What is wrong with our midfield? The Age

[kosifantutti]

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/wha ... 57nnt.html

[bigcarl]

We've lacked creativity in the middle without Gresham and (for much of the season) Marshall and Ryder.

What happened to the Hunter Clark experiment? He seems to have been shunted back to HBF.

We need some playmakers where the ball is and I don't see m(any).

[saynta]

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/wha ... 57nnt.html

The article tells us nothing we don't know ffs.

[Yorkeys]

and the Coaches go: they lack tap nourishment. Hunger makes you fumble, just surprised when the ball actually comes their way. Have trouble thinking on their feet a bit. Might try just standing next to Tom Morris. Thinking about kicking it forward as a first option but sharing out handballs to covered teammates brings more players into the game, if you don't worry about the forwards getting a crack. Otherwise all good. Starting formation excellent.

[Impatient Sainter]

I just read the article its a really fair view of where we are at. What concerns me is Ratten suggesting the team is working hard enough and doesnt lack effort. If he is happy with the effort they have served up in all of the losses this year, he needs to have a really hard look at his approach to his coaching.

[CURLY]

Not having the best tap ruckman in the league playing hasn't helped.

[shanegrambeau]

I just read the article its a really fair view of where we are at. What concerns me is Ratten suggesting the team is working hard enough and doesnt lack effort. If he is happy with the effort they have served up in all of the losses this year, he needs to have a really hard look at his approach to his coaching.

I think I understand the sentiment, but I am afraid it is folly to think of ‘lack of intensity ‘ or permanent’manic pressure’ as a long term panacea to our problems. We just can’t sustain it. It leads to exhaustion, injuries, free kicks against and even suspensions. Ultimately it leads to a dull funk as the team just can’t ‘get up’ each week.

We need a clever match plan, or plans, on par with our capacity to execute and perhaps a little but ambitious but that can be pulled back a notch or two when needed.

When we start getting success, more confidence will come, and then controlled effort will increase, rather than flat out manic effort. I know it’s just a two Bob psychologists spin on it, but surely, we know by now, from the Richo years, that ‘manic pressure’ isn’t a solution?

[Wayne42]

So is Ratten really Richo with a different voice.

[The Billings Method]

Ratts is way better than Richo. The win-loss ratios say it all. Richo a dud, further hobbled by hopeless recruiting and list management. Richo has the unwanted record of the worst win-loss record of any coach who coached as many games as he did.

[Impatient Sainter]

Ratts is a good coach, but I think he had taken his foot off the pedal leading into the season.

Significant injuries havent helped, but as a team we seem to be one of the worst to adapt to the new rules. Rather than going quicker we are playing slow stoggy controlled footy, which is allowing the opposition to flood back and set up on top of our forwards.

What ever changes Ratts made to the game plan in the off season hasnt worked and he needed to acknowledge that and make the necessary changes. As the article points out our midfield turnovers are the result of our slow ball movement and lack of run and link up play. That invites pressure hence the horrendous turnover rate.

[B.M]

Natinui doesn’t play for us??

[Wayne42]

Ratts is way better than Richo. The win-loss ratios say it all. Richo a dud, further hobbled by hopeless recruiting and list management. Richo has the unwanted record of the worst win-loss record of any coach who coached as many games as he did.

Not a fair comparison, Richo never coached in a hub year, outside of the hub Ratts is not looking that good, so far anyway.

[The Billings Method]

Even outside the hub, he still has a better win loss record than Richo.

[B.M]

Did Rich ever have a list capable of being a contender?

He took over and we were bottom 4 and going backwards... selling of established stars.

16-17 the side was ok and finished with 11 & 12 wins
Injuries and loss of veteran stars hit the side in 2018 and with no depth got exposed!

[Vortex]

Don't over think it...no ticker...it's that simple.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Richo: top bloke, no mongrel in him, no evidence he was a strategic genius or inspirational match-day coach.

Ratten: tracking pretty similar at the moment though the jury is out.

It's why, against the prevailing sentiment here, I liked the idea of Ro$$ returning with all sins forgiven.Tactically strong, lots of mongrel in him, respected by playing group, albeit stubborn and eccentric.

[carn_sainter]

We seem to play with a passive mentality. Nobody really shows any explicit (as opposed to implicit, ie Steele) leadership out there. It looks like a group of players who do not hold themselves accountable to any certain standard. However we're playing that day seems to be acceptable...? The leaders, when speaking publicly at least, seem to be deferent types - Steele, Ross, Billings, Membrey. Geary, Howard and Wilkie can probably be direct and risk hurting someone's feelings but they don't play in the midfield.

Regarding coaching. for the last few weeks or we've heard is 'we need to sort it out...we need to get going', which is like accepting from your mechanic 'your car's not working' rather than telling you which part. I think we've been fooled by analytics telling us we score goals close to goal, therefore bang it in there long. Even when we move the ball fast it's toward guys running back to goal rather than up to the ball. We play one dimensional and easy to defend.

[Yorkeys]

I think respect for our feelings and not burning bridges with some players, yet, is why Brett is tying himself in verbal knots. Once he is absolutely absolutely sure certain players are irredeemable and its not other factors causing crap performances he will change tack. I imagine he is under a lot of pressure from the Executive to not drop Brad while Hannebery is still a huge elephant in the room. Makes management look a bit foolish having both the reportedly two highest players not contributing - that takes rare incompetence. Hill to have a blinder today. Oh you dont agree? To be fair Brett has put Coffield on notice, but its not clear to me what the "or else" could be with the current list.

[spert]

We played some pretty ordinary games under Richo, but this season under Ratts, it reminds me of the pathetic efforts of the '80s ..looks worse and more disorganised than under Richo. I think last year's bubble was just one of those things where it all clicked mostly, though Geelong picked apart Ratt's gameplan and were never quite the same. Jones needs to get his skates on, Steele needs to go just a bit harder as our main onballer, and Hill could do a bit more if felt like it, but as Ratts wont drop him, it doesn't matter. I hope we play Bytel and Byrnes on the ball as much as possible this season.

[samoht]

Not enough ball winning playmakers with outside run, skill and pace.

We will beat some sides here and there with our predominantly inside, one-paced, average-skilled midfield (and bring about a mismatch here and there with our 3 or 4 average small forwards) ... but not the good sides.

Nothing to do with the coach... we need a couple of Bolton-like players/playmakers for starters.... Richmond recruiters knew who to recruit.

Our recruiting is the problem area.
Nothing to do with who is or isn't coaching ... but a lot to do with what and who we're recruiting.
Our recruiting needs a major overhaul/rethink/shake up.... and ship out, if you ask me.
A major review for starters.

[B.M]

My thoughts on our midfield to improve run and skill

Move Billings, Clark, Sinclair into the midfield rotations

With HB/HF

Centre Line

HB: Coffield - Battle - Clark*
C: Billings* - Crouch^ - Hill*
HF: Butler* - Membrey - Byrnes*
Foll: Ryder - Steele^ - Jones*
Int: Sinclair* - Ross^ - Bytel^ - Webster

* denotes rotations inside/outside midfield
^ denotes rotations inside midfield