Centre Clearances

[hungry for a premiership]

The two biggest weakness in the team right now are 1.) Clearances from ball ups and stoppages generally, center clearnaces particularly, 2.) We look shaky down back, we look likely to leak easy goals to the opposition, far more so than under Lyon. Conversely, we look far more dangerous on the attack, our ball movement is faster and the center corridor is being used to better effect than previously.

If we hadn't been smacked continually from the center bounces by Port, particularly in the last quarter, we would've comfortably won that match. Whichever team got that crucial first clearance always looked likely to be able to score or at least lock the ball into their front half for a while and try to create oppurtunities. That's the one single thing caused us to lose that match, it wasn't the umpires, it wasn't poor kicking or skills or "getting used to the gameplan," it was getting comfortably beaten in the engine room:

PORT ADELAIDE ST.KILDA
154 CONTESTED POSSESSIONS 123
16 CONTESTED MARKS 11
46 CLEARANCES 27

Why are we so bad at center clearances? We've been getting hammered there for a year now. Ball, gone. Lenny, back. Dal, gets a few contested possessions but mainly an outside player. Monty, nothing. BJ, nothing. Peake, nothing. Ray, nothing. Jones? Armo? Jack? Whose not doing their job? We will not be able to compete with mid-tier teams let alone top 4 teams unless we improve the center clearance situation.

With the defense, this is less concerning and should be short term. The shakiness in defense, the vulnerability to goal leakage is to be expected as a natural result of the more attacking game plan. This should balance itself out eventually, ideally resulting in us conceding a few more goals per game whilst scoring quite a few more goals per game. Plus I really like the look of our personnel back there, to be honest, looks better without Dawson. Fisher, absolute gun, brick wall in defense. Dempster, solid, tough, composed, inscrutable. Cripps, speed, skill, attacking defender. Gilbert, ok, he makes some mistakes, but he makes up for it by doing a lot of good things, he is an A-Grade footballer. Throw in Gwilt. Throw in Simpkin. Throw in Macca as a spare man.


Where is the Hard-Ball improvement going to come from?

[vacuous space]

Dal, gets a few contested possessions but mainly an outside player.

I can understand opposition supporters saying things like this, but St Kilda supporters? The guy led the club in contested ball last year by a long shot. There have been years where he's beaten a healthy Lenny Hayes or Luke Ball in that area. He still manages to be one of the best users of the ball in footy despite winning a ton of contested ball. He's very much an inside player and a great one at that.

On top of which he had the most contested possessions of anybody on the ground. He led all St Kilda players in clearances. He deserves more respect.

[Teflon]

Agree re Dal - but the question is where is the centre square contested posession improvements going to come from???

[SainterK]

Agree re Dal - but the question is where is the centre square contested posession improvements going to come from???

Is the blame in the right place?

Not saying it's Bens fault, but what were the hitouts to advantage?

[Teflon]

Agree re Dal - but the question is where is the centre square contested posession improvements going to come from???

Is the blame in the right place?

Not saying it's Bens fault, but what were the hitouts to advantage?

certainly part of itbut around the stoppages sounds like we were secodn to the ball.....Watters mentioned it.

Ruck is hurting us no doubt - Bens great round ground.......just cant get first hands to em.

[ace]

McEvoy and Stanley are so bad in the ruck that our midfields only hope is to play to the oppoisitions ruck. When McEvoy occassionly gets his hands to the ball first he has no idea where his players are. He usually hits it direct to an opponent.

McEvoy and Stanley is the ruck you have when you don't have any ruckmen.

At least McEvoy takes marks but Stanley's efforts are so weak the ball seems to always spill.

[Buckets]

I actually thought that Ben was winning the tap outs. Problem was that our mids were always a step behind theirs when the ball dropped. More time is needed in training with the mids with Ben.

[ace]

I actually thought that Ben was winning the tap outs. Problem was that our mids were always a step behind theirs when the ball dropped. More time is needed in training with the mids with Ben.

But our mids are not roving to Ben they are trying to shark to the oppositions rucks.
If they rove to Ben they will be absolutely slaughtered because the opposition wins the ruck.

[Buckets]

I actually thought that Ben was winning the tap outs. Problem was that our mids were always a step behind theirs when the ball dropped. More time is needed in training with the mids with Ben.

But our mids are not roving to Ben they are trying to shark to the oppositions rucks.
If they rove to Ben they will be absolutely slaughtered because the opposition wins the ruck.

Well if he wins the tap out then our guys need to be in position! If they are prepared from him to continually lose the tap might as well put Milney in the ruck and not waste Ben's time!

[Sainter93]

Would have been nice to have Ledger today, could have really had an influence in the last quarter at the stoppages. Unfortunately we only had Ray with 2 touches.

[stkildajason3votes]

I actually thought that Ben was winning the tap outs. Problem was that our mids were always a step behind theirs when the ball dropped. More time is needed in training with the mids with Ben.

................Keep at it.....................

[cwrcyn]

Around the stoppages we lack players with breakaway speed, and our A graders then get back up from the likes of Armitage, Peake, Ray, etc.

Steven, Hayes, Montagna, and Dal Santo are good clearance players. Goddard plays a different role and is not a genuine clearance player. So,that's too few to rely on and they can't stay on the ground together the whole time, can they? Armitage has to go, replaced by Ledger or even Ross. Jones hangs on by the skin of his teeth.









.

[Sick Nal Danto]

Dal and Lenny did well but we had to many passengers today, Armo had no influence, Jones was just tagging, Steven didn't have his best game

In the end we had to carry too many