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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 1 2025 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Richmond
Last post by ElwoodBlues1 -
There are no excuses for being beaten by Richmond, players injured isn't on given the tigers had players like Prestia, Balta out....it gets worse everytime you analyze the loss. Kennedy and Owies out was always going to bite us short term and they looked good for their new teams but the proof of that trading exercise won't be known for a couple of seasons when Smith has had time to show his wares.
Watched a bit of Sid Draper and hard not to be impressed as he came on as the sub and lit up the stat sheet real quick and I feel for Jagga Smith who is going to be under real pressure much like Paddy Dow was to justify the hype and effort to recruit him. Interesting from the recent draft that two mids from outside that top group in Reid and Lindsay had standout games and
we would have had the picks to get those players had we not gone down the sell the farm path for pick 3.
Hindsight maybe but not common sense...

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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 1 2025 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Richmond
Last post by Baggers -
A different perspective. But one worth addressing, fleshing out and considering, I believe.

Things we have ample evidence for, over some years now. Our group is fragile, not mentally tough. Very nice, though. We have the embarrassing talent of establishing a strong lead then defending it or extending upon it with all the conviction and effectiveness of an over cooked noodle. A culture of head dropping when things don't go our way is too common, sad and embarrassing. Opposition club and supporters know and chuckle at our obvious vulnerabilities.

Whoever is working with our boys behind the scenes is doing an extremely good job at creating and encouraging psychologically aware, responsible and culturally outstanding citizens. The club initiatives around respect and inclusiveness are to be applauded. We're AFL leaders in this area with our outstanding initiatives. Inspiring corporate citizens.

However, there is a white line where all that must be bracketed. When we cross that white line on game day, it becomes a gladiatorial contest; a contest of mental resolve, toughness, fear educing hardness, endurance, mongrel persistence and even ruthlessness. A culture of uncompromising hunting the opposition is required, imperative. Winning every contest must be the single minded ethic. Who, behind the scenes at our club, is responsible for instilling and developing these young hearts and minds to embrace, understand and practice, over and over again, mental toughness? No-one it would seem.

That comment from Voss to the crowd at PP recently that we will lose at times is a white flag, a preparatory excuse and a way out for players... a totally unnecessary statement of the fckn obvious, a better and more productive comment would have been how any loss is intolerable but if it happens just watch our powerful resilience righting a wrong. That sets a standard to address the inevitable.

If I had my way, and as tiresome as this may sound, I would put this group through an appropriately adjusted and suitable for footballers Navy Seal fortnight of building strength of character. Interesting is that one of my best mates and I went through this, and he and I both have PTSD and are still here to talk about it... many mates aren't. Also interesting is that our instructor was one of Jocko Willink's early influences/trainers. We learned, in no uncertain ways, that the goal of any team is for all team members to be a leader, with relentless accountability, trust and discipline. I still mentor a few young males on this, to this day. Especially how to kick addiction in the @rse, embrace hardship and turn it into motivation. (please don't see any of this as a 'wonder of me' stuff. Nuh. If there's a mistake any human could make, I've probably made it but rather than beat myself up over it, I delved deep into the why... took ownership of my fckup, then made a decision to deal with it, honestly, authentically and deal with any associated pain or temptation to avoid or blame someone else - this is one of the reasons I find the comment 'don't get too high or too low' is to me just  avoidance and fear in a pretty dress. Courage requires to go there, deeply... low? Why. Understand it and deal with it. High - enjoy it to the hilt... dealing with both extremes is growth, deep personal growth).

Personality wise, I notice some of these important skills in blokes like JSOS, Ollie (just needs better direction), Crippa, Walsh (shockingly underdone for the Tiggers game), Newman, Lord, Boyd & Cincotta. In our coaching ranks I see this in Hamill and to a lesser extent, Vossy - who seems to have lost some of his mongrel and healthy anger... becoming infected with nice/playing favourites? Better to be respected than liked, Vossy. As an aside I noticed when Vossy was talking about the injuries/loss of important players - Newman, Charles, Jagga and a couple of others, he neglected to mention Cinc... if he's got something against this bloke - drop it. He's valuable. Learn to detach, and strategize objectively. If you want consistent excellence, address the above - it works. Favourites, sentimentality and tempering yourself are just ways, in respect to leadership, just weakening yourself.

Just a few thoughts folks from a humble human who's had to perform and be performance reliable/excellent in horrible circumstances - but the life lessons have been invaluable.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 1 2025 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Richmond
Last post by bobby -
Quote from: Baggers – on
A brief period of masochism. I watched the game again with a few mates. Watching us fall apart when under enthusiastic heat was revealing.. Where are our tough blokes, blokes with mental hardness, leadership and discipline? Fair dinkum,, apart from Nick Newman I cannot think of any other bloke I'd want to be in the trenches with. Yet watching the Dawks, they seemed blessed with hard at i t types. Our niceness is palpable but not a handy ingredient in a gladiatorial sport. We need an alchemist as a senior coach to give our blokes a persistent tenacious hardness/mongrel.

Tenacious / Hard / Mongrel. Maybe some 1-1 tackling drills with the coach and a video of basically any game the coach played. Something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xh5N6yPa9U
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Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Trumpled (Alternative Leading)
Last post by Lods -
Trump has launched some airstrikes against the Houthi's in Yemen.
The Houthi's have responded by attacking the carrier USS Harry S Truman.

It will be interesting to see Trump's response.
It may be a setting up for a demonstration of American fire power.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 2 2025 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Hawthorn
Last post by bobby -
Quote from: pinot – on
Play both Jack and Kemp in the backline or play Kemp as a high half forward in Elijah Hollands role because he was a good conduit last year and dont have one this year.
Moir looked good at VFL praccy today but his determination to defend and win contests goes amiss. But looks extremely classy with ball in hand.

I had hopes for Moir. Sounding like a Damien Cupido / Troy Menzel type. The last thing we need.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 1 2025 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Richmond
Last post by Baggers -
A brief period of masochism. I watched the game again with a few mates. Watching us fall apart when under enthusiastic heat was revealing.. Where are our tough blokes, blokes with mental hardness, leadership and discipline? Fair dinkum,, apart from Nick Newman I cannot think of any other bloke I'd want to be in the trenches with. Yet watching the Dawks, they seemed blessed with hard at i t types. Our niceness is palpable but not a handy ingredient in a gladiatorial sport. We need an alchemist as a senior coach to give our blokes a persistent tenacious hardness/mongrel.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 1 2025 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Richmond
Last post by Micky0 -
We were 41pts up. No excuse to lose that game, we should’ve monstered and intimidated them from there but no, we stopped and fumbled and missed marks and kicks - inexcusable.

When you continually bomb that fking ball into the forward line, the coach has supposedly told you not to do that because it never works- well why not drag off the person continually doing it! Waste of ball use - the amount of i50’s we had for no reward is inexcusable