Pendles on game plan and why it's working

[Fatui Attata]

To help settle the arguments around whether we have changed the game plan or not, maybe words directly from our Captain might settle things?

Then again....er thompsoc....wishful thinking


"Collingwood revival came after players 'put more skin in the game', says captain Scott Pendlebury."
May 25, 2016 - 3:00AM

Michael Gleeson

Collingwood's players as much as coach Nathan Buckley revived the team's season because it was the players, not Buckley, who needed to "put more skin in the game", captain Scott Pendlebury said.
Pendlebury launched a passionate defence of his coach, saying Buckley's high profile as a player meant the focus on him as coach was over the top.
Confronting public assumptions that Buckley would be a tough and brutally direct coach, Pendlebury said that in frank meetings after the Carlton loss in round seven earlier this month the players had urged Buckley and all the coaches and leaders to be tougher on them.
"We said it is not happening, whatever we are doing is not working so let's call a spade a spade and if guys need to be whacked they get whacked, if they need to be wrapped up they get wrapped up for doing the right things we want to reward," Pendlebury said.
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"I think today's footy it is a delicate balance of do you put your arm around or do you go whack? No matter how nice or how hard you are, nothing hurts more than match day when blokes continually won't do the things that have been asked so we can be as nice and connected as we want. But if we are not doing it on match day that is as honest feedback as you can get.
"Bucks was really good after the Carlton game, I think it was just being harder on us, the leaders as well driving us to pick up the intensity. Everyone has gone up 10per cent around the club in work rate, attention to detail. You can take for granted everyone is doing things.
"That is where we turned our season around, tipping in the hard work. Defensively we have been much better: the last two weeks we have conceded 70 points on average against Geelong and Brisbane."
Pendlebury said the focus on Buckley was always high but the pressure on him this year after the loss to West Coast and then the Carlton defeat was excessive.
"I can understand because Bucks was such a big figure when he played. And now he is coach if we play well Bucks has done it and if we played poorly Bucks has done it," Pendlebury said.
"It is not about Bucks, it is about the players. He gives us the blueprint for how to play but then we have to go out and do it. He can tell us where to stand but he can't tell us how hard to run, he can't push you out there.
"That has been the biggest turnaround the last two weeks. Structurally we haven't done anything different it's just that we are working a lot harder for each other on the ground.
"I feel like the pressure on him is over the top at times but he never lets it show behind closed doors in here with us."
Pendlebury admitted his move to the half back line for most of the early rounds was so that he could manage broken ribs, which were now healed, but the team also battled for onfield leadership for a period with designated leaders Steele Sidebottom suspended, Taylor Adams injured and Nathan Brown and Brent Macaffer in the VFL.
He said the team had also confronted ideas that injuries were an excuse or youth an alibi.
"Just because we are young let's not buy into this we have to rebuild and stuff. On the weekend, we had seven or eight guys under 50 games but they clearly showed they can toe the line and play, so let's not give them an out for age and the same with the senior guys, let's not give them an out because I trust him if he has done it before. No, if he hasn't done it on the weekend, then he's not doing it for you now. We all decided to put a bit more skin in the game."
Collingwood's injuries were long, but Pendlebury said Hawthorn was the exemplar of ignoring the names and worrying about the role.
"Look at Clarkson with Hawthorn last year. They were smashed with injuries and it was just 'next one up, next one up'. Early this year they have had Roughy out, Mitchell missed a game, Gibson missed games, Hodge out and they just find a way. Everyone talks about having numbers on a list, well when your number is called you have to be ready to go."

[/quote]

[Redlight]

"That has been the biggest turnaround the last two weeks. Structurally we haven't done anything different it's just that we are working a lot harder for each other on the ground. "

I think that feels like the most common-sense scenario. Tweaks to suit particular opponents, sure, but I find it hard to believe that coaches fundamentally change game plans and setups from week to week. Especially when the team isn't settled.

[Cam]

If you have been at the games this has been evident. You can't see it on TV. Our guys are just working harder and smarter, they have more energy running both ways.

[E]

any credence to the theory that Collingwood had the pies in pre-season training mode in the first 8 weeks so that we would be fitter come September? I know Hawthorn are famous for the slow starts to the season because they focus on being cherry ripe come September rather than worrying about a loss or two in the early part of the season.

We just seem to be able to run better all of a sudden after looking slow and heavy early.

[Big T]

I think we have shown a lot more attacking flair and risk taking and the players are enjoying that. That has bred confidence.

[Big T]

And I think dropping cloke is s big part of that.

[simon tonna]

mentally the players were not switched on, bar one taylor adams.
if others need to look for inspiration on the field when things are
going against the grain seek out tay and watch how he forces himself
to stay at the same level thats needed for AFL footy.

[thompsoc]

Dear Mr Fatui ( love that name )

As I said in the Latin thread:

16th in the league for playing on with a mark/free kick before Saturday.
And what did we do on Saturday.... we played on at every opportunity and embraced fast footy.
It only takes one instruction from the coach ...play on at all costs but keep believing nothing changed except harder work.

Listen, 95% of the structures and game day plan remain.
BUT
We zoned less on Saturday.
We did not go backwards with our ball movement much on Saturday.
We switched the ball a little more.
We had more men around the stoppages
We played on more
We lowered our eyes more
We took more risks going through the mid field.
Now, don't tell me that we didn't change our game a little bit.
It only takes one instruction from the coach.
Play on, take risks, lower your eyes and get to every stoppage.
AFL isn't the NFL and it really is a simple game in most aspects.
_________________

[nomadjack]

Instructions are useless unless players are prepared to run both ways and provide options upfield. That's been the difference.

[Fatui Attata]

I like the name too!

Is yours a merging of Len Thompson and the wind sock at the Yarra Falls end?

All of those things you listed were always a part of the structure...they were simply the bits we weren't doing.

Getting a message across to an entire group of players aint as easy as it looks.

The catalyst that gave the players united traction on Buckley's strategy happened when Mason Cox came into the side (as well as Sidey, Adams, even Crocker) and put in commanding 'stick your neck out' performances, which influenced the rest to follow suit.
As the ol' cliche goes..."It was there aaallll the tiiiiime!"
Go Woods!

[watt price tully]

[thompsoc]

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

[Cam]

What would Pendles know anyway...

[Jezza]