BY DAN

In recent days, a surprising amount of the focus of Canberra’s malaise has been on the play of Ethan Strange. There have been concerns about his level of involvement, his impact, and the fact that in the attack he has taken a back seat to a host of others. Public commentators including Andrew Johns and James Maloney have led the charge, but this has also been driven in the comments, the posts and the darkness of social media.

If we can simplify what is a range of views into one thrust, the idea has generally been that Strange is playing on the wrong side of the field. Andrew Johns, who, when translated, actually has some profound insights of footy noticed as the Raiders have chased points late in recent games, Strange has increasingly drifted to that side in search of comfort and opportunity.

Jimmy Maloney, all skinny and bony, says Strange’s left-foot step, and right-hand fend are not suited to the right side of the field. A change must come! While Johns just wants him to adjust which hand he carries the ball with, others want him to shift sides entirely.

The Raiders, of course, have moved Strange to the right to accommodate the left-footed Ethan Sanders on the left. In the past it had been noted that Strange’s preferred side was the right, something we’d accepted was true in a brazen act of hope. I think it’s fair to say that on the right Strange seems more hesitant about his work, and if I can offer a unproveable piece of analysis, more prone to slipping as he tries to find a way through (something obviously impacted by the weather they’ve played in).

It’s not been totally forlorn. His combination with Simi Sasagi has shown signs of being a real weapon, and the Milk’s more consistently effective combination. While his countables are low – one try assist and two try involvements, the right has been responsible for the majority of Canberra’s tries (50 per cent on the season). Strange’s statistical output is more likely driven by his desire to utilise SImi Sasagi in early ball situations, as he’d done when on the left to bring Hudson Young and his mercurial bag of tricks into the mix of the attack.

It’s a work in progress, and hardly Canberra’s biggest problem. Indeed it does seem an odd thing to focus on, given the Raiders problems with discipline, both the handling and referee versions. Strategically they’ve been far too east-west, with weakness around the ruck attack something profoundly important in a Vlandoball environment.

In 2021 28 per cent of their tries came through the middle third of the ground (per Statsinsider.com). This season it’s 8. Perhaps people should be more focused on Owen Pattie’s absence than Strange’s positioning.

Building Strange’s comfort on the right will only be good for his long-term development. It may be that he ends up playing exclusively on that side, or the left, but to be the era-defining player he has the potential to be, he’ll need to be comfortable across the park. That may sacrifice some effectiveness in the short term, but unless a change right now is the difference between premierships or not – which it doesn’t look like right now – it seems a shortsighted move to shift him around too much.

It doesn’t mean he can’t be given more opportunities on the left. There are ways to organise your attack that allows Sanders to remain the prime first receiver on both sides of the ruck, with Strange and Weekes shifting around as opportunities and desires present. That is limited by their lack of passing middle; i.e. someone that can make sure Simi is not standing there with his Sasagi in hand because no one else outside of the six and the seven can connect and create.

A complete shift would be met with a defensive challenge. Noah Martin has been an incredibly hard-working defender this year, but sometimes he’s sucked into the middle to help out there. It’s not his fault, reflective of his level of experience and the chaos that Vlandoball creates through the middle of the ruck.

It’s why so many tries have been scored on the Raiders’ right – 42 per cent, more than the middle (26 per cent) or the left (32 per cent). Martin heads in, forcing both Strange and Sasagi into decisions about which of the three ball-runners they are going to try and tackle. With more experience he’ll get better at those decisions (as will Strange and Sasagi build better combination with him), but putting Ethan Sanders there will put a lot of pressure on him that he frankly doesn’t need right now.

The eyes of Canberra and the media Mordor would be better placed at explaining why the Milk’s tram-tracks in attack hasn’t been deployed consistently this season, and why they’ve been so ineffective at creating points through the middle of the park in a game designed to pump those stats. Shifting Strange around may have small benefits, but come with so many long term development, and short term combination and defensive limitations, that its unclear that it would be a net benefit.

Canberra should persist with their current structure, perhaps with minor adjustments to allow Strange limited chances to pursue opportunities on the left. While people smarter than me will tell you structural change is needed, it’s an overly simple solution for more complex problems. It’s not time for that yet. They’ve got bigger problems to fix.

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