Run & Spread

[Saintlester]

When you look at yesterday and the rest of the season thus far what really shows is the ability of other teams to hurt us with their gut run and spread with real pace and hard running, especially evident yesterday was the run from behind marking players to create space by likes of Birchall, Hodge and Gibson and the spread from stoppage by Rioli, Hill etc. Then they just dissected us with clinical finishing skills. We had players yesterday who would have looked like stars playing in the opposition side. It is easy to play when you are not chasing all day. Back to run point though our midfield looks slow and lumpy even when we get the footy. Jack Steven should be the guy spreading hard but appears to be getting ball inside. Maybe it's just how the game is going that causes this.

Do we need in next draft to acknowledge that we have inside mid covered reasonably well and recruit guys with genuine leg speed? Is there anybody who could play such a role in the short term(Markworth perhaps worth a shot)? Also who is going to be our Birchall with that gut run and super delivery. Is it Webster?

[BigMart]

Probably....

[bergholt]

I actually don't think it's speed, it's just about workrate. Lenny Hayes isn't close to being quick, but he's usually in the right place to make a tackle or get the ball.

Workrate is also the hardest thing for the kids to learn. At underage level they just have a run a bit from stoppage to stoppage, then break for goal when they get the ball in their hand. At senior level it's much more about constant gut running. Joey Montagna took four years to learn how to do it and now he's one of the best guys in the AFL at running from siren to siren.

But it could take four years for some of these guys to know what they need to do and be physically able to do it. I'd say the penny hasn't dropped yet for: Savage, Weller, Newnes, Milera, Siposs, Saunders, Webster, Ross, Curren, Wright, Dunell, Murdoch, Templeton, Acres, Markworth. Maybe some of them know what they have to do but don't have the body for it yet - Billings and Dunstan might be in this category. Armo's only just started to have the physical and mental capability to do it.

So I wouldn't worry too much about it straight away. I think everyone knows what needs to be done but it sometimes just takes time to get there. In two more years I have no doubt we'll be in a time of solid improvement.

[PJ]

Our mids got creamed. We had no run and were reactive all day. We need Hickey, Dunstan and Armo back to even start to get the middle organised but yes we need to identify runners. Templeton is one I'd try next year. Acres looks like he can handle the pace of the game - very impressive debut in an absolute flogging.

[spert]

Clarkson's tactics are pretty obvious- run hard to make an option, kick quickly to that option without fail, and immediately have the next option ready etc etc. Yesterday our guys just gave their opponents at least 10 metres room to move all day, instead of manning up and hassling the direct opponent- something the coach needs to sort out. you don't get first use of the ball if you are not near it.

[Bluthy]

When you look at yesterday and the rest of the season thus far what really shows is the ability of other teams to hurt us with their gut run and spread with real pace and hard running, especially evident yesterday was the run from behind marking players to create space by likes of Birchall, Hodge and Gibson and the spread from stoppage by Rioli, Hill etc. Then they just dissected us with clinical finishing skills. We had players yesterday who would have looked like stars playing in the opposition side. It is easy to play when you are not chasing all day. Back to run point though our midfield looks slow and lumpy even when we get the footy. Jack Steven should be the guy spreading hard but appears to be getting ball inside. Maybe it's just how the game is going that causes this.

Do we need in next draft to acknowledge that we have inside mid covered reasonably well and recruit guys with genuine leg speed? Is there anybody who could play such a role in the short term(Markworth perhaps worth a shot)? Also who is going to be our Birchall with that gut run and super delivery. Is it Webster?

Totally agree. The sports science is getting to the point where, using rotations, players can sprint all day pushing forward and then sprin back for cover. Its like having 2 players for the price of 1. They may drop rotations, but I think the game is going to go more in that direction. Speed and skill is what it is all about now. They can put bulk and muscle on any player now. I think our young players have been overworked. Combine that with the huge tanks and strengthened legs and players picked for speed and skill of Hawks and you have yesterdays disaster. Maybe this is a important slap in the face that will help focus our training and drafting.

[Cairnsman]

When you look at yesterday and the rest of the season thus far what really shows is the ability of other teams to hurt us with their gut run and spread with real pace and hard running, especially evident yesterday was the run from behind marking players to create space by likes of Birchall, Hodge and Gibson and the spread from stoppage by Rioli, Hill etc. Then they just dissected us with clinical finishing skills. We had players yesterday who would have looked like stars playing in the opposition side. It is easy to play when you are not chasing all day. Back to run point though our midfield looks slow and lumpy even when we get the footy. Jack Steven should be the guy spreading hard but appears to be getting ball inside. Maybe it's just how the game is going that causes this.

Do we need in next draft to acknowledge that we have inside mid covered reasonably well and recruit guys with genuine leg speed? Is there anybody who could play such a role in the short term(Markworth perhaps worth a shot)? Also who is going to be our Birchall with that gut run and super delivery. Is it Webster?

It's funny I reckon there were so many things wrong yesterday that it is very difficult for me to try and think about any one specific part of the game to deeply or analytically. I reckon our next game may give a clearer tell tale sign of what yesterday was all about.

[WellardSaint]

How many times did they have 8 free players forward of the ball?
Where was the saints opponent?
There were no saints within 50 metres.
Hey, I'm only going off the TV, but why are they able to run free with zero pressure?

[WellardSaint]

It looked just like circle work for the Hawks, all game.
Saints were the witches hats.
Was there a flu or something going through the club?

[ShanghaiSaint]

i agree, run and spread creating options is what we dont do enough and what the harks cats port do very well. i think these teams are playing this why to open up conjestion that has crept in with zoneing floods.

we need to spread a lot more.. and SPEND WEEKS WORJ=KING ON OUR BASIC SKILLS. KICKING AND HANDBALLING...WHE'RE SO FAR BEHIND.

[Con Gorozidis]

The Hawks run and spread (and kicking ) is absolutely brilliant - but one of the reasons they all take off ahead of the ball is they are 99% sure their man in the contest will win the contest and then get it fwd. So the trick is to win the contested ball first and foremost with quality players - and they do this the majority of the time. This is why they make guys like Savage look better than they really are.

[Goose is king]

And in making guys like Savage look good they can move them on to other clubs as the steak knives and lose nothing

[SainterK]

Our mids got creamed. We had no run and were reactive all day. We need Hickey, Dunstan and Armo back to even start to get the middle organised but yes we need to identify runners. Templeton is one I'd try next year. Acres looks like he can handle the pace of the game - very impressive debut in an absolute flogging.

I agree with this.

Hickey/Steven/Armo were forming a great synergy, the amount of times he was palming it down to them and they were bursting out of the centre.

It's just a same that its at to be shelved due to injuries.