By Katrina Gill 5:14 PM Fri 27 Feb, 2009
Tony Armstrong (foreground) and Andy Otten at Crows training
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ADELAIDE midfielder Andy Otten believes last weekend’s hit-out with Geelong well help bring his team up to speed with its ball movement.
The Crows showed patience to methodically work their way through the maze of Cats in slower passages of play, but struggled to match their opponents in the fast-footy stakes.
Otten, who had never been exposed to Geelong’s captivating style firsthand before, said the younger players could learn a lot from the experience.
“The Geelong players’ trust in each other to move the ball quickly was amazing and their ball movement was really fast at times,” Otten said.
“They were always standing up in tackles and that was probably one of the main things we learned from them. They just have such big bodies, so we need to bring that into our game.”
Adelaide’s primary focus this summer has been upping the tempo of its ball movement to help counteract the 18-man zone expected to be employed by most teams in 2009.
The players have attended up to three meetings a week to discuss ball patterns and Otten said it was important the quick, play-on style was instinctive among the group.
“It’s a split-second decision. If you hesitate, then the opposition has a chance to fill up the space and slow you down. You have to know where the numbers are and where to give the ball.
“We train so much for it that, hopefully, it becomes second nature to us in the games.”
In the past, the Crows have been criticised for a lack of scoring power up forward, but coach Neil Craig said, once again, it boiled down to fast, efficient delivery of the ball inside 50m.
“What forwards love is the turnover, like Geelong got against us, where you find Gary Ablett and Graham Johncock one-out in the goal square,” Craig said.
“That’s speed of movement and that’s why we have to get better at the way we move the ball.”
Adelaide will also sport a new look to go with its new, fast-paced game, with jumper sponsors Adidas having designed an ultra-tight-fitting guernsey for its teams in 2009.
afc.com.au
