Defense wins championships. Nearly always do. This is an American advertisement, yet it has merit to all sports all over the world. If you stop your opponent from scoring you will have more chance of winning won’t you? NFL coaches who have employed this mantra. Belichick, Parcells, Cowher, Dungy. If you haven’t heard of these guys look them up. AFL coaches today who employ this mantra. Worsfold, Roos, Matthews, (now Lyon) the first 3 established set back 6’s, in their terrific teams.
Attacking teams can win home and away games but struggle at finals time. There are Numerous examples in a lot of sports. Phoenix Suns is one in the NBA. Spain in soccer. Eade and Daniher, established attacking coaches, how many premierships? None. And they will never win one with the style of play they dictate on players. Wallace is following quickly on their lead.
Under Wallace, Richmond has not improved its defensive mindset one bit. Wallace is a glorified media performer who loves the lights of Vegas and all it entails. However when he is at the blackjack table in a big contest, ability and defensive tendencies go out the window and he will be found wanting. All bluff, no action. You get the similarity. Who make the best boxers? Boxers who defend the knockout punch early and are able to counterattack with flurries and uppercuts right throughout the duration of the fight. Wallace would come out like Ali and like him would have the media’s attention. Yet Wallace would have no idea about Rope a dope would he? I am sure Wallace believes he needs to and that his players have to be visually entertaining to the crowd. No. Tackle hard, man up, no zoning, and pressure the ball carrier would do me.
How can we improve? Surely get you back 6 working together for 2 years. A set back six is crucial in premiership teams, Brisbane, North, Sydney, W.C (all dynasties in the sense of the word) all had a set back 6.
b.p Raines. F.b Thursfield (Gaspar only a stop gap) b.p McGuane.
h.b O-Nicholls. Chb. Polak. H.b Newman. (Bowden not in my long term plans) Play them together, the back 6 is like a team in a team, they will learn tendencies, weaknesses and learn to love each other and more importantly win the little battles.
With our midfield struggling, why can’t Wallet introduce a midfield flood. Play your hff’s and one forward pocket as extra midfielders. This does many things. It opens up our forward half. Only 3 possibly 4 blokes up there. ONE on One. Advantage forwards. It will make it harder for sides to win stoppages, and out bulk us at set plays and the like. As well as supporting our young ruckmen.
So basically the team will line up in soccer terms. 6-9-3. More bodies around where the ball is. It would have stopped the ridiculous ease of Stevens, Scotland and Houlihan at crucial stages in the last quarter.
I can be a believer of Wallace if he improves the teams: 1%’s, tackling numbers, stoppages and shepards. He has been poor at all of those at the bullies and now with us. Is it improving? No.
The following players will need to be moved on and none of them will be a premiership player for us.
J. Bowden. Bowden, P. Krakouer, Hyde, Jackson, Pettifer, Howat, Hall, Moore, Tivendale, Hartigan, Gaspar, Knobel, Hughes, Johnson, Schulz.
And if there are on people on here that think otherwise, then they are not footy smart, or lack the killer instincts that other clubs do.
