Nutz
First Grade
- Messages
- 5,427
Some good points there mate. It sounds like you've played the game.If you go to 03:30 of the clip above, you will see all of Sloane's defensive problems summed up in ten seconds.
1. He turns his back on the attack (that is under-5s stuff)
2. He doesn't watch the ball
3. He doesn't run to fill the nearest hole and help his buddy in the line
4. He doesn't get his body square to target and his feet set (so he essentially just gets run past)
5. He doesn't have a target on the ball carrier (he doesn't know what kind of tackle he should choose to do)
6. He doesn't try to wrap up the ball (this occurs on the line so it is a very bad flaw)
I don't think this is necessarily fear. It is just poor defensive habits.
If you have you may recall the stutter step defensive drills. For those who don't know it's a drill where you very quickly run on the spot (balls-toes of feet) and you run left or right or straight depending what the trainer calls out, incorporating tackling bags later.
The whole idea of doing this drill is not to be caught resting on your heals when defending, especially shuffling left or right.
A sprinter now runs more on his toes. Check this year's 100m OG event.
I see basics being brutalised these days....don't get me started on tackling, geez.