Docherty standing down

[LP]

edit: It appears for some reason that is a generic heatmap.
Here is Eddie Betts for comparison

Who'd have thunk it, the stats people can find online for AFL turn out to be bogus!

There is a truck load of people earning big dollar$ for being specialist commentators and analysts, some of them past players who barely made it out of high school!

So I'm betting this isn't the first or last example you'll find of that, after all AFL isn't full of data scientists!

[LP]

Cripps opponent is the problem, when it was just a designated tagger with no offensive skills we could get away with it but as soon as the smarter coaches started running their better players off Cripps thats when the trouble started.

That's a problem for our coaches not Cripps, when our coaches cut out the formulaic AFL past player knows best tactical crap the problem will go away!

Let's see if Voss can earn his dollar$?

fwiw, I see the same shizen happening to Maddy Prespakis, and coaches come out and make generic sweeping statements like, "Maddy has to find a way to deal with that!" Maybe that is just media speak, but coach isn't it your fecking job to make maximum use of your resource and to solve such problems?

Dud coaches will just sack/trade the star player and find a replacement who fits the formula!

[Thryleon]

Dusty doesn't do defensive running.

[LP]

Dusty doesn't do defensive running.

Agreed, Cripps problem is that he is an elite ball winner who is an ordinary user by foot (both targets and scoring) and often doesn't make great decisions, Dusty is likewise an elite ball winner but one who is an elite user and makes 1st class decisions 9 out of 10.

Cripps isn't involved in the chain of play after disposal, Dusty is.

If we judge Cripps by how Dusty plays Cripps would be a failure, so I think it's not a fair frame of reference. Cripps is at another level inside the contest beyond Dusty.

Our club and coaches say and do nothing when Dusty does yet another throat fend off, they just sit back and watch Cripps get pinged for the very same high contact!

Even worse, they watch Cripps get tackled high and pinged for holding the ball or incorrect disposal, even though his opponent hasn't slowed his progress! It's like the AFL decided because he is a giant it's OK for spud opponents to do whatever they like. Some of them have to literally leave/jump off the ground to get Cripps above his shoulders, and the umpire will call play because Cripps is accused of ducking his head when most of the time he is just stooping to pick up the footy!

I've seen Cripps pinged for initiating high contact just because some spud midget negative defender deliberately stepped into Cripps path and got caught with Cripps shoulder. It's like they are coached to throw their head at Cripps' torso and then beg for a free!

Cripps does his best not to clean them up, I think he is doing the exactly wrong thing, he should take a leaf out of Big Nick's play book and accelerate if they want to play that game, make them pay the Plugger price for getting in his way! Across the competition the opponents will soon start to hesitate and that might be all the extra time Cripps will need. Hesitate a little just like the guys who go to tackle Dusty with the thought of coping a thumb in the larynx!

[Lods]

edit: It appears for some reason that is a generic heatmap.
Here is Eddie Betts for comparison

I don't mind the old "Spot the difference!" puzzle...but that's a real tough one.

[Lods]

When Cripps is on his game, and at his best, it really doesn't matter what his opponents are doing.
He's the problem that the opposition need to deal with.

Where it's become a problem for us is that in recent times Cripps hasn't been that influential...it's then that his opponents become an issue for us.

[LP]

I suspect the more pace we place around Cripps the less of a problem Cripps will become.

Diesel spent his career surrounded by the small fast runners that could leave the stoppage after he fed them the pill. If Diesel had to also run and carry all the time he would have been far less effective.

Our problem is that our midfield is over stocked with players who like Cripps have medium to slow acceleration, average agility and average top pace. Get a few rundown types in their around Cripps and it will all change.

Plus, ever since Judd arrived we've had this sacrificial midfielder game plan, where Cripps or whoever is meant to dominate the stoppage and feed the ball out for the players around him. But in my opinion that only worked with Judd for Judd because he had Cripps inside ball winning ability combined with the most powerful acceleration in the league.

Nthmond's hive mind approach works far better, where they swarm in both directions, but you still need some extreme pace.

Voss was a similar type to Judd, swift and immensely powerful, hopefully he recognises the problem.

[kruddler]

With all due respect to Diesel, the game he played is far different to the current game. The speed, endurance and shear gut running is at a whole other level.

Back then, Bradley was a freak because of the way he could gut run.
Today, its expected of not only the mids, but wingers, half backs and half forwards too.

The rules are different now meaning you can't sit someone else behind play to cover for 1 way runners.

We need to adapt.

Cripps can dominate the lesser known midfields out there and might be able to dominate his direct opponent against some of the better midfields out there too. Ultimately, as good as a player that he is, his style is simply not sustainable consistently enough to win week in week out.

Sam Walsh is the midfield player you need now. 3 of him vs 3 of Cripps and the Cripps' will start of well, but be overrun by Walsh's each and every time.

[LP]

The rules are different now meaning you can't sit someone else behind play to cover for 1 way runners.

Just on this, I know the AFL have said no changes for 2022 but do not be surprised if further COVID interruptions are used by the AFL to justify some late changes to the rules.

I have word that Dad's Army is continually lobbying to get the Stand Rule changed, it's not the best thing for Selwood and some of his compatriots. The Handbaggers have significant influence in the Big House at the moment.

If that happens, then the changes really suit Cripps and doesn't hurt many of our slower more aerobic players.

I suspect Nthmond would be lobbying for this change as well, it would see the Nthmond game plan returned to full strength.

I presume the Dogs and Cheats would be vehemently opposed!

[kruddler]

Just on this, I know the AFL have said no changes for 2022 but do not be surprised if further COVID interruptions are used by the AFL to justify some late changes to the rules.

I have word that Dad's Army is continually lobbying to get the Stand Rule changed, it's not the best thing for Selwood and some of his compatriots. The Handbaggers have significant influence in the Big House at the moment.

If that happens, then the changes really suit Cripps and doesn't hurt many of our slower more aerobic players.

I suspect Nthmond would be lobbying for this change as well, it would see the Nthmond game plan returned to full strength.

I presume the Dogs and Cheats would be vehemently opposed!

They've just introduced the stand rule into the AFLW, no chance they will scrap it a few weeks later for the mens game....not this year at least.