Clarko made that comment about systems winning not tactics. But it seems like only our defence, if anything, works as a system, where a player can go out and be replaced with a similar player playing a similar role.
Maybe it’s that we lack depth everywhere but defence. And even then we’d struggle to replace Smith, Rampe or Lloyd.
Our midfield and forward line seem to depend entirely on a small number of key players - Buddy, (Reid), Parker, Kennedy, Hanners etc. if they are injured or negated we struggle as we don’t have others to step up.
In that sense I think we are much more like a player driven team such as Geelong, than a system driven one like Richmond or Hawthorn.
I would put our loss of form down to the absence of 2 players - Reid and Hanners (with not one mature tall forward available. With Hanners I mean the absence of form).
We haven’t had anyone and still do not have anyone able to replace them. Nor have we changed our game style to compensate.
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