Possession game

[TigerMad]

Ok the recent Richmond game plan seems to be to maintain possession.

There seems to be an awful lot of 'defensive' handballs i.e 'I am about to be tackled and need to find a teammate'.

Unfortunately the teamate often seems to be flatfooted and about one metre away.

I am still ok with that, at least we haven't just kicked blindly and created a turnover.

What I don't like is that the player handballing DOES NOT block for his flat footed, one metre away team mate.

This means that the tackling opponent stays in the play and puts the flat footed Richmond handball recipient player under immediate pressure.

The cycle then continues.

We need smarter players who will protect team mates and buy them a bit of time to dispose cleanly.

Love that they are working harder ...... just a bit smarter please.

 

[Dyer'ere]

We're still learning this style but you're dead right- we're about possession then attack.

We sometimes play the counter game. Some times we just freeze it.

I like our style.

The handball thing? It's policy to never handball until after you draw the tackle. This is a more effective play than the old handball and collide play because it's easier to get your opponent out of the play this way.

We're getting picked off a little bit with this one. Teams like Collingwood who specialise in the second to the ball game can hurt you. North does a bit of it too as does Hawthorn. We've been done by two out of the three so far. I'd like to see us blow North away in the first quarter when we get to them. They won't expect us to come out blazing with long kicks.

We'll get better at it the draw the man then handball stuff. And the freeze then counter stuff. And we'll win more games.

We threw everything at that Hawthorn game and we came up short. We'll catch a good team off guard soon and we'll destroy them. FWIW I don't like us this week. Unless we go mental attack for openers.

 

[Col.E.Kurtz]

The high handpass game appears to be the future, or at least the present, people complain about it but top 3 teams in the AFL in hand passing is:

1. Cats
2. Richmond
3. Hawks

We're in good company

 

[TigerMad]

Thanks Dyere

I really think that the Tiges have grown up in the last three games.
There is now a depth in the midfield and confidence in the game plan and their teamates that was lacking before.
The Tige's are now happy to maintain posession and back themselves at a stoppage play (ball up).
Rather than cough the ball up with a risky option.
It really shows how important a fit Simmons is to Richmond and why he needs back up if we are to maintain this style for an entire game.

I too love this style.
Play tight, run hard, keep possesion and hit them on the rebound.
I would much rather a hard fought close contest than free flowing style that risks 100 point blow outs.

 

[Harry]

We are getting better, but where we fall down in is the backwards handpass to a stationary player. In order for the handballing game to be successful (ie Geelong and Hawthorn) you need players constantly running in on angles towards the ball carrier to recieve a handball.....constantly. Players not in the immediate play need to assess and recognise when to take off and at what angle they should come in to be involved in the next handball recieve play. It's about successful linking up. Hawthorn do it perfectly. Just watch the replay against us again, and just when you thought they would lose the ball from a tackle, in came another player to recieve a little handball at pace. A handball to a moving target is constuctive, a handball to a stationary target is suicidal.

 

[Tigers of Old]

The high handpass game appears to be the future, or at least the present, people complain about it but top 3 teams in the AFL in hand passing is:

1. Cats
2. Richmond
3. Hawks

We're in good company

Sure but the that's the thing about stats, possessions are one thing what you do with it is another.
We're getting better at using it though that's for sure.

 

[Phar Ace]

We are getting better, but where we fall down in is the backwards handpass to a stationary player. In order for the handballing game to be successful (ie Geelong and Hawthorn) you need players constantly running in on angles towards the ball carrier to recieve a handball.....constantly.

It's like the old three man weave extended to 5 then 7. Not sure it's entirely dependent on "running IN on angles". Just as important, maybe more so to be running out on angles. The most important thing though is the ANGLES. This buys space when done right. Space is time and will draw opposition into the space releasing yet another teamate running in or out on an angle and so it goes on.....

Tigermad is dead right about the stationery thing. It reduces the advantage of angles at the oppositions choosing. Carlton's Williams was a past-master at the use of angles.

 

[Harry]

It's like the old three man weave extended to 5 then 7. Not sure it's entirely dependent on "running IN on angles". Just as important, maybe more so to be running out on angles. The most important thing though is the ANGLES.

Running in on angles will cause the player to run out on an angle after recieving the handball. We're talking about the same thing here. It's similar to the way rugby is played, except you have the benefit of passing the ball forward.

 

[tigerbyte]

We are getting better, but where we fall down in is the backwards handpass to a stationary player. In order for the handballing game to be successful (ie Geelong and Hawthorn) you need players constantly running in on angles towards the ball carrier to recieve a handball.....constantly. Players not in the immediate play need to assess and recognise when to take off and at what angle they should come in to be involved in the next handball recieve play. It's about successful linking up. Hawthorn do it perfectly. Just watch the replay against us again, and just when you thought they would lose the ball from a tackle, in came another player to recieve a little handball at pace. A handball to a moving target is constuctive, a handball to a stationary target is suicidal.

Absolutely spot on. The backward handball needs to be to a moving target no less than the foward handball. It's about recognising where there is space and where the space will open up next. Not an easy thing to learn - has lot to do with identifying the blind spots in the zone defence. Man on man is easier - it's just about numbers.

Tuck's the worst I reckon. He'll just stand there and watch the ball holder run up to him instead of moving forward into space to receive. Did it to Johnno a few times on Sunday - trouble is, to the uniformed it looks like Johnno is the culprit.

 

[TigerMad]

I agree.
We are all talking about in close scrimmage situations.

What complicates things is that players are also instructed to be the 'third player in' if a team mate is tackled.
This makes it harder for the umpire to pay holding the ball and the umpire will often bounce.

So the teamate is torn:
>Have confidence in my team mate, find space and create an option,often dragging a tagger with them which creates even more space).
>Stay very close to my team mate to stop him being pinged from a good tackle.

Judd is the master. He and Stevens are 'reading' each othere better and better each week.
The promising thing is that we now are getting good midfield depth with players playing together regularly.
If we continue this style, better results will come from confidence and trust in each other.