The rise.... and RISE of Marc Pittonet

[LP]

If English taps the ball directly to Bailey Smith but the bigger Cripps bodies him out of the way and takes possession that would be Cripps who changed the status of that hit out.

That's exactly what was happening last weekend, our Mids made every tap a physical contest, and that is why despite all the clear taps the Dawks had few HtA and a poor clearance rate.

As an aside, the Hawthorn people I was sitting with couldn't believe how broad Cerra is across the shoulders, he is much heavier in the upper body than fans credit him for and he basically brushed the Dawks Mids aside.

Personally, I think against the smaller bodied teams, it's a better tactic to tap to the advantage of the opponents and let Cripps, Cerra and Kennedy take a full physical toll over the hunted opposition, rather than have Cripps in front being tackled every stoppage. It works especially well when we have the wave mentality going, you might get through Cripps but Cerra is next, if you break the Cerra tackle he's followed by Kennedy. If you wear down the opposition early, getting smashed by Cripps and Cerra, then at the end of the game you get to see Cripps parting the sea at stoppages because the opposition is already broken!

As for SoJ rucking, Young has a better reach but little or no skills, SoJ has Young covered for 2nd efforts and running off the opposition ruck. But neither of them are a patch on TDK, and we are probably going to see that in the future regardless of what club TDK ends at.