In The Game

IN THE GAME

1. Get up off the deck ASAP. You are out of business there and we are playing with 17 men.
2. Never show the opposition you’re hurt. Get up quickly and cover your pain.
3. Show enthusiasm when a teammate kicks a goal, exhibits courage or plays a good knock-on, etc.
4. Talking is a BIG thing, but remember, if its “instructional” talking it must be early (to break through your teammates concentration). It must be authoritative, loud and meaningful. Cupping your hands around your mouth gives added distance to your voice. Practice it at training.
5. Quickly make any positional change nominated by the runner, using common sense by keeping an eye on the game situation. If you must come off the ground do it super-quickly, but again with your eye out for special circumstances.
6. When a teammate goes down don’t wait for a change from the bench. Act on your own initiative, bearing in mind that the forward pocket is the least dangerous to be left vacant.
7. Players who are alternating with on-ball players should specifically look for them at least once per minute.
8. On the subject of Loose Men
9. When you can see the opposition creating the loose man, it’s a long way from you to the ball carrier, he is well clear of anyone and you are the nearest Belmont man to him it’s most likely you’re the man. See this as early as you can and immediately take off to go and meet him. (Hopefully you will be covered from behind in these circumstances.)
10. Remember to be fierce in your approach to the ball carrier. Make him realise that one error on his part and he’s gone.
11. If it’s a short distance, don’t declare yourself to the opposition; have him uncertain of your intentions.
12. If you are going straight at an opponent who has plenty of time and space to go either side:
13. Leave a fraction in reserve as far as speed and balance are concerned, otherwise you will be super-easy to dodge.
14. Let him see that you mean trouble for him.
15. Just before he makes his break (your judgement is needed here) shift your aim to one of your shoulders. He will spot this (as most likely he will be looking at your
    eyes) and will be likely to think that you are coverin g one side more than the other and will therefore most likely go the opposite way. This way you are reducing his advantages and perhaps every once in a while you will make the tackle to impede him.
16. Listen to the Coach. It’s your responsibility as well as his to make sure you understand. Don’t lack the courage to ask.
17. Go across the ground to dodge packs if the recipient can play on (unless we want packs or the wind is dictating play)
18. Don’t back into an opponent to try and get 50 metres. Sprint away from him and quickly spin so you are facing our goals. This gives you more time to see
19. Every five minutes in a match ask yourself about the basics. AM I running enough? Am I concentrating enough? Am I getting in fast enough? Etc.
20. Punch-ups
    – Don’t get involved
    – Don’t get reported. Show the flag and stick with your mate. Do not start punch-ups, but where possible aim to finish them without getting reported.
21. In regards to Risk Taking, consider the following grading when marking, kicking, leaving opponents, etc:
    Full Back Line area                                     5-10%
    Half Back Line area                                  10-20%
    Centre Line area                                       20-30%
    Half-forward Line area                          30-40%
    Full-forward line area                            40-50%
    *Bear in mind that these figures can change according to circumstances, eg the wind, closeness of scores, coach’s instructions, etc
    
22. On Windy Days:
    – Play in front when the wind will make the ball fall short. Play on the shoulder or slightly behind when strong wind pushes the ball long.
    -Do not expect the wind to do the work for you.
    – Endeavour to get on the side the wind favours for high marking and spoiling
    – You might find it advantageous to let the opposition full-back have an unattended short pass target on the side of the ground which favours us in the case of a strong cross wind.
23. Know the ground and ground conditions. They do often vary even on the same oval sometimes.
24. On Slippery days, get behind the flight of the ball when meeting it. Try not to be in the “cross bat” position.
25. Listen to the opposition runner (relay, adjust, etc)
26. When initially running towards a pack try to run in the centre position. Keep reading the play all the time and adjusting your run to suit. This can of course, only happen up the field, because in defence you’re running to crumb gather would be dictated to you in a large way by your opponent.
27. Run Pasts are BIG things, but try and make it at least 10-15 metres away.
28. If you have the ball, wait until our ruckman and other ruck-type personnel are in position before giving it up to the umpire – (field). Do this with skill as you can be penalised.
29. Regards 2 goals in quick succession as at the start of a run-on. You stop a run on by every one of the 18 playing super-tight and close and defensive for the next 5 minutes.
30. When Smothering keep your wits about you – remember the flight of the ball and not to play “a cross bat”.
31. Never do anything to upset your opponent when you’ve got him under your control
32. A game is never won or lost until the final siren is heard by the umpire. If we are behind, no matter by how much, we never stop – that is personal pride. If we are ahead, no matter by how much, we keep at it – that is killer instinct.
33. Being suspended helps everyone in the competition except yourself, your teammates and your club.
34. Never underestimate your opponent – never think you can’t beat him either.
35. When you’ve launched your long kick, don’t star gaze, get straight back to your opponent.
36. Don’t grandstand after a speckie. Get straight on with the job.
37. Every time your own opponent gets possession, think it out and correct it next time; excluding when it’s been luck or him actually beating you in a one-out man-on-man duel (and even then…). Mostly, you’ll find it’s due to your position relative to him and /or the ball.
38. When bumping , don’t leave the ground and jump in the air (unless you are the ball carrier and intend to ride the bump.
    
    
39. Reading the Play or anticipation is a very BIG thing. It can be practiced at training in many of the drills.
    
    
40. Shepherding is probably a BIG thing but the main thing is to stop the opposition getting to your teammate without giving away a free. Umpires today will penalise you if your shepherding is illegal.
41. Always follow your handpass
42. You are responsible for leadership and enthusiasm, not just the captain, vice-captain, etc.
43. You must be “in” the game all the time and if you are within 100 years you must be super-alert.
44. Never stop chasing. Pressure at all times. Opposition may slip or lose the ball. Keep the pressure on so your opponent knows he can’t slow down to do his best kick.
45. Relentless Chasing is a signal to the opposition that they’d better look out. The opposite also applies.
46. If you are going to attempt something go at it confidently – better to make a full-blooded mistake (occasionally) than a wishy washy one which will happen all the time if you go at things half-hearted.
47. Don’t dwell on mistakes. Look forward to the next attempt. Crying over spilt milk will never help anyone.
48. Let your opponent know right from the start that you mean business. If he has a pea for a heart, really let him know early that you know it’s a weakness by putting him down fairly but really hard the very first opportunity you get. Don’t give him an inch physically or mentally.
    Where possible on-ballers should not be standing on the mark (unless in the case of a cold shot on goal).
49. Know your teammate’s strengths and weaknesses
50. Opposition backmen should not be the ones to dash out and intercept your teammate’s kicks.
51. Don’t fall for the old “Leave It!” trick. Know your teammate’s voices and use names and nicknames yourself. Try to fool them though. When in doubt about which team is calling, go for it.
52. Don’t go to ground, try to keep your balance
53. Remember a game lasts over 7,000 seconds. Don’t waste one of them.
54. Playing with some pain is a BIG thing.
55. Centre and CHF are super-important positioning-wise as far as organising space on the forward line goes.
56. Keep as loose and warm as possible during quarter time breaks.
57. Protect yourself in body contact. Hide behind your dipped shoulder.

On Time Wasting

1. Wasting time is an art, although dangerous these days. Remember, reports are only for blatant time wasting. We still try it though because a fraction of a second wasted could mean your teammamte has a chance to gain perhaps 2 metres in covering an opponent or more time to see danger.
2. The only time we waste time when we have the ball is:
3. When it’s minutes to go and we have a slender lead
4. When we are against a gale – then we waste time all the quarter, unless we have easy and safe targets to kick to
5. Throw the ball or run and get the ball back to your teammate for his set kick. Don’t fumble the throw, or you may lose a chance to play on.
6. Handpass the ball back to your opponent. Don’t horizontal handpass, nor high-loop handpass because of the 50 metre penalty. No bad temper “drives “or handpasses either. Handpass it back on his non-preferred side or if you see a possible handpass target for him on one side, handpass it to his other.
7. Don’t get the ball for an opponent unless it suits us.
8. Don’t waste time wrestling the ball back off an opponent. Run back into position (facing goals).
9. ON GATHERING THE FOOTBAL
   
10. Keep your legs and arms together when going for a half-volley.
11. In the half-volley the backs of your fingers should be touching the grass
12. Put steel in your fingers in the half-volley
13. The quickest and safest (therefore the best) way of picking up a stationary football is the one-hand-onto-the-other method
14. A mid-air loose ball is to be taken in the hands. The ball on the ground can be kicked off the ground.
15. On Wet or muddy days you can afford to slow down a fraction (if you have the front position) because they too will be slower in leg movement.
16. Take the ball in your hands instead of trying to tap the ball to your teammate (better to handball)
17. If you’re facing your own goal (approximately) kick it off the ground. If you’re going towards their goal, take the ball in your hands and feed it off to a teammate.
18. Don’t get too close to packs when aiming for crumbs, time your run.
19. Crumb gathering is a BIG thing.

ON GATHERING THE FOOTBALL

1. Keep your legs and arms together when going for a half-volley.
2.  In the half-volley the backs of your fingers should be touching the grass
3.  Put steel in your fingers in the half-volley
4.  The quickest and safest (therefore the best) way of picking up a stationary football is the one-hand-onto-the-other method
5. A mid-air loose ball is to be taken in the hands. The ball on the ground can be kicked off the ground.
6. On Wet or muddy days you can afford to slow down a fraction (if you have the front position) because they too will be slower in leg movement.
7. Take the ball in your hands instead of trying to tap the ball to your teammate (better to handball)
8. If you’re facing your own goal (approximately) kick it off the ground. If you’re going towards their goal, take the ball in your hands and feed it off to a teammate.
9. Don’t get too close to packs when aiming for crumbs, time your run.
10. Crumb gathering is a BIG thing.

CENTRE SQUARE

1. Aim to be into the centre square first just in front of your opponent. This will give you more chance of gaining possession than him. It will also keep you near him should he get it. This tactic may mean you an be sprinting in, jogging in, walking in, stationary or even going backwards. Remember to be reading the play at all times.
2. If your opponent taskes up an unusual spot, join him and signal to the runner to inform the coach and await instruction.
3. If you’re on the edge of the square & have no one, look coolly and quickly around the square. If they do have 5 inside inform the umpire if appropriate at the right time, as their plan may be to drop one out (hopefully unattended by us) at the last moment.
4. Rememberthat sometimes our tactics may be to position ourselves at certain spots on the square regardless of where the opponent is. Concentrate on remembering this at each bounce.*Centre Bounce retrievers: it is very important on windy days to get the ball on the correct side.

ON GOING TO FOOTBALL GAOL

1. Centre-square line infringements would almost have to be the biggest football “crime” ever.
2. Other huge football crimes are:
3. Kicking into the man on the mark
4. Kicking out of bounds on the full when not under pressure
5. Knowing you have broken well clear and kicking the ball straight to the opposition.
6. As a rule you should only be going to “Football gaol” 2 or 3 times per season.

On Umpiring

1. Don’t argue with umpires. It’s an argument you can never win during a game
2. Do not stage for frees, unless its an absolute last resort. Have personal pride.
3. Know the rules, particularly the latest interpretations.
4. Don’t stop until you hear the umpire’s whistle, i.e. don’t anticipate frees.