DV8

It's the distant background noise... players/people tune into it at subconscious levels and sometimes are conscious of it. I know I've been there. It's the vibe, just like you might hear a song on radio, and something resonates with you. and you can't tune out. Same thing in footy terms, the subconscious picks it up. That is, if the tone is hungry/supportive, or fearful/anxious. it effects the mood, raising the mood or lowering the mood. we traditionally get anxious at Melbourne when under pressure. and our default tone is an anxious mood. This is picked up by the players at subconscious level. the players automatically know which team the tone is about. So the opposition feel elevated and hungry... and our own team, with noticing the anxious mood will feel the trepidation. It impacts on the players, most definately; not that they would really understand this stuff at this level. They would never have considered these concepts, I'm sure. Just as most of us would not have. its a bit like a backbeat in a song, mostly we are unaware of it. just go along with the song. > here's some words that are close, might help the understanding ? not quite on it but close. it reflects it a little. Crowded House Lyrics "Weather With You" Walking 'round the room singing Stormy Weather At Fifty Seven Mount Pleasant Street Well it's the same room, but everything's different You can fight the sleep, but not the dream Things ain't cookin' in my kitchen Strange affliction wash over me Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire Couldn't conquer the blue sky Well, there's a small boat made of china It's going nowhere on the mantlepiece Well, do I lie like a loungeroom lizard Or do I sing like a bird released? Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather, the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather, take the weather, the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you Everywhere you go, always take the weather, take the weather, the weather with you ............................................................................................... Its no coincidence that the clubs with the more outwardly aggressive cheering supporters,,, they get the most positive results. of all the clubs. The Hungry angry supporters. The clubs who's supporters are collectively more negative, and fear losing mostly,,, will lose more often. The intimidated supporters. I think this is the best i can do to explain myself. It s not a personal critique of our loyal supporters, but more an attempt to get as many as possible to reflect on this,,, and maybe try to be as positively aggressive towards our team and players, as we can muster, Even if its not how we are felling at the time, The club is really battling to maintain a positive mental attitude within the players and having faith with the changes. This is not to say we shouldn't criticise our players sometimes... I have on occasions been one a the loudest, aiming critique over the years at the player out on ground., but only when a player refuses to tackle or get under the pack when its their turn to do so on a regular basis. when they simply do not commit for the jumper. But as a group the team need to hear/feel the positivity, especially when we are being tested/pressured severely... The Positivity is so important in support of them, so they can maintain the faith required in the plan they are trying to implement. .

No I just read your VFL report. I missed the VFL game yesterday. That's disappointing, as we need someone with speed and nimbleness. I'm hoping that Dion will come-on this season. But like many atmo, he isn't doing just yet. We have a handful of seniors who have lifted their games, but many who have dropped away. Hunt being one, who I see had a god game in the VFL ?

Its only down deep forward. and its out of form. We need Hunt to find form playing wing at Casey. Also I would not be above trying Dion soon. Maybe very soon. And Spargo.

Money as absolutely nothing to do with the fact swyl. nothing to do with it. Its a human condition. anxiety. Now we can add our anxiety out aloud to our players, and they will double up with there own. Or we can leave our negatives at the gate of the stadium, and make a promise to ourselves that we will not take our fears out on our boys,,, but transfer that fear, into anger against the opposition. Then we can add to the teams efforts instead of loading with our stuff. We need to be LOUD, but not AT our team; rather be loud & With them in support.

They have more speed and agility than us. Thus far.

Tthe tigers have lost those cheap stripes. And are a real carnivore's these days. They will gladly harass our arzes in next weeks game, so we had better be ready for it. Because they are a real pressure side nowadays. We have to match and supersede the pressure they bring. This is what we did not do today to the hawks. we did not continue with relent-less pressure on the Hawks ball carrier. We had to bring the pressure today to the Hawks,,, and be the Hunters. Instead, today, we played like gazelles in the spotlight... ready for the tasting and basting.

Those close in kicks for goal, he leans back and pulls his leg across the line towards the points to the left. Striking the ball the same way.

I think your right TGR. Gawny is fantastic on-field, and as clubman. But he will never match Grundy's around ground play. Unless he learns to do a 'Paul Salmon' up forward, when he's resting off the ball.

When you see a couple of our defenders over run the ball that's on the ground, leaving it behind them, then it's obvious, the players were way under Pressure today. I know its no good, I was feeling sick later in the game yelling at the TV. On both channels, while the netballers played the last minute, and lost the gold. We need to learn to handle pressure better, and to do the little things to help one another, in these situations. even off the field guys, in the seats.

Under the pump. The same as when a team overuses the ball in-close, when under pressure. The Hawks/Clarko worked us over, Mentally.

I think Rawlings chose to move into the new role. As a further extension to his coaching career abilities.

Once your choked on pressure; an individual or a team, its really almost the end of the session. We as a club turn on our own, adding to the amount of pressure of today's Hawks side applies. They sacrificed their first Qtr, to focus defensively on us, mostly. We started to react to that pressure clearly in the 2nd Qtr. And then midway thru, the Hawks started to play their game. We were lost in our own plans from that time on, and we were playing catch-up footy, mentally. I'm glad that if this had to happen to us, that it was so close to the start of the season. We have time to regroup as a team. its going to take a bit of work to get back that belief in our direction. thats not the coaches fault. Its a Mfc club issue, which we have had for decades. Even in the late 80's it was still hanging around in the crevices. I think it must have started back in the 60's and 70's, when we had become the easybeat's of the competition. Successive coaches and admins have failed to rid us of this nightmare.. . add the Hawks (our modern day Nemesis) to this issue, and there we are today. We must start to change off the field as supporters, when the pressure is on. .... and we have to aim our fear/anger & our Venom at the opposition...... rather than our own players during the games. This may start to help a little. .

We are a good side. A good young side which is learning... just as we are as a club, Learning.

That's not a handball game; its a reactive pressured overuse style. http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2014/27/syd-v-haw We were 'the hunted',,, and the hawks made sure we felt 'hunted'. and then so did our supporters, further adding to the pressure. From there,,, an impossible task to regroup the team belief. http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/2014-09-27/we-didnt-give-ourselves-a-chance-laments-longmire-syd

No we didn't, we lost this out in the open air of the Arena. Not the coaching. The players became shell-shocked. From the hawks sole intent on Pressure in the 1st, and from our own unfriendly-fire. We undermine our own, and have been doing that to ourselves foe many a year. This is partly why we becAme a front-running team in our past. because when Our boys are 'on', the supporters are 'on'... everyone is Happy. But add focused opposition Pressure to shell-shock those D's, and then watch them Implode.................. from over the fence first. The whole vocal-theme changes from the positive,,, into a ferocious attack on our own men. Particularly the pressure of the Poos and Wees. .

Barass would have them training with the yellow ball in the wet to get them right,, after many many 100 Mtr sprints. But its much more than just a skill thing. =============== This has been going on at Melbourne for decades now Under game pressure We do not handle our own supporters negativity on game day. The players try harder and harder, until they end up trying so hard, they lose objectivity... and they become harassed within their own minds. From that point, the game is as good as gone. --------------------------------------------------------- we our our own worst enemies on gamedays. . lets take it out on the opposition,,,,, instead of our own players. . Leave the venom and critique for during the week days Melbourne.. .

Barass would have them training with the yellow ball in the wet to get them right,, after many many 100 Mtr sprints. But its much more than just a skill thing. this has been going on at melbourne for decades now. We do not handle our own supporters negativity on game day. The players try harder and harder until they end up trying so hard, they lose objectivity, and they become harassed within their own minds. From that point, the game is as good as gone. . .

The Idea is they (the Hawks ) sacrificed they're games,,, in the 1st Qtr_ to harass the opponents, US Demons... into intimidation. Once we started to cough up the pill or overuse it in tyhat 2nd Qtr they were away. They had then set the game up on their terms,,, by playing off us,,, waiting when we got the pill to pressure us into fumbles, and mental mistakes. They've done it many times to other teams. This is not so much about Goody but more about "a Habit" that this club has fallen into. Panic !!! It mostly starts from the grandstands, in the form of negative fear-emotions,, transferred Via the "Vocals from the Locals". We do it to ourselves. .

Why do you think he tried to crack the culture right open, right from the start. to stop the tail-waggers from the start. Well, they taught him didn't they!!! the tail-waggers prevailed in a big way. one of them left last year. But the fragile 'club-culture' remains alive, within us all. It vents in the form of negativity, on game-days. We need to be breathing fire on the opposition,,, at our games... not at our own players. So our players can start to find confidence out on-field... instead of losing what they came to the ground with.

The Hawks were very busy applying pressure on us, whenever they could in the 1st Qtr. This IS the Key. For a contested ball winning team, after winning the clearance, OUR quality disposal is the most important thing from that point. This is where Clarko knows US,,, and he got us; Just as he has done to other teams... eg: the Swans in that Grand Final against the Hawks. Clarko:- apply relentless pressure until the opponent CRACKS UP_ make them gun-shy for the rest of the game, and they will feel it ALL game. Unfortunately WE start to panic,,, before our players do, and we start to "eat our own"_ vocally, with our venom. Our negativity becomes loud and vocal at US,,,,, instead of at our Opponents. The opposition team also Feels this negativity against our own__ and they inturn grow another LEG. we boost the opposition,,,handing them a game on a platter for the taking, IF they can. And the Hawks never need be asked, a 2nd time.... they take it and off. .

Clarko knows too well our weaknesses. He played with us for a time. He Knows we fall apart easily under our supporters negative vibes out on the filed of battle. Other club's supporters normally call for opposition Blood... they'll call 'BALL' at the drop of a hat__ to harass the opposition. They'll 'BOO' the opposition or whatever they can, at every chance,,, they'll do all they can to use their vocal pressure to put their opponents Off. They'll do all they can to pressure the Umpires to call on their behalf ------------------------------------ US, when we feel at all negative or a little intimidated,.,,,, we start to rip our own players a new one. The players, [ OUR Players ] feel this on-field,,, and it effects their mental composure. We actually harass Our Own Players with our fear & negativity,,,, when things get too tough for us. We become negative,,, and then eventually,,, so do our players, in response. 'this is the club culture'___ not the team culture___ 'but the club culture',,,, so as It's become, after so many years of Beatings. WE supporters need to learn and comprehend this... because it stops our gun-players from developing___ by putting too much negativity into their minds, on-field. .... we do not want them becoming gun-shy, from our game-day negativity. Save the negativity for during the week. There is no-place for LIVE vocal negativity at our players, during games... .

every team is when they FEEL under the Pump. [perceived pressure destroys skills.

Searching for balance on field. Same as why Frawley is playing up deep forward. More runners in the mid part of the ground. Applying pressure to the ball holder.

Hawthorn Statistic Melbourne 143 Kicks 135 91 Handballs 98 234 Disposals 233 1.57 Kick to Handball Ratio 1.38 37 Marks 41 69 Tackles 54

Spot on chook. the hawks are mentally harassing US, turning US into the 'hunted'. We started to fumble the thing, and overuse it, Because of this tactic. In the 2nd Qtr the hawks started to move the ball with a free abandon,,, whilst we felt harassed by the perception of pressure. This is where we have to 'grow as a club'... ... we all ( supporters/players ), at the ground,,,, start to panic a little inside... whilst the hawks just continue to ramp up the defensive pressure on their opponents... until the opponent cracks. WE are cracking.... up till half-time. ============== Here is how the supporters can HELP the team. > Take a deep breath and be ready to be solid behind The D's,,,, and make yourselves feel you want the contest. DO NOT become conservative,,, and call for our players to move the ball in haste.... to just kick the thing, to get rid of the ball, to kick it long. We need our players to refocus, and to re-find the composure... to lower the eyes and to maintain possession as much as possible, & to start to control the Tempo of the game. This is where our supporters need to 'change their spots'... to not panic, & to 'start to breath', LIKE the HUNTER. Start to HUNT Melbourne. be the HUNTERS