Football Department Review

[ElwoodBlues1]

Plans???or accidental....look at the personnel vs Freo.....no Docherty fumbling and only one kick chasing rebounder.
IMHO it shows we are better off without Docherty and Williams down back and both Newman and Williamson should retain their positions. Stocker does stick close and adds that hardness, maybe the other two can play on the wings and enjoy the freedom to roam and be at their best without having to stick to close to an opponent.

[kruddler]

I'll ask the question, and I'm not sure I really know  the answer...but are we playing  a lot differently to the way we were playing  before  the bye?
Some of the same lapses and mistakes are still there. Is it the fact that we're  winning means that we're  witnessing what looks like a rise in confidence and passion. If Freo had run over the top of us I suspect we'd  be seeing things in a vastly different  light. As Kruddler's been pointing out for some time, when we start playing teams around us rather than teams above us the wins are coming with pretty much the same play (and issues) that were part of our pre-bye games.

Obviously you know my point of view on the matter.
Play worse teams, get better results. Not just because they are a worse team, but because it gives us a boost in confidence as well.

Having said that, i made a comment in the in-game thread during the last game that we seemed to be playing a chip and mark game a bit towards the end of quarters. Basically trying to limit being scored against in red time.
I don't know if it was simply because we were winning, but its not something i've noticed before.
We seemed a little more deliberate when trying to go forward too. Chip+mark, wait for an opportunity rather than bomb long.

Perhaps that was a team specific thing. Perhaps it was simply a different type of game management that we havn't been in a position to use much. Perhaps it was different personnel playing differently. Its too small of a sample size to make any definitive calls.

Ultimately, i think the biggest variable though is the opposition. Other things help/hinder, but are dwarfed by the quality of the opposition. Sometimes we are simply not good enough. Sometimes we are.

[Mantis]

Plans???or accidental....look at the personnel vs Freo.....no Docherty fumbling and only one kick chasing rebounder.
IMHO it shows we are better off without Docherty and Williams down back and both Newman and Williamson should retain their positions. Stocker does stick close and adds that hardness, maybe the other two can play on the wings and enjoy the freedom to roam and be at their best without having to stick to close to an opponent.

Playing to players strengths will help. Tweak of the game plan and strategy will help. Figuring out if we recruited to best suit the team will be a question. Along with team selection, and game day coaching moves. I still hope this review runs deep and asking questions everywhere. We need to fix as many problems as possible. We need to see where we have problems to fix things. The remainder of the season might tell us something.

[Thryleon]

Its probably a combination of all the things, but let's not forget Teague has just rounded 2 years as senior coach.

Hypothetically the game plan has had to change with the rules which means we are simply getting better at what we are doing IMHO.

We still make mistakes but thats going to happen.

[townsendcalling]

Last year, in Teague’s first real go at it, there were very limited opportunities to drill, practice and reinforce game plans as a group. Teams who were well drilled prior to lockdown like Richmond, Geelong, West Coast had a significant advantage. Then we add a couple of important pieces of the jigsaw that needed game time for them and the team to work out how best to use them. They and the team are becoming more comfortable by the week. Good signs… 

[Baggers]

I hope the review panel and our coaching panel, give this a squiz.

So many truisms talked about that really are as relevant today as in 'their' day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU9kGJ7Y338

[PaulP]

I fail to see how you can conduct a proper review of this magnitude when one or more of the panel are doing their work through Zoom. I understand the reasons why, but they would have been better off waiting until lockdowns etc. were lifted and had everyone at HQ. It feels hobbled and compromised from the beginning. It's very difficult to get a feel for vibe, body language, mood etc. through video calls.

[Professer E]

Maybe we needed a reset moreso than review.  Certainly post the bye the coaching and playing contingent seems to have some issues out.

[LP]

It feels hobbled and compromised from the beginning. It's very difficult to get a feel for vibe, body language, mood etc. through video calls.

Agreed, but I'll stick with my earlier assessment and assert the review is just preparing the public for decisions that have already been made behind the scenes by Sayers and allies, so in this regard I think how they conduct the review makes little difference.

[LP]

Sounds like bad luck for the Clarkson boosters, it seems he is staying until Mitchell succeeds him in 2023.

I realise quite a few of you predicted this, that Clarkson would see out his contract and then be done with AFL coaching. He has basically implied that to the media in press conferences for the last 12 months and they ignore him! It says more about how disingenuous the AFL media is than it does about Clarkson.