When you need a goal...

[mjp]

Sadly attended the game yesterday to listen to the Freo crowd scream "BALL" for 3-hours...so enjoyable.

Anyway....

When you have 6 bazillion inside 50's and can't score that's a problem. But more to the point, when the ball is in your foward line for extended periods and you can't score...and the other end of the ground is as populated as the Gibson Desert...well, THEY are gonna score. And score they did.

We have scored some nice stoppage goals (from F50 stop) this year....but you can't do that when 32 players surround the ball. Open the game up. Pull them out. If the oppo want to leave 15 players in there, well - they are gonna have to chain it out and 8-10 players can pressure 15 in a confined space...

We had to kick 3-goals to win. We OWNED the footy and the territory. At no point (to be fair, I was sitting down the other end) did we look like scoring. Every time Freo exited it looked like not only MIGHT they score but they would PROBABLY score - and it was only some gross incompetence (aka DUMB) in terms of decision making that prevented them from doing so...kicking wide to the boundary when they had 1-v-1's in the corridor inside 50 was the main issue for anyone who cares.

I get we just want to keep it tight and grind out a goal at a time...but geez it's labour intensive. Pull some numbers away from the contest - provide some extra cover behind the ball...they might get it OUT but we *SHOULD* get it back and will be kicking back into a way more open space...Darcy is a good player but he can't outmark 4 players. Naughton is something but right now he needs some space to work in...there is NO SPACE!!!

Anyway. The final goal Freo got (the Reid one) happened right in front of me....there was space everywhere...Freo did nothing special...just a bit of mid craft + space = goal.

[kruder]

Just a thought but our ball movement looked great against noorrfff and we didn't win it at the source that day and lock it in...

[Bornadog]

I felt everytime Freo went forward they looked dangerous, but as you say it was like a desert down there which made our backs vulnerable. Treacy and Amiss (who had a shocker anyway) are very mobile, too mobile for Jones and Buku is not a KPD and should have been on Frederick

Naughton needs to stop wrestling with his opponent and lead more and get into space himself. If 4 players are up against Darcy, where the hell are their opponents? Our smalls also didn't take advantage of having 63 inside 50s.

Frustrating game that we should have won.

[GVGjr]

I felt everytime Freo went forward they looked dangerous, but as you say it was like a desert down there which made our backs vulnerable. Treacy and Amiss (who had a shocker anyway) are very mobile, too mobile for Jones and Buku is not a KPD and should have been on Frederick

Naughton needs to stop wrestling with his opponent and lead more and get into space himself. If 4 players are up against Darcy, where the hell are their opponents? Our smalls also didn't take advantage of having 63 inside 50s.

Frustrating game that we should have won.

Surely Buku wouldn't have been able to go with Frederick in terms of pace or mobility?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Sadly attended the game yesterday to listen to the Freo crowd scream "BALL" for 3-hours...so enjoyable.

Anyway....

When you have 6 bazillion inside 50's and can't score that's a problem. But more to the point, when the ball is in your foward line for extended periods and you can't score...and the other end of the ground is as populated as the Gibson Desert...well, THEY are gonna score. And score they did.

We have scored some nice stoppage goals (from F50 stop) this year....but you can't do that when 32 players surround the ball. Open the game up. Pull them out. If the oppo want to leave 15 players in there, well - they are gonna have to chain it out and 8-10 players can pressure 15 in a confined space...

We had to kick 3-goals to win. We OWNED the footy and the territory. At no point (to be fair, I was sitting down the other end) did we look like scoring. Every time Freo exited it looked like not only MIGHT they score but they would PROBABLY score - and it was only some gross incompetence (aka DUMB) in terms of decision making that prevented them from doing so...kicking wide to the boundary when they had 1-v-1's in the corridor inside 50 was the main issue for anyone who cares.

I get we just want to keep it tight and grind out a goal at a time...but geez it's labour intensive. Pull some numbers away from the contest - provide some extra cover behind the ball...they might get it OUT but we *SHOULD* get it back and will be kicking back into a way more open space...Darcy is a good player but he can't outmark 4 players. Naughton is something but right now he needs some space to work in...there is NO SPACE!!!

Anyway. The final goal Freo got (the Reid one) happened right in front of me....there was space everywhere...Freo did nothing special...just a bit of mid craft + space = goal.

This has been a problem of ours for a while now under Bevo. Surely the coaches know this. Why then do they keep doing it? Is it due to our lack of small pressuring forwards? We typically allow a very easy exit from our forward 50, although I think that's been improved so far this season.

[1eyedog]

Sadly attended the game yesterday to listen to the Freo crowd scream "BALL" for 3-hours...so enjoyable.

Anyway....

When you have 6 bazillion inside 50's and can't score that's a problem. But more to the point, when the ball is in your foward line for extended periods and you can't score...and the other end of the ground is as populated as the Gibson Desert...well, THEY are gonna score. And score they did.

We have scored some nice stoppage goals (from F50 stop) this year....but you can't do that when 32 players surround the ball. Open the game up. Pull them out. If the oppo want to leave 15 players in there, well - they are gonna have to chain it out and 8-10 players can pressure 15 in a confined space...

We had to kick 3-goals to win. We OWNED the footy and the territory. At no point (to be fair, I was sitting down the other end) did we look like scoring. Every time Freo exited it looked like not only MIGHT they score but they would PROBABLY score - and it was only some gross incompetence (aka DUMB) in terms of decision making that prevented them from doing so...kicking wide to the boundary when they had 1-v-1's in the corridor inside 50 was the main issue for anyone who cares.

I get we just want to keep it tight and grind out a goal at a time...but geez it's labour intensive. Pull some numbers away from the contest - provide some extra cover behind the ball...they might get it OUT but we *SHOULD* get it back and will be kicking back into a way more open space...Darcy is a good player but he can't outmark 4 players. Naughton is something but right now he needs some space to work in...there is NO SPACE!!!

Anyway. The final goal Freo got (the Reid one) happened right in front of me....there was space everywhere...Freo did nothing special...just a bit of mid craft + space = goal.

I read this post 3 years ago.

Tim was annilihated in the second quarter. Jackson can do that but I expected a bit more aggression from Tim but Ive also been saying that for 3 years as well.

[Happy Days]

Lobb coming forward to equalise was especially annoying. I love Rory (now) but even as agile for he is he was going to add nothing with the ball on the ground as much as it was.

I first heard “build a wall” when I was like 8 years old and I assume the players all did too. Just because we score 5 goals from forward stoppage when a midfield like Carlton’s doesn’t defend (too good why should they when they have Paddy “the big bull big man big dog Crippa” Cripps), it doesn’t mean it will work when the other team actually approaches a game thoughtfully.

[mjp]

This has been a problem of ours for a while now under Bevo. Surely the coaches know this. Why then do they keep doing it? Is it due to our lack of small pressuring forwards? We typically allow a very easy exit from our forward 50, although I think that's been improved so far this season.

To be fair, I don't think we allow an easy exit - most of the exits are hard earned. The problem is that if they get through, well, they're gonna score.

Our inside 50 count doesn't really describe the sheer amount of time the ball was inside our forward half but we NEVER looked like scoring...

[mjp]

I felt everytime Freo went forward they looked dangerous, but as you say it was like a desert down there which made our backs vulnerable. Treacy and Amiss (who had a shocker anyway) are very mobile, too mobile for Jones and Buku is not a KPD and should have been on Frederick.

That's all fair enough but if you want me to tell you who had what match-up I really couldn't. They were changing opponents very regularly AND try to stay within support distance...Buku spend time on Frederick, Jones spent time on Dudley....I don't know what to tell you.

At the ground, Buku made some skill errors but was pretty heart and soul the way he left his man to sprint 100m to cover a sliding winger on the fatside...it was a strong performance for the most part. The only time I saw the players frustrated with one another was the Bailey Dale/Gallagher one late where Dale blocked for Gallagher and gave him an easy exit but he fumbled the footy between his legs...that might have even been in the immediate lead-up to the Reid goal now I think about it...anyway, you could sense his frustration...

Naughton needs to stop wrestling with his opponent and lead more and get into space himself. If 4 players are up against Darcy, where the hell are their opponents? Our smalls also didn't take advantage of having 63 inside 50s.

West and McNeil were actually pretty good...they got their hands on the ball countless times but there really was no-way-out. Everyone was so 'high' that simple back-feed handballs were really not possible due to the numbers around the ball...then when we did connect it was like the players picked 'that moment' to try for an extra handball rather than having a shot on goal...it was one of those games where you wish you had a Milne or (especiially) Toby Greene as he 100% would have either drawn a free kick or got away the shot on goal.

Naughton didn't really seem to be wrestling much and generally had OK separation - but he doesn't seem to be able to jump right now so is closed down by the backs as the ball is entered...he's a funny watch right now - just seems very physically limited which is the antithesis of him as a player.

[Mofra]

So weird idea - Lobb can torpedo a ball 65m.

Can't go under it, can't go around it.... chip the ball around the 50m arc until Lobby can take a stupidly long shot?

Our try and release Dale for a Gilbee-special?

Surely a goal from stoppage isn't the only option through congestion. Even if it doesn't work we spread their defensive zone a little.

[Happy Days]

So weird idea - Lobb can torpedo a ball 65m.

Can't go under it, can't go around it.... chip the ball around the 50m arc until Lobby can take a stupidly long shot?

Our try and release Dale for a Gilbee-special?

Surely a goal from stoppage isn't the only option through congestion. Even if it doesn't work we spread their defensive zone a little.

I was screaming for this too. If they have that many numbers back then surely it’s worth trying to go over them.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

To be fair, I don't think we allow an easy exit - most of the exits are hard earned. The problem is that if they get through, well, they're gonna score.

Our inside 50 count doesn't really describe the sheer amount of time the ball was inside our forward half but we NEVER looked like scoring...

I don't think we have this season but in previous seasons we have. Largely due to our forwards bunching up for the same mark and then being too tall to pressure the resulting ground ball.

I agree our inside 50 stats have always been misleading. I only really watch bulldogs games but surely we must have the most difficultly in scoring given how much ball we win. It's both frustrating and stressful. Almost the opposite of the Eade era.

[Bornadog]

Naughton didn't really seem to be wrestling much and generally had OK separation - but he doesn't seem to be able to jump right now so is closed down by the backs as the ball is entered...he's a funny watch right now - just seems very physically limited which is the antithesis of him as a player.

One thing Bevo mentioned, we became too Darcy centric and kept looking for him instead of finding another avenue to goal. We need to fix this, especially as you say, when he is surrounded by defenders. Samething happened in the Collingwood match.

[Grantysghost]

I mentioned this in "the moment" thread.

Seriously we either have 0 footy IQ as a collective or the bang it in keep it in mantra is just so drilled they can think nothing else.

Game scenario training surely covered this particular type of defense.

We just had to move it around outside 50 and open up the lanes.

The very first play we switched it beautifully through Kennedy and Darcy ended up on it with a goal. That's the play.

[Stevo]

I felt everytime Freo went forward they looked dangerous, but as you say it was like a desert down there which made our backs vulnerable. Treacy and Amiss (who had a shocker anyway) are very mobile, too mobile for Jones and Buku is not a KPD and should have been on Frederick

Naughton needs to stop wrestling with his opponent and lead more and get into space himself. If 4 players are up against Darcy, where the hell are their opponents? Our smalls also didn't take advantage of having 63 inside 50s.

Frustrating game that we should have won.

Interesting observation, have you ever made that reference before?