Pre game Premonitions: AFL 2021 Rd 14: Carlton vs GWS

[Thryleon]

I think it's the latter Paul.

Every time I watch our games on TV, the expert comments blokes have a picnic on our poor defensive set ups, players ball-watching, poor positioning (or players badly out of position), not recognising opposition players' strengths (ie allowing left footers to get on their left), ad nauseum.  Bolts had a more defensive gameplan but those same problems were still evident.

It's my belief that our players have never learned how to play AFL team defence and, consequently, we rely on individual efforts and winning one on one contests.  Imagine how good Weiters would be if he was in Richmond's backline with five blokes who know how to play team defence.

I'm not sure that it's something that coaches can fix, although they should be able to address the basics.  I can't help but think that our defence would more effective if we had beaten Brisbane to Luke Hodge.  Daisy may have played a similar role, but not with the same impact and effectiveness.

Anyway, I hope Teague reads the article and takes some action to fix the problems.

Very easy to pick apart what went wrong with replays.

Reality is there's two teams determining that.

Yes guys, it's the old adage, "if you want to win, first you have to make sure you don't lose".

The art of war by sun tsu's lessons vary but you need to know a lot.

Here is one quote:

Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.

He did also state:

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. #

Chang Yu said: "Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive." He adds: "Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack." It would be hard to find a better epitome of the root-principle of war.

I think we are still learning about ourselves which is why I'm not worried about opposition focus.