I WAS privileged to be at Patersons Stadium to watch a classic final last Saturday between West Coast and Carlton. The pressure was on from the opening bounce.

As we got deep into the last quarter, I pondered the conversations being held in the Eagles' coaching box? “We need to shut the game down to protect our lead, so let’s throw some numbers behind the ball and into the backline" would have been the general refrain. I am sure this would have been spoken about, as it is in every coaches' box around the country when the game is in the balance.

Once the Blues got within nine points, all hell broke loose as the Eagles tried to defend their lead with a couple of loose players behind the ball. When Carlton bridged the gap to three points, they threw even more back.

I have regularly questioned whether these loose players are an effective tactic, as at times it actually creates more problems than it solves.

WEST COAST OUTNUMBERED AT THE CONTEST
When you position your players behind the ball, you are doing so to prevent an inside 50 opposition mark or space at ground level for an opponent to crumb and goal. Your reasoning is based on the presumption that if you have enough numbers back, it will prevent scoring opportunity. The only problem is that the ball continuously heads in the opposition's direction.

With extra numbers around the midfield contest, Carlton was most likely to gain first use and send it forward. Obviously the Eagles would outnumber them, but it is chaos inside 50  - and it only needs a collision or fumble to allow the Blues another chance.

WEST COAST WIN THE STOPPAGE
Even when an Eagles player gains first use at the stoppage, he is outnumbered and under immense pressure. He surges the ball forward but has no structure there, as most players are behind the ball. Carlton once again reload, which ensures the footy finishes in their forward end. Regardless of which team wins the clearance, the outcome usually remains the same - which is another Carlton inside 50 entry.

EAGLES WIN THE BALL IN DEFENCE
Once Carlton got the ball into their attacking zone, even if the Blues attack was thwarted by the mass of West Coast Eagles defenders, they were under pressure as there were so many players inside the defensive 50-metre area that instantaneous decisions had to be made. At the same time, the extra Carlton backs had squeezed the ground and moved up across the centre so that they could intercept any errant kicks out of defence and reload to send the ball back inside 50 metres again.

WHERE DOES THE BALL FINISH IN CLOSE GAMES?
If you look at the statistics of any tight finish, the team that has thrown players behind the ball  nearly always get outnumbered in the inside 50 count late in the game. The theory behind throwing numbers back is based around nobody scoring, but the reality to me is that usually it allows one team to score while the other has basically no chance. The equation then comes down to the fact of limiting how much the opposition can score, which to me is a risky game to play.

Coaches so often talk about the impact of inside 50 entries, how important it is to defensively restrict opposition entries, and how a solid game plan will allow your team sufficient entries per quarter. All this planning appears to go out the door when you flood back.

THE SOLUTION
So much work and planning for games is done by coaches all around the country, but I still think extra discussion is required on the best formula for defending a lead.

The maturity of recent tactics has taken the game to another level, and the forward press has shown the importance of shutting down space all over the ground. It appears impractical to virtually allow the opposition first use of the football and gifting them inside 50 forward entries and then defending like hell in the backline with extra numbers. To me, the best defence is not to allow the ball into the opposition’s forward 50 in the first place.

Obviously you cannot expose your defenders to one-on-one contests late in the game, so you need some coverage. But I would prefer to see the extra numbers up at the coalface to ensure that ‘our’ team controlled first use of the ball.

As usual, some coaching team will devise a new plan in this situation and get an advantage on the rest of the competition, and you can guarantee that the others will follow the leader.

In my opinion, throwing numbers behind the ball is a tactic that still needs work. Last Saturday, it nearly cost the Eagles a preliminary final berth and an opportunity to continue their fairytale 2011 story.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.