Pre game postulations: AFL 2021 Rd 7: Carlton vs the Drug Cheats

[LP]

Except its not true - Stocker had been playing off half back in the 2s (not lock-down, more sweeper, but still HBF).....  then again, who expects these guys to actually do any research?

Sweeper is a midfield role that starts from the defensive side of the square.  I suppose the 6-6-6 starting positions cloud this, but the tell is what the players do immediately after the bounce.

It won't be long under this 6-6-6 rule that you see a midfield player basically non-compete. That is they will be in the square 20m away from the centre circle, and just step out as the ball is bounced. Perhaps to even surrender the first possession and force a HB turnover as a tactic. Under 6-6-6 the traditional starting positions are somewhat potentially redundant to new tactics. A good example is that at many games now the wings are starting almost 50m apart, yet they are still "wings" by name.

Those four in the centre square for the bounces, who is to say one or two can't immediately run to the wing after the initial contest, and the wings head on ball. It's an area of specialisation in our game that is sort of half-professional and needs tidying up.