Game Plan

[paddy]

I was interested to see in the Carlton game this week that Malthouse is using some of his players as a hard tag.

It was also mentioned in Access All Areas this week, where they mentioned that due to Carlton not having quite as talented a list as collingwood has had over the last few years, he has had to modify his gameplan to make up for this.

I wonder if Watters will pick up on this, and understand that some teams need to have a hard tag (and by this I mean a RL type of tag, with nearly no attacking game at all)...

I have been a little critical of Watters over the last few weeks, not regarding his development model, rather his strategic and gameday coaching ability. I hope I get proven wrong by him, but I get the feeling he is a little rigid on his Collingwood copying gameplan.

thoughts?

P.S. I have no misconceptions about how we should be doing this year, I realise regardless of gameplan we would probably have the same points we have now, however we may look a little different on the field and our percentage may be slightly better.

[Teflon]

Hard to know

Do you apply the defensive "lock down" style given resource limitation aka missing skill?

Or

Do you say as a club we know we have shyte skills but at least those we bring on and in do so in an environment that encourages these new , wonderfully skilled players to excel? (Big assumption here..). I guess playing the attack style now we at least do so giving the young ones some protection while oldies still round..

[dragit]

WCE kicked 7 goals, 23 behinds… otherwise Carlton would be 0 - 4, this is a side that is expecting a premiership.

I honestly believe that Malthouse is one of the most over-rated things in football of all time, had a lot more time and chances than any other coach has…

On Watters, our game day structures certainly haven't looked as solid since he took over… but it can take time, so hopefully he is building towards something? Alas the list is dwindling in talent in the meantime… he has it all to, hopefully he gets a good few years to show his worth.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

i point to the thread i bumped from 5 years ago ... back then we were lamenting that Ross was a fool for brining in a too defensive game and how we may have made a mistake and we were not playing to the team strenghts ... now its the same but slightly differant we are lamenting that Watters is a fool with a too attacking style and that he isnt playing to our teams lock down strenghts ....

[spert]

Regardless of game plans, the main problem is some of our key players, especially mids, are not getting enough of the ball, and when they do get it, they give the forwards no chance thanks to sloppy disposal

[Old Mate]

I reckon footy is a lot simpler than people make it out to be. Win the footy and keep it until you kick it through the big sticks and win games. Regardless of the game plan you need to focus on contested footy and minimising turnovers. Game plans are overrated.

[Dis Believer]

I reckon footy is a lot simpler than people make it out to be. Win the footy and keep it until you kick it through the big sticks and win games. Regardless of the game plan you need to focus on contested footy and minimising turnovers. Game plans are overrated.

this. Particular tactics may be beneficial, but the game still breaks down into three simple phases - they've got it, we've got it, or it's in dispute.

[saintspremiers]

WCE are a faarking disgrace kicking themselves out of the contest with Carlscum.

We can only hope somehow that Adeliade can turn it on against those scumbags.

[gringo]

Scott has changed some what he was going around the boundaries too much and has reeled that in. He is using more kids and is being shown up by having a lot of players from one area leave or go down.

Fisher missed the preseason and first couple of games.
Gwilt- went down when Fisher came back
Dempster- went down when Fisher came back
Simpkin -injured preseason and first few games
Dawson -left
Gram- sacked
Goddard -left
Raph Clarke- delisted

If Collingwood or Essendon had the same run with injuries and player turn over in their backline they woud struggle too. WCE had a couple of injury plagued years and dropped to the botom of the ladder but rebounded back up quickly with the added bonus of playing their kids into form in the meantime.

[plugger66]

Game plan. Is that a movie title because I am struggling to understand our game plan based on the sides picked in the last 2 weeks.

[joffaboy]

To go with the strategic plan of "play the kids", I think the game plan should be "kick it up the guts" and "man up".

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Game plan. Is that a movie title because I am struggling to understand our game plan based on the sides picked in the last 2 weeks.

i think its more about seeing who is worth keeping for next year ... i know what your thinking in regards to the 4 smalls but i honestly think Watters is putting the three smalls TDL Saad and Milera to the test to see who is going to replace Milne for next year

[plugger66]

Game plan. Is that a movie title because I am struggling to understand our game plan based on the sides picked in the last 2 weeks.

i think its more about seeing who is worth keeping for next year ... i know what your thinking in regards to the 4 smalls but i honestly think Watters is putting the three smalls TDL Saad and Milera to the test to see who is going to replace Milne for next year

Surely they dont have to all play together though to see that. I have said it over and over again but 3 smalls will not work when the side struggles so what do we do, play 4. No iy seems this week it may be only one or two. How can any side work under those conditions. Also last week no second ruckman against Hille and Bellchambers but we play a second one, if that is what Blake is, against GWS.

I while i am on it. Can someone, even TDL parents, explain why we recruited him.

[Dis Believer]

I while i am on it. Can someone, even TDL parents, explain why we recruited him.

To piss you off. Apparently it is proving successful so far............

[spert]

Looking at all our small/ mid forwards to be honest, TDL is the most likely to kick goals on a regular basis, as a matter of fact I'm predicting he could be B&F this season...I saw it in my tea leaves and reading my palm.

[felix]

Too much T D L bashing , he has played 1 1/2 games for us , we are stuck with him this year no matter what , let him try and prove himself , he has been playing seconds footy for a year or so and has to step up , so what if he's crap , bagging him all thie time ain't gong to help anyone.

[SainterK]

Game plan. Is that a movie title because I am struggling to understand our game plan based on the sides picked in the last 2 weeks.

Maybe we're missing the full stop.

Game. Plan

You know game first, plan later.

[dragit]

Too much T D L bashing , he has played 1 1/2 games for us , we are stuck with him this year no matter what , let him try and prove himself , he has been playing seconds footy for a year or so and has to step up , so what if he's crap , bagging him all thie time ain't gong to help anyone.

I am guilty of the bashing… probably should give it a rest…

It's not personal at all, not his fault he was recruited, not his fault he has been picked so far.

I'm more worried about the process of A) recruiting a type of player like him & B) selecting him without removing 2 other small forwards.

The fact that he played under Watters doesn't do him any favours in my eyes… just makes his selection even worse.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Game plan. Is that a movie title because I am struggling to understand our game plan based on the sides picked in the last 2 weeks.

i think its more about seeing who is worth keeping for next year ... i know what your thinking in regards to the 4 smalls but i honestly think Watters is putting the three smalls TDL Saad and Milera to the test to see who is going to replace Milne for next year

Surely they dont have to all play together though to see that. I have said it over and over again but 3 smalls will not work when the side struggles so what do we do, play 4. No iy seems this week it may be only one or two. How can any side work under those conditions. Also last week no second ruckman against Hille and Bellchambers but we play a second one, if that is what Blake is, against GWS.

I while i am on it. Can someone, even TDL parents, explain why we recruited him.

take a chill pill - obviously the hope is one of those smalls will find their way into the midfield (goal kicking midfielders have been a weakness of our team for a long time) the reason i think 4 smalls were picked was due to the fact over the last 6 years the bombers have been able to out run us and kill us with pace was it the right move hell no but we learn from that the fact is Essendon are a better side than we are so i think it would have mattered little if it was 2 smalls or the 4 smalls , we have next to no KPP so we cant go big so we went small ...

as for your last comment im not one to name drop usually but i do know TDL father and i think its pretty poor form the way he has been slagged off on here... realistically TDL has played one game and one qtr .. we all know his one Qtr as the sub was terrible and rightly so he was dropped for it this week he had a whole game and kicked 2 goals from his 9 possessions (6 of them contested) as well as 6 tackles in an a game you openly admit was not suited for 4 small forwards ... TDL was drafted because he is a pretty decent footy player (he was the EMG for last years grand final after all) he has had injury problems in the past but he is potentially a very very good pick up for us

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Too much T D L bashing , he has played 1 1/2 games for us , we are stuck with him this year no matter what , let him try and prove himself , he has been playing seconds footy for a year or so and has to step up , so what if he's crap , bagging him all thie time ain't gong to help anyone.

I am guilty of the bashing… probably should give it a rest…

It's not personal at all, not his fault he was recruited, not his fault he has been picked so far.

I'm more worried about the process of A) recruiting a type of player like him & B) selecting him without removing 2 other small forwards.

The fact that he played under Watters doesn't do him any favours in my eyes… just makes his selection even worse.

did we complain when Ross Lyon got Dempster and Shnieds over ?

fact is TDL was unfortunatly crippled with injurys at the swans , he was a very good player when fit .. scotty knows how good he can be when he is on so thats why he was picked ... lets be honest he only cost us a pick in the late 40's as well so getting a blokke who was an emg for the g/f for a late pick is not a hangable offence

[plugger66]

i think its more about seeing who is worth keeping for next year ... i know what your thinking in regards to the 4 smalls but i honestly think Watters is putting the three smalls TDL Saad and Milera to the test to see who is going to replace Milne for next year

Surely they dont have to all play together though to see that. I have said it over and over again but 3 smalls will not work when the side struggles so what do we do, play 4. No iy seems this week it may be only one or two. How can any side work under those conditions. Also last week no second ruckman against Hille and Bellchambers but we play a second one, if that is what Blake is, against GWS.

I while i am on it. Can someone, even TDL parents, explain why we recruited him.

take a chill pill - obviously the hope is one of those smalls will find their way into the midfield (goal kicking midfielders have been a weakness of our team for a long time) the reason i think 4 smalls were picked was due to the fact over the last 6 years the bombers have been able to out run us and kill us with pace was it the right move hell no but we learn from that the fact is Essendon are a better side than we are so i think it would have mattered little if it was 2 smalls or the 4 smalls , we have next to no KPP so we cant go big so we went small ...

as for your last comment im not one to name drop usually but i do know TDL father and i think its pretty poor form the way he has been slagged off on here... realistically TDL has played one game and one qtr .. we all know his one Qtr as the sub was terrible and rightly so he was dropped for it this week he had a whole game and kicked 2 goals from his 9 possessions (6 of them contested) as well as 6 tackles in an a game you openly admit was not suited for 4 small forwards ... TDL was drafted because he is a pretty decent footy player (he was the EMG for last years grand final after all) he has had injury problems in the past but he is potentially a very very good pick up for us

Yes unfair to have a go at TDL. Poor form actually but i still dont have a clue why we needed another small forward. As for the essendon game we did beat them by 10 goals last time we played them. I still will never cop 4 smalls no matter what reason you or anyone comes up with and it seems SW isnt this week. thats what frustrates me. One week 4 smalls and the next 2 or one. One week 2 ruckmen against kids and the next one against adults. And dont worry i am that chilled I am freezing at the minute.

[dragit]

did we complain when Ross Lyon got Dempster and Shnieds over ?

fact is TDL was unfortunatly crippled with injurys at the swans , he was a very good player when fit .. scotty knows how good he can be when he is on so thats why he was picked ... lets be honest he only cost us a pick in the late 40's as well so getting a blokke who was an emg for the g/f for a late pick is not a hangable offence

The fact that he was 'crippled with injuries' makes it even worse…

He only cost pick 40-something, but we desperately needed a FB and more midfielders that's point… Graham, Stevens, Martin, Gilham, Jacobs… all players that would have been handier this year.

Being an emergency for a GF means little, he was behind Mitch Morton, who can't even get a game this year.

He may come good and I will graciously apologise…

but if he's playing crap then he get's dropped, like any other bloke on the list. I think the change of team structure this week acknowledged the ridiculousness of last weeks pigmy fleet… but I am surprised that Terry was dropped before Trent… as I think Terry has played some good footy this year, but I haven't seen much from Trent yet have you?

[Playon]

Game plan. Is that a movie title because I am struggling to understand our game plan based on the sides picked in the last 2 weeks.

i think its more about seeing who is worth keeping for next year ... i know what your thinking in regards to the 4 smalls but i honestly think Watters is putting the three smalls TDL Saad and Milera to the test to see who is going to replace Milne for next year

Surely they dont have to all play together though to see that. I have said it over and over again but 3 smalls will not work when the side struggles so what do we do, play 4. No iy seems this week it may be only one or two. How can any side work under those conditions. Also last week no second ruckman against Hille and Bellchambers but we play a second one, if that is what Blake is, against GWS.

I while i am on it. Can someone, even TDL parents, explain why we recruited him.

Milne retires, Schneider retires soon and possibly Milera moving back home?
Regardless its to fast track these players, who better to play along side of, if not Milne and Schneider.
I guess were trying to at least get one A grader out of the bunch. As far as TDL is concerned from the Saints site "He reunites with Scott Watters at the Saints, after playing under him at Subiaco as a teenager."
I guess our coach wants him.

As far as ruckmen were either too tall or too small or both? atm. What are we missing here?

[joffaboy]

did we complain when Ross Lyon got Dempster and Shnieds over ?

Heap of complaints about Dempster. Known as the Dumpster and the steak knives. Was bagged mercilessly on here.

Schnieder not as much. Was questioned about his weight.

[cwrcyn]

It's been more of a question of team balance and matching up with our opponents rather than game plan. If you're missing key components (like a third tall forward, or a 2nd ruckman) then the game plan can be destined to fail. Last year we had 3 tall forwards whenever possible, and we had someone to back up McEvoy most of the time. We also had an additional 2 or 3 players to rotate through the midfield. The team functioned quite well with that set up, yet this year it's been very different and the players are struggling with the new set up, and it's no wonder.

I think Watters' big task for the next half a dozen games is to find the right balance, which I think should be very similar to what we had last year. If that means playing inexperienced players who are physically ready for the demands, then so be it.

Up until now in 2013, that right mix of talls, smalls, and versatile players who can help out in the midfield hasn't been there.