Tackling - Mid Season Breakdown

[Devilhead]

Ok Ok it might be a bit simple however I feel these stats are a good indication as to our slight drop in form over the last 5 rounds

Tackle Count

Rnd 1 – Saints 74 Swans 57
Rnd 2 – Saints 88 Crows 56
Rnd 3 – Saints 69 Eagles 45
Rnd 4 – Saints 51 Dockers 55
Rnd 5 – Saints 72 Power 50
Rnd 6 – Saints 78 Bulldogs 52
Rnd 7 – Saints 66 Pies 60

Rnd 8 – Saints 58 Bombers 55
Rnd 9 – Saints 61 Lions 86
Rnd 10 – Saints 63 Demons 62
Rnd 11 – Saints 67 Kangas 68
Rnd 12 – Saints 67 Blues 72

Saints avge tackles first 7 rounds – 71.14
Opp. avge tackles first 7 rounds – 53.57
Avge win margin first 7 rounds – 58.4 pts

Saints avge tackles last 5 rounds – 63.2
Opp. avge tackles last 5 rounds – 68.6
Avge win margin last 5 rounds – 25.4 pts

Given that the our first 7 rounds average is comparable to our oppositions last 5 rounds average we have done extraordinarily well to keep winning given also that we have dropped our average quite considerably

What is worrying for me though is that it has been quite evident that the quality of our tackling has also dropped - lately there has been lots of missed tackles and tackles laid where the opposition has still been able to get a handpass away to advantage whereas in the first 7 rounds this did not happen

That said we are 12-0 and we can't do much more than that however this is just a bit of food for thought[/u]

[Armoooo]

I take that as a positive, expect those numbers to sky rocket come September, I just don't think we can keep up that intensity for 25 rounds straight...

[Saintschampions08]

I'm hoping the 6 days off during the midseason break will be a bit of a revitalizer.

[sunsaint]

so the question is
are the saints slacking off
or
are the opposition catching up?

I thought we would stamp our '09 tackling authority on carlton, but that didnt happen.

[thirty-seven!?]

If you really think about it, wat do you think the opposition coaches are saying to their teams before they play us????

Put the pressure on them, tackle hard and win the contested ball!!

I would be much more interested in seeing statistics showing how much of an increase in tackling our opposition has against us in comparison to their averages!
I would think it likely to be higher!

That is how teams have been playing us for the second half of the year so far! And much credit to the boys for 'finding a way to win', as Ross keeps saying!

Teams are going to come after us, and at the end of the day, the most important stat is:

WWWWWWWWWWWW

[degruch]

Ok Ok it might be a bit simple however I feel these stats are a good indication as to our slight drop in form over the last 5 rounds

Tackle Count

Rnd 1 – Saints 74 Swans 57
Rnd 2 – Saints 88 Crows 56
Rnd 3 – Saints 69 Eagles 45
Rnd 4 – Saints 51 Dockers 55
Rnd 5 – Saints 72 Power 50
Rnd 6 – Saints 78 Bulldogs 52
Rnd 7 – Saints 66 Pies 60

Rnd 8 – Saints 58 Bombers 55
Rnd 9 – Saints 61 Lions 86
Rnd 10 – Saints 63 Demons 62
Rnd 11 – Saints 67 Kangas 68
Rnd 12 – Saints 67 Blues 72

Saints avge tackles first 7 rounds – 71.14
Opp. avge tackles first 7 rounds – 53.57
Avge win margin first 7 rounds – 58.4 pts

Saints avge tackles last 5 rounds – 63.2
Opp. avge tackles last 5 rounds – 68.6
Avge win margin last 5 rounds – 25.4 pts

Just looks like we hit stiffer opposition in the last 5 rounds to me. Top 4 potentials in the Lions (at the time), Bombers and Blues, plus the Dees have been able to turn on some good footy. Also, post-Collingwood we've had short weeks.

[Thinline]

Doesn't that simply show that after five rounds other teams have had a look at a few videos and said 'get rid of the ball quickly at all costs'?

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Not quite on topic, but in line with the theme:

For years now, we've been able to expect Hayes and Ball to finish top 10 in the AFL in average tackles per game, and then a long drop off.

This year, on top of everything else he's done, Leigh Montagna has joined these two perennial's at the top of the AFL's tackle table. I've got serious suspicions that while Dal is the St Kilda touted Brownlow boy, much as Bartel went over the top of Gablett in '07, that Leigh Montagna will be the primary vote poller for the Saints.

[Sainter_Dad]

Doesn't that simply show that after five rounds other teams have had a look at a few videos and said 'get rid of the ball quickly at all costs'?

And hence we would need to look at effective disposals - for instance Melbourne's Davey could feel CJ breathing down his neck when he got the ball ad so kicked a hurried 20 metre backward 45 metre high kick - no tackle there - but plenty of upside for us.

As stated previously - we can look at all the stats we want to - the important one is:-
WWWWWWWWWWWW

[InkerSaint]

Yeah... I think that Monday night fixture really took the wind out of their sails.

Hoping the break has been enough to reset them for another 7-week run of domination! Should see us through to round 20 when we can eke out 28-point wins over Essendon, North and Melbourne.

Heh... it's nice to dream...

[vacuous space]

And hence we would need to look at effective disposals...

Carlton's disposal efficiency was very interesting. They beat us at the clearances, contested ball and tackles, but their ball use wasn't very good. They had a lot of handballs and played a very short style of game, but couldn't make it work. IMO, Carlton did all the hard stuff to win, but basic skill errors cost them the game.

[Sainter_Dad]

And hence we would need to look at effective disposals...

Carlton's disposal efficiency was very interesting. They beat us at the clearances, contested ball and tackles, but their ball use wasn't very good. They had a lot of handballs and played a very short style of game, but couldn't make it work. IMO, Carlton did all the hard stuff to win, but basic skill errors cost them the game.

Basic skill errors that have not been there except against St Kilda - it is no coincidence that teams have 'bad' days against us!!!

[aussiejones]

I think our tackles are not sticking like they were early on . Op players sliding through sometimes several attempts at tackling.

Also early on we often did front on tackles.

My other comment is that sometimes in the hb line our player would do a floating kick allowing time for the op to get to it or spoil.

[saintsRrising]

while there has bena slight drop in intensity I believe it is more:

* That opposition are now playing us differently having watch how we play and anlysed it.

* that out tackling and intensity took the opening teams by surpise. Team now expect and ahve reacted occordingly.

*That we are now "the hunted' with opposition teams lifting when we play them

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Another contributor is where teams are looking to construct the play from against us.

Look at the tape v Port or against Adelaide, and they're looking to start the run from deep in defense to beat the first line of the zone across CHB while we're committed to the 3/4 press... look at anyone Essendon onward, and they'll grant us the middle while they're still in their defensive 50, and either switch or handball to the run only once the first turnover doesn't go straight at the goals.

It's generally going to be harder to land tackles between the arcs, because there's simply more room for outlet players at the wider part of the ground and more corralling occurs.

Without the stats available, I'd bet the number of tackles inside forward 50 drops well above the general tackle rate from round 8 onward.

Which will make life interesting for Richmond, who regularly try and start their run from the goal side of their defensive 50. I'll happily predict that if we can top 75 tackles, we'll win by 60+, but while the commentary would doubtless call it effort, it would be because Richmond play into our hands.