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None of what you have mentioned necessarily screams culture. We play in a socialist league. You can’t always succeed. There’s very few clubs globally that do and they are bankrolled in leagues that don’t have the same salary caps as we do. im not satisfied with how we are playing at the moment but afl is a hard and strange game. I thought gws were a shoo in earlier this year and they’re doing as well as we are. Yet they played a prelim last year. Things happen. The bulldogs are the second best team in it statistically at the moment. They supposedly have a poor culture according to some. I just don’t correlate performance over one year with culture, whatever that word means to you.

So despite them being terrible for a long time now they have better culture than us? Despite the allegations around their culture under Clarkson their culture is still better than ours? It’s easy to get caught up in short term trends and most football supporters and the media do.

The media are generally full of [censored]. I’m not offering any excuses. I’m just arguing the point about what defines culture and that ours is quite possibly fine despite things currently not going our way. Just cause Clarry has had a tough time doesn’t mean our culture is shot. Him getting back to his best best year would be a sign that it’s actually quite a good culture.

Listening to the media is not in anyone’s interest. They are reactive, short sighted and over the top. They also aren’t that bright and misuse words and phrases regularly.

It is a tough industry and comparing yourself to Geelong might be a waste of time. Not every basketballer is Michael Jordan. Not every footballer is Gary Ablett. Doesn’t mean they aren’t professional and working to high standards. But you are starting to differentiate between culture and high performance. You can have great culture while working on your high performance and your recruiting. Recruiting is largely luck too. Who’s available and when might not always suit your needs and stamping your feet saying we didn’t get what we need doesn’t help or change the fact that it’s a lot of luck.

That seems simplistic to me. You can maintain high standards across all areas and it may not lead to on field success. What if you just don’t have the players you need? Your list and the injuries you get along the way are in large part due to luck. It almost feels like you are setting yourself disappointed with unrealistic standards. So 2019 was a no good waste of time but the year we had to have to learn how to defend? It’s hard to assess from the outside. We don’t know how this season is being viewed internally. In elite sport it takes two tenths of not much to fall away badly. Doesn’t mean the sky is falling or that the future may not be bright.

Is culture more powerful than luck with injuries? Does a season outside the 8 mean culture is shot? The way the system is created means it’s very hard to defy gravity for too long. Do down years and rebuilds always point to poor culture? Hawthorn were very successful but it turns out may have not had the best culture. I think people are defining different things as culture. Our culture looked shot in 2019 but it was for the greater good in the end and our culture came through and won us a flag.

Our culture is being challenged perhaps. It’s streets ahead of where it was a decade ago though. Geelong supposedly have great culture. They have had a lot of seasons without a flag. It may be too soon to judge. Our culture to me is still in a good place. It’s how we react to issues that will define it. We have stayed top four after 21. Whether or not we win the flag from there is in large part luck.

Our culture was trash for a very long time. I think we are doing a lot better these days. It doesn’t mean problems don’t arise at club and individual level.

I don’t believe it is. Culture is seperate to wins and losses. Culture isn’t necessarily effected by wins and losses but it may make it easier to win when the stars align. Culture allows individuals to fulfill their potential but it doesn’t guarantee success. Success in sports is highly unlikely. Very hard to do. The media also use the word without reference to what they mean. It can very quickly become a nothing word. They also swap it out with performance because it sounds more dramatic. we’ve been given a very high standard on and off since 2018. The expectation of dynasty as a standard is over the top. The luck you need to have one goes far beyond culture.

Following a club is complicated. Watching some people want to blow the club up after the run we’ve had makes me wonder if they like pouring [censored] on the club more than enjoying their success.

Performance is measured by wins and losses. Culture is something entirely unrelated to wind and losses. You really don’t like your own club.

Given we now have no midfield with Viney and Oliver’s form and petraccas injury. Given we have no on field spirit or desire. Given we look like our system is broken. Do we now try and maximise our draft hand for the offseason.

I think they call this jumping the gun

It’s not reasonable to judge this period compared to prior to our gf win. We were [censored] for years so could draft well. Now we can’t because we don’t have access to the top ten. It’s the reality of being a good side. Trading is also hard to judge. It’s only about who’s available. Soon enough we will have three top ten draft picks again and around and around we shall go. I have much preferred this period than any other in my life.

is this like 2019 where we realised we needed to learn something new and dealt with the results for the bigger picture or is this like the end of the line for this list or is this something else I am not wise enough to see

You could argue melksham also but that’s not going to change much.

What are our odds to miss the 8? Seems safe money

There’s literally no one who would do a better job. We have no forwards in the cupboard.

In what world is it reasonable to change the rules of a game in the middle of a season.

Many people have been saying for a while that the umpires have been unnecessarily impacting the game. In my opinion it’s hard not to see it. I’ve sat at so many games where it’s felt like the agenda of the umpires has been pretty clear at times and also shifts within a game. Not just Melbourne games. It’s easier to confirm when you are a neutral obviously. many say questioning these things are ridiculous. They claim you are entering conspiracy. There is evidence that meddling has gone on in bigger leagues around the world in the same way. Why wouldn’t the afl be a place where this was also possible. Once you introduce advertising, gambling etc you are backed into a nasty corner. Obviously we can’t have the game without some of these things. I always assumed the umpires were talking to a “boss” of sorts. Why else would they have their ear pieces. from now on when you feel the free kick count start to even out later in a game when it’s inconsequential or you feel like one team is getting a certain type of free the other team is not it will be even harder to give the umpires and the afl the benefit of the doubt. This administration again shows that the integrity of the game is secondary to them. They mess with rules to suit to the point that people who have been watching the game their whole lives have no idea what’s going on. They continue to strip away grass roots football to maximise profit for the main product. They still apply different rules to things like head knocks depending on the player and the time in the season and their preferred outcome. They ban media personnel who don’t tow the company line. They are business people first, not custodians. They are as a group deeply involved in themselves and their own importance. Rewarding themselves financially more than any star player receives. this all fits the “conspiracy theory” and will turn more and more people away. The game has been rotten for a while now.

Halfway through the third quarter is often when a switch gets flicked when we are playing well. I think part of the way we play is that we need to get to a stage in the game where we get that metre or two of separation as fatigue kicks in to be able to play and execute that game style. It’s not uncommon for games to be largely arm wrestles with one or two periods of separation across the league. There’s not a lot separating many teams right now until things like fatigue start to play a part in games.

It’s the number one priority in every team game all over the world…

Loving our starts this year

Between all the terrible umpiring, the lack of continuity at the tribunal and all the other nonsense the afl is guilty of I think we all as fans of all clubs should come together and find a way to protest the afl. By the afl I mean head office. They are a bunch of unaccountable so and sos who abide by no rules and the general feeling amongst those I talk to across all teams is that they don’t like the way the game is run. Maybe a boycott could be in order…