titan_uranus said:

Richmond is pathetic. Unbelievably poor skills, which is closely followed by a dumb coach who insists on a game plan that does not suit his charges. You can't play possession football when you can't kick the ball 15m to a target.

I am not sure what game plan Wallet was into last night. But what game plan would you suggest for a Club that has poor skills with the ball and abysmal defensive efforts when they dont have it.

  titan_uranus said:

Richo looked like he was going to burst into tears last night. I feel somewhat sorry for him.

I dont. At times on the field over his career Richo has shown a need to grow up. Its no wonder in a side crying for leadership that a so called club "icon" is not captain and has never captained the team.

  Rhino Richards said:

I am not sure what game plan Wallet was into last night. But what game plan would you suggest for a Club that has poor skills with the ball and abysmal defensive efforts when they dont have it.

Some of their skills are poor, but I reckon the problem last night was more their mindset. It's amazing what pressure can do, it's why Finals are so different again to H&A. I bet just about all their players hardly miss a target at training, but the pressure of a real match is a whole new world.

Just ask Paul Wheatley.

  Hannabal said:

Some of their skills are poor, but I reckon the problem last night was more their mindset. It's amazing what pressure can do, it's why Finals are so different again to H&A. I bet just about all their players hardly miss a target at training, but the pressure of a real match is a whole new world.

Just ask Paul Wheatley.

I agree that it was pressure but not necessarily from the opposition. This was self-imposed pressure after a pre season of razzmatazz with the club under constant scrutiny over the Ben Cousins recruitment. It served its purpose in terms of selling memberships and getting bums on seats last night but the Tigers have learned in the hardest way possible that it has a dark side as well.

Their season isn't lost but they're going to have to pull of an upset in the next fortnight because it's hard to come back when you're 0-3 and you have a lousy percentage.

  Rhino Richards said:

I would sack a coach if he ever made such a meek or unaccountable assessment of a performance like that.

How about the opposition is only as good as you let them be?

Actually, that's what I meant. Thanks.

  Quote

We dont know where MFC will stand in all this. We have not done a thing to date beyond supporters hope. The loss of Cousins will be a cruel blow for the Tigers and better for us.

But MFC have to step up over the next 4 weeks.

Of course. I'm probably looking at it from a hungry media pack's perspective in relation to the Tiger faithful and Wallace, if god forbid they are 0-3 going into Round 4.

  Hannabal said:

Some of their skills are poor, but I reckon the problem last night was more their mindset. It's amazing what pressure can do, it's why Finals are so different again to H&A. I bet just about all their players hardly miss a target at training, but the pressure of a real match is a whole new world.

Just ask Paul Wheatley.

Agree. If the players aren't approaching the game with the right mindset, my belief is the buck stops with the coach with regards to preparation. Isn't it the coach(s) job to try and achieve the right mindset for a big game such as last night?

Or were the Richmond players caught in a Cousins trance last night??

  Rhino Richards said:

There is no doubt that Fev's skills when applied produce results that push him toward elite. However his career has been pot holed by some of the most rank displays of immaturity, stupidity and selfishness that have made him often more a chump than a champ. In many cases Fev beats himself.

Both Buddy and Fev are good full forwards. Franklin cannot be discounted as CHF. CHFs dont kick 100+goals in a season. The gaping difference between Fev's best and his worst will always make a Fev an enigma.

It would be nice if Jack Watts was as good if not better than Fev and psychologically about 20 years older too!

I'd like to think that the club would send Juice as often as possible to watch Fevola play so he can see first hand how to play with intensity. Fevola has picked it up in the last 2 seasons because, before that, he was similar to Newton with his attitude.

  Pinball Wizard said:

I'd like to think that the club would send Juice as often as possible to watch Fevola play so he can see first hand how to play with intensity. Fevola has picked it up in the last 2 seasons because, before that, he was similar to Newton with his attitude.

I wouldn't. Fev skills are elite but his attitude when not focussed is deplorable. The last thing I would want Newton to think he is like Fev. He has none of his elite skills and many of Fev's worst behavioural indulgences.

  Rhino Richards said:

I wouldn't. Fev skills are elite but his attitude when not focussed is deplorable. The last thing I would want Newton to think he is like Fev. He has none of his elite skills and many of Fev's worst behavioural indulgences.

I disagree. Newton is Like Fevola in a number of ways. But the most important is their attitudinal similarities. Let's face it, Juice Newton is never going to play like, or apply the forward pressure of a Davey or Wonaeamirri (especially that of the former in his debut year), so to show him a guy who he is like (i.e. Fevola) would probably be beneficial.

I don't know if you watched the game on Thursday, but there was an early passage of play in the Blues forward line in which Fev, in the space of half a second, applied more defensive pressure - in the form of two monstrous tackles - than Newton has in his entire life.

Now, Fevola's no tackling maestro, nor would he probably care to be, but he's obviously been told to pick up his defensive pressure. And it appears he's done so. Brendan Fevola of four years ago barely even chased half-heartedly, let alone lay tackles one after another like he did on Thursday.