses against Eagles and Cats (we should've won).
He's proven himself as a mainstay of the midfield group. Kennedy is 5cm taller and probably slightly heavier than Cunington, so he matches up well.
Quote:
Short, sharp midfield rotations so the 2 way work rate can be maintained. Cripps come into a midfield rotation. He doesn't overwhelm it.
THIS.
Really poignant that Cripps doesn't overwhelm. I like that word. He needs to compliment. They all do.
Agree Walsh and Simpkin go head to head.
I like Ed's running role on the wing. You didn't mention Ed's role other than allude to no need to tag to start with, and let Kennedy go head to head with Cunington. Leave Ed on a wing?
Ed had an interesting role on the weekend against Collingwood, Bondi. He didn't play wing, nor did he go into the midfield.
He played a half forward role as a part of a seemingly restructured forward strategy that doesn't rely solely on Harry.
Between Ed, JSOS and Jack Martin, they took 25 marks. Without attending the game, it appeared Ed was used as an outlet kick from the back half. Due to his hard running capabilities.
He also blocked off the switch kicks and 45 degree short kicks into the corridor. He rarely pushed up into stoppages except in the forward 50, instead covering the Pies defenders and not allowing them to run off for the handball.
To my eyes, it was another case of the coaches employing strategies that are significantly different to how we've played the first 2 years under Teague. Too often we have used a Harry or nothing strategy going forward. Now, (like last week in the midfield), we are sharing the load and we're much better for it. We're less predictable (which makes us harder to defend) and we're increasing our avenues to goal. Ed was playing to his strengths. He ran hard, created space and put us inside 50. (7 inside 50's, a game high)
So in the past few weeks, our team defensive structure and application has significantly improved, our forward structure has significantly changed/improved and due to injury, our midfield set up changed completely. (for the better)
All major changes and all significant improvements. My only question is, where the @#$%&! was this in the previous 50 games?
If the current trend continues, Teague has greatly improved his chances of keeping his job. Not because of win/loss but because of how we're structured. The job for the review panel is to see how and from who the changes have occurred.
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