Three easy steps to beat Richmond

[Stripes]

Step 1 - Play Man on Man

The Tigers are the best uncontested team in the competition. Given time and space they can cut through a zone with short, precise kicks and quick ball movement. They enjoy breaking the lines when the opportunity presents it to get behind a zone and give their forwards every chance of kicking easy goals.

To stop this simple play man on man and they will be forced to play a contested, pressured style of game that they find uncomfortable. They will then be made to kick down the boundaries to packs where, typically, the ball will spill over the line for a 50/50 stoppage.

The Tigers contain many young, small, inexperienced players that can be exploited in one on one contests. Given space they have skills and the leg speed to hurt you but manned up they are pressured and turn the ball over.

Step 2 - Drop an extra man back in defence

Make sure you have an extra man in defence. If you have followed Step 1 the Tigers midfielders will not have the time to pin point passes into their F50 and , more often than not, have to kick long giving your defenders plenty of time to prepare. The Tigers have one dangerous defensive forward who has been excellent at pressuring opposition defenders but luckily he is our for 4 - 6 weeks  - Jake King. Keeping an extra defender will not only allow you to come over the top or mark it outright but, more importantly, give you the extra numbers to run the ball out and set up your offensive forays.

Step 3 - Block Jacks Leap

Jack won't lead. He likes to play from behind so as long as you just stop his run with early body contact, you will shut down his influence. If the Tigers find a tall, leading CHF it will make life tough for the opposition but while they are so Jack-centric and continue to try and kick it high and long into their F50, just stop his run.

[bojangles17]

Easy to say, however a genuine man on man style conflicts with most brands of footy that is closer to zoning...few can readily adapt to an old fashion lockdown apart from those that consistently play that way..think freo. I think against top. 4 sides we have been shown up lacking in one or two more forward options...thats been the difference ..never mind this mumbo jumbo...throw someone like gary ablett senior into our side on saturday and guess what...we win....and no man on man would matter coz we had upteen more i50s

[Stripes]

Easy to say, however a genuine man on man style conflicts with most brands of footy that is closer to zoning...few can readily adapt to an old fashion lockdown apart from those that consistently play that way..think freo. I think against top. 4 sides we have been shown up lacking in one or two more forward options...thats been the difference ..never mind this mumbo jumbo...throw someone like gary ablett senior into our side on saturday and guess what...we win....and no man on man would matter coz we had upteen more i50s

I wonder how Gary Ablett Snr would have gone with a crowded forwardline and the delivery we were giving yesterday? Gary snr was a freak so you would imagine he would have gone better than our forwards but unfortunately we haven't got that option. We just need a strong leading forward who can take a grab, someone like Vickery (2011 version). Griffiths has been great as a CHB but perhaps, with Grimes back, we should be moving him forward  .

As to the man on man defence, this has been used on us for the last 3 games with success. I wish we weren't so susceptible to contested, accountable football but unfortunately the evidence is clear.

[Eat_em_Alive]

There is no doubt in my mind, melbourne will play a man on man style. They have nothing else to use but this. We need to shake them off early and put them to the sword.

[tigs2011]

There is no doubt in my mind, melbourne will play a man on man style. They have nothing else to use but this. We need to shake them off early and put them to the sword.

Bit different when your players are spuds though. Melbourne are absolute battlers.

[FooffooValve]

How do you play one on one AND have a spare man in defence? Play 19?

We just need to be smarter with how we bring the ball into the 50. That's the last piece in the puzzle.

[wayne]

There is no doubt in my mind, melbourne will play a man on man style. They have nothing else to use but this. We need to shake them off early and put them to the sword.

Melbourne now have competition from Bulldogs and Poort for early draft picks, I can see the Demons being happy to go through the motions and not win too many more games.

They already have swapped their forwards and backs with Watts floating around in defence and Rivers and Garland playing forward.

[dwaino]

I think we came into the game with a good plan, and despite what the arm chair geniuses think, Dimma would of had a plan B... Except he didn't anticipate Sando's counter plan. We were off to a good start with Jack pulling up the ground and turning him around and confusing Talia by taking our mid resting deep forward. What I don't get though is not forcing Adelaide to keep these match ups.

We play just wide of the corridor, so I don't know why on our kick ins we didn't go back to basics and have Miller and Elton take their opponents really wide and about half a kick up te field from where a long kick to a contest would fall. Their opponents have to follow as they're in a dangerous position if we win possession from the kick in. This would have thinned out their press, opened up our usual avenues and Jack would of had a park to run in to. Would have even let our attacking mids to leave their opponents and stream forward. At worst it would have forced Rutten back to Jack and effectively resetting the game.

We played right into their hands. When they swooped a loose or contested ball our players got sucked in. Stoppages shouldn't worry us, we're able to win our own, but limiting 2 or 3 to a contested or loose ball we should of been able to force a dead ball, at worst we would outnumber their outsiders if they got it out, at best we would kill them on the spread if we got it out. It's our natural game and it's what St Kilda and North used against them two games in a row.


/2cents

[Stripes]

We play just wide of the corridor, so I don't know why on our kick ins we didn't go back to basics and have Miller and Elton take their opponents really wide and about half a kick up te field from where a long kick to a contest would fall. Their opponents have to follow as they're in a dangerous position if we win possession from the kick in. This would have thinned out their press, opened up our usual avenues and Jack would of had a park to run in to. Would have even let our attacking mids to leave their opponents and stream forward. At worst it would have forced Rutten back to Jack and effectively resetting the game.

Makes a great deal of sense 

[Stripes]

How do you play one on one AND have a spare man in defence? Play 19?

....Because we always tend to play an extra man in defense too.

[bojangles17]

Easy to say, however a genuine man on man style conflicts with most brands of footy that is closer to zoning...few can readily adapt to an old fashion lockdown apart from those that consistently play that way..think freo. I think against top. 4 sides we have been shown up lacking in one or two more forward options...thats been the difference ..never mind this mumbo jumbo...throw someone like gary ablett senior into our side on saturday and guess what...we win....and no man on man would matter coz we had upteen more i50s

I wonder how Gary Ablett Snr would have gone with a crowded forwardline and the delivery we were giving yesterday? Gary snr was a freak so you would imagine he would have gone better than our forwards but unfortunately we haven't got that option. We just need a strong leading forward who can take a grab, someone like Vickery (2011 version). Griffiths has been great as a CHB but perhaps, with Grimes back, we should be moving him forward  .

As to the man on man defence, this has been used on us for the last 3 games with success. I wish we weren't so susceptible to contested, accountable football but unfortunately the evidence is clear.

I agree that griff shuld be used forward....my tip is moore will come in or even batch that will allow this move

[rogerd3]

pass around the sleeping pills.

[Ox]

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