What was with the handballing tonight?

[ralphsmith]

At moments we were running in lines rugby style, handballing backwards.

It seems the players have been instructed to handball backwards at all costs.

Then a geelong player will grab the ball, and deliver a beautiful 40-50m pass to a team mate in the clear and goal, after our 20 consecutive handballs to nowhere.

Moral of the story.

We need players who can kick well, who possess football brains, who can punish opposition teams with sublime skills and nouse.

Now, where do we get these players?

[BigMart]

Especially goddard doing it...

Why would he want to kick...

It was a specific game plan......maybe to take our biggest weakness out of the equation...

But in reality, a stupid plan

[perfectionist]

The idea seemed to be be that a player, who was free, got the ball and then handballed it to a teammate who was manned. Maybe a test of character. Handball is OK. Geelong do it all the time, but the skill difference is huge.

[Bernard Shakey]

No complaints when we did it for the last five weeks.

[bigcarl]

Our guys seem to have lost the confidence to take risks of any sort.

The freewheeling Cats, however, were that much more direct that us with their use of the ball.

Unlike us. they actually back their teammates to win a contest.

IMO it's a confidence thing with us. If we can beat up a few teams at Telstra Dome we might get it back in time for 2012 ... our final shot at the flag for some time.

[Old Mate]

Cats pressure was good, our skills were poor. Simple.

[noreason41]

No complaints when we did it for the last five weeks.

Very nice comment. Consider why their were no complaints?

V Geelong: 183 kicks, 182 handballs
V Bulldogs: 203 kicks, 167 handballs
V Collingwood: 203 kicks, 155 handballs
V Fremantle: 188kicks, 169 handballs.

Spot the difference?

[True Blue Sainter]

No complaints when we did it for the last five weeks.

1) We were handballing much more than in the previous few weeks
2) Tonight, we were handballing to teammates in a worse position, often sideways or backwards and putting them under the pump
3) Last few weeks, we were handballing through the corridor, creating holes in the press of the opposition. Prime example is the Freo game.

[noreason41]

No complaints when we did it for the last five weeks.

1) We were handballing much more than in the previous few weeks
2) Tonight, we were handballing to teammates in a worse position, often sideways or backwards and putting them under the pump
3) Last few weeks, we were handballing through the corridor, creating holes in the press of the opposition. Prime example is the Freo game.

Against Freo, we got the ball in our defensive 50 and had numerous players all running forward, so we could handball to any of them going forward.

Tonight, we had 5 players behind the ball at every opportunity, and no one running forward. Can't handball or kick to no one (Though it would probably get us the same result as when we attempt to kick to anyone)

[clisaint]

It was like we were trying to implement the Cats 2010 game plan- the one that the filth press was designed to destroy. With every second club now implementing some version of the press, I'm not sure that's the way forward.

[Sainternist]

Are we becoming the new "handbag" team?

No complaints when we did it for the last five weeks.

I think generally people don't complain very much after a win, particularly this season.

[gringo]

We are playing an attacking game plan this year and are trying to develop quick movement around the boundary, teams pressure and you have to kick to a contest or hand ball backwards. I think we lost confidence in our forwards ability to win the marking contest and were waiting for leads that were too slow. Nick R is getting exposed with this new style of footy as it comes in too quick and he can't make ground in time. I think Kosi who is a more natural pack mark and Ben are going to get more goals with this game plan, but we need to reinvent Riewoldts game.

[ozrulestrace]

At one stage during yet another lost opportunity, it struck me it's like no-one wants to take responsibility and have a go at kicking a goal.

This is so frustrating as if you are a footballer of any worth, why would you not want to kick a goal especially when you are within the 50m arc.

For god's sake kick the goddamn ball, it won't bite.