Jaded No More

Well when two of those players happen to be one of the best players in the game and one of the best defenders in the game, it’s quite something. Most teams missing their FB and number one player would struggle. Like if Port didn’t have Butters yesterday or Aliir Aliir I reckon we win.

Also missing May, but I guess he definitely doesn’t help stop goals so who cares about him 😂

You of course ignored the post where Brisbane is ranked number one for the number of players who played every game. I don’t disagree with you that we needed to get support for Max, but that doesn’t change the fact that we were never going to replace someone the quality of Gus or Trac or an underperforming Clarry in a mid season draft. I brought up Curnow because every side has injuries, but some players who get injured have a far bigger impact than others. IMO Trac is far more important to Melbourne than any of the players Brisbane have lost to injury, not to mention a far better player. For example I think the Dogs can’t win a flag without Bont even if the rest of their list is fit. Whereas Sydney bat very deep in their midfield so losing Mills didn’t hurt them. The point again being that the number of injuries is neither here nor there. It’s the impact they have on your side. Like last year, losing Melksham who is not exactly a premiership winning make or break player, but as you’ve noted yourself, was a massive out for us because our forward line was already down with other injuries. This year the injuries and lack of form has hit our midfield hard and it’s showed. Our midfield numbers have been atrocious in many games, but again let me be clear, that injuries alone are not the only problem. Set ups, game plan, fitness have all been major issues for us this year. Injuries just made these things worse, and can’t be brushed off as an excuse. We all know that having a healthy list is one of the most important factors when it comes to winning a flag.

Also thought this was an interesting one re: Brisbane

I already said that it’s not just injuries that have killed our season, so not sure why I have to debate this point again. All I mentioned is that it’s too simplistic to just list games lost thru injury. I mean why is Gus not included? He’s missed 22 games. We planned our season with him being on the list, only to lose him on the eve of the season without being able to replace him via draft or trade. Likewise Joel Smith. Brisbane started like a dumpster fire and picked up pace as the year progressed. They’ve done very well and credit to them. Let’s see if they fail again when it counts. My guess is they will. Let’s also see how Carlton goes now if they’ve lost Curnow for a while. Don’t think they’ll make the 8 without him.

Pies are sitting where we are. I never said it’s the injuries alone, but it’s absolutely part of the reason. On paper Clarry and Petty missed two games, but we all know they never got close to hitting form because they had interrupted pre seasons. There are a number of factors for why we are where we are, it’s not just injuries, but they certainly didn’t help. In a season so tight, the number of games we’ve lost by under a goal is the difference between 13th and 4th.

Also missed Lever for 4 games, Gawn missed 2, Bowey 8 weeks, Salem I don’t even know how many, Petty off no pre season and a serious injury, no Spargo, Melksham out for half the season, and the list goes on. And while some of those players are not make or break, what the sum of the injuries does is force you to play lesser or younger players for way longer than you would normally. That takes its toll over a long season. May is probably a 2 point difference yesterday as an example.

We tried changing the game style earlier in the season. It was very obvious we tried playing more attacking but we don’t have the players to play that style. And we lost the few quality ball users we had in Bowey and then Salem, plus Trac. We then reverted back to a contest and defense game style when it became obvious that we aren’t capable of executing a more attacking game style. I fully support changing the game plan and understand it’s important to evolve with the competition. But I also understand that we’ve been a bloody good team for 3 years now, and have given ourselves serious shots at multiple flags. I sat thru the Neeld years and I longed for the day that my side was competitive and a shot at finals. I didn’t care how we played, I just wanted not to be an uncompetitive embarrassment. And last night was a really good competitive performance. Regardless of game style, that is good enough for me to want to attend games.

Sure, but we were still a contest and defense first team. And we didn’t score highly during the season. We didn’t win by big margins either throughout the season. We were something else in finals, but our performances were an outlier. We had one of the best combined winning margin in finals in two decades. Look at how close most finals were last season. Including the grand final.

And yet I bet you were happy to attend finals and cheered when we won the flag with the same game style.

Luke Jackson trade has got us Jefferson and Windsor. At least one of those players will be better than Jackson.

Exactly this. One of if not the best spine in the league. A graders on every line. To not even make the 8, when their best players have been mostly healthy all season, is absolutely the worst underachievement of the season.

The answer is pretty obvious considering we had big turn outs the last few years playing a very similar game style. If we were in the 8 currently there would be at least another 5,000 people there yesterday, maybe more. The reality is that our fans stop turning up when things aren’t going well, and it doesn’t matter how good we’ve been the last 3 seasons. Which is really disappointing, because I thought the unquestionable effort yesterday from our players, with illness widespread, deserved better support. It’s also proven that noise of affirmation is a real thing and influences umpiring decisions. So that we can’t get decent turnouts to games, especially against interstate sides, means we miss out on that advantage. I bet that round 24 versus the Pies will be well attended, despite both clubs not playing finals. And I bet the crowd will be heavily skewed with Pies fans despite this being our home game.

Something that nearly ever member of Demonland likes to ignore. In a competition this close, luck and especially injury luck, is one of the key factors in winning premierships.

Just a lovely example of your posting right here Deadset if you don’t attend I don’t think the players will miss your “supporting”

Such sensitive defensive posters in here, who also get stuck into posters for being sensitive and defensive about our players and our club. Oh the irony.

Yes that’s very possible. He looked stuffed trying to get to the bench.

Really? All you’ve done the last few weeks is post one negative thing after the other about our club. How is it hyperbole to suggest getting less than 20,000 to a Saturday night match in perfect weather is embarrassing? And nobody is shaming anyone. We’ve been thru this before, if you have a legitimate reason to not attend that’s fine. But there are plenty of who just simply didn’t attend and stopped attending because we aren’t playing great football. Watch them all come out of the woodworks when we play finals again.

He is a good player who would allow us to play McVee and Rivers in the middle, but he’s certainly not worth a first round pick. Let alone two.

So you can get stuck into our players but we can’t get stuck into our “supporters” who bail the minute things don’t go well?

Another embarrassing turn out on a perfect night for footy.

For anyone watching at home, which going by the crowd was most of you, was JVR a tactical or injury sub?

Good effort. But Christ almighty we are a really poorly skilled team. And some of the decision making is mind boggling. I really am counting down the days until this season is done. It’s been painful.

Would pay really good money to punch JHF square in the nuts. Arrogant porn-mustache wearing [censored]

We clearly have some sort of virus going thru the team with 3 late changes due to illness. So this effort is quite impressive.