Quickest of 4 Crumbers

Focus

Defensive, Front & Square, Run & Carry, Fun.

Skills

Handballing, Crumb, Mark Contest.

Purpose

Being the first to the dropzone greatly increases your chance of winning the clearance. This drill has running receivers who kick to marking players at hotspots, then tests the positioning of 4 crumbers.

Groups of

Ages

13⁺

Balls/grp

Cones

Distance (max)

90m

Setup
Three cones each end, cone (A) on the goal-line and in the centre, (B) 10m away, (C) 30m away. Choose 2 marking players and 2 defenders who start at (B). 1 runner at each (A), 4 crumbers at each (C). If you have 24 players and a full oval, split into 2 groups and send a group to the other end. Odd numbers can be additional crumbers or rotate at (C).
Step 1
(A) runs, bounces, and kicks high to a non-leading marking contest at (B). Once the kick is in the air, the 4 crumbers at (C) compete for the crumb

The kick must be like a good 8-iron into cone (B), or the exercise wont work, so the kicker must steady and get it right

You may choose to make the crumb a hard-ball-get (contact but no tackling), or instruct players to clear a path for the player closest to the ball
Step 2
If a player at (B) marks, they must backpedal and crumbers (C) must run behind to receive and handball from (B). If the ball spills, players crumb. The player who receives/crumbs handballs to (A) who has timed their run to be front and square

(A) joins station (C) at the end their kicked landed

Handballing crumber (C) joins station (A) and will be the next running receiver

Other crumbers rejoin station (C)
Step 3
(A) runs before steadying and kicking high to a non-leading contest at (B). Again (C)'s try to be first to crumb/receive, (A) runs to receive from (C)

Players join stations as described in step 2.

The ball does not always need to move in the same clockwise direction, it can return via either side

After a few minutes, swap the marking contest players.
Step 4
Variations:

For increased difficulty, add 1 defender at each end to cover (tackle or put implied pressure) crumbers

You can also assign 1 player in the marking contest the 'target'. Players position their kick to best assist the target.

For fun, you may keep track of who has won the most ball-gets at (C), 1 point per handball to (A)