Quote:How can we expect to move the ball forward when we have 5 players anchored in the back 50 waiting for the switch all the time? That's nearly a third of our players sitting back while the opposition sets up across the ground to outnumber us everywhere else.

As for our defence, the way players just guard space is infuriating. So many times through the season, and especially last night, we saw our guys jog into the spot they've been told to occupy in team meetings only to stand by while the opposition runs harder through all the spaces, works the ball forward with ease and kicks to someone who has managed to 'sneak' back behind our last line of defence to take an easy mark or run onto a loose ball.

Our game plan is broken and our structures and systems don't work. We can bring in all the top end talent and draft picks we like but if we don't improve our skills, work rate and game plan in 2019 we're going nowhere. We have got to abandon the zone in 2019 to play some accountable 1 on 1 footy or at worst, drop just 1 player back loose behind play.

(08-25-2018, 11:07 PM)Barbs link Wrote:The zone was pretty far from solid in 2016 and 2017. If one player, Docherty, missing is all it takes for your defensive structure to fall apart then its a fair indicator that the system isn't particularly robust.

For whatever reason, it doesn't work. The coaches (not just Bolton but all of them) should have seen this already and adapted. But they haven't. It isn't just the backline with Daisy and Simmo though, the zone is a team defence - which is failing because as a team the playing group isn't implementing it.

So yes, that is the job of the coaches (again, not just Bolton). When one of two players continually get things wrong you can blame them. But when an entire playing group isn't running hard you have to look at the coaches. When disposal and skills are woeful across the board, you have to ask what the coaches are doing at training to develop them properly. And finally, when the opposition works out your game plan and thrashes you like this on a number of occasions, you have to question why we stuck with the same game plan each time.

(08-25-2018, 11:25 PM)Vivian link Wrote:I'm happy with the zone style because the coach is expecting them to learn how to play in a way that will win. One on one is for wet days and the bottom leagues. Watch a division one game in local leagues; they play zone.

Its the turnovers that are killing us. We won the inside 50s, which shows we are winning the ball and getting it forward. We then break down and it comes back and we are struggling to get back to position. Playing one one one is not going to improve us much.

One a few occasions this year our approach has worked and we score. Fast ball movement via accurate kicking is very hard to defend. But it requires great skills and being organised and we are struggling to meet these levels.

The coach has high expectations. Good.

(08-25-2018, 11:36 PM)PaulP link Wrote:How many coaches do we have to burn before the penny drops ? We've had rookie coaches, experienced coaches, soft coaches, tough old school coaches, yet we are where we are.

We don't have the depth to cover the loss of someone like Doc. Same goes for Cripps. And yet this is the coaches fault ?

Tha coach doesn't just inherit a list. He inherits an entire club, an entire culture. And turning around a culture like ours is a massive club wide undertaking. I'm not suggesting Bolton is blameless,  not am I suggesting he's beyond criticism.

(08-25-2018, 11:44 PM)flyboy77 link Wrote:Tim Clarke chopped. More to follow?

BB has about 6-8 games next season to show some real improvement (as reflected by number of wins) otherwise he'll be pushed imo.

Sure, we'l get players back etc etc but so many times this year the lack of effort from so many does suggest the players don't get whatever BB's message is.... the school teacher mantra only goes so far.

God, I trust SOS weaves some magic....