The Bulldogs Bite
20-04-2008, 08:53 PM
Poor defence & a lack of skill is costing us at the moment. We almost lost to Essendon and were probably lucky they received a few injuries, and we managed to somehow escape what seemed to be an inevitable loss at the 20 minute mark of the last quarter today. Still - two points is not good enough, we really should've beaten Richmond by 4+ goals because we are a better football side. I thought I'd start up a new thread and concentrate on what I believe are two of our main problems.
Firstly;
Defence:
Alright - everybody knows that we are lacking in defence. Lake is a great defender but cannot be expected to perform at a game saving pace every single week. Morris is handy and a good player although I feel he's getting beaten a little too regularly for my liking lately. Either way, he's obviously a valuable player. Gilbee provides fantastic drive off half back and is the best kick in the competition. After this though - the problems begin. Wight, Hargrave & Callan really seem to struggle. Wight is OK in patches but he leaks too many goals to be considered a solid back. Hargrave is way too hot & cold - at his best he's got a good leap & spoil with great attacking instincts. However, today & quite often, he plays consistently from behind, gives away free kicks and turns the ball over. He's got height, he can run & kick & is capable of a good mark but he's not a defender and must be pushed further up the ground because he conceeds too many goals. Callan is tough and manages to find a bit of the ball, but his decision making & disposal are very poor. Seriously question whether or not he does more good for the team than harm. Often finds himself out of position and can sometimes give away silly free kicks.
To break it down;
Harris = Our best defender. Capable of playing on all sorts & shutting them down. Not the worst kick in the side but needs to improve his short passes.
Morris = Our best medium defender. Capable of playing the lockdown role, and is generally good in the air and on the ground. Average disposal.
Gilbee = Our best attacking defender. Capable of defending well too, but it's his precision and creativity that makes him such a valued player. Best HB in the league, IMO.
Wight = Average inconsistent player. Often gives away front position and can be out-muscled or beaten on the lead. At times has a decent reach & spoil, and he has aggression. Fumbles too much but can be creative going forward. Reality says he's OK in patches but still gives away too much and wouldn't be in our best 22. Average disposal.
Hargrave = Arguably the most frustrating player because he has some impressive qualities. He's got a good leap & he's a nice height, he can be handy in the air & good on ground level. Capable of taking them on and providing plenty of drive off half back. He's able to kick the ball 50m+ but on the flip side often gives away free kicks, gives away too many goals & makes poor decisions and thus makes skill errors. Needs to be pushed up the field. Inconsistent disposal.
Callan = Hard at it defender, but can we afford to have only that? Seems to find the ball a bit and relishes throwing his body into a contest, but his decision making is certainly questionable and his disposal is poor.
Overall 4/6 of those players are not the best at disposing of the ball. Hargrave is inconsistent, I didn't include him, but he does make too many mistakes. This has to be a real cause for concern. We're giving up FAR too many goals AND we haven't got enough skill to deliver the footy off half back. Ultimately this means that we're giving up goals frequently from our players getting beaten in general play, or if they do escape with the footy, they turn it over & create another chance for the opposition.
Is this a problem, and if it is, how can it be rectified? Options are moving up Hargrave up the field, perhaps encouraging Hudson to ruck & push back, whilst getting Williams & Everitt will hopefully improve the strength & disposal.
What are your thoughts/solutions?
Firstly;
Defence:
Alright - everybody knows that we are lacking in defence. Lake is a great defender but cannot be expected to perform at a game saving pace every single week. Morris is handy and a good player although I feel he's getting beaten a little too regularly for my liking lately. Either way, he's obviously a valuable player. Gilbee provides fantastic drive off half back and is the best kick in the competition. After this though - the problems begin. Wight, Hargrave & Callan really seem to struggle. Wight is OK in patches but he leaks too many goals to be considered a solid back. Hargrave is way too hot & cold - at his best he's got a good leap & spoil with great attacking instincts. However, today & quite often, he plays consistently from behind, gives away free kicks and turns the ball over. He's got height, he can run & kick & is capable of a good mark but he's not a defender and must be pushed further up the ground because he conceeds too many goals. Callan is tough and manages to find a bit of the ball, but his decision making & disposal are very poor. Seriously question whether or not he does more good for the team than harm. Often finds himself out of position and can sometimes give away silly free kicks.
To break it down;
Harris = Our best defender. Capable of playing on all sorts & shutting them down. Not the worst kick in the side but needs to improve his short passes.
Morris = Our best medium defender. Capable of playing the lockdown role, and is generally good in the air and on the ground. Average disposal.
Gilbee = Our best attacking defender. Capable of defending well too, but it's his precision and creativity that makes him such a valued player. Best HB in the league, IMO.
Wight = Average inconsistent player. Often gives away front position and can be out-muscled or beaten on the lead. At times has a decent reach & spoil, and he has aggression. Fumbles too much but can be creative going forward. Reality says he's OK in patches but still gives away too much and wouldn't be in our best 22. Average disposal.
Hargrave = Arguably the most frustrating player because he has some impressive qualities. He's got a good leap & he's a nice height, he can be handy in the air & good on ground level. Capable of taking them on and providing plenty of drive off half back. He's able to kick the ball 50m+ but on the flip side often gives away free kicks, gives away too many goals & makes poor decisions and thus makes skill errors. Needs to be pushed up the field. Inconsistent disposal.
Callan = Hard at it defender, but can we afford to have only that? Seems to find the ball a bit and relishes throwing his body into a contest, but his decision making is certainly questionable and his disposal is poor.
Overall 4/6 of those players are not the best at disposing of the ball. Hargrave is inconsistent, I didn't include him, but he does make too many mistakes. This has to be a real cause for concern. We're giving up FAR too many goals AND we haven't got enough skill to deliver the footy off half back. Ultimately this means that we're giving up goals frequently from our players getting beaten in general play, or if they do escape with the footy, they turn it over & create another chance for the opposition.
Is this a problem, and if it is, how can it be rectified? Options are moving up Hargrave up the field, perhaps encouraging Hudson to ruck & push back, whilst getting Williams & Everitt will hopefully improve the strength & disposal.
What are your thoughts/solutions?