Am I the only one to have noticed.....?

[Richter]

..... a marked change of strategy in the second half today?

We are now possessing the ball by hand FAR more than we have ever done in the last few years.

IMO this was a deliberate change due to the fact that by half time the game had gone. Lyon realises full way that we are on the slide and has decided to change the way we play. In the past he would have looked to lock the game down and flood the defence... he didn't tonight.....

.... he gets that we have become too Riewoldt focussed going forward and is looking for us to develop alternative ways to goal. Expect to see much more of this over the next few months as we add experience to some of the younger running players coming through - Smith (who was great tonight), Ledger, Cripps....

There is no doubt that this will lead to plenty more losses - but hey, the way we were going we were going to lose plenty anyway.... but this way we're developing a new game plan, and developing new young players too.

Sorry to sound optomistic, but I accepted after round 1 that we are gorn for the time being so have had plenty of time to get used to it. At least tonight I felt that we saw some important new developments and changes.

[suss]

What a disgraceful level of optimism...

But I totally agree. We've implemented a different game plan but it just isn't gelling. We need to give it time to stick. We need to be prepared to lose a few games before we win a lot.

It will also take time but we need to find the right personnel. The old guard just don't have the skills to pull this thing off. Winmar needs to play. Cripps needs to play. Ledger needs to play. Simpkin needs to play. We need players that can kick on both feet. We need players with flair. The new boys that played tonight must stay in the team.

Personally, I wrote off this year straight after GF2. There was no way the same team playing the same game plan was going to get a different result. That's not even considering the mental baggage. This is the year of change and preparation. New players, new game plan, new coaching staff...new ending...

I still firmly believe we have the best coach in the league and the best nucleus of top tier players but it's time to sow the seeds for success in 2012, 2013 and 2014. But we might be in for some short term pain as a consequence...it will be interesting to see who has spine for the journey...

[Richter]

.... it's time to sow the seeds for success in 2012, 2013 and 2014. But we might be in for some short term pain as a consequence...it will be interesting to see who has spine for the journey...

Listening to RL's presser he clearly understands where we're at. Stay the same with the same old same old..... or build for a different tomorrow. I trust that he will choose the latter.

It's easier for the likes of you and I to see positives as we have already accepted the need to move on. Plenty on here think they have, but are measuring tonight's rebuild strategy against the feats of the last two years.

Short term pain for longer term gain.

[seano1]

maybe it changed cause we couldnt hit a target by foot

[dcstkfc]

It's easier for the likes of you and I to see positives as we have already accepted the need to move on. Plenty on here think they have, but are measuring tonight's rebuild strategy against the feats of the last two years.

Short term pain for longer term gain.

Had Ross contemplated this might occur? Most certainly.

We failed 'The Challenge,' but we must ensure we don't fail the next challenge, the one to build for a brighter tomorrow.

[saint66au]

I want a flag before we rebuild

Geelong got two, Hawthorn got one, Collingwood got one..why cant we have one too?????

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

If our game plan is now to handball more then a premiership will be even further away.

It doenst take a rocket scientist to figure out that the quickest way to get the ball from A to B is to go LONG and DIRECT.

Forget zones, forget playing behind the ball, forget spare man in defence, forget running with the ball - lets go back to basics... 1 on 1, long kicking, direct football.

If players were meant to use the ball by hand, then why is it called FOOTball??

It's all your fault Barassi!!!

[clarky449]

I want a flag before we rebuild

Geelong got two, Hawthorn got one, Collingwood got one..why cant we have one too?????

I reckon, we are the saints we dont get that luck.

[desertsaint]

i thought ross's new plan was to kick more, kick longer, and more direct?
has he changed his mind? did he change mid-game?
what game plan did we try out in the preseason?

[Cro]

Geelong in the finals last year highlighted that over handballing will not win you games in modern football.

[bergholt]

Geelong in the finals last year highlighted that over handballing will not win you games in modern football.

seemed to work ok for them in the 2009 grand final.

[plugger66]

Am I the only one who noticed RL said he didnt want us to play that way.

[StNoodles]

Am I the only one who noticed RL said he didnt want us to play that way.

Exactly, abysmal was the adjective used I believe, to describe us handballing into the next wave of Essendon defenders.

[Dr Spaceman]

Am I the only one who noticed RL said he didnt want us to play that way.

Exactly, abysmal was the adjective used I believe, to describe us handballing into the next wave of Essendon defenders.

Players will naturally handball when they have the kicking skills of a dolphin!

[Statsman]

What's with Goddard continually handballing last night? He's the best kick in the competition, yet was favouring hot potato handballs over his usually sublime 60m kicks. Hopefully it's just a symptom of poor form and a lack of confidence and not a conscious decision to change his style.

[saintspremiers]

What's with Goddard continually handballing last night? He's the best kick in the competition, yet was favouring hot potato handballs over his usually sublime 60m kicks. Hopefully it's just a symptom of poor form and a lack of confidence and not a conscious decision to change his style.

May as well call BJ "Jellyhead" at the moment.

He's not his normal self, he's possessed by something.

Time for the whole team to see the shrink.

[StNoodles]

The goal BJ missed from 30 metres out, slight angle, had me very worried.

[Statsman]

We could do worse than sending BJ to full forward to kick a few goals and regain some confidence. Even an out-of-form jellyhead of BJ's calibre can't keep missing set shots from 20m out.

[borderbarry]

Some of our new tactics (Gamble) are not working. Send to Sandringham. Replace with Will Johnson, at least he will have a go.

[Dr Spaceman]

Some of our new tactics (Gamble) are not working. Send to Sandringham. Replace with Will Johnson, at least he will have a go.

Will's certainly putting his hand up and his attitude won't go unnoticed (nor his ability to actually kick a goal)

Well done to a guy most people thought we should have rookied rather than picked up in the National Draft. Given he did f... all last year he's obviously worked his butt off over summer.

[Richter]

maybe it changed cause we couldnt hit a target by foot

Or more likely didn't have targets by foot.

Last week we often seemed to stall when trying to move the ball forward of the midfield. We seemd unable to string any reasonable series of handballs together through the midfield.

Yesterday on a number of occasions when we kicked long and direct to tall targets, the ball came to ground and was easily rebounded by the Bombers.

Yesterday we did find our way through by hand a few times which led to goals, but we were unable to find players regularly by foot - either by short or long passes. What I'm not sure about is whether this is due to a deficiency in quality personnel in front of the ball (Gamble) and through the midfield (Ray, Peake), or whether this is due to the strategy of wanting to play with the extra man in defence - hence leaving us outnumbered going forward.

[Richter]

What's with Goddard continually handballing last night? He's the best kick in the competition, yet was favouring hot potato handballs over his usually sublime 60m kicks. Hopefully it's just a symptom of poor form and a lack of confidence and not a conscious decision to change his style.

I think it was as a consequence of finding the 'kick it to Roo' tactic mostly led to the ball coming to ground and then being rebounded by the Bombers.

We don't have enough players who can create space in front of the ball to become marking or handball targets.

Milne - was well held yesterday
Roo - works his socks off as usual
Kosi - out injured
Schneider - had a quiet first game back
Gamble - a good mark for his size and can create some space on the lead but not enough - offers next to nothing when the ball hits the ground: simply doesn't do enough of the things he does well to outweigh his negatives - I'd favour Mini over him, but really his spot should be taken by Lynch or Walsh as a developmental role, or for another running mid e.g. Ledger/Winmar/Cripps
Peake - a poor disposer by foot, though does get in to positions to receive running handballs
Ray - more of the link man from defence, doesn't do much going forward
Gram - soft at the contest, poor disposer by foot, however does receive the ball regularly as an outside receiver
McQualter - good tackler, good passer, but poor at making space on the lead or on the outside
Smith - a good debut - the one player in the first half to provide a link into the forward link - quick and can pass - created two goals in the 1st quarter by his speed of foot and accuracy of pass
Steven - surely his future lies in the centre of the ground not as a half-forward. Is an inside mid who needs time played in the middle to gain experience

[dcstkfc]

Some of our new tactics (Gamble) are not working. Send to Sandringham. Replace with Will Johnson, at least he will have a go.

Will's certainly putting his hand up and his attitude won't go unnoticed (nor his ability to actually kick a goal)

Well done to a guy most people thought we should have rookied rather than picked up in the National Draft. Given he did f... all last year he's obviously worked his butt off over summer.

+1 Credit to him, keep on working Willy J!

[avid]

Am I the only one who noticed RL said he didnt want us to play that way.

Exactly, abysmal was the adjective used I believe, to describe us handballing into the next wave of Essendon defenders.

Players will naturally handball when they have the kicking skills of a dolphin!

CJ has the handball skills of a dolphin too.

[gringo]

Bring in Willy J for sure, he is still making my most improved player on the list statement not look as stupid as it sounds. He was really looking like he could see the way forward in the preseason and has continued on from there. He is not just banging on the door he is ramming it with his head, the new Michael Barlow (without the injuries). Big statements are called for and I'm going to make them!