The *constructive* criticism thread (no forward line talk)

[battye]

Our forward line problems are well documented in other threads, so lets use this to talk about other ways we should be improving.

I'll get the ball rolling... our tackling this year has been a real disappointment compared to last year. There were signs of it coming back tonight (I think we may have won the stat for the second time this year?), but in the third quarter it was poor. For something that was part of our trademark I can't believe it has diminished so quickly.

Next point...

[jonesy]

Our foot skills rival Richmonds

Next point

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

No just our footskills, but our general disposal has deteriorated.

We also need an alternative game plan as it appears that teams may have worked out how to counter the "Lyon Cage", as has shown in the last few weeks.

[saint66au]

I wont mention the forward line, but the delivery into it, which is just awful. If you are going to use blokes like Milne and McQualter as targets, the bell MUST be delivered low down. Asking small blokes to time and again try to mark full stretch over their heads whilst running full tilt is ludicrous. Put the ball at their chest, not 3 feet over their heads!

We looked slow, slow slow. not just leg speed but our refusal to run at all. The game plan of having 18 blokes inside defensive 50 is great except that noone is prepared to run, spread and create space when we do get it. Dinky lil kick, a string of 3m handpasses, then someone finds some space and theres no-one there, so is forced to switch sideways or to a contest in the corridor. If we have anyone capable of kicking in the afterburners and just bursting thru the centre, its clearly agasint the game plan right now to do so

[fingers]

There's just too much second guessing IMO. We attack the ball carrier with multiple players and as a result when we get the ball there are multiple in close handballs. Doesn't let the players find space.

I think some players in the backline have become too predictable in there switch kick across the ground. You can almost call it before it happens. We need to break that habit and start looking inside and occasionally move the ball much quicker.

This week we were better than the last 2 in moving the ball quickly. First 5 minutes of the last quarter for example. But we don't seem to do it often enough. We have become stale in our own game plan.

[dcstkfc]

This week we were better than the last 2 in moving the ball quickly. First 5 minutes of the last quarter for example. But we don't seem to do it often enough. We have become stale in our own game plan.

Yeah, that was scintillating stuff with Gardi up forward, but just wasn't enough of it.

[kalsaint]

Saome really good insight here in your responses.

I am a firm believer that we need to modify our game plan slightly to better use our current strengths.

We are not the fastest and have lost our confidence to drill the ball forwards quickly to key leading forwards.

I thnk we need to provide more protection to midfielders to enable cleaner clearances. We seem to suffer turnovers from the short handpasses alluded to earlier even after centre ball ups, particulalrly if Lenny is rested. The closeness of the opposition is achieved either by their speed ot their inside playing ability to lock in the ball. I see West Coast and Sydney being the latter.

The decision making of ball handlers needs to be quick and we need to provide protection to provide the time to make the best call to ensure we dont cough up the ball.

This week we play West Coast. They have a couple of good inside players and young Natanui is also a nuisance for opposition teams as he works well in the packs as well as outside. He provides the lure to the oppostion that makes other players more dangerous. We need to curtail that with some injection of pacy outsiders working in space or the Eagles forwards will get a birthday.

Goddard needs to be in the midfield and another leading forward needs promotion for a smaller slower forward. The remaining small forwards must apply the pressure of 2009 to be effective at Subiaco.

[SinCitySaint]

We need to be willing to take a risk.

Our best play tonight came at the start of the final quarter which was the only time for the whole game we elected to try to move the ball fast into the forward line through the middle.

We seem more determined to avoid losing than trying to win the game. Our game plan is so negetively structured as to make it almost impossible for our forwards to get on top.

[Bernard Shakey]

Our timing is off.

Last year we knew instinctively what to do and did it without having to think.

It appears to me that our timing is off, creating hesitation, and it only takes a split second to miss a target and create a turnover.