Our club was born in blood and boots...

[mjp]

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.

[comrade]

Nailed it. There is just something lacking with this side, and we can talk defensive set ups and a muddled forward line but a lot of sins would be absolved if all our players just had a red hot crack every minute of the game.

Outside of a few, we don't play for the team's sake. The fact that Dunks wanted to scoot off to another club so he could be the 'alpha dog' should ring alarm bells about the mindset within the playing group, given how close he is to our captain.

Got a bad feeling 2021 is going to be another incredibly frustrating season. A switched on, prepared and dedicated football side would have romped it in yesterday with Hawks missing 5 of their top 7 or 8 players.

[jeemak]

Mentioned it in the game thread, it was really clear that Hawthorn looked the team more willing to pressure/ fight. Not sure if they were good or it was because we weren't flash.

Will be looking for improvement over the coming weeks.

[Scraggers]

Mentioned it in the game thread, it was really clear that Hawthorn looked the team more willing to pressure/ fight. Not sure if they were good or it was because we weren't flash.

Will be looking for improvement over the coming weeks.

It loathes me to use the term, but right now I can't think of a better description ... Eye Of The Tiger ... where is the hunger??

[bornadog]

Good Analysis of a practise match, but personally I see it as a glorified training run and that is all.

I will wait till the real season before I start to stress out over our performances.

Will be great to see Naughton, Macrae, Wood, Treloar, Duryea back in and maybe a couple more changes - who knows.

[mjp]

Good Analysis of a practise match, but personally I see it as a glorified training run and that is all.

I will wait till the real season before I start to stress out over our performances.

Will be great to see Naughton, Macrae, Wood, Treloar, Duryea back in and maybe a couple more changes - who knows.

That's fair enough BAD - but I am losing faith mate.

What I am talking about is beyond personnel. It is about an attitude that we win and fight no matter what...I mean, you only get ONE CHANCE to make a first impression...why would letting Breust cruise around kicking goals be a good thing - we are playing them again! He is going to roll-up licking his chops and who knows what happens then.

For me we play millionaires footy, we have too many players (starting with that blue blood midfield) who simply will not chase, tackle or pressure and, well...when's it EVER going to change? Why is it accepted by the coaches? I would ask about the on-field leaders but to me they are culpable.

[GVGjr]

That's fair enough BAD - but I am losing faith mate.

What I am talking about is beyond personnel. It is about an attitude that we win and fight no matter what...I mean, you only get ONE CHANCE to make a first impression...why would letting Breust cruise around kicking goals be a good thing - we are playing them again! He is going to roll-up licking his chops and who knows what happens then.

For me we play millionaires footy, we have too many players (starting with that blue blood midfield) who simply will not chase, tackle or pressure and, well...when's it EVER going to change? Why is it accepted by the coaches? I would ask about the on-field leaders but to me they are culpable.

Spot on, they played in our jumpers so I expect the team to roll out and do better from an effort perspective than what we saw

We don't seem to learn from previous seasons, last year we had a combination of dubious selections and some half arsed efforts and were found wanting and struggling at times and there were little consequences for doing so

Practice games are important, club games are important and training sessions are important and everyone should bring their best efforts. Whilst there are probably always an element of experimenting in practice and pre-season games it shouldn't diminish that we insist on the players bringing the required effort

Coaches and players need to step it up and as supporters we should be setting a expecting a high level performance every time

Every session and game is important for us

[bornadog]

last year we had a combination of dubious selections

In the eyes of supporters - yes

[bornadog]

That's fair enough BAD - but I am losing faith mate.

What I am talking about is beyond personnel. It is about an attitude that we win and fight no matter what...I mean, you only get ONE CHANCE to make a first impression...why would letting Breust cruise around kicking goals be a good thing - we are playing them again! He is going to roll-up licking his chops and who knows what happens then.

For me we play millionaires footy, we have too many players (starting with that blue blood midfield) who simply will not chase, tackle or pressure and, well...when's it EVER going to change? Why is it accepted by the coaches? I would ask about the on-field leaders but to me they are culpable.

I do get what you mean.

I guess I am hoping the team has matured a bit and we get some better performances than the last few years.

Not long to go till we find out.

[Jam Donuts]

Good Analysis of a practise match, but personally I see it as a glorified training run and that is all.

I will wait till the real season before I start to stress out over our performances.

Will be great to see Naughton, Macrae, Wood, Treloar, Duryea back in and maybe a couple more changes - who knows.

This is in no way criticism of your post Bornadog, but it seems to me that saying it was just a practice match is a convenient cop-out. I remember years ago and i do mean years, that before a practice match the cricket team were still sharing the dressing room with the footy side and EJ was the coach he gave a marvelous pre game address and during this he said and i quote, " it doesn't matter if this is a practice match or a Grand Final, once you put this jumper on and run out on the field you must, you have to give 100%, there were a few more expletives mixed in as well, but as a youngster at the time I was in awe of the man and also his message.

Every year I feel let down by the practice matches, sure they are just that, practice matches, but put that jumper on and give 100%, a winning culture is what we should be cultivating, not some show pony exercise. It is really disappointing to see this happen year in, year out. We are lacking some mongrel and bulldog spirit, we have the players to do some real damage but get some spirit happening or 2021 will be more of same.

[GVGjr]

Every year I feel let down by the practice matches, sure they are just that, practice matches, but put that jumper on and give 100%, a winning culture is what we should be cultivating, not some show pony exercise. It is really disappointing to see this happen year in, year out. We are lacking some mongrel and bulldog spirit, we have the players to do some real damage but get some spirit happening or 2021 will be more of same.

Practice sessions and games are important aspect of building towards a seasons. For example, Tennis players train hard to get the most out of themselves so I agree with you that when our players put on the jumper they should come with the mindset of giving their best
It's easy to write off a result that doesn't go our way as it was "just a practice game" or when the home and away season starts write it off as being underdone or that it's the early part of a long season or use the old chestnut of injuries or a lack of experience etc but I think we have seen enough since the flag that when our intensity drops so does our performances.
The way to address that is to put a higher level of expectation on how we perform in all games and training sessions

There were enough positives in what I saw to be enthused enough around having a good season but there is also plenty to work on as well

[bornadog]

This is in no way criticism of your post Bornadog, but it seems to me that saying it was just a practice match is a convenient cop-out. I remember years ago and i do mean years, that before a practice match the cricket team were still sharing the dressing room with the footy side and EJ was the coach he gave a marvelous pre game address and during this he said and i quote, " it doesn't matter if this is a practice match or a Grand Final, once you put this jumper on and run out on the field you must, you have to give 100%, there were a few more expletives mixed in as well, but as a youngster at the time I was in awe of the man and also his message.

Every year I feel let down by the practice matches, sure they are just that, practice matches, but put that jumper on and give 100%, a winning culture is what we should be cultivating, not some show pony exercise. It is really disappointing to see this happen year in, year out. We are lacking some mongrel and bulldog spirit, we have the players to do some real damage but get some spirit happening or 2021 will be more of same.

When the real games start, the intensity right through the competition increases, because a lot of footy is played above the shoulders, and in many players heads(not just us) they know what is a training run and what is a real match. Of course those players trying to get into the best 22 will try harder.

This is not a cop out this is reality.

[josie]

Tend to agree we have too many "nice" players. That's why Libba, young West & Vandermeer appeal. I also like the way Jongy gives his all. We need more of that. Liked a passage of play where Wallis ran down a player to lay a tackle as if his life depended upon it. Need more of that too.

I know it was only a practice match against hawks yesterday but what I saw of match I thought our backline looked decidedly dicey (inability to punch ball, stay close to dangerous talls - all problems we've had for a number of years now).

[AshMac]

Can’t think of a practice I’ve ever seen and been impressed by the intensity. Agree we need more players w mongrel in there.

I am astonished that it isn’t a trait Bevo doesn’t seem to value and instill in the players.

[SonofScray]

Laitham is the one player that has it in him to really carry the fan in terms of his footy matching our identity. We might be a thin on the ground for that naturally occurring grit and tenacity.