Respect and fearing other sides is hogwash.

We currently have less mature-bodied inside players than the teams that beat up on us and when the game is reduced to a focus on stoppages we can struggle.

North & Hawthorn both have an abundance of solid mature-bodied inside players.

We're still playing catch-up in that area.

I don't care if we struggle in stoppage games or get beaten because the opposition sides are more physically advanced, but regardless, if our players still attacked the pill and the stoppages in the same manner as those bigger bodied opponents, even if they got beaten, they would still provide a much closer and harder contest than they have shown previously.

I go back to my previous post about the mental attitude of the players...

"It's about ruthlessness. An attitude of saying Fcuk you, you are not better than me, you do not want that ball or that tackle as much as me, i am going to take it off you and make you pay"

It is arrogance, in a good way.

It should not just be the team motto, but the heart felt belief of each and every player. That's when our team will transform into a real force and a finals team...

Dross

Dross

Ha. Kerry O'Keefe you ain't.

I would have thought better of you Verbal Kint...

I think you are living up to your name here....

How exactly did we prepare for those non-targeted games then? Coach didn't speak to players? players didn't really train?

Ridiculous. Whilst there are times when players and teams will get themselves up more mentally than others, your suggestion is absurd that we were pacing ourselves and effectively giving games away last year- for what possible benefit (unlike previous seasons)???

I firmly believe that is not the case. It is simply the case that the players did not have the required self belief in certain games that led to such horrid performances.

You might like to think ina conservative & conventional way, that s fine.

But It was obvious the years before that we did exactly that to negotiate ladder position,,,just as other clubs have done & do.Last year to me was of no use in fighting for/making eighth.where we finished was almost as Ideal as we could have hoped, to get the missing requirements.

Management or not, fate, either way it's a nice coincidence, last year.

The year before,,,, well, I think management, good management. We'll never know if it was one or the other. But, if you believe in the words, make it happen. You do what is necessary.

I heard Drew Petrie on radio talk about these specific games from last year.

North built themselves up big time to beat us both times, because we got all the good press, and they were struggling to pay the bills and felt cheated.

We must Murder North next year.

Definately , Brad scott was saying the exact same thing when they beat us the 1st time . " We haven't had the top picks or press they have but we think we've rucruited as well as them ." type of thing .

They do seem to have recruited a stronger bodied midfield but their clog the corridor game plan works well against us . Harvey always manages to do a number on us aswell , gotta shut him down .

To tell ya the truth it sometime gives me the eeries thinking about it .

Reminds me how Thompson used to whine in the papers how St.Kilda was getting the accolades instead of the young cats .

Look what happened there .

A case of ... What is it , MSPS ??????

Edited January 6, 201114 yr by Fork 'em

I don't care if we struggle in stoppage games or get beaten because the opposition sides are more physically advanced, but regardless, if our players still attacked the pill and the stoppages in the same manner as those bigger bodied opponents, even if they got beaten, they would still provide a much closer and harder contest than they have shown previously.

I go back to my previous post about the mental attitude of the players...

"It's about ruthlessness. An attitude of saying Fcuk you, you are not better than me, you do not want that ball or that tackle as much as me, i am going to take it off you and make you pay"

It is arrogance, in a good way.

It should not just be the team motto, but the heart felt belief of each and every player. That's when our team will transform into a real force and a finals team...

I don't think this quite explains the North situation. If we can more than match Collingwood twice, we ought to be able to match anyone if we really want to.

I tend to the idea it is mental - or put it another way inexperience of youth. The only problem is that on both occasions last year when we played North they had a younger average age than we did.

The other possibility is we were out coached. I would nominate the two North games, plus the Carlton game last yearwhen I think we were very much out coached. It is a worry particularly if we are to play finals football this year. One thing you can say about Neill Daniher, is that on big games he was rarely out coached. He also had some pretty smart and experienced assistants, with the exception of Chris Connelly, most of our coaching staff have the p plates on just like the team. If anything is going to hold us back this year this IMO is one of the major ones. It is also one of the arguments against clearing out our senior players, although I acknowledge particularly Cam Bruce did make some tactical blunders on the field which is probably why he was never Captain.

Agree about Scott outcoaching us . He'd obviously watched what we'd been doing during the previous weeks and really slowed 'em down .

And we don't play Telstra well anyway .

Edited January 6, 201114 yr by Fork 'em

You might like to think ina conservative & conventional way, that s fine.

But It was obvious the years before that we did exactly that to negotiate ladder position,,,just as other clubs have done & do.Last year to me was of no use in fighting for/making eighth.where we finished was almost as Ideal as we could have hoped, to get the missing requirements.

Management or not, fate, either way it's a nice coincidence, last year.

The year before,,,, well, I think management, good management. We'll never know if it was one or the other. But, if you believe in the words, make it happen. You do what is necessary.

I agree that in previous years we certainly managed things for draft picks. But you never said previous years, you said 2010. For what gain did we 'manage' wins last year? Truth is our finishing position was a fairly accurate reflection of where we're at.

I don't think this quite explains the North situation. If we can more than match Collingwood twice, we ought to be able to match anyone if we really want to.

I tend to the idea it is mental - or put it another way inexperience of youth. The only problem is that on both occasions last year when we played North they had a younger average age than we did.

That is exactly what I said, it is/was a mental attitude that let them down.

Agree about Scott outcoaching us . He'd obviously watched what we'd been doing during the previous weeks and really slowed 'em down .

And we don't play Telstra well anyway .

It is quite reasonable to expect that we will be out coached on occasions, as long as our coaches learn as much from it as the players.

I agree that in previous years we certainly managed things for draft picks. But you never said previous years, you said 2010. For what gain did we 'manage' wins last year? Truth is our finishing position was a fairly accurate reflection of where we're at.

That is exactly what I said, it is/was a mental attitude that let them down.

It is quite reasonable to expect that we will be out coached on occasions, as long as our coaches learn as much from it as the players.

No, I was referring to last year, but then used previous years examples to illustrate that, that 'management' does occur, & I was suggesting IMO we did that last year in a more moderate form, as we added the last finishing touches to our list.

It may, & it may not be correct. But to me it was what I was hoping for, and it appeared to me, that when we were inconsistant, at times, when it was suitable, we played less well. And we finished about one spot above where I hoped to be.

At one point we looked like we may make the eight. I admit it worried me. But then we got back to a better spot, from my point of veiw.

Edited January 7, 201114 yr by dee-luded