Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

[Bornadog]

I was reading an article on the weekend about Clarkson at Hawthorn. (see here) He basically said in 2008 he created the Clarko Cluster which was a success, so he continued to use it in 2009. By 2009, every club had worked it out and Hawthorn were left behind.

For 2014, he will tinker with the game plan and create something different to be a step ahead. He cites a good example of Collingwood 's 2010 premiership year. They had a young team, they looked like they were going to create something big, but every other club came up with ways to beat their defensive style.

My question, is, will Macca look at our style of play and change things up in 2014, or will he stick with the past and hope that works for us, or will he try and emulate the two grand finalist style of play.

[Mofra]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

I don't think he has exposed much of a gameplan - still seems in teaching mode.
First 18 months - contested football
Second phase - working harder on the run & spread with contested football a non-negotiable.

Once contested football & our run & spread is developed, the next phase will determnine how we play when we are challengers.

[always right]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Macca has already stated that the coaching staff had identified how opposition teams were able to score pretty easily at times against us late last year and that has been one his clear focuses in the pre-season. Clearly he sees our gamestyle as a constant evolution.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Macca has already stated that the coaching staff had identified how opposition teams were able to score pretty easily at times against us late last year and that has been one his clear focuses in the pre-season. Clearly he sees our gamestyle as a constant evolution.

That makes sense, allowing it to be organic, a living developing thing rather than imposing an artificial structure on the team. Having said that, it is war out there and battles are won with the general's tactics, countering the day's opposition and offence being the best form of defence.
One tactic, not so much a game plan, that seemed to work for us late last season was contested possession. Carlton and others just could not match our intensity and were worried out of the contest. It is amazing that a young team was able to maintain that hardness right through to the second last game. The last game was a bit of a joke, both teams had little to give in the second half.

[Dazza]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

I actually thought the fact our outside work had improved a lot towards the end of the year got us some wins more so than the inside work.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Personally I think they went with the hardest aspect to teach first( you know what)
Outside run and quality ball movement on a consistent basis is next.

[Bornadog]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

i tend to agree with Clarkson, football is continually evolving and coaches have to try and be ahead of the game. I don't see Macca as that type of coach, but then again, he hasn't got the team to experiment with. (yet)

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Helps if you have someone to kick to! Crameri will help in this department.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Our poor disposal is still a major concern and whilst Macca is to be congratulated in the way he has turned us into a competitive unit through tough contested footy our lack of skill needs to be urgently addressed. Apart from Roughead our overhead marking is also deficient. Hopefully Crameri and Stringer will provide a lift in this department.
It would be good to study the foot skills of Hawthorn who IMO have stolen a march on the rest of the competition.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

i tend to agree with Clarkson, football is continually evolving and coaches have to try and be ahead of the game. I don't see Macca as that type of coach, but then again, he hasn't got the team to experiment with. (yet)

Based on what?

Time will tell but I am interested to know why you don't see him as somebody who can evolve and prosper with change. It's obviously a key ingredient to success and it's largely why Eade failed - he kept the same game plan throughout 05-2011 and it was well and truly expired after 09.

[Greystache]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Team's style will develop from season to season as the game evolves, but I don't see any point in trying to develop a revolutionary game plan for a team full of kids. With how fast things move from season to season a one off strategy eg. The cluster or the press, can give a team the edge, but only if that team had the maturity to be a contender anyway. I'd much prefer a team in the development phase concentrating on getting the fundamentals right, then when they reach the point of being in contention look to gain those extra few percent from a short term strategy. Anything else I see as trying to take short cuts and I've seen enough of that over the years.

It's about being able to balance the fundamentals with continuing to evolve and even get ahead of the curve. As TBB said, this is where Eade lost his way 2 years before he got moved on. As for McCartney I doubt he's even looking at that side of things yet, or at least not looking to start teaching it to his players.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

I wonder if any AFL coaches other than Malthouse, study older military tactics, like outflanking the enemy, exploiting prevailing weather, force concentation (concentrating a military force to bear overwhelming force against a portion of an enemy force), counter ambush drill or whatever. It makes sense, you know it does.

[Happy Days]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Does anyone else think that being the best contested ball/clearance side (or at least one of) should enable far stronger play across the board?

Maybe that's where he's heading with it. I don't think all the cards are on the table yet.

[ledge]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Team's style will develop from season to season as the game evolves, but I don't see any point in trying to develop a revolutionary game plan for a team full of kids. With how fast things move from season to season a one off strategy eg. The cluster or the press, can give a team the edge, but only if that team had the maturity to be a contender anyway. I'd much prefer a team in the development phase concentrating on getting the fundamentals right, then when they reach the point of being in contention look to gain those extra few percent from a short term strategy. Anything else I see as trying to take short cuts and I've seen enough of that over the years.

It's about being able to balance the fundamentals with continuing to evolve and even get ahead of the curve. As TBB said, this is where Eade lost his way 2 years before he got moved on. As for McCartney I doubt he's even looking at that side of things yet, or at least not looking to start teaching it to his players.

Don't forget the age factor in Eades last few years, a big influence on why we deteriated.

[Bornadog]

Re: Coaching tactics - will Macca change our game plan?

Based on what?

Time will tell but I am interested to know why you don't see him as somebody who can evolve and prosper with change.

Based on what I have seen to date - just an opinion and happy to be wrong.

It's obviously a key ingredient to success and it's largely why Eade failed - he kept the same game plan throughout 05-2011 and it was well and truly expired after 09.

Failed is a harsh word. Four finals campaigns makes him our most successful coach since 1954 - yes I know we didn't make it to the big dance.

If you want to debate Eade and his game plans that is a whole different thread, but I don't agree we stayed with the same for all those years. Eade is a master tactician and changed the face of football with the Flood in his early days then the running style with us. He adapted game plans to suit the opposition, but in the end we never had the cattle, or luck to go to the next step.