Re: Post Game Pondering: AFL 2020 Rd 9: Carlton vs Hawthorn
Reply #118 –
Another knee jerk post. Fancy assuming I'm happy with mediocrity. Stupid thing to say. No I don't accept mediocrity, but I accept when a side up and coming that mediocrity will sometimes happen. Funny about that. You just keep working on it. Difference is I think with my head, not my frustrations.
The side has improved out of sight from 12 months ago and you know it. That's our 2nd thrashing in 20 games. Had losses we shouldn't have frustratingly had but that's part of it right now. If we didn't have then we would literally have been sitting on top of the ladder before last night, but we're not because at our stage of development were are still inconsistent, often during the same game. That's the reason why we are 10-10 under Teague, not 13-7 or 14-6. That's the one step stopping us from becoming a top side and will take time. But, hey, because we copped a shocker last night we are suddenly no good. Games like last night show us what we need to take the next step.
You expect it to happen overnight and get the craps when it doesn't happen. I know it takes time. As I said, can't cope with the ups and downs of the journey you're following the wrong sport.
Is it improvement or change? Bolton had a streak of 6 out of 7 wins in his first year. If you take a 10-20 game sample set from that year, my gripe then (as it is now), the same things were happening despite some wins. So despite the changes, we still (as we have in the past from as far back as MM):
- Miss easy shots at goal
- Dont play 4 qtrs
- Have too many passengers
- Have poor decision makers
- Give away too many stupid frees
- Persist with players who arent up to it
- Have poor starts
- Wilt under pressure
- Forgo big leads
- Play sides into form
I consider Clarkson the best coach going around, has been for a long time. If he came to our club tomorrow, you would see some change BUT all the above dot points would continue to occur. WIth the exception of no 6, they are player issues not a coaching IMO.