Exactly Infamy. If the simple most obvious option is staring the team in the face why ignore it. Footy isn't rocket science.
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I think the problem here is it relies on their being space for players 3 and 4 to run into. Given they start either on the other wing or in the middle, their opposite number can run with them to cover the empty wing along with them, or a defensive player can come up the ground. Player 3 may end up in a two on one situation and if not then player 4 would probably be covered by the time player 3 gets it. The biggest "time" problem is the long kick from player 2 to 3 as by the time the ball comes down they are probably covered.
Though it may work if you surprised them.
Yep tidy you need a well drilled side to do it at the pace needed for it to work. As soon as the kick-out is on its way player 3 should read the play and be on his way gutrunning to receive on the other wing. Player 2 expecting player 3 to be running towards the wing should mark and then kick straight away so the opposition don't have time to get a spoiler there. Not player 2 as Richmond does getting the ball and then scratching his head going umm ...[add think music] ... waiting for his teammates to be manned up as the opposition zone rolls over to this side of the ground. Yep you also don't need up and under kicks that sit up in the air for ages. We have too many players in defence who take too long to make decisions and are ordinary kicks. It makes the opposition's job far too easy. Footy is becoming more and more like Soccer in that you need footballers with elite footskills and gutrunning to slice through defensive zones.
You're right you can't try this tactic everytime as you can't for any kick-in strategy but if the space is there right in front of you go for it. If the opposition change to prevent it by bringing numbers over then some other space will open up elsewhere. Sure a top side like the Cats, Dogs or Saints make it very difficult so I'm not expecting miracles there from us but we struggle with kick-ins and exploiting space against even the mediocre teams
. As al said kicking to advantage is the greatest deficiency at the club. We have far too many players who either haven't got a clue what the advantage side is or simple can't execute it. Even at training when they are just doing circle work under no pressure they don't/can't kick to advantage as they should.