Further to what the OP raised, it's clearly still the case. How do we play? What are we? What's our game plan? When Richo talks about overlooking Freeman because he isn't ready to 'play the way we want to play' - WTF is he talking about?
How do we play?? What are we actually trying to do?
18 months on from the OP, it's the same old, same old. Beat up pathetic teams - get flogged by good ones. To the untrained eye, we look like a shambles with no flow, rhythm or system, even when we win!
The stats still, 18 months on from this OP give no indication as to WTF we are as a team....
Stat | 2018 Ranking | 2017 Ranking |
---|---|---|
Disposals | 3rd | 3rd |
Cont. Possessions | 16th | 13th |
Effective Disposals | 2nd | 3rd |
Goals | 15th | 14th |
Points For | 14th | 12th |
Assists | 15th | 12th |
Inside 50s | 12th | 10th |
Marks Inside 50 | 13th | 4th |
Rebound 50s | 15th | 8th |
Tackles | 14th | 13th |
1%ers | 11th | 17th |
Clearances | 17th | 14th |
We're not 'strong' and a 'pressure' team, and weren't last year either based on the above. So this appears to be nothing more than a myth perpetuated by the club. We're rubbish in Clearances, Contested Possessions, Tackles and 1%ers.
We are also terrible at moving the ball forward, and were last year too. We were 10th for Inside 50s last year, 12th this year. And clearly when we do, even with Riewoldt making a big difference to the Marks Inside 50 stat last year, we couldn't score. Even last year when being in the Top 4 for this stat - we were still 12th for Points For! And 14th for Goals.
This biggest concern, is that we actually get the ball. And this is the damning part regarding our game plan, and our strategy. Top 4 for Disposals and Effective Disposals for the past 2 years - yet we've been 10th and 12 for Inside 50s.