WHEN IT comes to the opposition's momentum, the first question is always the same: what is the problem?
It could be a combination of things. Sometimes it's not that clear and other times it's obvious. You have to be really specific and you need to go into some depth to work out what it is.
If it's an opposition player that’s hurting you, who is it? Where are they playing? How can we restrict their influence on the game?
Is it their clearances? Are we not putting enough pressure on in their forward half? Is it simply that we are not winning enough contested possessions?
You have to be aware of all those different things.
In the case of the 2012 Grand Final, what was largely overlooked was the effect of the wind, which was really significant to the city end of the ground. That's a factor you might have to consider.
Once you've determined what the problem is, then you go to work on the solution. Hopefully someone has an answer and it's never just one person's role.
Obviously the senior coach is responsible for it, but everyone contributes, and that's why you use the experience in the coach's box to come up with those solutions under pressure.
You don't have a lot of time to come up with an answer. A quarter goes for around 30 minutes, but in the space of five minutes, you can go from a position of strength, to the game being almost out of reach.
A few years ago we were discussing Gary Ablett’s influence in the middle of the ground. You could sense he was starting to get going. The scoreboard was really close but we didn't make a change.
Within five minutes he'd kicked a couple of goals in the midfield and we'd lost all momentum. You can make the decision that you think you're going OK and then it suddenly turns critical.
It sounds simple but the number one strategy to counter an opposition's momentum, in any circumstance, is always to get your hands on the ball. If they've just kicked a goal, it's all about the next centre bounce.
Get it in your territory. You can't lose sight of that. You can have a lot of tactics, but you have to get the ball in your half of the ground.
If you can get the ball in your territory, secure possession and then kick a goal, that helps halt the momentum. It doesn't always stop it, but it certainly helps and you can get the game slowly back on your terms.
Sometimes it might not happen straight away, but you have to have the mindset that you will get it back on your terms gradually.
Another tactic that every team has a strategy for is putting players behind the ball, and there are a number of factors that may bring this about.
An opposition tall forward might be taking a lot of marks and you need another tall to lend a hand. Or you might be struggling to move the ball out of defence.
It's a challenge you're always weighing up: Do you put one behind the ball? Two? Do you want to slow the play down to get momentum back on an even keel for a few minutes? Or do you want to take the opposition on?
If you're playing a team with some dangerous players in their back half, you have to make the decision on whether you're prepared to free them up.
When the problem is an opposition player, you have to be careful not to jump too soon.
Some opposition players are just that good and It's hard to stay on top of them for 120 minutes. They're going to get the ball. Sometimes you just need to work out, are they just having their turn?
We knew in the Grand Final that Teddy Richards had a crook ankle. Playing on Buddy Franklin, one of the most agile tall players to ever play the game, is a challenge.
Throughout the game we had to weigh up how his ankle was going and while Buddy had times where he got on top, Ted was able to work through that and come out the other end OK.
But even your good players have to be moved sometimes. That's just football. Good players get beaten occasionally.
The biggest thing that dictates what you do a lot of the time is scoreboard pressure. If you feel the game is slipping away, you need to do something quickly.
What is important is that you get the balance right, you can't be too conservative. If you're solely trying to take the sting out of the game, that can cost you another goal.
Momentum will swing in most games and both teams will get their opportunities. When you get yours, you have to make the most of it and hit the scoreboard.
