Author Topic: Style of play  (Read 2158 times)

Offline Stripes

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Style of play
« on: December 06, 2007, 04:22:20 PM »
Over the last few years I have become a little concerned with some aspects of our general game plan. While I believe TW continues to develop our players, list and club collectively I would like to see more of a team focus instilled in the Tigers team. I want to see more of the old tiger grit and fire, putting your body on the line for your team mates and working for the club not simply for yourself.

What I want is players shepperding, block and laying screens for each other instead of always looking to recieve. If their is two tigers running towards an opposition, one should lay a shepperd to allow the other to continue to move forward with the ball not run ahead to look for the handball. IMHO our style of play needs addressing.

At the start of the year we played the Doggies and our contrasting styles stood out like...well let's just say their was contrasting plans :). When we ran in numbers our players ran ahead of the opposition to look for the quick handball and our ball carrier frequently was tackled and the ball was lost. Conversely, when the WB ran in numbers the players without the ball blocked for the ball carrier allowing them to run on into space.

This also gave the WB players more time to cleanly despose of the ball while the Tigers seemed far more pressured which cased turn overs or sloppy delievery.

In another game I watched against the Eagles, I marvelled at the way their midfield broke from the packs. Initially I thought it was all due to the skill of the players but then I started to watch off the ball and noticed how the other midfielders were blocking, screening and shepperding for the ball getters. While our midfielders were being mercilessly tagged out of the contest, their midfields were blocking our taggers allowing Kerr and Judd room to run onto the tap and straight out into space.

I also have noticed the room that other teams create for their forwards. Our forwards are constantly running into the same space, spoiling each other and creating packs. Other teams block the other forwards defenders allowing their best forwards space to lead before they lead themselves. I have rarely seen this happen ever in our forwardline.


Now I know that alot of the teammainship will occur when the team structure is more settled and players do not feel like they need to 'shine' individually to retain their spot in the team but I also believe this type of style of play needs to be instilled into our complete list and rewarded just as much, if not more, than simply gaining a disposal.

We need to work for each other, plain and simple. Kingy always does - use him as a model. We need to block, shepperd and screen. We need to look how we can best help each other before we just look how we can get the ball. It is the 1% that make a team and I believe this is what will make our team.

Soon the excuse of familiarity will wane and I only hope by then that we are playing as a unified, unselfish team by then.

Stripes

Offline Darth Tiger

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2007, 06:05:20 PM »
Interesting Stripes ... Len Smith always coached that a handball was quicker than a kick whilst advocating a play-on style gameplan.  So perhaps a wave type running game is a matter of player size, running capability & skill.

IMHO the key issue at present is the body size & maturity of the midfield.  Richmond midfielders just do not have the body maturity & mass of the WCE.

No wonder they get smashed at the clearances if they dont get 1st hands or a clean clearance.

I truly hope that patience in the development and rebuilding of the club will be rewarded with an extremely competitive team.

Afterall it took GR 6 years to build a premiership side and he had some major advantages that the draft system does not along the club in todays AFL environment.

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2007, 06:29:19 PM »
What I want is players shepperding, block and laying screens for each other instead of always looking to recieve. If their is two tigers running towards an opposition, one should lay a shepperd to allow the other to continue to move forward with the ball not run ahead to look for the handball. IMHO our style of play needs addressing.
I share this pet hate Stripes especially when one of our players gets run down from behind with a teammate running alongside him :scream. Our poor team skills are fitting with finishing last just as Geelong who have awesome team skills and work so hard for each other were daylight ahead of everyone else this year.

You'd hope as a young side as they develop together that with experience and greater knowledge on how each other thinks and plays that they'll start playing more as a unit and work just as hard off the ball as when they have the footy. It's all about a complete understanding of the game and the strategy involved in winning and maintaining possession of the ball. At the moment we're sadly a fairly dumb footy side on top of our obvious skill and size deficiencies.   
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Offline Stripes

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2007, 07:19:00 PM »
Interesting Stripes ... Len Smith always coached that a handball was quicker than a kick whilst advocating a play-on style gameplan. 

True handballing is quicker than kicking but placing your body infront of an opponent to allow you team mate to run past with the ball is quicker yet again. It also creates space most importantly.

If two players are running towards an opponent and the one without the ball runs ahead so the ball carrier can handball over the opponents head then this does one of two things -

(1) Causes the opponent to simple turn and tackle the reciever or at the very least pressure the reciever often into making a skill error

or

(2) smother, intercept or tackle the ball carrier.

On the other hand if the receiver instead shepperds for the ball carrier he can keep running at full pace creating space which in turn allows him more time to look ahead and deliever the ball more effectively.

Time and space is the key and the reason why the better teams who play for each other always seem more skillful than other teams.

Stripes

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2007, 03:16:37 PM »
If two players are running towards an opponent and the one without the ball runs ahead so the ball carrier can handball over the opponents head then this does one of two things -

(1) Causes the opponent to simple turn and tackle the reciever or at the very least pressure the reciever often into making a skill error
We have a habit of doing (1) under pressure with our panicky short handballs to flat-footed teammates who in turn come under immediate pressure. Handgrenade handball.

As well as the sheperding, two other changes I'd like to see is firstly us always shooting for goal when inside 50 and on a reasonable angle. Why pass the ball to a 50/50 contest when you can kick the goal yourself  ???. The second one is moving the ball on quickly to a teammate. Run and carry footy means run and carry the ball forward as a team; not as a individual like you playing rugby or NFL. And yes I'm thinking of you young Rainesy  ;). Think first option. Geelong don't have many quick individuals (probably only Wojcinski, Byrnes and perhaps Gary Ablett are actually speedy) yet they were one of if not the fastest movers of the footy down the field. Once again getting back to superior team skills.
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Offline torch

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2007, 09:29:00 PM »
with ball - Run

without ball - Man Up ... Tackle !

Kick Goals !

just run, run, run, run, run, run !

Offline Stripes

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2007, 09:47:32 PM »

We have a habit of doing (1) under pressure with our panicky short handballs to flat-footed teammates who in turn come under immediate pressure. Handgrenade handball.

As well as the sheperding, two other changes I'd like to see is firstly us always shooting for goal when inside 50 and on a reasonable angle. [/quote]

One of the most frustrating sequence of play from earlier in the year for me was watching Rainsy charge out of defense, hit a wall of opposition players, stop/prop, handball to a team mate who was standing next to him who in turn handballed it to another players five feet away from him again who then was swamped by tacklers. Rainsy, god love him, had a habit this year of racing off alone whithout support and then being carroled(sp?), panicking and then turning the ball over. Every team seemed one to him from the start of the year and his awareness of approaching opposition players was terrible.

I believe the kicking for goal situation is as much to do with confidence as any game plans but I share your wish in this regard.

I read over TW report again today and he has focused on Team-Oriented Game Style and Team Attitude which gave me much hope. I believe TW shares our focus and concern regarding working to free up the ball carrier, well at least that was my optomistic interpretation of things.

I hope I'm right

Stripes

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2007, 10:24:59 PM »
Stripes, I think that passage of play and in particular similar ones to those were indicative of us virtually all year. Raines was seen as a scapegoat in many of these instances as he was coming off a runner up in the Rising Star and he seemed to be getting himself clear of those awkward situations you mentioned in 2006 whereas this year he was getting tackled and held up as opposition coaches were planning on that type of play in their weekly game plan when preparing against us.
The ball is firmly in Andrew's court to find a new string to his bow as the competition for places in both the defence and the midfield will be very fierce this season. I don't mind seeing a player or players taking risks in order to open up the play and ensure a scoring opportunity. I think the game plan being implemented by TW has more substance this year as the players introduced last year as regular fixtures have been exposed to it and same as the new draftees who have come this year. This time last year we were seen as potentially a top 8 side until the first few rounds and the game plan was modified to ensure we didn't get thrashed every week. This year the lads at least are aware what direction we will be travelling in and what they expect as well at what is expected and as with wins against the Crows in 06 and Geelong in 06 it has been proven that an alternative game plan can be introduced and prove successful . I'm with you the psyche of the club and team is beginning to change for the better.

Offline Aron

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2007, 10:29:50 PM »
wHO cares how we play we need to win

Offline torch

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2007, 11:38:57 PM »
Kick The Most Points = Win !

that is really it !

Online Francois Jackson

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2007, 09:10:58 AM »
with ball - Run

without ball - Man Up ... Tackle !

Kick Goals !

just run, run, run, run, run, run !

best post on this topic.

couldnt have put it better myself
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blx

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2007, 03:42:28 PM »
recieve ball, do a little jig on the spot, move sideways while looking for an option upfield, no one moving to offer anything so retreat backwards then handball to another player behind you who's under the pump and drops the ball, recover the ball after bumping into your man and knocking him over then kick it under pressure to a team mate outnumbered by opposition players. turnover.

ahhhhh, deep breaths everbody  ;D

Offline blaisee

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2007, 04:22:35 PM »
wHO cares how we play we need to win

stuff off you hawthorn troll

Little Jackie

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2007, 04:29:09 PM »
wHO cares how we play we need to win

eff off you hawthorn troll

Fantastic quality post there Blaisee. ::)

Online Francois Jackson

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Re: Style of play
« Reply #14 on: December 09, 2007, 07:36:25 PM »
wHO cares how we play we need to win

eff off you hawthorn troll

Fantastic quality post there Blaisee. ::)

is that a fact. is he a hawthorn supporter is he.
loser
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