Apologies.. goes on a little

Its a bit of a heated subject, tanking that is. It certainly polarises supporters and observers like few other elements of the game. Many find it simply abhorrent, others a means to an end and probably most are tugged by heart and mind somewhere between the two. Most however simply fail to understand or place it in a context with accuracy.

Tank, tanking :whereby teams near the bottom of the standings have sometimes been accused of throwing games at the end of the season to finish as low as possible — thereby gaining the first/earliest pick and or/pp.

Just for the moment I'll leave it there and move on to a greater perspective. Lets for a moment consider what point of competition ( at elite levels ) is all about. Id suggest results. Not necessarily winning but results. The ultimate prize invaribly is to win the main event. You compete in the Olympics you will be aiming to stand on the podium and arguably at top, to win gold in other words. here we come to a curious forking of the roads as we have individual sports and team sports. Its possible to argue that any result if your best is an achievement in itself and to be appreciated and admired, respected even. No argument at all fromme on that. Team sports are a different kettle of fish. The journey is not always clear cut nor the methods cut and dried. The goal is however fairly simple, to win. Some would suggest if youre not playing to win then youre either not fair dinkum or not motivated correctly.

The journey of a team: Is the path taken from start to finish, the finish being whatever goal is aspired to. For some teams it might be just reaching the final 16 of the World Cup, or the Medal rounds of teh Olympics or similar, some even just to get there. In AFL the first aim is to be in the finals with the second being to be in some sort of position to make a fist of it and in so make a tilt at the real prize, a Premiership.

In many sports the path taken is to employ whatever participants ( team members ) you can , and at approriate times in order to move forward along your course. E.g. In swimming often heats are swum by team members who may well not swin that event should the team be succesful in moving on later heats/finals etc.

In so doing we establish that a team game is being employed for a team result. The prize and path are pretty clear in such a sport. In AFL football it isnt. The prize is still the Cup but the journey may be over a number of years. Maybe these could be the argumentative substitute for heats, in a fashion. The goal is to be there at some point in order to play off for the prize. The neccessity to win all and every heat along the way is moot. You win what you need to when you need to for the correct advancement. Clever teams will endeavour to field teams so that even if the result is not a win there is still victory in experience and efforts applied.

Some racing teams when knowing they cant win that round will simply try to finish that race intact. They may substiute that part tfor another to take advantage of an otherwise waste of time.

So clearly there is a vast difference between Tanking and Asset/Time /Opportunity management and the distinction ought to be made and explained.Tanking, throwing games for deceitful and illegal purposes is and ought to be frowned upon. In the game of chess everything is viewed from its relevance to the end result, sometimes even Queens are sacrificed if the moment requires, i.e all things in context.Proper use of opportunities and team assets in order to forward your own cause and ultimately place yourself in proximity to claim the prize is not only prudent but surely exactly what the whole process is about, to win, when it counts.

Apologies.. goes on a little

Its a bit of a heated subject, tanking that is. It certainly polarises supporters and observers like few other elements of the game. Many find it simply abhorrent, others a means to an end and probably most are tugged by heart and mind somewhere between the two. Most however simply fail to understand or place it in a context with accuracy.

Tank, tanking :whereby teams near the bottom of the standings have sometimes been accused of throwing games at the end of the season to finish as low as possible — thereby gaining the first/earliest pick and or/pp.

Just for the moment I'll leave it there and move on to a greater perspective. Lets for a moment consider what point of competition ( at elite levels ) is all about. Id suggest results. Not necessarily winning but results. The ultimate prize invaribly is to win the main event. You compete in the Olympics you will be aiming to stand on the podium and arguably at top, to win gold in other words. here we come to a curious forking of the roads as we have individual sports and team sports. Its possible to argue that any result if your best is an achievement in itself and to be appreciated and admired, respected even. No argument at all fromme on that. Team sports are a different kettle of fish. The journey is not always clear cut nor the methods cut and dried. The goal is however fairly simple, to win. Some would suggest if youre not playing to win then youre either not fair dinkum or not motivated correctly.

The journey of a team: Is the path taken from start to finish, the finish being whatever goal is aspired to. For some teams it might be just reaching the final 16 of the World Cup, or the Medal rounds of teh Olympics or similar, some even just to get there. In AFL the first aim is to be in the finals with the second being to be in some sort of position to make a fist of it and in so make a tilt at the real prize, a Premiership.

In many sports the path taken is to employ whatever participants ( team members ) you can , and at approriate times in order to move forward along your course. E.g. In swimming often heats are swum by team members who may well not swin that event should the team be succesful in moving on later heats/finals etc.

In so doing we establish that a team game is being employed for a team result. The prize and path are pretty clear in such a sport. In AFL football it isnt. The prize is still the Cup but the journey may be over a number of years. Maybe these could be the argumentative substitute for heats, in a fashion. The goal is to be there at some point in order to play off for the prize. The neccessity to win all and every heat along the way is moot. You win what you need to when you need to for the correct advancement. Clever teams will endeavour to field teams so that even if the result is not a win there is still victory in experience and efforts applied.

Some racing teams when knowing they cant win that round will simply try to finish that race intact. They may substiute that part tfor another to take advantage of an otherwise waste of time.

So clearly there is a vast difference between Tanking and Asset/Time /Opportunity management and the distinction ought to be made and explained.Tanking, throwing games for deceitful and illegal purposes is and ought to be frowned upon. In the game of chess everything is viewed from its relevance to the end result, sometimes even Queens are sacrificed if the moment requires, i.e all things in context.Proper use of opportunities and team assets in order to forward your own cause and ultimately place yourself in proximity to claim the prize is not only prudent but surely exactly what the whole process is about, to win, when it counts.

very well said, lets just hope our coaching staff see it the same way!

You know we're on the same page & I've been pushing for the last couple of seasons to get extra picks/priority, but now I think it's better to do this in a quiet manner.

I think we've been so good at this list management discussion, that we've embarassed our footy department amongst others like the AFL, etc. I think most of this strait talk has probably been instigated largely from this very forum, & bringing it out in the open may well shoot ourselves & our goal in the proverbial foot.

SSHHH. I think we're on the ball.

................

I think most of this strait talk has probably been instigated largely from this very forum, & bringing it out in the open may well shoot ourselves & our goal in the proverbial foot.

SSHHH. I think we're on the ball.

I hope so !! I dont think it really matters in many respects whther we talk about it in here or attempt to stay mum as the obviousness and sense of it all must surely be readily apparent to the powers that be. its my concern however that the pressure exuded upon them by external forces who themselves have their own agendas can cause an unwanted result.

I fervently hope or club plays its game for only one purpose, the benefit of the MFC. Yes there are fine lines to walk, and cliches to be espoused where needed but if we dont heed the principle that we're it it for ourselves and the rest can look after themselves then then we will have shot ourselves in the foot.

cousins and cotchin out for the tigers, tank,tank,tank.

cousins and cotchin out for the tigers, tank,tank,tank.

Of course they won't be replaced by Joel Bowden or Nathan Brown who are playing well at Coburg.

List management, player development, and player protection = tanking.

If you don't think we should tank, but think we should play people out of position, bring in more youth, and send off injured players for an early start to 2010, you're a hypocrite.

That is what tanking is.

But don't feel bad, we have been tanking since halfway through 2007, why stop now?

Of course they won't be replaced by Joel Bowden or Nathan Brown who are playing well at Coburg.

Brown was an injured shadow of his former self yesterday at Skilled Stadium

Bowden - a welcher of the highest order