Tagging clues to snaring Cat
ANDREW HAMILTON BEARDS, black boots and now taggers could be the next retro phase in footy.
Cats skipper Joel Selwood copped a heavy tag last week off Magpie Levi Greenwood and chances are he can expect more of the same against the Suns at Metricon Stadium tonight.
Tagging never disappeared completely but it certainly lost popularity in recent years because it required removing a player from a team defensive structure.
There aren’t too many specialist run-with players on AFL lists anymore.
However, the successful job Greenwood did on Selwood last week would have made every coach in the league reconsider.
Collingwood showed if you shut down Selwood the Cats can be beaten, especially with Patrick Dangerfield having a quiet day and the subject of rumours about injured ribs.
Lions coach Chris Fagan employed a tag on Brad Ebert last week and says he intends to apply the tactic when the opposition warrants it. Suns coach Rodney Eade said tagging was a legitimate tactical tool that was making a comeback but was non-commital this week when quizzed on his plans for Selwood tonight.
However, it would surprise no one if Michael Barlow or perhaps Alex Sexton head straight to him before the opening bounce.
“The taggers have waned a little bit haven’t they as everyone gets fascinated by the 18man team defence,’’ Eade said.
“But I have no doubt there’s a place for it. We tagged a little bit last year at stages on certain players.
“Everything in life and everything in footy is a bit retro at times. It always comes back at some stage.’’
Barlow resurrected his career at the Dockers last season by transforming himself into a tagger.
Eade said he preferred to wait and see the impact a star opposition player was having before sending someone on to him in a negating role.
“I think that is an option we can go to at some stage. Some coaches have always said to wait and see because that player you want to tag might have a bad day anyway,” he said.
“So we might wait and see how they perform early and adjust from there.’’
Fagan used Jarrod Berry on Ebert to fast track the first year player’s education.
“It is one of those things whether you think an opposition player has a huge influence and by stopping him can you get a better outcome yourself,’’ he said.
“Tagging has always been around probably less so in the past five years but it may be making a comeback.
“It does unpick team defences because you have to leave a hole somewhere to do it.”