What Have We Learnt From AFL This Week?
June 16th 2008 11:39
Lesson: Flexibility is key
Teacher: St Kilda, Hawthorn
Last week in particular, but this week as well, St Kilda tried early to open the game up with long bombs inside 50 for a contested mark near the goal. Time and time again, it failed. Against both the Bulldogs and the Swans - quality opposition - the Saints sent useless high balls to their forwards only to have them fall over trying to take incredible marks and have the ball rebounded with no trouble whatsoever. On account of their persistence in trying this approach, the Saints have managed just 20 goals over the last two weeks. And only seven of those have been from talls.
They will need to learn from this that you need a backup plan if one tactic doesn't work.
In contract, Hawthorn was having major problems with Lance Franklin on Saturday night, the emerging superstar reviving his lagging behind tally early on. In response, coach Clarkson (albeit belatedly) pushed him up the ground to try his luck as a wingman, to great success. Had they kept Buddy at full forward hoping he would come good in time, it is doubtful they would have won this week.
Lesson: The draft system works
Teacher: Carlton
The draft is in place to ensure that no team enjoys a Manchester United-style dominance at the top, and that no team spends too long floundering at the foot of the ladder. Carlton have made full use of their rebuliding years and now have a solid backbone of young players - led by Gibbs, Murphy, Carrazzo, Simpson, Bentick and Kreuzer - to complement their stars in Judd and Fevola et al. With this in mind, it's not that surprising to see them in the eight right now. Expect them to follow a path to the top similar to the Hawks'.
Lesson: Aggression needs to be channelled well
Teacher: Joel MacDonald, Jordan Lewis, Port Adelaide
"J Mac" responded poorly to a Scott Welsh goal - as the ball rebounded off the fence, he booted into the crowd, obviously learning nothing from Jarrad Waite. The umpire awarded a free kick, and Welsh scored a second without further play. Had he booted the other way - back to the middle - time-wasting would not have been paid. In fact, it would have helped the game. Jordan Lewis, similarly, took out his frustration at trailing the Crows on an opponent too late in a contest, twice, costing 50-metre penalties. And the Power took to the Cats with serious aggression but couldn't keep it under control, conceded a whopping 33 free kicks. While aggression is vital to a team's intensity, letting it out of hand hurts badly.
Teacher: St Kilda, Hawthorn
Last week in particular, but this week as well, St Kilda tried early to open the game up with long bombs inside 50 for a contested mark near the goal. Time and time again, it failed. Against both the Bulldogs and the Swans - quality opposition - the Saints sent useless high balls to their forwards only to have them fall over trying to take incredible marks and have the ball rebounded with no trouble whatsoever. On account of their persistence in trying this approach, the Saints have managed just 20 goals over the last two weeks. And only seven of those have been from talls.
They will need to learn from this that you need a backup plan if one tactic doesn't work.
In contract, Hawthorn was having major problems with Lance Franklin on Saturday night, the emerging superstar reviving his lagging behind tally early on. In response, coach Clarkson (albeit belatedly) pushed him up the ground to try his luck as a wingman, to great success. Had they kept Buddy at full forward hoping he would come good in time, it is doubtful they would have won this week.
Lesson: The draft system works
Teacher: Carlton
The draft is in place to ensure that no team enjoys a Manchester United-style dominance at the top, and that no team spends too long floundering at the foot of the ladder. Carlton have made full use of their rebuliding years and now have a solid backbone of young players - led by Gibbs, Murphy, Carrazzo, Simpson, Bentick and Kreuzer - to complement their stars in Judd and Fevola et al. With this in mind, it's not that surprising to see them in the eight right now. Expect them to follow a path to the top similar to the Hawks'.
Lesson: Aggression needs to be channelled well
Teacher: Joel MacDonald, Jordan Lewis, Port Adelaide
"J Mac" responded poorly to a Scott Welsh goal - as the ball rebounded off the fence, he booted into the crowd, obviously learning nothing from Jarrad Waite. The umpire awarded a free kick, and Welsh scored a second without further play. Had he booted the other way - back to the middle - time-wasting would not have been paid. In fact, it would have helped the game. Jordan Lewis, similarly, took out his frustration at trailing the Crows on an opponent too late in a contest, twice, costing 50-metre penalties. And the Power took to the Cats with serious aggression but couldn't keep it under control, conceded a whopping 33 free kicks. While aggression is vital to a team's intensity, letting it out of hand hurts badly.
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