04-21-2022, 04:45 AM
It'll be a clash of styles. We are now a contested ball team. Our centre square crew tries to win the ball from the centre bounce or stoppages around the ground with quick kicks to Harry and Charlie. Freo bases its game around turnovers and it then spreads wide, developing overlaps that allow it to run the ball up to F50. Freo rarely goes back down the line after an intercept. They bust their balls to keep width for a fast switch.
If we can keep the ball in and around contests, we'll have the advantage. If Freo is able to keep the ball in the open, then they have the advantage. Unfortunately, the Freo gameplan is pretty much what Hawthorn used against us in the last 3 quarters.
I said a while back that Brayshaw is their Cripps. Having looked at some of their games, that's wrong. He's more like Sam Walsh. Brodie is more like Cripps. At centre bounces, Brayshaw tends to play the sweeper/shoulder position behind his ruckman. The ball is tapped to Brodie or Serong and Brayshaw waits for an opportunity to take a handball receive. He's not just a receiver though - he's a hard nut as much as Sam Walsh is and like Walsh runs hard. Gerard Healy suggests he's a weapon on the turnover as he runs forward and creates an overlap forcing defenders to come up to him. Frederick is important in this regard as well as he has serious pace but also a good tank. He can happily come up to the wing and in the blink of an eye he's back at the feet of the tall forwards. Gerard Healy suggests Frederick's opponents should stay goal side of him for fear of him losing them on the way back. Obviously, Lachie Shultz is creative once the ball hits the deck and Michael Walters is still a good player in general play even if his goalkicking radar has inexplicably gone haywire.
Losing 2 of their rebounding defenders will disrupt their game to some degree, if only because stability in the back 6 is critical. Freo have worthy replacements but the cohesion built up over the last few weeks won't necessarily be there even with experienced inclusions such as Logue and Wilson.
If we can keep the ball in and around contests, we'll have the advantage. If Freo is able to keep the ball in the open, then they have the advantage. Unfortunately, the Freo gameplan is pretty much what Hawthorn used against us in the last 3 quarters.
I said a while back that Brayshaw is their Cripps. Having looked at some of their games, that's wrong. He's more like Sam Walsh. Brodie is more like Cripps. At centre bounces, Brayshaw tends to play the sweeper/shoulder position behind his ruckman. The ball is tapped to Brodie or Serong and Brayshaw waits for an opportunity to take a handball receive. He's not just a receiver though - he's a hard nut as much as Sam Walsh is and like Walsh runs hard. Gerard Healy suggests he's a weapon on the turnover as he runs forward and creates an overlap forcing defenders to come up to him. Frederick is important in this regard as well as he has serious pace but also a good tank. He can happily come up to the wing and in the blink of an eye he's back at the feet of the tall forwards. Gerard Healy suggests Frederick's opponents should stay goal side of him for fear of him losing them on the way back. Obviously, Lachie Shultz is creative once the ball hits the deck and Michael Walters is still a good player in general play even if his goalkicking radar has inexplicably gone haywire.
Losing 2 of their rebounding defenders will disrupt their game to some degree, if only because stability in the back 6 is critical. Freo have worthy replacements but the cohesion built up over the last few weeks won't necessarily be there even with experienced inclusions such as Logue and Wilson.