Do we have a system to get the ball into our forward line?

[maverick]

It doesn't seem so.
Our forward line or back lines did not have a chance tonight because we had no system that worked through the middle.

[SaintWodonga]

I have been thinking all year we have being going too wide around the wings.

[esaint66]

I have been thinking all year we have being going too wide around the wings.

Yes exactly right, our use of getting the ball into the foward line tonight was absoloute s**t.

We kept kicking it to roo even when he was being well held by morris and we kicked it in way to high not letting us have a decent shot at a mark.

[SainterX]

Yeah we got a system.


Works like this.

Kick it around the centre, until the opposition flood back, then roost it in long and hope.

[nicko016]

The first quarter shows that we do have a system or at least a potential system. Win the ball out of the centre and kick it long and either take a grab or have crumbers waiting.

But a little pressure and this all goes out the window and were suddenly indirect, wide, making bad decisions, just bombing away and having poor execution.

[esaint66]

But a little pressure and this all goes out the window and were suddenly indirect, wide, making bad decisions, just bombing away and having poor execution.

Ive always said.

We cant handle pressure that well and we nevet try things in a game. Our coaches are balless.

And when we do finally try somethin its to little to late and if it doesnt work for 5 minutes we forget it and never try it again.

[nicko016]

Our forward line has no parrallel in terms of its ability to do a complete 180 degrees and go from absolutely brilliant to absolutely woeful. We clearly struggle when any pressure is applied and we need to sort it out because this inconsistency of the forward line is causing us serious problems.

[Sainterman]

Kick long and have/hope one of our "dominant forwards" can take the grab.

[jackal]

Kick long and have/hope one of our "dominant forwards" can take the grab.

This is exactly the wrong strategy and will not win like this

[bigcarl]

The first quarter shows that we do have a system or at least a potential system. Win the ball out of the centre and kick it long and either take a grab or have crumbers waiting.

But a little pressure and this all goes out the window and were suddenly indirect, wide, making bad decisions, just bombing away and having poor execution.

plus the fact that after quarter time we just couldn't get the pill down to our forwards. i can't recall any clean possessions by anyone after quarter time, such was the bulldogs' dominance

[Sainterman]

Kick long and have/hope one of our "dominant forwards" can take the grab.

This is exactly the wrong strategy and will not win like this

Agree, but thats what we do. Watching it makes me cringe.

[esaint66]

We have one of the most talented foward lines and they admittedly had a crap backline tonight. The reason why we were so well held - is we are so f****n predictable.

[saintsRrising]

We used to try and kick it to Roo and GTrain..

This season it has become kick it to Roo, Gtrain or Kosi...

Fine and dandy if they mark....but bites you badly if they don't.

Having two slows in GTrain and Kosi maks it easier for the opposition to rebound and also denies your midfield of support...and moreso in this current era of run and more run.

We looked better in the NAB Cup with 2 talls and the more mobile C gardiner who was able to run from HF to Hb to provide more midfield sipport and more links to the forward line.

Kosi and roo are often gettung in each other way...and they draw two defenders with them.

There are good reasons why over time that most forwad structures have revolved around two big forwards and not three.

[esaint66]

We used to try and kick it to Roo and GTrain..

This season it has become kick it to Roo, Gtrain or Kosi...

Fine and dandy if they mark....but bites you badly if they don't.

Having two slows in GTrain and Kosi maks it easier for the opposition to rebound and also denies your midfield of support...and moreso in this current era of run and more run.

We looked better in the NAB Cup with 2 talls and the more mobile C gardiner who was able to run from HF to Hb to provide more midfield sipport and more links to the forward line.

Kosi and roo are often gettung in each other way...and they draw two defenders with them.

There are good reasons why over time that most forwad structures have revolved around two big forwards and not three.

Sounds really cokcy and i know the club would never ever look into it, but maybe like the aussie cricket team we should rest one of our fowards depending on who and where we are playing.

IMO you cannot play with 3 big fowards and 2 small fowards with midfielders bring there men into the foward line on a midget sized ground like the dome.

[bigcarl]

There are good reasons why over time that most forward structures have revolved around two big forwards and not three

i know what you are getting at but i'm not sure it was really the forward set up that was the problem.

we showed how devastating it potentially can be in that first quarter but i can't remember us getting much of the ball anywhere after that.

the bulldogs just dominated and any delivery that we could manage into the forward 50 was haphazard and under extreme pressure.

however you might be right. perhaps we ought to give riewoldt a run on the wing for a while and see if that can shake things up a bit.

[Washedup]

know what you are getting at but i'm not sure it was really the forward set up that was the problem.

I agree. The problem was after qtr time we got smashed through the midfield. The tall forward line will only be successful if we move the ball quickly, and go direct before the opposition can get numbers back as happened in the first qtr. If we had of won the midfield last night and got it in quick i have no doubt that fwd line would have caused havoc

[maverick]

There are good reasons why over time that most forward structures have revolved around two big forwards and not three

i know what you are getting at but i'm not sure it was really the forward set up that was the problem.

we showed how devastating it potentially can be in that first quarter but i can't remember us getting much of the ball anywhere after that.

the bulldogs just dominated and any delivery that we could manage into the forward 50 was haphazard and under extreme pressure.

however you might be right. perhaps we ought to give riewoldt a run on the wing for a while and see if that can shake things up a bit.

I think it might have been the forward line set up.
They were running off half back setting the game up and killing us through the middle spotting up forwards like they were shelling peas.
I think the forward line set up and the mids making the wrong decisions running through the lines are our major problems.

[brown-coat]

Too 1-dimensional and predictable.

[Ice Wolf]

Is it just me or does Roo always seem to lead into his other forwards.

[saintsRrising]

There are good reasons why over time that most forward structures have revolved around two big forwards and not three

i know what you are getting at but i'm not sure it was really the forward set up that was the problem.

we showed how devastating it potentially can be in that first quarter but i can't remember us getting much of the ball anywhere after that.

the bulldogs just dominated and any delivery that we could manage into the forward 50 was haphazard and under extreme pressure.

however you might be right. perhaps we ought to give riewoldt a run on the wing for a while and see if that can shake things up a bit.

Yes we got smashed in the midfield....bigtime. Ball, Lenny and Schneider tried hard...but the rest of the midfield did not work hard enough.

Now back to my forward line point though...

3 big forwards mean LESS midfield support.

Playing an extra small or edium means one extra player that can run through the midfield...Kosi and Train are too slow to do it....and don't have the tanks.

Two big slow forwards also means that opponents rebound easier in from defence.

Contrast that to the NAB Cup with two big forwards supported by the mobile C Gardiner who effectively ran as an extra mid for much of the game from HF to HB.

[The Saintsational Man]

As I've said in a previous post.

We did have a game plan lastnight;

Plan (A) - Deliver the ball through the middle, deliever it to the 1 on 1 contests in our forward line, Kosi, Gehrig & Roo will tear it up allnight.

Eade switched to;

Plan (B) close up the run through the middle, slow down their run get players back to double their tall forwards, counter attack with a runner out wide, Josh Hill.

Ross Lyon switched to;

Plan (B)........
....
...
..
.

Oh sh*t there is no plan (B)

Simple as that.

[maverick]

There are good reasons why over time that most forward structures have revolved around two big forwards and not three

i know what you are getting at but i'm not sure it was really the forward set up that was the problem.

we showed how devastating it potentially can be in that first quarter but i can't remember us getting much of the ball anywhere after that.

the bulldogs just dominated and any delivery that we could manage into the forward 50 was haphazard and under extreme pressure.

however you might be right. perhaps we ought to give riewoldt a run on the wing for a while and see if that can shake things up a bit.

Yes we got smashed in the midfield....bigtime. Ball, Lenny and Schneider tried hard...but the rest of the midfield did not work hard enough.

Now back to my forward line point though...

3 big forwards mean LESS midfield support.

Playing an extra small or edium means one extra player that can run through the midfield...Kosi and Train are too slow to do it....and don't have the tanks.

Two big slow forwards also means that opponents rebound easier in from defence.

Contrast that to the NAB Cup with two big forwards supported by the mobile C Gardiner who effectively ran as an extra mid for much of the game from HF to HB.

Contrast that to the NAB Cup where G and Kosi pretty much didn't play in the same team. Don't reckon they can play in the same forward line. Too much the same.

[esaint66]

Is it just me or does Roo always seem to lead into his other forwards.

YES !! WTF is up with that.
i'd say where too crowded, the ground is too small & we have to many people flying for marks they shouldnt be.

[lefty]

Yeah we got a system.


Works like this.

Kick it around the centre, until the opposition flood back, then roost it in long and hope.

Thats about it right there.

I've been saying it all along. Play Kosi at Left Half Forward, Roo as Right Half forward and play G-Train at Full Forward. The kicker then has THREE options to kick to, and its not a massive pack of 6v6 hoping for a mark. Wake up Ross. There's no leads any more because we F*** around with little chips kicks out wide, then back into the middle, then the long bomb, pointless.

How can you expect G Train to flood back to the centre of the ground, sprint back into the square, and then try to lead? Everyone floods/runs back into our forward line once we get the ball because we have to wait as there is no one to kick to.

Tough times ahead Ross, I cant take more of this crap, its just another record playing of last year, esp against Collingwood....

[The_Dud]

The forward line isn't the problem, its the mid-field/gameplan that needs fixing