Is Longmire cooked?

[Blood Fever]

Not sure what you mean by "outcoached" other than the fact the Hawks won both games.

- the Hawks often (though maybe a little less than during their recent heyday) play a possession style, maintaining control of the ball with short kicks. It's a difficult style to play because you need almost all your team to have very reliable kicking skills. However, it's also hard for the opposition to break up because the ball isn't in dispute for much of the time.
- despite the Hawks using this approach against us in both games, by the end of the game the Swans had found ways to force them into errors, and prevent the short leads. So much so that the scores were almost level. Indeed, we lost both games by a goal.
- in the first of the two games, we were a man down (Lloyd) by midway through the first quarter, and a second man down (Reid) before half-time. Both were lost to concussions. I think we "had" the Hawks in the first game - we got ahead on the scoreboard and had the ball in our forward line for most of that final quarter. We just couldn't find a way to score that one goal that would have put the contest to bed. And then the Hawks finally managed to get the ball out of defence and our guys were too tired to give chase. I remember poor Towers - who is decently paced - looking like he was running on the spot trying to chase an opponent.
- in the second game, we didn't lose anyone during the game, so didn't have the same reduced bench, but we did lose Lloyd just before the game and then Rohan in the warm-up. So we had two very late replacements who came in. Still, though we lost, it was a very small margin.

I don't think either instance was a case of outcoaching. It just takes a bit of time and a lot of hard work to break down the possession game, even when you know going into the game that's what you will be facing (as our coaches would have known).

If the rain that is predicted for Saturday evening eventuates, their possession game will be much more difficult to execute. On the flip side, we tend to over handball in the wet which causes us problems.

[bloodspirit]

Good month for Horse got even better this week. Apart from coaching us to three wins against top 8 sides on the trot after we had been written off as a finals contender and despite having a team full of youth, Roos this week lauded Longmire as one of the greatest coaches and, today, I read, Clarko has said of the Swans: "They've been the best defence, in my view, for 10 years". The Swans have made finals more consistently since Longmire has been in charge than any other - he has never missed finals, which is more than can be said of any other team out there.

I think Nico said it best, Longmire is not cooked - HE'S ON FIRE!!!

[bodgie]

I think Nico said it best, Longmire is not cooked - HE'S ON FIRE!!!

He's on fire, but when it comes to fireworks on big occasions sometimes he has sent out a few damp squibs.

[aardvark]

Clarkson 13 Horse 6.....just sayin'......It's interesting Clarko's worst win loss record is against Chris Scott. Must be the Kennett Curse.

[mcs]

Clarkson 13 Horse 6.....just sayin'......It's interesting Clarko's worst win loss record is against Chris Scott. Must be the Kennett Curse.

AS we have seen so often in those games, we struggle to find an answer when invariably tactics are tweaked along the way. Not saying its necessarily Horse's problem per say, but its been a consistent theme. We manage to dominate passages of play in most of those losses, but often can't be on top at the key end of it.

God I hate Hawthorn though - and to think they are back in the top 4 already

[Matty10]

It would have been a good win last night. We had opportunities and did not take them. Individual players were not clean when it counted at the death.

I don’t blame Longmire.

We do seem to have a bit of problem transitioning out of defence from a kick in. I would love this to be a focus for the coaching team moving forward. We need more options.

[Blood Fever]

It would have been a good win last night. We had opportunities and did not take them. Individual players were not clean when it counted at the death.

I don’t blame Longmire.

We do seem to have a bit of problem transitioning out of defence from a kick in. I would love this to be a focus for the coaching team moving forward. We need more options.

Coaching was very good. We limited Mitchell and Smith and our game plan worked to the extent that we had chances to ice the game. Poor kicking for goal let us down plus our inexperience cost us when we turned the ball over at times in the game when we had the momentum.

[Markwebbos]

It would have been a good win last night. We had opportunities and did not take them. Individual players were not clean when it counted at the death.

I don’t blame Longmire.

We do seem to have a bit of problem transitioning out of defence from a kick in. I would love this to be a focus for the coaching team moving forward. We need more options.

I agree about the kick ins / moving out of defence as a focus in the off-season

[AnnieH]

Clarkson 13 Horse 6.....just sayin'......It's interesting Clarko's worst win loss record is against Chris Scott. Must be the Kennett Curse.

But Longmire didn't play!!

Too much playing the man and not the ball.
Has to stop.

[aardvark]

But Longmire didn't play!!

Too much playing the man and not the ball.
Has to stop.

I think Horse has been and is an excellent coach. Horse doesn't play but he does dictate the way we play. I just feel the group would benefit from a different voice. Personally I'm just a bit over seeing the same game style every year and I feel it's time for a change. I understand most fans think the sun shines out his @%$# and that's fine, It's just my opinion. BUT I am in no way attacking him.

[liz]

I think Horse has been and is an excellent coach. Horse doesn't play but he does dictate the way we play. I just feel the group would benefit from a different voice. Personally I'm just a bit over seeing the same game style every year and I feel it's time for a change. I understand most fans think the sun shines out his @%$# and that's fine, It's just my opinion. BUT I am in no way attacking him.

So what would you like to see change in the club's game style? Specifically.

[Hotpotato]

Bombing it to a congested area rarely works out, only a Heeney speccy or a Sinclair grab (huge improvement has occurred there) leads to possession.
Learn from Buddy when beyond his range (I understand he has a high skillset) : his low flying stab kicks to a player in space are a better option.
Hawks have always done this very well.
We do it well sometimes, other times downfield is in a state of inertia.