Tall and gigantic approach vs speed and quick movement

[one-eyed]

The Hawks approach:

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson found it easiest to explain his club's ambitions, and its deliberate recruiting strategy, by talking of the Brisbane sides of 2001, 2002 and 2003.

If Hawthorn's recruiting over the past three years, largely overseen by personnel and list manager Chris Pelchen, can be summarised in a word, it would be "tall" and possibly "gigantic".

With 17 national draft picks in the past three years, the Hawks have chosen only one player under 186 centimetres — this year's fifth selection, Gary Moss — but seven over 190 centimetres, including three at or over 200. The average height of their national draftees in this time is a millimetre or so below 192 centimetres.

"We've had a very strong focus of getting the structure and spine of our footy club settled and we now think that, perhaps, we've got the best group of 18 to 20-year-old key-position players in the competition," Clarkson said.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/11/29/1164777653510.html

[mightytiges]

Gameplan wise we're different to the Hawks with Wallace having the view that footy has and will change further from the traditional separation of talls and smalls to an all over ground speed and quick continuous movement game no matter the size of the player or position.

Not sure what Clarkson is up to as the Hawks resort to this over-possession zig-zag style when faced with a bit of pressure from the opposition (we sadly didn't apply any pressure to them when we played them in Tassie  ).

As far as recruiting goes it's a bit of a myth that we've gone soley for mids. Since Plough has been on board we have recruited just one 190+cm player less than the Hawks (9 in total) and our respective lists are now fairly even when you break it down, like in the above article, into groups of less than 186cm; 186-189cm; and 190cm plus.

Total draftees, trades and rookie promotions (2004-2006):

Richmond

<186cm: (7) Tambling, Meyer, White, Edwards, Connors, Peterson, Collins

186-189: (5) Lids, Polo, Moore, JON, Casserly

190cm+: (9) Pattison, McGuane, Limbach, Simmonds, Knobel, Hughes, P.Bowden, Thursfield, Riewoldt, Polak

Hawthorn

<186cm: (3) Guerra, Moss, McGlynn

186-189: (7) Lewis, Murphy, Little, Ellis, Muston, Tuck, Kennedy

190+cm: (10) Roughead, Franklin, Taylor, Nixon, Thurgood, Dowler, Birchall, Bailey, Thorp, Renouf, Morton, Gilham


Overall Playing List:

Richmond

<186cm: 16 (1 rookie)
186-189: 11
190+cm: 14 (1)

Hawthorn

<186cm: 15
186-189: 10
190+cm: 15 (1)

[LondonTiger]

Good post MT.

I think the Hawks and ourselves will become bitter rivals across the next 4 years.  I was always brought up thinking a good tall always beats a good small, but footy has moved on considerably.  I think an excellent small can keep an opposition KPP out of a game.   

Our draft direction has highlighted 5 key points for mine (in order).

1. Skill.
2. Speed
3. Endurance
4. Versatility
5. Attitude.

We will have a really strong midfield, and just hope that our KPP draftees develop to fit our style of game.  Good things are on the horizon.   

[mightytiges]

I think Terry works on the old principle that the game is won in the midfield. The Swans and Eagles don't necessarily have the best KPPs in the league but their respective midfields and running brigades across every line are awesome.

Of the 5 points you've listed LT, I think with our recruiting over the past 2 1/2 years we are coming along nicely with points 2 to 5. Our skill level (and I'm including footy nouse as well) though is still poor. We need a big improvement in this area before we can take the next step forward.

The media are gushing over Hawthorn like they did with the Saints in recent times. There are no guarantees in footy and potential means nothing unless you eventually deliver as the Saints have found out. The Hawks are getting it easy from the media because they hide behind the "we're rebuilding" tag. I'm happy for us to fly under the radar of adulation and stick to our plan.