Is it the midfield, or our forwards?

[SydneySainter]

Our forwards don’t lead to advantage.

The rare occasion we take a mark inside 50, it’s contested.

Whereas Freo’s forwards were marking on the lead like it was going out of fashion.

Is the delivery to our forwards the issue, or do our forwards just not lead to advantage?

[Otiman]

yes

[B.M]

It’s our ball movement

From stoppage and from d50

We congest stoppage by rolling up two HFs because we don’t trust our midfield therefore it’s not spread from stoppage but generally hacked forward because of the numbers around the ball- we cannot come out of the front of stoppage

From d50 it’s either a backwards switch kick or a long down the line - both easy to defend.
Needs a 20m kick on the 45 to shift the angle then a run from behind handball receiver to get the ball moving. Use the stupid stand rule.

[Sainter_Dad]

We need - for the rest of the season - to instruct our mids four zones to kick to - allocate each zone to a leading forward and just kick it there - if the forward does not get to it - or at least make an effort - it is the forwards fault.

MAKE IT KNOWN

Give the mids certainty - make the forwards learn leading patterns.

It cant be worse than what we do now.

[bigcarl]

Last night there was hardly ever space for our forwards to lead into.

Our indirect, sluggish and uncertain ball movement allowed the Dockers time to crowd our forward line. They then scored with ease on the rebound into a wide open forward line.

Forwards need space in which to operate. Congestion is the enemy of scoring.

Ross needs to find ways to open up the forward line and it starts with better, quicker movement of the ball from the midfield and defence. If necessary, drop a number or two behind the ball to create some space.

[repta]

Both.
Midfield is left to too few or outside runners. It is an issue when your ruck is leading the clearances. Rowan is doing a great job. But it is him or nothing.

Our forwards aren't marking the ball.
With an average height of 6ft18 marking is it. We aren't going to win the ground ball.

King badly out of form. Can't mark above his head
Sharman and Caminiti aren't AFL standard.
Membrey is cooked
Phillipou has forgotten what the ball looks like.
Our aboriginal players are Wanganeens cousins and not Eddie-cyrils family (eg runners not goal kickers)
Higgins suspended and Buttler injured/out of form.
Owen's is lost in between roles.

[The_Dud]

90% midfield

[B.M]

Disagree

50/50

I saw the ball on turnovers coming from d50 or through the middle the forwards leading back towards goal

When all they had to do was a little hook lead and it would have been a little 30m pass and a shot from 40

[spert]

It's not like we have a great forward line waiting for a good midfield to come along and help them out- both are sh*thouse. I think the votes for the best players in the comp this season are mostly midfielders. Our forwards don't seem to know each other, and the mids are just static when the ball is there to be won.
I noticed in last night's game, how the midfielders just didn't go hard and offer an option for the defenders coming out of deep defence, causing slow ball movement/ transition.
Lyon and his mates need to get it sorted with who we have- it's not rocket science.

[sks023]

As far as I can tell our midfield is setup to try and negate rather than do anything constructive

I get that our midfield is not flash but they need to play with some freedom and dare

Coaches need to stepup and make proper use of what we have

[bigcarl]

As far as I can tell our midfield is setup to try and negate rather than do anything constructive

I get that our midfield is not flash but they need to play with some freedom and dare

Coaches need to stepup and make proper use of what we have

Crouch, Clark and Ross will make a difference and make us more competitive and I still don’t understand the reluctance to throw Owens into the clearance midfield.

But I saw a real contender Friday night in the Swans. We don’t have anyone like a Warner or Heaney. Absolute guns, who dominate on the ball and kick multiple goals. They’re not tasked with negating anyone. It’s on the opponent to worry about them.

[skeptic]

Has to be the midfield for mine.

Here’s what’s alarming to me…
King
Membrey
Owens
Caminati
Butler
Sharman
Higgins

All looked like capable forwards at one point or another last year.

With the exception of Higgins and noting Butler has missed with injury…
All of them have looked like liabilities all season.

That can’t be a coincidence and they can’t have all have just gotten worse.

No doubt fast ball movement is an issue… 90% IMO.

There is also something very weird about the set up this year. With the exception of Higgins, no one is leading

[seano1]

Have the time forwards are standing having a chin wag then our mids hang onto it waiting making sure our forwards have invited the backmen over to join in the conversation then its a nod to the mid kick it high up and we will try and outmark each other. Then if say King marks it he goes puts on his juggling acr while walking in to have a shot …..and wonders why he misses

[sks023]

Serrong, Fyfe and Bradshaw had 22 score involvements, while Steel, Windhager, Dow had 7
Steel is good enough to match it with most mids in the competition ,but to my eye it looks like he's back to tagging most weeks

[Bruce G McAbee]

We play like there's an offside rule in AFL.

[Scollop]

Or ...is it the game plan and coaching that is as much to blame as anything else

[spert]

As far as I can tell our midfield is setup to try and negate rather than do anything constructive

I get that our midfield is not flash but they need to play with some freedom and dare

Coaches need to stepup and make proper use of what we have

That's a real problem, but I don't think with Lyon's system, there is much room to play their natural game- it's a team with the yips.

[older saint]

mids.- General kicking skills are very poor and slow ball movement mean that the defence gets set and if they give something up it is 40 out on boundary. Aside from Nas, Sinclair and Hill ( who is very good or very poor) we do not have mids who are good kicks, Windy, Ross, Crouch, are hackers, Steele can be but doesn't drill his kicks , Marshall grabs and bombs. Ro was great last night but Jackson i think hurt us more out of the centre when he grabbed out of the ruck as he handballed and ran on to get it back

Forwards dont block well for each other and too often wait for the over the back rather than lead to the ball carrier.

I am sure the game plan isn't to play slow and all run to the same spot .