A new coach brings fresh ideas, and that's exactly what's happening under Luke Freeman at Strathfieldsaye in 2024.
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For years, the Storm have used a high possession, uncontested mark approach implemented by premiership coach Darryl Wilson.
They were ruthlessly efficient at it, and it led them to the promised land under Wilson on three occasions.
While its only one game in Freeman appears to be changing the habits that have suited the Storm for so long.
All pre-season, he teased the way the Storm would move the ball, especially in their front half, would change in 2024.
On Saturday, we saw glimpses of what that would look like, and the Storm appear to be embracing the evolving nature of this era of footy.
We've seen in the AFL that having gun-running half-backs with elite foot skills is now arguably the most sought-after commodity in the competition.
At the local level, having spoken to coaches across numerous leagues this pre-season, most are aiming to implement a fast game style full of risk that excites both their players and fans.
While Freeman was coy about what it would look like across the pre-season, Saturday highlighted the Storm will be one of those teams.
On plenty of occasions in round one, against South Bendigo, the Storm took a risky in-board kick to the centre of Tannery Lane in an effort to break the lines.
While it led to a few turnovers in what was a poorly skilled, typical round one game, once the Storm gets it right, they could become a force with their ball movement.
Storm coach Luke Freeman told the Bendigo Advertiser post game his side is ready to live dangerously.
"We want to play using the corridor, changing lanes and go about our business with a bit of dare," Freeman said.
"Sometimes we'll turn the footy over when doing that, as we saw on Saturday, but I believe it will work in our favour in the long run."
INSIDE 50:
When entering their forward 50, midfielders such as Daniel Clohesy, Lachlan Gill, and Riley Wilson no longer have the targets of a Lachlan Sharp, Jed Brereton or Jack Excell to look for, with James Schischka the only seasoned forward left in attack.
It means the Storm will have to kick their winning scores by committee, and that requires not blasting the ball inside 50.
Along with their desire to find the inward man, there was a clear focus on attempting to hit a lead-up target rather than going long and high when entering their forward 50 against the Bloods.
It led to a good spread of goalkickers, including midfielders Gill (two), Matt Harvey and Wilson (one each).
In his first game of senior footy, Abe Sheahan was the liveliest Storm forward, nailing three, and he embodied that need for a good spread of goalkickers if the Storm are to challenge in 2024.
"I believe there are more avenues going forward this year, and there's trust in the guys down there that they can kick goals," Freeman said.
"We didn't have a bloke kick a bag, but Abe Sheahan snagged three and was fantastic in his debut.
"I think we're going to get a mix of goalkickers this year, which will be hard for opposition teams to match up against."
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK:
It's not just their ball movement Freeman is aiming to convert but their defensive structures as well.
A massive emphasis has been placed on a pressure and intercept game when their opponents have the footy, and while tougher tests are to come, the Storm, when on top, were able to consistently break down the Blood's attacking forays around their half-back line.
"Outside our forward line, our other big change this year is in defence," Freeman said.
"We've completely revamped how we defend and there was enough positive signs the boys are starting to trust the system."
Strathfieldsaye faces reigning premiers Golden Square this Saturday.
