Daicos Runs Riot as Lyon Defends St Kilda’s Tagging Tactics
In a high-stakes clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday night, Collingwood solidified their dominance over St Kilda, securing a hard-fought victory. However, the post-match discussion has been dominated by St Kilda coach Ross Lyon’s controversial decision not to deploy a hard tag on Collingwood’s star midfielder, Nick Daicos. This strategy stands in stark contrast to the effective man-on-man defence Collingwood employed against St Kilda’s own emerging talent, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
Daicos was in scintillating form, amassing a game-high 41 disposals and orchestrating Collingwood’s attack with his signature brilliance. His performance, which is likely to earn him Brownlow Medal votes, saw him largely unhindered by defensive pressure. This lack of direct attention from the Saints, a departure from the usual approach taken by opposition teams against Daicos, has raised eyebrows across the AFL landscape.
Conversely, Collingwood’s defensive strategy was a masterclass in shutting down a key opponent. Harry Perryman was tasked with a strict tagging role on Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, effectively nullifying his impact. Despite being considered a significant attacking threat for St Kilda, Wanganeen-Milera managed only 19 disposals and a solitary goal, a far cry from his potential.
The tactical disparity drew sharp criticism from some quarters. Former AFL player and commentator Kane Cornes expressed his astonishment on Channel 7, questioning Lyon’s decision. “It’s a real shock to me that Ross Lyon is continuing to allow him to do this,” Cornes remarked, highlighting Daicos’s freedom to influence the game unchecked. “Everything we know about Ross and he’s just allowing him to waltz around with no one anywhere near him and he’s doing so much damage.”
Lyon’s Systemic Approach and Daicos’s Response
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ross Lyon defended his approach, explaining the perceived difficulties in implementing a strict tagging strategy. He suggested a preference for a more holistic “system” of defence over isolating and targeting a single player.
“Should we attack Daicos? We try and display a bit more system,” Lyon stated. “Maybe, yeah, in hindsight – he had 41 (disposals). But momentum, it’s interesting – we did send someone to him for a little bit.” He elaborated that he didn’t believe the tagging decisions were the sole reason for the loss, attributing it more to overall inefficiencies and St Kilda’s inability to convert their chances. “I don’t think that’s why, whether it be Nas or Daicos, why they got the points and we didn’t. I thought it was more the overall letting them off … we were inefficient. They took their chances and we didn’t.”
When questioned about the lack of a tag on-field after the game, Nick Daicos himself suggested that it was a calculated risk St Kilda might have taken, knowing Collingwood’s midfield depth. He conveyed to Channel 7’s Abbey Holmes that Collingwood often thrives when opponents focus too heavily on one player.
“We feel like when a team tags we can really expose it,” Daicos explained. “We were able to do that in the second half. We plan for everything each week. There’s a lot of dynamic players we have. We feel like if they want to tag one of us, we can expose it.”
Perryman’s Lockdown and Fan Reactions
Harry Perryman’s performance was lauded not only for his defensive efforts but also for his own contribution to the game, racking up 22 disposals. Lyon acknowledged the effectiveness of Perryman’s role on Wanganeen-Milera, while also noting that his player had to work through the challenge.
“Obviously, Nas had more of a go-with, a lockdown,” Lyon commented. “I thought he started game really well, he jumped into the game really well … and then I thought Nas worked through it. Nas didn’t have his best night but he never gave up and kept working. And, you know, he’s got to work through that phase.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae expressed his satisfaction with Perryman’s execution, revealing that the decision to tag Wanganeen-Milera was a collective one, stemming from the Magpies’ leadership group.
On social media platforms, the debate raged on, with many fans expressing bewilderment at St Kilda’s tactical choice. Comments frequently highlighted the perceived folly of allowing a player of Daicos’s calibre to dictate terms without significant defensive attention.
- “You’re handicapping yourselves as a club if you don’t tag Nick Daicos.”
- “If anyone doesn’t tag Nick Daicos this year they’ve got rocks in your head. Even if it doesn’t work… at least try!!”
The contrasting defensive strategies employed by the two sides have ignited a fervent discussion about the merits of traditional tagging versus a more systemic team defence, particularly in the context of managing elite opposition talent.
