We got one thing over all 3 of those sides, a decent defence. Having a gun midfield and an ability to attack can get you a flag. Having a great defence keep you in the mix for longer periods.

  On 16/11/2021 at 07:35, RedLegs23 said:

The determination to win a flag on the G in front of our faithful will be the drive for the boys no doubt

🔴🔵

Hopefully you're right.

Richmond dedicated 2021 to winning the flag for its VIC members that missed out on attending the 2020 GF in Brisbane - and look how that turned out (admittedly they'd already won 2 flags at the G in 2017 and 19).

I know it's only a 1 per center but I reckon the fact the the group had to end its partying in Perth by the Wednesday after the GF (as half of them returned to locked down Melbourne) may end being a good thing down the track. They could've been excused for partying for a solid month and then return to the club with an extra player's worth of skinfold across the playing group, like Hawthorn did in 2008 into 2009.

I'm hoping there's some unfinished business with this group and they can snag another flag in either in 2022 or 2023.

  On 16/11/2021 at 11:38, DeeZone said:

I have read everyone’s posts and believe that as a team we reached another gear during the finals and I also believe that it was no accident but the culmination of a well thought out plan. Our improvement is based on elite fitness, team first behaviour and having a great group of players that trust each other and their coaches. We could be on the brink of something very special as in 1939-1941 or even 1955 - 1964, we witnessed something this year that none of us has seen before and barring unforeseen circumstances we have the talent and the depth to carve out our third dynasty.

I agree with what you've said here - I guess it is interesting to see whether we can back up the elite fitness and team first behaviour.  Will the desire be there to push ourselves just as hard when we no longer have a point to prove?  Can everyone keep going with the team first behaviour when those doing the hard running, the defensive efforts etc are not getting the plaudits etc.  They seem to be on top of this... but I guess we won't know for sure until well into next season.

Given what we did in the finals, and esp rd 23, it will be interesting to see how much of a psychological edge we have over other teams.  For years we've played against great sides - we might play out of skin and be in front late in the third quarter only to be beaten by superior fitness, clutch goals, whole team efforts from sides that barely got out of second gear for most of the game.  Will we do that to other sides next year? 

What we saw in the finals this year was a team that played as if it was a single cohesive organism - watch how Tracca and Clarrie just knew instinctively where to run to receive. It reminds me of the catties in their good years when all players knew when and where to go.

With team stability this should only get better and will enhance our team's performances. Other teams still have a long way to go to catch up. It gives us a decisive advantage.

So long as we stay fit and united, we have all that is necessary for continued success. One year at a time.

Go Dees

 

 

The confusing thing I think in assessing our future prospects is that while we were mostly unbeatable throughout the year (built on a defensive bedrock) despite never really looking dominant and being shaky at times, our last three and a half games were of another calibre. Was that the next gear up in the MFC revolution, which could fuel us to the next flag?

Fifteen minutes after May limped of with a hammy I was okay with whatever might come to pass. He and Lever are undoubtedly key, but I think the boys learned a lesson about their own capabilities in the final few games of the year, which will hopefully set us apart from other genuine hangovers. Effectively, we have a shiny new toy to play with and I expect the team is eager to test it out. 

The keyest fact is that we have three of the top five or ten players in the league, and they're all crammed into our midfield. There are stars on every line for sure, but I think due to the disbenefit of proximity we can't fully realise how monumental the pairing of Trac and Clarry will turn out to be, and I get no sense of a lack of hunger from either of those guys or Goodwin and Gawn. 

TLDR: We were pretty good last year but not dominant - until the last few matches. That newfound level I believe will push us past any conception of a premiership hangover. We've always had the list, but now they know they can flex their muscle. 

Paid attention to Tom Sparrow last time I watched the replay. Had a ripper game. So too Rivers,

  On 16/11/2021 at 03:13, DubDee said:

I know we are filled with confidence at the moment and perhaps wondering how many more flags our team will deliver in the next few years. I am curious however, as to how the team will cope with the expectation, pressure and hunger issues now that the curse has been lifted. We will of course face some adversity like key injuries, downturns in form, however our list is in excellent nick and all the pieces seem to be there. It is difficult to predict, we missed finals the last 2 years, yet we seemed unbeatable in finals this year.  I looked to some recent examples of teams struggling to back it up to see if there are any parallels.

1. Hawthorn Won flag in 2008, missed finals in 2009 and came 7th 2010. People say they were too young and that is correct to a degree. They did have Mitchell 26, Hodge and Sewell 24, etc. They needed more talent and more years in Buddy, Roughy etc. However I dont think anyone would have predicted they would miss finals and scrape in the next year after their flag. Hawks finished 5th in 2007 and 2nd in 2008 so their trajectory was on the up.

2. Collingwood won in 2010 (GF in 2011, then declined) - obviously not a hangover as such but worth a look as they were talked about as having the best young list in years and we all wondered how many flags would they get out of their list (similar to us now?). Luckily Buckley came in and took care of the rest.

3. Bulldogs flag in 2016 - missed finals next 2 years, didn't win a final again until 2021. A bit like the Hawks were a young side but the next 4 years people would not have predicted. I reckon they are the best example of a hangover and we need to avoid this obviously.

There are examples of successful eras obviously so let's hope you track like the Tigers. I would not be surprised if we have a few shaky moments early in 2022 and lose a few early games. Hopefully us supporters don't lose our heads, we will settle and do well I think.

The priority for us over the offseason should be the players mentality.  Have a break, enjoy it. Then come back and train even harder than before.  If our mindset slips even a little we will fall hard.  This is easier said than done as a release of pressure/intensity is completely normal and unavoidable after a drought break.  You need to acknowledge it and deal with it.

Anyone think we are a chance of a flag hangover, however big or small?

Doubt it. Not saying back to back is impossible but we only lost 4 games this year. Most of those teams weren’t as dominant as we were.

Having said that it’s REALLY important we have a good season next year. No doubt we’re going to attract a lot of new members and we want them to get value for their money