Our opponents next week: Sydney

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

Great article to read about our opponents:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/afl/leos-leap-of-faith-for-the-true-believers/2005/09/25/1127586746425.html

[dog town]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

Interesting changes to the team. McDougall in either as a replacement for someone who has pulled out, a possible match up for Goodes or to stretch them up forward. Power could be in specifically to play on O'Keefe. Faulkner is probably in for a little bit of bite around the packs. Its probably a good idea but I think some teams get sucked in to trying to scrap with Sydney. Realistically it is as much a test of our running/skillful players as it is our tough ball winners.

Basically the swans will score against you in 3 ways other than directly from centre clearances.

1) They will run the ball from defence with waves of runners and sometimes 10 or more handballs. This is when they are in all out attack mode and they generally do this when they feel they are controlling the game. They will draw players and then release the ball and carry the ball forward through sheer weight of numbers. I would like to see us not run at them unless we can stick a tackle and make them kick over us. Hopefully we can get the ball in enough space that we are able to hit targets going inside 50 so that they cannot hurt us on the rebound.

2) Another way they will score generally happens just when the opposition is getting on top. They will slow the game to a walk and slowly chip the ball forward. They will clear out space for each other and just keep hitting leading targets until they get close enough to spot up a target inside 50. It is incredibly effective at cutting out opposition run ons and we have to do something to counter it. The best way to do it is to not give them the ball to start with.

3) The last main way that they score against you comes about from their accountability. They are excellent at making the opposition cough the ball up by cutting off easy outlet options. They force you into a turnover and then spot up a pass inside 50 before you can push back.

Around the stoppages their tactics are fairly simple. They get as many numbers around the contest as possible and have their ruckmen tap the ball in very close giving the likes of Kirk, Bolton and co a chance to use their strengths. Stkilda did something interesting when they beat them. Sydney generally goes one on one and usually they will have good players like Kirk etc running with the oppositions good players and nullifying them in close. The saints took their guns away from the stoppages and cleared the stoppages right out because the swans all followed their opponents. I wonder how much Eade took note of this?

[Topdog]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

I really can't see us winning this game unfortunately. We are going to be missing our run out of the backline a lot and I think it was going to be our greatest strength against them and the 1 thing where we had a clear advantage against them.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

I really can't see us winning this game unfortunately. We are going to be missing our run out of the backline a lot and I think it was going to be our greatest strength against them and the 1 thing where we had a clear advantage against them.

I still rate our chances. It might be blind optimism but I think the Swans are very beatable.
It probably hinges on if Johnson and Darcy are limited by their injuries from last week.
A great test to see where we really are.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

I agree with you GVGjr - a winnable game. I was extremely confident till I saw our injuries, but even with those outs still believe we are a good chance.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

I think the creativity and spark that McMahon and Griffen provide would've been very handy today.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

I think the creativity and spark that McMahon and Griffen provide would've been very handy today.

I'll say. The run and drive that these two in particular can provide could have turned defence in attack for us. Bobby Murphy would have been hand as well but all in all we were outclassed.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

I think the creativity and spark that McMahon and Griffen provide would've been very handy today.

Agreed, they both were sorely missed out there today.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Our opponents next week: Sydney

Interesting changes to the team. McDougall in either as a replacement for someone who has pulled out, a possible match up for Goodes or to stretch them up forward. Power could be in specifically to play on O'Keefe. Faulkner is probably in for a little bit of bite around the packs. Its probably a good idea but I think some teams get sucked in to trying to scrap with Sydney. Realistically it is as much a test of our running/skillful players as it is our tough ball winners.

Basically the swans will score against you in 3 ways other than directly from centre clearances.

1) They will run the ball from defence with waves of runners and sometimes 10 or more handballs. This is when they are in all out attack mode and they generally do this when they feel they are controlling the game. They will draw players and then release the ball and carry the ball forward through sheer weight of numbers. I would like to see us not run at them unless we can stick a tackle and make them kick over us. Hopefully we can get the ball in enough space that we are able to hit targets going inside 50 so that they cannot hurt us on the rebound.

2) Another way they will score generally happens just when the opposition is getting on top. They will slow the game to a walk and slowly chip the ball forward. They will clear out space for each other and just keep hitting leading targets until they get close enough to spot up a target inside 50. It is incredibly effective at cutting out opposition run ons and we have to do something to counter it. The best way to do it is to not give them the ball to start with.

3) The last main way that they score against you comes about from their accountability. They are excellent at making the opposition cough the ball up by cutting off easy outlet options. They force you into a turnover and then spot up a pass inside 50 before you can push back.

Around the stoppages their tactics are fairly simple. They get as many numbers around the contest as possible and have their ruckmen tap the ball in very close giving the likes of Kirk, Bolton and co a chance to use their strengths. Stkilda did something interesting when they beat them. Sydney generally goes one on one and usually they will have good players like Kirk etc running with the oppositions good players and nullifying them in close. The saints took their guns away from the stoppages and cleared the stoppages right out because the swans all followed their opponents. I wonder how much Eade took note of this?

Wow DT. Nailed this one.