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When the final siren sounded Monday at 5:40, there was a sigh of relief from Collingwood supporters – the Pies hadn’t played their best but still got the all-important four points.
Melbourne supporters sighed with relief that they hadn’t been blown out of the water like in their past three Queens’ Birthday encounters.
Yet the scoreboard read 61-28.
It wasn’t pretty if you were from the generation of high-scoring, free-flowing football, and consider defence a word left to basketball crowds. However season 2014 has seen defence rule. To be a consistent side, let alone a premiership contender, you need to know how to play defence.
Richmond were tipped to make the top four based on last year’s improvement, however now sit 3-8 and another rebuild may be on the cards. Last year they were very good defensively, this year they are languishing at the bottom of the table for defensive indicators.
Sunday night was the perfect example of what happens when you play defence well and when you don’t. In the first half Richmond were desperate, defensively accountable, structured, organised and were able to maximise their scoring opportunities.
Come the third quarter and it was as though they had forgotten what to do. In the space of 20 minutes, North Melbourne scored 51 unanswered points.
As much as we lauded North for their performance, Richmond coach Damian Hardwick would surely have paid any money to have 30 minutes of defensive and ugly football.
Teams must know how to play defence to keep themselves in games and stem the flow of momentum.
The Round 1 clash between Collingwood and Fremantle was a classic case of defence winning out.
Collingwood dominated all offensive statistics in the first quarter, however Fremantle’s defensive structures were able to keep Collingwood to a minimal lead. Fremantle was then able to swing the offensive statistics to their favour, yet Collingwood were unable to show the same defensive structures and attitude, resulting in a 70-point loss.
What has also contributed to the defensive attitude and tendencies of teams is that many are coming from a low base, with Melbourne the pin-up boys for this.
When Paul Roos took over as coach, everyone knew what to expect, so complaining is like being mad if the Socceroos fail to score in Brazil. From last year to this year, Melbourne are nearly seven goals better defensively. Melbourne supporters are nearly as happy with this as Brendan Bolton is in a post-match press conference.
If you told any Melbourne supporter heading to the game Monday they were to keep Collingwood to 61 points, they would have been thinking a win was a real possibility.
One person who has condemned Paul Roos is Sam Kekovich.
“I ended up abusing Paul Roos. I understand what he is trying to do but if he wants to oversee that crap, why not buy a chess board where he and Ross Lyon can bore each other to death?”
It is ironic that both Roos and Lyon are two of the best and most in-demand coaches of recent years.
Before Ross Lyon took over Fremantle, they had only made finals on two occasions. In the three years he has been at the helm, they have made a semi-final, a grand final and are well on their way to making a mark in this year’s series.
At St Kilda, he was a bounce of the ball away on two occasions from winning their second flag, and first since 1966.
On Sunday, Adelaide was no match for Fremantle’s manic defensive pressure. When the heat was on, Adelaide melted. It was symbolic of where the game is at.
Coaches are paid to win matches and grand finals. They don’t draw pictures or symbols of how it is done; just etch the name on the premiership cup.
As for Sam Kekovich, his beloved Kangaroos are every chance to make top four with a good draw to come. However if they are not defensively sound, he may finally see why defence is just as important as attack and wish that Paul Roos or Ross Lyon were coach of North Melbourne.
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