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I recently gave a presentation to a local club about developing and training your game style. One of the things I thought generated some good discussion was showing video footage of certain moments in games (ie turnover in your forward line) and seeing if they had a defined plan for their players to execute in these situations or whether they let players react randomly. What impressed me about this coaching group was how many of these moments that a) – they had a plan for, and b) – had trained their players to execute it.
I thought it might be some value to do a similar process here on the website. So below I have inserted clips of certain “game style” moments in some SANFL games. For each of these consider if you have a clear strategy in place and if you have have specifically trained your players for these moments. Maybe a good discussion amongst your own coaching group.
Here we go.
Clip 1 (play for about 10 seconds): Midfield stoppage – opposition try to create space in their forward line by pushing forwards up around the stoppage
In this situation what do you tell your defenders to do?
- Play man on man
- Leave 1 defender back as a loose about 50m off the stoppage. If so, does the loose defender get created as soon as the first forward goes up or do you follow up the first one or two forwards and drop off the third?
- Have defenders follow up their forwards but sit 10m goal-side as soon as they are in “non-dangerous” positions
- Hold all 6 defenders back
- Other?
Clip 2 (play for about 10 seconds): Where to launch the ball from when going inside 50m
What do you tell your players about kicking into the forward 50m?
- Don’t launch from too far back as it is easy for defenders to zone off
- Use numbers to run the ball as close to the 50m arc as possible before entering
- Get it into the corridor at all costs and then enter
- Once forward of centre enter inside 50m as soon as possible – long and direct
- As soon as a player is in time and space he looks to enter the ball inside 50m
- Other?
Clip 3 (play for 15 seconds): Slow play at half back
Your team gets a free kick at half back and it takes time to get the ball back so play is slowed. What is your strategy for this play?
- Long down the line (as in the video clip)
- Clear space for short down the line to lead ups, trying to maintain possession
- Look to switch the play. Are you happy to go backwards to do this?
- Have someone come in and block the man on the mark so the kicker can carry and “kick over a line”
- Other?
Clip 4 (play for 10 seconds): Mark taken 60m from goal – forward entry options and patterns
This clip shows a quick movement with a Sturt player taking a mark about 60m out on the flank. What should the kicker be looking to do under your game style?
- Kick to lead up player up the line (as in video clip)
- Kick long to the fat-side
- Kick to lead up through the corridor
- Roll around and kick to top of square as quickly as possible
- Other?
What patterns will your forwards run on this play?
- Random
- Big guy holds as stationary deep target, small leads
- Block to release leading player
- Forward up the ground leads back to goal for long option
- Crossover movement with forward on ball side leading to the fat-side and fat-side forward leading up the line
- Other?
So there are just 4 game style moments that occur in games. There are plenty more, some of which I might roll out in a follow-up post if you guys thought this one was of some value? Let me know in the comments section along with your strategies for these plays.
