We're top of the ladder (in tackles)

[The bulldog tragician]

If it feels like our tackling is manic in intensity and that there are times the opposition can't get past a swarm of human clamps it's because of this stat. We are well on top of the ladder in tackles. It's the most obvious improvement in our game style, which is interesting as BMac was seen as a defensive coach. Our technique seems significantly better and the tackles really stick. It's a very exciting feature of the way we've been playing.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/f...ear=2015&sby=6

[boydogs]

I saw a stat that something like 70 of our 90 tackles in round 1 were in our forward 50. We're working very hard to lock the ball in and create turnovers. I wonder what the stats are on the percentage of our games played in our half of the ground

[bornadog]

The big difference is we are not gang tackling the opposition. Under Macca too many players tackled at once and when the ball spilled, there was no one there to grab the ball and the opposition just took it away. Now we go in one after the other and trap the ball in and other players are there to assist and take possession.

[PedroArvy]

The big difference is we are not gang tackling the opposition. Under Macca too many players tackled at once and when the ball spilled, there was no one there to grab the ball and the opposition just took it away. Now we go in one after the other and trap the ball in and other players are there to assist and take possession.

Great observation and not something I picked up on.

[bornadog]

Bonti also number one tackler in AFL with 20

[1eyedog]

Have more astute watchers noticed that we are setting up differently? We almost seem to be playing a one on one press where we are actually leading each individual opposition player into some kind of pattern but I have no idea what it is. I ask because I have never seen us, or any other team that I can remember, constantly in the right position to tackle so often. It's like we are denying the opposition of all options, especially by hand, and as BAD suggests we always have some one ready to tackle with someone ready to whisk it away.

[hujsh]

It's not just the number but the quality of the tackles that's impressive. So many situations where the opposition have the numbers but one of our blokes manage to wrap up the guy with the ball. Best case scenario for them is he wrestles his arms free enough to get a hand ball but by that point our numbers have arrived and if there's no turnover it's a ballup/50-50.

[LostDoggy]

Dare I say we are a tackling machine?