Stay at home FF

[Dosser]

No, I dont mean that Tommy Walsh shouldnt even turn up.

I am going to push this as my barrow. I have mentioned it before and I will say it again.

Earlier this week I advocated the tactic of keeping the FF close to the goal square during the press. My thoughts were that it would either pull the defender out of the press and open it up a bit more, or force the defender to leave their opponent unmarked close to goals. I thought that the resting ruck would be a good option, however I would amend that and say it should be someone who is a little more mobile (Morton?).

The reason I bring this up again is because I had to take some AFL noobs to a game so I took them to the tigers/saints game last night. What a great game! Both teams were attacking and it continually flowed. I ended up thinking that I wish we played an attacking game like the tigers. Anyway, what caught my eye was that in the last quarter Jumping Jack pulled back out of the press and hovered around 30m out of goals. Just as I had said, his opponent was sucked up the ground into the press and on TWO occasions in the last quarter, the tigers kicked it long to Riewaldt who was 30m clear of any opponent so that he just strolled (literally) into the goal square and put it into the 2nd tier.

Now, when I mentioned this earlier, I was told on here that the game has changed from this, but last night it showed me that it hasnt. Could we do this?

[crackedactor]

No, I dont mean that Tommy Walsh shouldnt even turn up.

I am going to push this as my barrow. I have mentioned it before and I will say it again.

Earlier this week I advocated the tactic of keeping the FF close to the goal square during the press. My thoughts were that it would either pull the defender out of the press and open it up a bit more, or force the defender to leave their opponent unmarked close to goals. I thought that the resting ruck would be a good option, however I would amend that and say it should be someone who is a little more mobile (Morton?).

The reason I bring this up again is because I had to take some AFL noobs to a game so I took them to the tigers/saints game last night. What a great game! Both teams were attacking and it continually flowed. I ended up thinking that I wish we played an attacking game like the tigers. Anyway, what caught my eye was that in the last quarter Jumping Jack pulled back out of the press and hovered around 30m out of goals. Just as I had said, his opponent was sucked up the ground into the press and on TWO occasions in the last quarter, the tigers kicked it long to Riewaldt who was 30m clear of any opponent so that he just strolled (literally) into the goal square and put it into the 2nd tier.

Now, when I mentioned this earlier, I was told on here that the game has changed from this, but last night it showed me that it hasnt. Could we do this?

The way football is played today it is almost impossible to get 30 meters clear by yourself, 30 meters out from the gaols. I said it when they played the Swans and I say it again. I believe Richmond get away with more than any other side. Against us ,the swans they constantly get and held onto when we didn't have the ball and when we went for a mark , their elbows were in our back (no free kicks for us of course!) , The were caught out a few times last night and St Kilda got a few free kicks but overall I believe it was not enough. If we tried something similar, the umpires would be on to us straight away and it will be a free kick ratio of approx. 60 free kicks to 10.

[RogueSwan]

T... Against us ,the swans they constantly get and held onto when we didn't have the ball and when we went for a mark , their elbows were in our back (no free kicks for us of course!) , The were caught out a few times last night and St Kilda got a few free kicks but overall I believe it was not enough. If we tried something similar, the umpires would be on to us straight away and it will be a free kick ratio of approx. 60 free kicks to 10.

I don't wish to be rude, but how is this related to having a fwd stay fwd no matter what? I can see merit in Dosser's idea but maybe our boys are to heavily drilled in man-on-man whether you have the ball or not. Morton maybe could play the role you suggest but TDL would be even better, he is to clever a fwd to ever be wasted anywhere else.

[ernie koala]

No, I dont mean that Tommy Walsh shouldnt even turn up.

I am going to push this as my barrow. I have mentioned it before and I will say it again.

Earlier this week I advocated the tactic of keeping the FF close to the goal square during the press. My thoughts were that it would either pull the defender out of the press and open it up a bit more, or force the defender to leave their opponent unmarked close to goals. I thought that the resting ruck would be a good option, however I would amend that and say it should be someone who is a little more mobile (Morton?).

The reason I bring this up again is because I had to take some AFL noobs to a game so I took them to the tigers/saints game last night. What a great game! Both teams were attacking and it continually flowed. I ended up thinking that I wish we played an attacking game like the tigers. Anyway, what caught my eye was that in the last quarter Jumping Jack pulled back out of the press and hovered around 30m out of goals. Just as I had said, his opponent was sucked up the ground into the press and on TWO occasions in the last quarter, the tigers kicked it long to Riewaldt who was 30m clear of any opponent so that he just strolled (literally) into the goal square and put it into the 2nd tier.

Now, when I mentioned this earlier, I was told on here that the game has changed from this, but last night it showed me that it hasnt. Could we do this?

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. Good ploy !

[ShockOfHair]

It's not just a tactic for tall forwards. The Swans have worked that pretty well with Jetta a few times this year.

[TPR4]

Couple of points: you have to be as good as Jack to not follow your defender around these days. Most key defenders are pretty good rebounders. It works for the Tiges because their middle is so good at the moment that they don't need him further up the ground - when they spread they need a target. The other thing is that it's no coincidence that the few he got out the back were later in the game. Players are stuffed and there's more holes in the press. 12 goals in the last Q alone last night...cracking game. As someone said we have done it with Jetta. Could also work with Goodesy (like v Adelaide), Reidy can roam. Like your thinking though

[dimelb]

I don't wish to be rude, but how is this related to having a fwd stay fwd no matter what? I can see merit in Dosser's idea but maybe our boys are too heavily drilled in man-on-man whether you have the ball or not. Morton maybe could play the role you suggest but TDL would be even better, he is to clever a fwd to ever be wasted anywhere else.We are often described this way, but all too often we don't do it, and we stuff up when other teams do it to us.
But I like Dosser's idea and think TDL is made to order for the role.

[GongSwan]

If I had to pick a stay at home Fwd I'd pick TDL, he seems to read the play well and leads to teh right places. You can only drop behind the press if yr midfield is winning the contested ball otherwise yr made to look stupid. No point having a free man in yr f50 if the ball never comes out of yr d50 for a whole qtr like last week. He should however be up around the middle so he cab run back into space if we manage to get the ball out quickly

[Ratna]

I agree with the tactic and think that TDL would be good, but I don't think it is a tactic for one player. The forward to move may be the one who has a competitive advantage over his opponent (I understand sometimes lately this has been none of our forwards). The opposition has to then decide to match up or not. As Gongswan said it doesn't work if the ball is stuck in your back 50, but if you have a kick long enough to get over the press then it creates a uncontested in open space or if they are matched up a one on one.
One reason the ball gets stuck is that there is no one forward to kick to, or the only option is a huge pack. A ploy like this only has to work once early in a game to make an opposition defender accountable, thus created a slightly less congested situation as well as an option for a long kick if the chance is there.
While we have been doing similar I think that Jetta has more run from the last line of the press and outsprinted opponents on to the free ball.
I think that a strategy like this will not work all the time but sometimes is a great thing to do to keep the opposition on there toes.

[Dosser]

Hmmm... I can just imagine Goodesy as the man up front there. Delicious. :) Also, I think TPR4 is onto something because I didnt see it happen in the first 3 quarters but it was obvious in the last. Maybe fatigue will help because the defenders are simply too stuffed as they try to run back to cover it. I would like to see us try it some day, and I also agree that TDL may be a good ploy with this as well.

[RogueSwan]

... TDL is made to order for the role.

With Jetta the one streaming away from the pack to drill it into his chest.:D

[Bloody Hell]

I actually felt that Rohan was going to do this. Certainly in the game he was injured this is what he was doing for all of the five minutes....resulting on a goal off a lead.

Aside from Goodes there is noone, aside from Rohan who has the speed, power, marking prowess and x factor to play the role and not be held down. And it's a waste of Goodes to leave him down there all day.

[wolftone57]

TDL would do this well you could raffle it almost. TDL, Jetstar, Bennt, Goodsie and ROK. Jack or Parker when resting. The trouble with this is the delivery has to be good not too short or you get a one on one with a player maybe tied up with nowhere to go. The way we have been delivering the ball into our forward line at the moment we would stuff it up. If we can get the delivery right we will always do well no matter the situation.

[liz]

I actually felt that Rohan was going to do this. Certainly in the game he was injured this is what he was doing for all of the five minutes....resulting on a goal off a lead.

Aside from Goodes there is noone, aside from Rohan who has the speed, power, marking prowess and x factor to play the role and not be held down. And it's a waste of Goodes to leave him down there all day.

In the longer term, I hope it will also be a waste of Rohan.

[Dosser]

Self-indulgent *bump*.

I heard a quick comment on SEN today that both FFs who kicked a bag this weekend (Riewoldt and Franklin) unusually played much closer to goals. Tim Watson made the comment that we may see a lot more of that for the rest of the season.