Patrick Smith's 10 Commandments to beat Geelong
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:34 pm"PORT VOW TO BEAT GEELONG"
Patrick Smith - "The Australian" September 5, 2007
GEELONG has finished on top of the ladder and stylishly, too.
It had won 15 matches in succession until Port Adelaide snuck a five-point win in the dying minutes of their round 21 match. This was described as the loss the Cats had to have.
It would variously smarten the Cats up, make them keener, bring them back to earth, and put pressure on the players to hold their place for the finals. It may have done all of these things but it had one other element - and something quite sinister at that.
Port Adelaide was able to expose Geelong's weaknesses and the manner in which it could be beaten.
Smart football men have watched that game and consider the favourite for the premiership vulnerable and hardly the invincible side it appeared in the middle of winter.
Port showed there are 10 commandments that, followed religiously, can bring Geelong down. Dean Laidley, you should feel free to use them on Sunday. A small charge will apply.
One: Gary Ablett provides the energy and vision for the team. He is the single-most important player. Opposition clubs need to sit on him with their very best run-with player. He goes everywhere Ablett does and sits on the interchange bench with the Geelong star. Ablett will have an effect because he is so good but to beat Geelong he must somehow be stifled if not beaten.
Two: Only Port's Kane Cornes (613) and Ablett (585) have had more disposals this season than Joel Corey (582). The Geelong midfielder is a great accumulator and almost as important as Ablett. He, too, must be assigned an experienced run-with player.
Three: The third-most important player is Darren Milburn. He is the collector and distributor on the backline. He is very good at getting across to help a team-mate out as the third man up and he then generals the way the ball is run out of defence. He must be assigned a defensive forward who must draw him outside 50metres or take him back into the goal square. If he is allowed to hover across the defence, 30metres from goal he has his best chance to control the defence and therefore the ball movement.
Four: Have two ruckmen on the ground at least 80 per cent of the time. Geelong's style is to kick, mark and handball off, kick, mark and handball off. It is rapid and direct football, always focused on attacking through the corridor. Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams made this difficult by using Brendan Lade as a centre forward and Dean Brogan as centre back. Coming out of defence Geelong had to push wide of Lade and going into attack play around Brogan. The corridor was not as accessible as Geelong liked. And Geelong's best forward Cameron Mooney is not comfortable with a big ruckman standing in front of him. It plays on his mind. Because Lade rucked the forward line and Brogan the back, it allowed the two ruckmen to have extended time on the ground.
Five: Spread the Geelong defence. Port spaced its four marking forwards brilliantly. All started close to the goal. Warren Tredrea was 20 to 30metres out from goal. He would lead at his team-mate coming down the ground. Daniel Motlop would lead out to the right, Brett Ebert out to the left. Justin Westhoff stayed in the goal square. Between them, the quartet kicked 10 of Port's 16 goals. The structure and the direction the forwards led meant it was very difficult for Geelong defenders to supply cover to team-mates. They were forced to play their men one-on-one. So the Geelong defence, the meanest in the league, previously conceding just 72 points a match, gave up 106 to Port.
Six: Slow down the tempo of the game. The Cats midfielders are risk-takers, rhythm players with only Cameron Ling defensively strong. Geelong's first aim is to attack relentlessly, much like Adam Gilchrist plays one-day cricket. Opposition sides must retard Geelong's momentum. Port did it by manning up, chip kicking and keeping the ball out of Geelong's hands. Huddle and spread. Frustrate. Stifle.
Seven: Protect the corridor. Opposition clubs must almost zone off and clog Geelong's favorite attacking avenue. With Lade playing centre forward and Brogan centre back, flankers also gravitated towards the corridor. It meant Geelong had to work the ball around the flanks which is contrary to its game plan.
Eight: Geelong likes to stream forward, kicking to leading targets. Opposition defenders must stand two to five metres ahead of their opponents. This will help force them to lead out to the boundary and force the ball to be delivered out of the corridor. The Geelong forwards could lead back towards goal but they are not comfortable doing that. Put a strong, experienced defender who is prepared to give as good as he gets - physically and verbally - on Mooney. He is less effective, more distracted when he can't intimidate.
Nine: The man hunted by Ling should never push into Geelong's forward line. Avoid the lure of running to stoppages in the forward 50. Ling is the one mid-fielder who can kick goals. He has 27 for the season and only forwards Matthew Stokes (28), Nathan Ablett (28), Steve Johnson (41) and Mooney (55) have more.
Ten: Opposition midfielders should push to all stoppages in their own forward line. Get numbers around the ball because Geelong's midfield and onballers are not strong defensively. Decent ruck work will give opposition midfielders quality shots on goal.
Port's victory over Geelong was made simpler by the absence of Ling and Jimmy Bartels. But without Matthew Egan (foot fracture), both Matthew Scarlett and Tom Harley will have to adjust their roles. Critically, the round 21 match showed that if the defence is spread and the corridor blocked, Geelong is uncomfortable and beatable when removed from its primary game plan.
All the commandments must be followed if Geelong is to be beaten. It is good enough to work around some of the tactics but not all of them. Ten out of 10 - it will produce the perfect score.
Patrick Smith - "The Australian" September 5, 2007
GEELONG has finished on top of the ladder and stylishly, too.
It had won 15 matches in succession until Port Adelaide snuck a five-point win in the dying minutes of their round 21 match. This was described as the loss the Cats had to have.
It would variously smarten the Cats up, make them keener, bring them back to earth, and put pressure on the players to hold their place for the finals. It may have done all of these things but it had one other element - and something quite sinister at that.
Port Adelaide was able to expose Geelong's weaknesses and the manner in which it could be beaten.
Smart football men have watched that game and consider the favourite for the premiership vulnerable and hardly the invincible side it appeared in the middle of winter.
Port showed there are 10 commandments that, followed religiously, can bring Geelong down. Dean Laidley, you should feel free to use them on Sunday. A small charge will apply.
One: Gary Ablett provides the energy and vision for the team. He is the single-most important player. Opposition clubs need to sit on him with their very best run-with player. He goes everywhere Ablett does and sits on the interchange bench with the Geelong star. Ablett will have an effect because he is so good but to beat Geelong he must somehow be stifled if not beaten.
Two: Only Port's Kane Cornes (613) and Ablett (585) have had more disposals this season than Joel Corey (582). The Geelong midfielder is a great accumulator and almost as important as Ablett. He, too, must be assigned an experienced run-with player.
Three: The third-most important player is Darren Milburn. He is the collector and distributor on the backline. He is very good at getting across to help a team-mate out as the third man up and he then generals the way the ball is run out of defence. He must be assigned a defensive forward who must draw him outside 50metres or take him back into the goal square. If he is allowed to hover across the defence, 30metres from goal he has his best chance to control the defence and therefore the ball movement.
Four: Have two ruckmen on the ground at least 80 per cent of the time. Geelong's style is to kick, mark and handball off, kick, mark and handball off. It is rapid and direct football, always focused on attacking through the corridor. Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams made this difficult by using Brendan Lade as a centre forward and Dean Brogan as centre back. Coming out of defence Geelong had to push wide of Lade and going into attack play around Brogan. The corridor was not as accessible as Geelong liked. And Geelong's best forward Cameron Mooney is not comfortable with a big ruckman standing in front of him. It plays on his mind. Because Lade rucked the forward line and Brogan the back, it allowed the two ruckmen to have extended time on the ground.
Five: Spread the Geelong defence. Port spaced its four marking forwards brilliantly. All started close to the goal. Warren Tredrea was 20 to 30metres out from goal. He would lead at his team-mate coming down the ground. Daniel Motlop would lead out to the right, Brett Ebert out to the left. Justin Westhoff stayed in the goal square. Between them, the quartet kicked 10 of Port's 16 goals. The structure and the direction the forwards led meant it was very difficult for Geelong defenders to supply cover to team-mates. They were forced to play their men one-on-one. So the Geelong defence, the meanest in the league, previously conceding just 72 points a match, gave up 106 to Port.
Six: Slow down the tempo of the game. The Cats midfielders are risk-takers, rhythm players with only Cameron Ling defensively strong. Geelong's first aim is to attack relentlessly, much like Adam Gilchrist plays one-day cricket. Opposition sides must retard Geelong's momentum. Port did it by manning up, chip kicking and keeping the ball out of Geelong's hands. Huddle and spread. Frustrate. Stifle.
Seven: Protect the corridor. Opposition clubs must almost zone off and clog Geelong's favorite attacking avenue. With Lade playing centre forward and Brogan centre back, flankers also gravitated towards the corridor. It meant Geelong had to work the ball around the flanks which is contrary to its game plan.
Eight: Geelong likes to stream forward, kicking to leading targets. Opposition defenders must stand two to five metres ahead of their opponents. This will help force them to lead out to the boundary and force the ball to be delivered out of the corridor. The Geelong forwards could lead back towards goal but they are not comfortable doing that. Put a strong, experienced defender who is prepared to give as good as he gets - physically and verbally - on Mooney. He is less effective, more distracted when he can't intimidate.
Nine: The man hunted by Ling should never push into Geelong's forward line. Avoid the lure of running to stoppages in the forward 50. Ling is the one mid-fielder who can kick goals. He has 27 for the season and only forwards Matthew Stokes (28), Nathan Ablett (28), Steve Johnson (41) and Mooney (55) have more.
Ten: Opposition midfielders should push to all stoppages in their own forward line. Get numbers around the ball because Geelong's midfield and onballers are not strong defensively. Decent ruck work will give opposition midfielders quality shots on goal.
Port's victory over Geelong was made simpler by the absence of Ling and Jimmy Bartels. But without Matthew Egan (foot fracture), both Matthew Scarlett and Tom Harley will have to adjust their roles. Critically, the round 21 match showed that if the defence is spread and the corridor blocked, Geelong is uncomfortable and beatable when removed from its primary game plan.
All the commandments must be followed if Geelong is to be beaten. It is good enough to work around some of the tactics but not all of them. Ten out of 10 - it will produce the perfect score.
