04-06-2021, 06:50 AM
[6] Game Plan:
With our girls up and firing, our game plans runs pretty well. We are a high-pressure team that gets a lot of run-down tackles (of which only a fraction are rewarded, but that is another tale). Even in the games we lost, our pressure on the opposition was good (with the exception of North Melbourne).
However, this season we were often not at our best. As a result, our game plan was not as effective.
We basically play a variation on Pagan’s Paddock, with our mids running deep into defence to help out and our forward coming up the ground. We often outnumber the opposition at the fall of the ball. The question, however, is when we try to get the ball out of defence.
This year we kicked the ball to the opposition wall, whereupon the ball would come back in and be locked in for extended periods in the opposition forward line. This puts a lot of pressure on our defenders, and we leaked goals in the first few rounds.
Our game plan assumed a couple of things that were not true in 2021:
(a) The first assumption was that we could kick over the wall and let our fast forward gets the ball over the back.
That didn’t happen. With our defenders under pressure, the kicks were not going over the back, they were landing in position where we were outnumbered 2 or 3 to one. Our defenders were not getting the run to be able to put the ball over the top, nor did we have anyone to do the job with an extra-long kick.
(b) The second assumption was that Tayla Harris would either get the mark or bring the ball to ground. That didn’t happen either. Outnumbered most times, Tayla didn’t attack the ball with her trademark ferocity and abandon. Yes, she took some marks, but she didn’t take a lot of them. Opposition teams also appeared to be more aware of her capability to take contested marks out of nothing. I am assuming that it was Tayla’s ongoing knee issue that stopped her doing this.
This also meant that either Darcy Vescio or Nik Stevens had to try that role, and they are neither tall nor strong enough to make it work. With no other key forward as a marking target, that was a huge fail.
© The third assumption was that, as the ball got over the top, our fast forwards would run onto the ball and score. In 2019 and 2020 that worked well, but in 2021 we didn’t have Brooke Walker or Chloe Dalton to do the job. Their replacement, Elise O’Dea, offered considerable leadership, but she didn’t have much pace.
All in all, that part of our game plan really didn’t work as often as it could have.
[7] Kicking to stationary targets:
A pet peeve of mine is when my team habitually kicks to players standing still, especially in deep in defence. It was far more obvious in the first few games of the year, but it was something that happened far too often.
I understand that the skill level in AFLW is not yet what it is for AFL, but it is very much to our advantage if we DON’T kick to stationary targets.
Why?
(a) One of the more important reasons is that our young list is neither huge, nor muscled like Arnold Schwarzenegger. They have to be, sometimes, to survive contact with one or two fast moving opponents, coming in trying to spoil or intercept. A standing target has no momentum (p = m.v), while the opposition player has a lot. When the collision comes, our player is likely to be knocked off her feet. Even if she isn’t, the ball will be knocked away from our goal with the opposing player starting at close to her fastest velocity, while our player is at rest.
For example, when the stationary player is Georgia Gee (who would barely weight 50 kg absolutely sodden) or Maddy P (who is a great player, but who is not over endowed in speed), then we are at a disadvantage that cannot be overcome.
(b) Secondly, it gives the opposition hope of intercepting the ball and really raised their confidence when they do make an interception, especially if our girl is taken to the ground and effectively out of the play.
© It gives the opposing player legal opportunities to hurt our girls. That is a real negative. The bumps might be going out of the game, the collisions are becoming harder, as the players get faster and more athletic. Setting a team mate up as a potential victim in a poor way to operate!
On the other hand, I am quite happy if we are the aggressors in this situation. Certainly, one of the useful affects of Tayla Harris splitting the packs in recent years is not only that she is more likely to get the ball, but that it takes opposition players to the ground and effectively out of the action while we try to get and move the ball.
In any case, I feel this was a feature of our game at times this year and I would rather it disappear from our game.
[8] Our inability to get goals from packs:
A point I would like to bring up about this season was something very noticeable in our losses, especially early in the season. We would trap the ball in our half for extended periods, but not score the vital goals. This was very noticeable in the Collingwood and Western Bulldogs games, which we could well have won.
(a) Firstly, with Tayla Harris being our only tall target, we took very few pack marks close to goal this year. Opposing teams knew that they had only the one target to cover.
Similarly, Serena Gibbs took no pack marks. That is a side of her game to work on. She didn’t appear to have the leap, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt there.
(b) Secondly, our small forward were often swamped around the packs and unable to get off snaps. One reason is that it took too long to get the ball from hand to foot. Another thing was that very few of our snaps under pressure went through for goals. Most got intercepted before reaching the goal line.
© We usually built quite a good wall to keep the ball in, but a couple of time we were caught fumbling, and goals were scored against us.
I think we need to put more time into that situation. Moving the ball along that outer wall and kicking to a leading target would be a better bet than just kicking and hoping. The other thing is that our defensive girls are not generally super long kicks. To be able to kick further than the opposition expects gives us more room to lead into, as the bulk of opposing defenders have to consider the long ball.
With our girls up and firing, our game plans runs pretty well. We are a high-pressure team that gets a lot of run-down tackles (of which only a fraction are rewarded, but that is another tale). Even in the games we lost, our pressure on the opposition was good (with the exception of North Melbourne).
However, this season we were often not at our best. As a result, our game plan was not as effective.
We basically play a variation on Pagan’s Paddock, with our mids running deep into defence to help out and our forward coming up the ground. We often outnumber the opposition at the fall of the ball. The question, however, is when we try to get the ball out of defence.
This year we kicked the ball to the opposition wall, whereupon the ball would come back in and be locked in for extended periods in the opposition forward line. This puts a lot of pressure on our defenders, and we leaked goals in the first few rounds.
Our game plan assumed a couple of things that were not true in 2021:
(a) The first assumption was that we could kick over the wall and let our fast forward gets the ball over the back.
That didn’t happen. With our defenders under pressure, the kicks were not going over the back, they were landing in position where we were outnumbered 2 or 3 to one. Our defenders were not getting the run to be able to put the ball over the top, nor did we have anyone to do the job with an extra-long kick.
(b) The second assumption was that Tayla Harris would either get the mark or bring the ball to ground. That didn’t happen either. Outnumbered most times, Tayla didn’t attack the ball with her trademark ferocity and abandon. Yes, she took some marks, but she didn’t take a lot of them. Opposition teams also appeared to be more aware of her capability to take contested marks out of nothing. I am assuming that it was Tayla’s ongoing knee issue that stopped her doing this.
This also meant that either Darcy Vescio or Nik Stevens had to try that role, and they are neither tall nor strong enough to make it work. With no other key forward as a marking target, that was a huge fail.
© The third assumption was that, as the ball got over the top, our fast forwards would run onto the ball and score. In 2019 and 2020 that worked well, but in 2021 we didn’t have Brooke Walker or Chloe Dalton to do the job. Their replacement, Elise O’Dea, offered considerable leadership, but she didn’t have much pace.
All in all, that part of our game plan really didn’t work as often as it could have.
[7] Kicking to stationary targets:
A pet peeve of mine is when my team habitually kicks to players standing still, especially in deep in defence. It was far more obvious in the first few games of the year, but it was something that happened far too often.
I understand that the skill level in AFLW is not yet what it is for AFL, but it is very much to our advantage if we DON’T kick to stationary targets.
Why?
(a) One of the more important reasons is that our young list is neither huge, nor muscled like Arnold Schwarzenegger. They have to be, sometimes, to survive contact with one or two fast moving opponents, coming in trying to spoil or intercept. A standing target has no momentum (p = m.v), while the opposition player has a lot. When the collision comes, our player is likely to be knocked off her feet. Even if she isn’t, the ball will be knocked away from our goal with the opposing player starting at close to her fastest velocity, while our player is at rest.
For example, when the stationary player is Georgia Gee (who would barely weight 50 kg absolutely sodden) or Maddy P (who is a great player, but who is not over endowed in speed), then we are at a disadvantage that cannot be overcome.
(b) Secondly, it gives the opposition hope of intercepting the ball and really raised their confidence when they do make an interception, especially if our girl is taken to the ground and effectively out of the play.
© It gives the opposing player legal opportunities to hurt our girls. That is a real negative. The bumps might be going out of the game, the collisions are becoming harder, as the players get faster and more athletic. Setting a team mate up as a potential victim in a poor way to operate!
On the other hand, I am quite happy if we are the aggressors in this situation. Certainly, one of the useful affects of Tayla Harris splitting the packs in recent years is not only that she is more likely to get the ball, but that it takes opposition players to the ground and effectively out of the action while we try to get and move the ball.
In any case, I feel this was a feature of our game at times this year and I would rather it disappear from our game.
[8] Our inability to get goals from packs:
A point I would like to bring up about this season was something very noticeable in our losses, especially early in the season. We would trap the ball in our half for extended periods, but not score the vital goals. This was very noticeable in the Collingwood and Western Bulldogs games, which we could well have won.
(a) Firstly, with Tayla Harris being our only tall target, we took very few pack marks close to goal this year. Opposing teams knew that they had only the one target to cover.
Similarly, Serena Gibbs took no pack marks. That is a side of her game to work on. She didn’t appear to have the leap, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt there.
(b) Secondly, our small forward were often swamped around the packs and unable to get off snaps. One reason is that it took too long to get the ball from hand to foot. Another thing was that very few of our snaps under pressure went through for goals. Most got intercepted before reaching the goal line.
© We usually built quite a good wall to keep the ball in, but a couple of time we were caught fumbling, and goals were scored against us.
I think we need to put more time into that situation. Moving the ball along that outer wall and kicking to a leading target would be a better bet than just kicking and hoping. The other thing is that our defensive girls are not generally super long kicks. To be able to kick further than the opposition expects gives us more room to lead into, as the bulk of opposing defenders have to consider the long ball.
Live Long and Prosper!