Originally Posted by
liz
I think that after the first month or so we were 1st or 2nd at efficiency inside forward 50. We were leading marks inside forward fifty by some margin, and most of them were from a position where the set shot was quite straightforward.
As we've seen, our ability (or willingness) to take risks and move the ball through the middle has fallen off sharply since then. Part of it is the opposition preventing us, but I also think the team isn't displaying the run or the dare that we saw early on. I wonder if this is partly deliberate in that the coaches are worried about the vulnerability of our defence, and so are instructing the half-backs to be conservative in how they kick out. Certainly Dawson isn't trying anything like the kind of kicks he was early in the season.
As for forward 50 entries, the quality has clearly declined, particularly over the last month. Gone are attempts to kick vaguely to a target, and instead we are back to the mindless, aimless bombing it in. Who knows why they've stopped doing what worked well for the first couple of months. Sure, Gulden was one the the prime movers in this department over the first month, but he wasn't the only one. Now they've all reverted to the long mindless bomb.
The other aspect of our game that stands out to me (and has been noted by a few others) is the quality of our tackling. We seem to be expending a lot of effort but for little effect. That's one reason why the backline is being exposed - we're not really slowing down the opposition moving the ball through the midfield. Too often they are able to get a handball off to a team mate, then to another in space with the ability to kick the ball to a target.
Quite a few things to work on, but I think the tackling technique should be a priority. Start getting that right, and getting more reward for effort, and a few other things will flow. We will turn the ball over (in our favour) further up the ground a bit more often, and get more chances to get the ball into our forward 50 before it is clogged up with defenders, and thus more chance to find a target. And also provide a bit more protection for the defence. I don't think it's a work rate thing, a willingness to tackle. I think they are trying, just not doing it well. Surely that's one of the easier things to fix, even within season?
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