So, where did we get the assumption that swimming towards the opposition team initiates a melee based on physical strength? Albeit it's not smart, that's why everybody except the aussie's tries to get around the outside whenever they can, but still, if you have small skillful players they should be happy to use those skills taking on big lugs in a general melee. Just because you're small doesn't mean you have to be a pussy.

The problem I see with the whole concept above is that it assumes you have space either side to swim into, which is just not practical in the real world. The number of free pucks that are that centralised in the pool is very, very small. It's almost always a decision between the wall (and a fight), or open water (and a swim). The decision on where you're going will often have very little to do with the opposition (although they should always be taken into account, adaptability being a good thing) and a lot to do with where you are in the pool and the general state of your team physically and mentally. If everyone's tired and scared, you're probably going to run for the nearest wall and calm things down a bit. If you're confident, you'll take the open spaces more often. If you're fitter you might just want to always take the puck away from sub benches. If you're right in front of your own goal, driving straight ahead might be considered a mistake...

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