Clubs to adopt Hawks' zone tactics
Mark Stevens | March 02, 2009
BRACE yourself for Punt Rd style football.
The traffic jam between the 50m arcs might just match the 5pm crawl past the Cricketer's Arms. The teams skilful enough to safely weave their way through the congestion will thrive.
Those who can't will wilt and end up a candidate for road rage.
Melbourne coach Dean Bailey is preparing himself for unprecedented numbers through the middle of the ground.
"There's going to be a lot of play between the arcs. There's going to be a lot of counter-attacks and a lot of turnover between the arcs," Bailey told the Herald Sun.
"That's the most congested area."
The opening games of the pre-season have highlighted the "follow the leader" push to adopt the rolling zone perfected by Hawthorn.
And, for the most part, it hasn't been pretty.
Inside-50 entries and goals are obviously a massive part of the AFL's entertainment package.
The evidence so far suggests both of those sexy elements of the game will be significantly down as teams get better at building walls between the arcs to defend.
Teams are being forced to over-possess the ball to try to find a way through the traffic.
Handballs have gone up considerably. Total disposals are up, too. But contested possession is down.
So the problem is obvious: More meaningless ball use between the arcs for less inside-50 entries.
More junk footy. More for the traditionalists who love long, direct footy to bleat about.
Matthew Knights has spoken out about the threat of a rash of low-scoring footy. Other coaches are concerned about the direction the game is headed, but have thus far kept their views private.
It has become a talking point in the industry in recent weeks.
The Bulldogs, renowned as free-wheeling entertainers, could manage only five goals against St Kilda in a practice match on Friday.
The Dogs were forced to overuse handball and when they kicked it, committed 31 clangers. Most of the errors came in that congested area Bailey points to.
Asked about the game not being pretty, Lyon said: "I think it's where footy's gone a bit.
"I watched a bit of Richmond-Collingwood. Everyone's pressing more, there's more zone football and it's forcing more possession.
"Everyone's still trying to crack the code."
Players have never been fitter. Interchange rotations have never been higher.
That means more fresh players capable of getting to contests and plugging gaps.
At times, it looks like there are too many players on the field. It is extreme, yes, but should we trial the old VFA rule of 16-a-side and drop the wingers?
At least there would be more space for intuitive, direct football.
Bailey believes it will be easier to score once teams get inside 50. The hard part will be getting it past the paint.
"The clubs that can dissect between the arcs the best will, No.1, go inside 50 more often, and No.2, therefore score more often. There's no doubt about that," Bailey said.
"Teams when they go inside are probably scoring more efficiently."
But the lack of entries means a lack of action on the scoreboard.
Eight teams played in practice games on the weekend. Only three could kick more than nine goals.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25124292-19742,00.html
