Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

[lemmon]

One thing that really stands out when you watch our boys from up close is how sensational and clean our hands are in tight. It's not obvious until you see it at ground level but I don't think I've ever seen a team who has the ability to not only handle the ball in close as well as we do, but fire out the rapid handball and use it to create spread.

Obviously Libba and Bonti are two of the best handballers in the comp but across the ground as a whole it stands out, even guys like Hunter and Macrae who look as if they need time and space to be effective are vastly improved ball handlers in very heavy traffic.

Is it something we've trained differently to other clubs or has Dalrymple targeted kids with that trait - Bailey Williams has already displayed great poise in heavy traffic, and more importantly could it be the thing that sets us apart from GWS over the next 5 years?

There's no real way to stop it except to get hands on the ball first and it's such a great weapon to have in terms of creating scores from stoppages.

[Hotdog60]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

I think Adams is the opposite, his one person I would rather see kick it than handball.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

Dahl's hands this year for me have been sublime. This team has taken 'quick hands' to a new level this year, and even punching & tapping to advantage if they need to speed the process up.

I'd love someone to tell the umpires because blokes are wrongly getting done for throwing almost every week. Wally got done for throwing today wrongly.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

Another one who has brilliant hands in close is Caleb Daniel. He has that rare trait where the game seems to slow down when he has the ball in his hands. There's a little bit of Scott West and a little bit of Sam Mitchell about him.

[lemmon]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

I think Adams is the opposite, his one person I would rather see kick it than handball.

Kick long too, I reckon Bubba Smith has made it pretty clear to him that he none of his passes will be less than 40 metres.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

Another one who has brilliant hands in close is Caleb Daniel. He has that rare trait where the game seems to slow down when he has the ball in his hands. There's a little bit of Scott West and a little bit of Sam Mitchell about him.

Ha! 'Little' bit.

[Bornadog]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

I think Adams is the opposite, his one person I would rather see kick it than handball.

Me too, he is a shocker

[SonofScray]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

Fletcher Roberts was awesome today with his work in close, weaving through and getting a clean handball out of traffic.

[Twodogs]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

And it's hand balling while running at full speed in groups that's so clean.

[soupman]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

It obviously demonstrates great awareness and poise under pressure as we fire off 5 handballs in quick succession with and to guys with opponents right behind them. The thing that sets us apart is that unlike other teams we don't start panicking after the 3rd one under pressure and just keep methodically working the ball to space. We are also very good at the rapid fire catch and release within 1 second.

I'd love someone to tell the umpires because blokes are wrongly getting done for throwing almost every week. Wally got done for throwing today wrongly.

I'm never surprised when we actually get done for throwing: Wallis and Libba particularly regularly do the scoop off the ground to a teammate instead of an actual handball.

[lemmon]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

It surely is!

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

Pretty sure we are easily ranked #1 in Handballs over your head to a player behind you to advantage.

[Twodogs]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

Pretty sure we are easily ranked #1 in Handballs over your head to a player behind you to advantage.

From another player who only had the ball for a nanosecond.

[westdog54]

Re: Handballs in tight- our point of difference?

The Globetrotter handballs are not only devastatingly effective, they're damned fun to watch.