Believing the Hype

[Hotdog60]

Re: Believing the Hype

Sorry guys, I'm the eternal optimist. I believe the Dogs will never lose regardless of who we play and I reflect this in my footy tipping. I have never won a tipping comp in my life and I have lost numerous bets with other teams supporters.

Even the last 40 years of following the dogs and yes even during the dark and desperate times I still think on the day the Dogs will win.

Yes I maybe mentally disturb but I just can't go against them. It's just doesn't feel right.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Believing the Hype

Don't worry HotDogs. I have a similar mindset to you

I always tip dogs to even in the dark days

[AndrewP6]

Re: Believing the Hype

Sorry guys, I'm the eternal optimist. I believe the Dogs will never lose regardless of who we play and I reflect this in my footy tipping. I have never won a tipping comp in my life and I have lost numerous bets with other teams supporters.

Even the last 40 years of following the dogs and yes even during the dark and desperate times I still think on the day the Dogs will win.

Yes I maybe mentally disturb but I just can't go against them. It's just doesn't feel right.

I'm a pessimist, but as far as tipping goes, I'm with you, Hotdog... I never tip against us... the last time I did that, was in about 2003. We were shite, and not expected to win (can't for the life of me remember the opponent!) and the boys went and bloody won! So from then on, I tipped in our favour. For quite some time it didn't pay off, the last few years have been much better obviously. Had a win in '09 at work, so I'm sticking with us.

Still get the jitters before games though....

[boydogs]

Re: Believing the Hype

I think we are a huge chance. A lot of other non-Dogs supporters have suggested to me that we are as well. Early days but I am tipping a premiership

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Believing the Hype

Using Mantis as an example his dislike of Eagleton is well known but likewise he can acknowledge when he has done something positive

Surely you jest!

[Mofra]

Re: Believing the Hype

Positive expectancy is a term used in trading rooms - the confidence to execute a plan and that in the majority of cases that will result in profit. Without this positive expectancy, you may as well not show up.

I hate the underdog tag personally (not the username FTR ) - it's the mindset of a competitor lacking confidence in professional sport.

I remember Terry Wallce during his playing days discussing the difference between the successful Hawthorn side he came from, and the Bulldogs side he was with. At the Hawks, 3 goals down with 5 minutes to go, the entire playing group would be thinking "we're going to win this". At the Bulldogs, 3 goals up with 5 minutes to go, the mindset was "I hope we can hang on". That's crap. I don't think we'll ever win anything with a mindset of just trying to hang on - we need the confidence in our gameplan and ourselves to believe we can win everytime we step out on the field and I believe we need this belief to be so all-encompassing it extends to the supporter group as well.

[EasternWest]

Re: Believing the Hype

I'm not sure why but I never really go into any game completely confident of a win.

I think that's how I feel too. And I see it as healthy. I mean, translate it to the players, if they went into every game thinking it's a sure thing, there's a good chance they'll get jumped. I like players (and fans) being aware that no win will come without work, and if you do the work and still lose, well then at least you can walk off without feeling ashamed (but not depressed!).

Losing can be healthy. Losing poorly is never healthy.

As for BR's original post, yes, I think we actually are good enough to win this year. It doesn't mean we will, it doesn't mean we're a lock. IMO it means we have pretty close to the right mix now and hopefully the stars align with injury and form.

Yes we got some shockers in the St Kilda game, but we still did enough things right that were we good/effective enough earlier we wouldn't have been in that precarious position where a bad call will influence the result.

No umpiring error will ever cost a game. It might be the catalyst for a reversal of luck at the death thus resulting in a loss, but if things are done right throughout the game, we will hopefully not be in that position again.

I have faith we can win it all this year. I'm optimistic. But I'm realistic too. We must take it.

God I'm fired up.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Believing the Hype

Absolutely I believe we can win it but we will need a lot of hard work and a lot to go right.

As far as expectations, I go into each game, especially this year and last, thinking we can win. Our list on paper is formidable in the least and no team would go into a game against us without concern.

I reckon Rocket said it a few years back about changing the 'culture of mediocrity', lets create the expectation of success and work towards it.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Believing the Hype

Sorry guys, I'm the eternal optimist. I believe the Dogs will never lose regardless of who we play and I reflect this in my footy tipping. I have never won a tipping comp in my life and I have lost numerous bets with other teams supporters.

Even the last 40 years of following the dogs and yes even during the dark and desperate times I still think on the day the Dogs will win.

Yes I maybe mentally disturb but I just can't go against them. It's just doesn't feel right.

Same here, never tipped against the dogs in my life (59 years). I think we have a chance to win every game we play. In the dark times, I have thought how hard it will be to win, but still believe we can win.
I have won footing tipping comps, in some of our good years.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Believing the Hype

Sure - we have claims to be in the top 3 sides. But this time last year Hawthorn were unbackable premiership favorites and didn't even make the 8.

Were they? Maybe by media pundits, but most of them are just sheep anyway (which is why I'm not putting much stock in their predictions of Dogs favouritism this year -- most of it is largely based on our recruitment of Barry Hall!). It's not like they do any deep analysis, most just go on last year's results and rehash the previous year's table moving a few teams up and down based on the last few weeks of the season.

Those who were doing deeper analysis would have found a lot of the Hawthorn players struggling with a shortened pre-season, a clear premiership hangover, a couple of key retirements, unrepeatable 'career best' seasons etc. -- I remember quite a few of us here at least picking them to barely make the 8, so I think WOOF posters as a whole is actually a pretty deep thinking, analytical bunch not prone to jumping on bandwagons willy-nilly.

It isn't going to be easy. I just see a lot of self satisfaction around at the moment, a lot of confidence, and we haven't (like the Australian soccer team) actually accomplished anything noteworthy in 2010.

It's never easy, and I think most of the guys would know that with the last 5 years of close ones and heartache behind them. Most of them lived through 2007 too, remember.

The Australian soccer team is another story altogether -- in a World Cup it's really more about where you get to than how you get there: there have been teams that have barely won a game that have made it through to the semi-finals/finals on penalties. A second-round last-minute loss to the eventual champions was a creditable (I said creditable, not fantastic) effort, especially when you consider the style of football we played (in contrast to our usual tactical naiviety).

[stefoid]

Re: Believing the Hype

We are improving - the mental attitude going into the season is obviously hardening and we are aiming higher. I thought our finals series last year was the most credible I have seen since...well, I wont say when. And against very good opposition.

Plus, the cattle we are putting on the park is improving year on year as well, and this year with the addition of barry hall which is very significant, and the emergence of a few of the younger players, we will be better again.

I reckon that this year, any of the top 4 or 5 teams could win the flag, depending on injuries.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Believing the Hype

That's all fair enough, but saying we 'Should Have' beaten Geelong is just not right. We never looked like winning and blaming it on 'not coming to play' is just a complete cop out. With the Saints, they took their chances, we didn't. I don't like blaming luck - I would point to easy goals being missed by experienced players...as for the dodgey umpiring comment, I felt pretty agrieved at the time but when you watch it again it is only the Lake / Riewoldt incident that stands out...there were good and bad decisions both ways aside from that. Basically, I am seeing and hearing a lot of excuses about how
Geelong and St Kilda beat us in the finals last year, but the simple fact remains - they beat us, and they haven't exactly gone backwards (though Geelong are getting old I admit) and the other challengers are coming.

Sure - we have claims to be in the top 3 sides. But this time last year Hawthorn were unbackable premiership favorites and didn't even make the 8. I just think there is as much to worry about as there is to be excited about - there have been equal parts good and bad about this off-season and we face an incredible challenge just to get back to the point where things ended last year...there are no free passes - some sides below us seem to have improved remarkably based on early season evidence (West Coast and North in particular) and they will be coming after us. Every side knows our keys now, Higgins will find himself under incredible pressure from the opposition and more time will be put into stopping Harbrow's run...

It isn't going to be easy. I just see a lot of self satisfaction around at the moment, a lot of confidence, and we haven't (like the Australian soccer team) actually accomplished anything noteworthy in 2010.

Outstanding post MJP, very level headed and beautifully sums up where we are the the moment!!

[stefoid]

Re: Believing the Hype

you cant say what happened to hawthorn is 'something we have to worry about'. They got hit by a combination of lots of injuries to key players and complacency after having just won a grand final. The first is not something you have control over and the second doesnt apply.

[MrMahatma]

Re: Believing the Hype

you cant say what happened to hawthorn is 'something we have to worry about'. They got hit by a combination of lots of injuries to key players and complacency after having just won a grand final. The first is not something you have control over and the second doesnt apply.

Is our side better than last year?

Have key players had better pre-seasons?

Have we recruited for needs?

Do we have fewer injuries?

I think we're a massive chance. The thing is, a good list will only get you so far- you can go undefeated all year, win the first week of the finals by 15 goals - but you still have to win the Prelim. And for me, my biggest, BIGGEST fear, is that we lose another prelim. If we do that, how do you back up after losing 3 in a row? How do you not feel like a chocker? I'd rather we missed the 8 to be honest. If we lost the PF again this year, I think this squad will never get any further.

[Mofra]

Re: Believing the Hype

Is our side better than last year?

Have key players had better pre-seasons?

Have we recruited for needs?

Do we have fewer injuries?

1. Yes*
2. Yes - Cooney & Murphy in particular
3. Yes - some rough looking bloke from Sydney
4. At the moment but we're not counting chickens yet. A fit Tiller or Reid would make me happier from a depth point of view; I hope Minson recovers early in the season too.


* Yes overall - but it only really matters in the context of how much we've improved in comparison to other teams doesn't it? That is the great unknown.