30 long kicks

[mightytiges]

According to the H-Sun we had an AFL record of just 30 long kicks last friday night . Imagine what Tommy Hafey was thinking watching it. He must have been tearing his hair out like the rest of us.  

[JohnF]

 

[WilliamPowell]

That's about 15 more than I can remember

What is happening to our great game.

I heard this morning on SEN that in one passage of play in last mights game - Adelaide had 17 uncontested marks in a row - that's not what we want to see is it ???

[mightytiges]

Agree WP, the Crows game was  shocker  .

At least we can say we played crap footy because we didn't follow our gameplan  . The Bulldogs showed us how we need to play. Run and carry the footy with support plus precise 50m long kicks to hard presenting teammates up the field. Also move the ball on quickly at all times. The run and carry style is meant to be a long direct style of game.   

[blx]

this stat stems from the simple fact that players (yes that is a plural) up the ground arent prepared to create leads for the the ball carrier to have options leading him to stab it or handball it to someone who is standing still with someone hot on their tail.

I'd be saying to the team something like, "listen forget that stat, infact forget all the ridiculous stats that have come out of last fridays match. I want you to worry about 1 stat only and thats the amount of matches with Coburg you've played cause if you dont get out there this week and work your friggin a%ss off then thats exactly what you'll be doing ... adding to your tally of matches with Coburg!" 

[one-eyed]

Wallace frustrated by modern game
4:19:39 PM Tue 4 April, 2006
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has revealed his frustrations at the state of modern football saying he would love to be able to tell his players to go out and play "1980's style" football.

However there is a reason Wallace won't do such a thing - he knows his team would lose every week if they do.

Wallace's comments came after the first round of the 2006 season in which several new AFL rules and interpretations were given their first serious test - the main change being the ability of full-backs to now bring the ball back into play far quicker.

The changes - all designed to make the game more continuous and reduce the amount of ball-ups and boundary throw-ins - resulted in a huge increase in uncontested football on the weekend.

While fans are seeing less and less of the contested marks and long kicking that was such a common feature of the game in the 1980's - uncontested marks rose 18 per cent on the weekend compared to last year with short kicks up 19 per cent, handballs up 12 per cent and total disposals up 11 per cent.

 
And most teams still played with extra men behind the ball, a practice which has led to increased congestion in recent years and which caused the AFL to introduce the new rules and interpretations in the first place.

Wallace admitted on Tuesday the game was not as good a spectacle as it used to be but said fans would have to be prepared for more of the same.

"I think from a spectacle point of view the game doesn't look as attractive at the moment," he said.

"But I am also saying I (as a coach) am not in control of being able to change it I don't think, with the rule changes.

"It's very difficult from a coaching point of view because if we played the style of play that you (the fans and the media) want to see then we lose.

"I would like to be the one to start the position off and say I am going to play 1980's style of footy, because that is when everyone loved their footy when state of origin was going, but if I keep coming back with losses every week they (the board) will pick someone else that will play with blokes behind the footy - that is the reality."

Wallace said he would love to tell his players to kick the ball long and direct all the time - particularly with the Tigers possessing the league's best player when it comes to contested marks in Matthew Richardson - but with teams constantly employing extra players behind the ball and all clubs playing a possession game - it was simply not possible.

"If you get the ball and you kick it long to an area where you are outnumbered and the opposition then get the ball and don't give it back to you, then you are going to get beaten," he said.

"It appears ars there are more players behind the ball than ever and I think it will probably remain that way."

Wallace said the success of Sydney in winning the flag last year with such a style meant other teams were attempting to copy the Swans before adding that most 'transition' sports such as soccer and rugby were played with most players behind the ball.

"Our game for a long period of time was played with even numbers across the line but all of a sudden that is changing," he said.

"I still love the game, don't get me wrong but there are aspects of our game that are going out of game (such as long kicking and contested marks) that I would still love to see in there."

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=254867

[Tiger Spirit]

"It's very difficult from a coaching point of view because if we played the style of play that you (the fans and the media) want to see then we lose.

The way I see it, we lose anyway.

What's it prove when we do win?

[mightytiges]

this stat stems from the simple fact that players (yes that is a plural) up the ground arent prepared to create leads for the the ball carrier to have options leading him to stab it or handball it to someone who is standing still with someone hot on their tail.

Exactly blx. They didn't work hard enough and expected someone else to win the ball. Nor was there Tigers running past a stationary teammate to receive the handball after a mark or free kick. Get the ball forward quickly as the Saints defence isn't that strong (although Hudghton and Macguire always seem to do well against us  ).