So.

I finally got to watch the game last night.

I know I have said this before - and I KNOW it was only a practice game in February - but watching our team play is exhausting. And frustrating.

From the GF team (a different era now, to be sure) we clearly miss performances like the one Tom Boyd put up. But more than that, we miss:

Morris.
Picken.
M. Boyd.
C. Smith
We probably also miss Biggsy.

We have not come close to replacing any of those players. We seriously play like the Footscray Millionaires now - and I'm not sure what team that is but it's not one I have ever supported in the past. Where is the grit and grind. Where are the players who are head over the footy no matter what? We seem to be celebrating Josh Bruce actually not being fat and jumping at a couple of footies? Where is this going? Where are the players we look up to not because of their skills/natural ability but because they play with an unrelenting spirit?

I know, I know. It isn't as if I did that in my own footy career (particularly not between the ages of 18 and 23 when I was all about getting possessions and running between the raindrops on wet days) but for goodness sake.

I didn't like that performance yesterday. I didn't like what I saw from the defenders who seemed to be conceding possession before the ball had been won...and add the mids to that group who simply trail along when the opposition have the ball. I am sitting at my desk right now and have a Bont bobble-head just to my right...he is happy and smiling. Gee I wish I could see an occasional snarl and a "Find an opponent" type approach to defensive transition when he is leading the way.

You know something else? I didn't like what I saw yesterday and I am concerned it is being dissected in terms of ball movement errors and defensive positioning mistakes...of course, we need that...but isn't there (and tell me if I'm wrong) an element of "How about we just have a go" about yesterday's game. Not to mention the last couple of finals we have lucked into.

With recruiting, there is no secret that I have never been in love with the Alex Keath signing - I just thought he was a 'nice player' and an interceptor...last year, he proved me wrong and performed well - I thought he was great and showed real commitment and leadership. Yesterday...well...he was so NICE. Doesn't he LOOK like a player though? Tall. Strong. Nice hair. A lot of our guys LOOK like players. But outside of Liber, Daniel and maybe young West, who else have winning as #1 on their game-day list? Who else would happily say to the coach at half time "Sure, I know I've had 20 possessions already and am having the game of my life but you have told me to shut down Liam Ryan so by hook or by crook that is what I am gonna do?" (Liam Ryan is just an example.)

I am lost with what to do or say. We are just a bunch of great young guys. Good footballers with nice skills. Great in the media - muscles in the right places and great at interviews. We look great onfield when things are going our way. I'm not so sure we have the fight to be a great team despite the names on the page (particularly in the mids). I'm not so sure we have players with the capacity to sacrifice their own games - even for ONE LOUSY PASSAGE OF PLAY - to make sure the opposition don't score. And for the first time ever I am asking myself if we have the right people leading them.

I think I wrote this last year after the Giants game. Stop telling me that we have learned from the final and are out to turn it around. SHOW ME. We had our first chance yesterday to show what we stand for as a group - and I have been incredibly underwhelmed.

The teams of my life-time are the teams of 97 and 2015 - teams that didn't win it all but you knew after round 1 that they were 100% up for the fight - and if they lost, so be it...but they went down fighting. And to be honest - that's really all I am looking for in the team I spend way too much time watching and obsessing over.