Well how about being FG fair dinkum and aiming to win one in say 5-7 years by building systematically as opposed to floating along in la la land trying to pinch one, but in reality being light years away form being a contender.
You know the 5 year plan that Collo always trumpted but in reality didn't exist (and the club wasn't patient enough to be bothered anyway).
Identify the players of use now, the future or those who can bring the others along. F the rest off.
I will give an example - one of yours Brother Elwood - Collins. Why that bloke was retained for another year, clogging up the list and contributing squat at a senior level (and hardly anything at Preston as he has been injured again) is mystifying. Yes he gad a contract. So pay him out and get a KID in.
Can we not mention Collins ever again please, I get nauseous whenever I hear that name or see a #16 on the back of a guernsey. We love you Grigga, please come back.
I realise that this on the surface will seem like utter madness but what is the point in flogging a dead horse, most of the senior players are cooked right now.
There is a raft of players in the seconds who could do with the experience (Graham, Buckley, Menzel etc) and then there are those who we are wondering if they will ever make it and/or has time passed them by (Mitchell, McCarthy, Duigan, Laidler, Davies, Collins etc).
We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by going "fully sick" at the selection table, let's use these last three rounds to our advantage especially as we are well out of finals contention now (and I don't want the charity finals entry if the Bombers get booted too).
So what if we tumble further down the ladder ?? We get a better draft pick(s) the lower we go plus we will not be under any expectation or scrutiny next year seeing as we finished down the bottom end.
Never sure it was about coaching so much but the attitude and workrate of the players. Other than the odd moment of the last 11 years it been an ingrained problem since 2002. With the players we do have we should do alot better. This is what MM has inherited and that's sometimes harder to fix than a lack of talent. He did it once at the Pies, hopefully he can do it again. Ratts coached well enough but that workrate and attitude problem reared itself last year again.
Now it's MM's turn to see if he can sort it. When he makes list changes he can look at the players who's attitude and workrate is poor as much as those who he's thinks aren't going to cut it. No good had talent if you're adverse to the idea of gut running and doing the basics, Parko did this in his first year back in 1991. We lost the last 8 of the year that year so he cleaned the list out of not only those who weren't going to cut it but those who wouldn't work hard enough either. In the end he got the type of team he wanted and eventually won a flag.
Excellent post mate.
After the start of the year I defended the Coach - hosing down the usual rantings of a few individuals - stating we were improving. I admit now that we are in fact no longer improving - from being a harder nut to crack - to now going backwards. We are going backwards at a rate of knots.
Who is to blame? Looking at the post game presser - thanks Carrots -, I feel confident that the Players take the brunt of the blame. You could tell, and this is my personal observation of it, that the players really let him down. He spoke of player acknowledgement of tactics. He spoke of the Leadership Group taking their role to the expected levels. I get the feeling a lot of players stamped their papers, and senior players at that. I think a number of key players need to be moved on to help change the culture of the squad - especially to allow the younger players to flourish in a different environment. There's something rotten at the core of the squad. But there is definite change needed in our coaching staff list. The development has been shocking and let's not talk about recruitment
As for MM, well, he HAS to indicate there will be repercussions for poor play and rewards for those who perform for the Northern Blues. He will gain a lot of respect from me if he drops some players and brings in a few Northern Blues players. He has NOTHING to loose by doing so. He put his eggs in one basket and it failed (they failed!?). His reputation has taken a beating. He'll be fired up to prove doubters wrong. Lets hope the players show the same pride. He has my support to turn things around in 2014. After that he is fair game.
Some observations from the game: Jamieson is not half the player he was..what is going on? Does he miss Henderson that much? He looks totally panicked at the moment. Walker - opposition have figured him out and he is struggling. That was the worst game I have seen from Armfield. Real stinker. So many poor disposals. Menzel is the future, that kid shows class. I would be very worried if I were one of the three amigos. I still think Tuohy should be given stint in the middle..he would take the game on and can focus on attack. You can always tell he relishes attacking the game and wanting to unleash that boot of his. Drop one of Cachia or Curnow. McInnes needs to come back in. Assured young man deserves his chance again. Is he injured? How does Boots get a game ahead of him? Bryce "watch the hair" Gibbs - he kills me, he really does. Shepherds instead of tackles, jogs instead of gut runs..and that hand on hips saunter when the crap hits the fan..I wanted to run onto the ground a few times to give him five across the eyes. Shows no pride and looks like someone who knows he will not get dropped. Not good enough. Trade. Simmo and Scotty - I love these two. Uncompromising to the last. We will miss them more that people think. Murphy - if his knee is that bad then give him a spell. Why do we persist playing half cooked players..it makes no sense. Hell, it deprives youngsters from game time and increases the likelihood of further injuring themselves by persisting to play them. All short term thinking. Back them in and drop those who don't perform. It's not that bloody hard. It shows a complete lack of strategic thinking and ambition to strengthen the list overall. Sh?ts me to tears
And yes, I'll still renew that membership and turn up every game. I love this club.
Woody blokes like you are to be commended. Me however? I am done and I have every right. I have shelled out big money for years for my family memberships but no more. Nuffs enuff, not going to support pea hearts who have no pride. I am gutted and will take me a very long time to recover. Too upset to single out people, all I know is that 22 frauds donned CFC jumpers last night and set our club back 5 years.
I watched MM presser and he said he was most disappointed with the fact that the first bounce strategy was not executed. I could see from the first bounce the Doggies were all over us. As I said in the in game thread, they should have been up by 4 or 5 goals at qtr time. I could tell in the first 10 minutes we were gonna get done, I have a gut full of this soft and insipid side. Fark the Essendon Drug Scandal, lets worry about our own back yard.
the presser was about as inspiring as the onfield stuff.
Didnt say it was inspiring, used the point about the first bounce, thats all I got from it. For a side that had a glimmer of hope about playing finals and playing a team below them on the ladder, that was an absolute disgrace. Richmond will spank us by 60+.
didnt suggest you did, just making my own observations of it
Just like the players, I have lost interest and just don't care anymore
x 2 60+ point loss coming up. Haven't got a hope in hell beating any of the 3 side we are playing next. If MM thinks he has a massive task now fixing this list, wait another 3 rounds. These soulless, priceless, frauds will not even give a yelp.
I watched MM presser and he said he was most disappointed with the fact that the first bounce strategy was not executed. I could see from the first bounce the Doggies were all over us. As I said in the in game thread, they should have been up by 4 or 5 goals at qtr time. I could tell in the first 10 minutes we were gonna get done, I have a gut full of this soft and insipid side. Fark the Essendon Drug Scandal, lets worry about our own back yard.
the presser was about as inspiring as the onfield stuff.
Didnt say it was inspiring, used the point about the first bounce, thats all I got from it. For a side that had a glimmer of hope about playing finals and playing a team below them on the ladder, that was an absolute disgrace. Richmond will spank us by 60+.
I watched MM presser and he said he was most disappointed with the fact that the first bounce strategy was not executed. I could see from the first bounce the Doggies were all over us. As I said in the in game thread, they should have been up by 4 or 5 goals at qtr time. I could tell in the first 10 minutes we were gonna get done, I have a gut full of this soft and insipid side. Fark the Essendon Drug Scandal, lets worry about our own back yard.
