The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

[jeemak]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

...but I could care less WHO kicks the goals...just as long as WE do.

With Josh Bruce being an exception to the rule!

I tend to agree, though would take pleasure in seeing a Bulldog win the Coleman and I do think the AFLCA MVP carries more weight than other individual awards.

Probably the thing that annoys me is when our players are slighted/ overlooked in light of being off Broadway at times. If we win flags it'll happen less I suppose.

[1eyedog]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

Don't watch the Brownlow and have never watched / been to a live feed of the B&F, usually follow it up later that night though but only as part of 'Bulldogs news'.

As Metallica said nothing else matters except flags for me. The potential for more cups in the cabinet is the only thing that keeps me supporting.

But I'm old, or at least I feel old.

[GVGjr]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

Once upon a time, I was interested in the following:

B&F
Brownlow
Coleman
All-Australian

Anytime 'one of ours' was involved, I wanted it celebrated and THEM celebrated.

Now? I could care less.

I could care less about AA. Brownlow. Coleman. Coaches Award. Player Assoc MVP. I guess SOMEONE has to win the B&F but if they decided to not award the Charles Sutton medal I would be 100% fine with it.

All I want is to win games. And almost by whatever means possible. I look at team stats I admit...but I could care less WHO kicks the goals...just as long as WE do. I could care less about how many touches anyone gets as long as they play 'their role'. I could care less about anything except getting the points.

Does anyone feel more and more this way or is it just me?

Good thread so thanks, I stopped caring about those awards a long while back and you can add the rising star award, biggest marks and best goals. It's simply finals and flags for me

[EasternWest]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I'm taking notes on who is saying what and I'll be reminding you all when Bont wins the Brownlow that you're not permitted to celebrate.

[1eyedog]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I'm taking notes on who is saying what and I'll be reminding you all when Bont wins the Brownlow that you're not permitted to celebrate.

I won't be celebrating because 1. I celebrate him leading our club everyday and fully know his worth regardless what umpires think of him and 2. I fully expect him to win the Brownlow this year. It's his destiny.

[The bulldog tragician]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I don’t care about the individual awards, brownlows, AA etc, but I do care about the individual stories and people within our club, their journeys and who they are.

I get the original sentiments and about us wanting team success but there have been so many years where flags were completely out of the question … but watching a player you didn’t think would make it succeed… or a guy come back from a devastating injury…or just having a sense of who they are as people and the things they’ve overcome, that are more than just collections of stats on the field…all those things sustain us as fans too. And given most of all our lives we have gone without real success, just as well too.

[EasternWest]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I won't be celebrating because 1. I celebrate him leading our club everyday and fully know his worth regardless what umpires think of him and 2. I fully expect him to win the Brownlow this year. It's his destiny.

Noted .

[mjp]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I'm taking notes on who is saying what and I'll be reminding you all when Bont wins the Brownlow that you're not permitted to celebrate.

I will probably celebrate but whether or not he wins the Brownlow wont impact the way I feel about him as a player. It wont move the needle even a micro-millimetre!

[mjp]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

With Josh Bruce being an exception to the rule!

I probably deserve that but it sort of proves my point. I could care less how many goals he kicks and I hate that being given as evidence of a player who is doing their job. As with Naughts on Sunday, he was able to get one out with Barrass in the 4th q because Bruce dragged McGovern away. Great job by BOTH players and - for me - the BULLDOGS kicked a goal!

Bruce has played a couple of good games but he hasn't kicked too many without the input of others...I mean, Bont kicked one on the weekend without anyone else being involved but that is really a once/twice per game phenomenon.

I DO want to see him flying at contests and doing more than 'giving effort'.

[EasternWest]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I will probably celebrate but whether or not he wins the Brownlow wont impact the way I feel about him as a player. It wont move the needle even a micro-millimetre!

Nah ah no backsies.

[jeemak]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I probably deserve that but it sort of proves my point. I could care less how many goals he kicks and I hate that being given as evidence of a player who is doing their job. As with Naughts on Sunday, he was able to get one out with Barrass in the 4th q because Bruce dragged McGovern away. Great job by BOTH players and - for me - the BULLDOGS kicked a goal!

Bruce has played a couple of good games but he hasn't kicked too many without the input of others...I mean, Bont kicked one on the weekend without anyone else being involved but that is really a once/twice per game phenomenon.

I DO want to see him flying at contests and doing more than 'giving effort'.

Damn straight you do!

Seriously, I do get what you're saying but at the same time it's not like he's Josh Jenkins circa 2017 getting JTG goals each week and nor is he playing on after free kicks and taking easy goals which was something that upset you about him from last year's final. At the same time, even though it is, it's not his fault he kicked ten. I mean he didn't mean it, it just happened!

He's leading hard and presenting at the carrier, he's running and blocking. He's doing what a second string tall forward should be doing, and importantly he's kicking goals rather than points for the most part.

I get that we gave him tenure, but at the same time we knew we weren't recruiting anything other than an excellent second or third forward and he's delivering upon that.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I want Bont to win a Brownlow because it’s great recognition.

I like our players making the AA team because it’s good for banter with friends.

Wins are 100% the most important and take that above all else, but still passionate about seeing our players recognised for their efforts on the broader stage. It markets the club and it’s important.

[boydogs]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

Some of the awards and recognition is just a sideshow, like the Jack Macrae 30+ touches a game thing, if his role changes that ends without him doing anything wrong. Others like AA and brownlow are more relevant to performance not stats

[Mantis]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

I probably deserve that but it sort of proves my point. I could care less how many goals he kicks and I hate that being given as evidence of a player who is doing their job. As with Naughts on Sunday, he was able to get one out with Barrass in the 4th q because Bruce dragged McGovern away. Great job by BOTH players and - for me - the BULLDOGS kicked a goal!

Bruce has played a couple of good games but he hasn't kicked too many without the input of others...I mean, Bont kicked one on the weekend without anyone else being involved but that is really a once/twice per game phenomenon.

I DO want to see him flying at contests and doing more than 'giving effort'.

I'd love him to 'kill' 2-3 more aerial contests a game. We're giving up a few too many intercept marks a game so if we can reduce that and get the ball to ground it's going to help us no end given our strong ground ball/stoppage game.

[MrMahatma]

Re: The older I get, the LESS I care about individual awards.

When we were less successful, we hung on to these individual awards because we didn't have much to celebrate, so we cared a lot more.

I have always been very sceptical of awards such as AA, rising star because of the people awarding them. The Coleman is nice because it is clear cut - most goals, can't dispute it. I have gone off the Brownlow a bit because umpires won't award votes for players on losing teams (3 votes ie), which is wrong, because the Brownlow is an individual award and doesn't matter how your team plays. (sort of). Also, seems like a midfielders award and no one else wins??? If Bont wins I will be super happy.

Overall I get what you are saying, to me too, winning games is everything and finals even better.

I'm like this. I recall us being so bad, but when there was talk of us having a Brownlow favourite it was one thing to get excited about.

Now we win more games, are playing finals regularly, it changes the mindset. It could be being older too... not sure, but I'd put it mostly down to the fact that we have team things to celebrate now, not just individual awards.