If Half-Backers are the new mids...

[mjp]

With Wanganeen-Milera and Sinclair racking up 60-touches/2-goals between them every week and really driving the Saints ball-movement, what's our plan to handle these 'type' of teams.

This week we have the Lions and Zorko is gonna do his thing. Wilmot seems to be joining the party with 20+ last week and Ah Chee spending time the week before vs Geelong whilst he was given a shutdown role on Stengle.

So...how are we going to do this? It makes no sense to worry about the midfield battle if kickers the quality of Zorko and Sinclair (and of course, Bailey Dale) are allowed to do their thing behind the footy. West has developed a pretty unique capability to both attack and defend over the past couple of seasons (defend a PLAYER, not just exit cover the way McNeil and VDM play the role) and I am curious how everyone thinks we're going to try and handle these 'two-headed half-back' teams where defending is just a small part of what the players do.

If we are going to beat the Lions, Zorko and Wilmot need to be held to < 40 combined possessions...how are we going to do that?? And to double down on my point, how are we going to do that when we're rolling first year players (first GAME players) through these key high forward positions.

[Happy Days]

These guys *feel* so easy to stop. They work overtime to get nothing ball and yet they’re so damaging with it. Teams maybe like 1 in 5 times stop the 1-2 from full back, seem to stop it easily at that, yet when they don’t do it the kicking in team gets a free 100m of field.

The singular “defensive forward” seems to have gone out of vogue for having a bunch of little sickos retaining the ball and pressuring every exit instead of just the ones from the guys who are good. Is it that simple that a tag cooks the rest of the system? Do teams not really value the good players getting the ball inside d50? If not, why? Like you’ve said, St Kilda are killing teams with it and Adelaide let Max Holmes cut them up with free ball leaving full back last night.

Personally I would just sit on Zorko and try to suck him into fighting someone.

[mighty_west]

You almost need to play taggers on them, West as you mentioned mjp is one ideal option because he can go both ways, defend first but also attack, quite often teams tag Bailey Dale for the same reason to take his run and pin point passing out of the game, it's a pity VDM is out because he could have sat on Zorko by playing a full shut down role but at the same time, annoy the living crap out of him which he does well, this week i'm probably going West on Zorko and McNeil or Harmes on Wilmot and at least try and nullify both.

Another way around them is to clean up our delivery into the forward line and our forwards spreading out more, really need Naughton to run to the wings more often to get himself into the game, but also create that link and take his opponent out of the score zone to give big Darce and JOD at times more of a chance, we need to make it easier for ourselves to score by less clutter in our forward half.

[Mofra]

If we are going to beat the Lions, Zorko and Wilmot need to be held to < 40 combined possessions...how are we going to do that?? And to double down on my point, how are we going to do that when we're rolling first year players (first GAME players) through these key high forward positions.

Under 20(ish) each? That's... tough.

Especially when you consider we may well roll Davidson forward this week... with Dolan and Hynes. I'm not sure we just "kick over them' either with Andrews and Payne back there.

Is this a week to perhaps attack wide? We already seem a 'repeat stoppage' team and wider entries mean we isolate one of them at least.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Yes that's the way the game is evolving, like quarter backs, launch.

[BontlowSzn]

It astounds me why Dale doesn't cop a really hard tag every week. When he does we clearly struggle with ball movement.

Zorko absolutely deserves some attention this week. Cant afford to allow him to roam around and get easy footy.

[Bornadog]

It astounds me why Dale doesn't cop a really hard tag every week. When he does we clearly struggle with ball movement.

Zorko absolutely deserves some attention this week. Cant afford to allow him to roam around and get easy footy.

I would have West on Zorko

[GVGjr]

I would have West on Zorko

Good suggestion.

[azabob]

mjp, forget the opposition how can we get our run and attack out of defence up and running? Whilst balancing not turning over the footy.

[mjp]

mjp, forget the opposition how can we get our run and attack out of defence up and running, whilst balancing turning to the footy over?

Hey - I don't quite understand the last part of the question. Are you asking how to balance run and attack with the 'risk' of turnover?

If that's what you are asking, well...there kind of isn't a balance.

1/. You have your plan for ball-movement. For us it is primarily move the ball to the 'outlet' (call it what you will) kind of on the defensive corner of the square.
2/. From their, we seem to have a few options set up:
- Priority #1 is a running receive from a d50 runner to try and cut the oppo open...it is hard for defenders to get in position to intercept when a player is running with the footy vs kicking from a spot.
- Priority #2 is a 45-degree kick into the corridor
- Priority #3 seems to be a lane switch into an outside 45-degree kick (so a 2-part move - lateral to lane 3 then long into lane 4)
- Last priority seems to be long to Tim with numbers front (mids) and behind (small forwards) to force a stop.

I mean, obviously there is risk with ALL of these options - but the kick is 'the kick'. If it's on - hit it. It shouldn't be a question - execute your skills. If it's not on, well...next option.

Even the LDL option is a risk because we could get outmarked. we could lose ground ball...it's really the only option where we aren't kicking it to a team-mate...we're kicking it AT a team-mate.

Don't make basic skill errors is probably the answer - which is a crap answer of course...but what else can you say. Some players decision making is limited by their kicking skills (I can't hit that therefore that player 10m in space is not even part of my thought process) but it's been like that throughout the history of the game...

[azabob]

Thanks mjp. You got what I was trying to ask.

Would you put either Freijah or Richards back to defence to support Dale?

[mjp]

Thanks mjp. You got what I was trying to ask.

Would you put either Freijah or Richards back to defence to support Dale?

I don't think moving Freijah to the mids was ever a great plan...he's still learning and should settle at half-back.

We 100% need multiple kickers from back there. To be fair, Lobb is a good kicking option but when you've got your hands full with an opponent, it makes it hard. The JJ idea isn't terrible with one problem - JJ has never really been a great kick.