This season the U12 coaching staff want to extend on the success of the wall by introducing more structure to the wall in the form of a 'zone defense'. Below is an extract from the AFL Coaching Manual describing how the zone should work during opposition kick-outs.
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In forming the zone players attempt to spread themselves out evenly through the 50 meter arc. The idea is that when the opposition kicks the ball out Hawk players in the area where the kick will land will have enough time to bring pressure to that area in numbers and that no area of the arc is free of that pressure. Also, if the players raise their arms, effectively making themselves bigger targets, this can give the opposition kicker the impression that there are no good options, leading them to make a bad decision when directing their kick.
The U12's have run through a drill at training to focus on the zone and we will focus on it over the coming weeks and we continue to give the team more tactics and plays to draw on.