What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

[GVGjr]

Over the last month or so we have been building up towards a top 4 finish and I guess we have been building up our confidence of the playing group and the supporters.

My questions are around what will last night debacle do to our finals aspirations this year?

We can cut the side some slack because we had a few key players with injuries and we can also make some allowances for the flu that a number of players were carrying but how does the club manage to rebuild the side with the confidence and belief that they can win the flag and not necessarily just be there to make up the numbers?

A 2nd question is for our supporters, do you still rate us as a genuine flag chance and if so, what is the main trigger for that vote of confidence?

[Go_Dogs]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

I'm honestly not overly concerned with the outcome of last nights game (I didn't watch it, so perhaps that's why!) and I wasn't earlier in the week either.

Obviously getting belted isn't a good result, but that's what can happen when you're slightly off.

And as much as a win last night would've been good (or even not getting belted) but what would it have proved? We won the corresponding game last year and patted ourselves on the back. We've still got a few weeks now to find our best football which we haven't for the majority of the year.

Redemption is there for the taking, and I believe in the resolve of this group to make it happen this year.

[Bornadog]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

Certainly does put a dent in the players confidence and its up to the coaches to try and instill it back in them. I think Rocket's challenge to the group that the loss was humilating and embarressing could spur them on to atone the defeat and go on from here. Certainly Geelong must have felt that way after the Collingwood loss.

As a supporter I am still confident we can get to the Granny, and then anything can happen. I look at the season as a whole and we have been extremly competitive , even in our losses and considering for most of the season, we haven't had our best team on the ground.

I think we now have a good balance, although I would love one more running type of player (doesn't exist), that would help us go all the way.

Last night was a football lesson, in that, if you are a few percent off the boil against the better sides, you get smashed. To win the premiership, you have to keep up the intensity for 100% of the game and not just play in bursts.

[LostDoggy]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

While Geelong made us look very ordinary last night, the same can be said about the cats the week before v the pies. People only really remember the last game played and what happens in the H & A season, really has no relevence in the finals. Look at 2008 and 2009 when we beat the hawks and the cats, meant nothing.

If we can finish the season of strongly with good wins against the swans and bombers, we will go into the finals confidently.

Last night we just didn't work hard enough and pretty much let the cats do what ever they wanted, no doubt due to a few very valid reasons.

We make TOP 4 anything can happen!

[Rocco Jones]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

It's all about the confidence dent. The all Vic top 4 means everyone starts in the same boat come September. Last night was the only game we have been uncompetitive all season.

We have played two games against Collingwood. Round 1 we lost by about 5 goals and the 2nd time around we made a late charge to lose by 9 points or so. I think the latter result flattered us a bit but we were also missing a few players and truly dominated them for a while.

I truly believe we can be at least competitive against the Saints.

Despite last night we have also been at least very competitive the previous 4 encounters.

If the players can get over it, I think last night's result means very little. A huge if though.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

As perverse at it sounds, it could take some pressure off in the finals. Providing we can bounce back in the final two weeks and ensure we don't limp into 4th spot, and providing the groups confidence can be patched up, noone will rate us a chance, based on our 0-4 record against the top 3 sides.
The guys can go into the finals knowing that noone expects them to win, including the opposition and can hopefully surprise the opposition....................... I'm allowed to hope aren't I?????

[Mantis]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

My biggest gripe from last nights game was (is) our inability to change the course of action when things aren't going our way, as evidenced by Geelong kicking 13 goals straight thru the 1st & 2nd qtrs.

We seem to just except what is happening and our leaders don't make a 'stand'.

Until that changes we aren't going to make the jump from top 4 team to top 2 team.

[GVGjr]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

My biggest gripe from last nights game was (is) our inability to change the course of action when things aren't going our way, as evidenced by Geelong kicking 13 goals straight thru the 1st & 2nd qtrs.

We seem to just except what is happening and our leaders don't make a 'stand'.

Until that changes we aren't going to make the jump from top 4 team to top 2 team.

Are we prepared to make the hard call on some players with, lets say, questionable big game temperaments?

[Mantis]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

Are we prepared to make the hard call on some players with, lets say, questionable big game temperaments?

I hope we are.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

We seem to just except what is happening and our leaders don't make a 'stand'.

Which 'leaders'?

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

My biggest gripe from last nights game was (is) our inability to change the course of action when things aren't going our way, as evidenced by Geelong kicking 13 goals straight thru the 1st & 2nd qtrs.

We seem to just except what is happening and our leaders don't make a 'stand'.

Until that changes we aren't going to make the jump from top 4 team to top 2 team.

Agree. For the first 15 minutes of the game we hassled and harried Geelong and for a minute we had duped them into thinking we believed we could hold our own. A further 10 minutes and that facade was starting to show signs of a crack.
The second Qtr, by our body language, our positioning and our execution showed that our self belief, was just a false bravado that was exposed as such by an opposition who didn't fall for our bluff.

Under severe pressure there were several otherwise good players who last night revisited the type of 'survivalist' mentality they used to exhibit during Rohdes reign.
I'm talking specifically about Hargrave, Gilbee, Lake, Boyd and even Johnno.

So many times during the onslaught last night they seemed more inclined to just get the ball away from themselves to avoid being the one who was caught. It seemed to rub off on Higgins and Ward to.

A further example of this survivalist- me first mentality shows itself in how little support we showed for our teammates whenever a Geelong player got physical with us. Noone at all flew the flag for their teammates when it was needed.

If this type of behaviour cannot be changed, then come finals time, this is just going to hurt us to no end, as the pressure levels are going to be more sustained during these games.

[mjp]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

Which 'leaders'?

I thought Murphy, Gia, Morris and Cross made a stand.

Geelong were stung by the previous weekend and got themselves an old-fashioned run on going...it is not as if you can start a fight to slow them down these days.

We are still 4th - we would have been 4th had we won. Confidence is a moment to moment thing, not week to week or month to month....the biggest risk to our finals aspirations is a loss to Sydney NEXT week, not what happened last night.

Things are never as good or as bad as they seem.

[Hotdog60]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

One thing I noticed last night and it's something we don't do that well, is to protect the ball carrier.

No one was prepared to sheppard and provide the block, basically not working for each other.

[GVGjr]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

I hope we are.

Our track record at the trade table wouldn't suggest so. I haven't been impressed by our list management over the last two seasons believing we didn't make the hard call on a couple of guys especially at the end of last season.

Bridging that gap between a very good side and a genuine contender might require some hard calls.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: What does last night do to our finals aspirations?

Which 'leaders'?

Well, if Boyd was nominally the one who was meant to be on Ablett last night, then he should've stood up and taken it upon himself to try and organise the midifeld group who were geting smashed. Better yet he could've made a leaders call to try and quell Ablett's free reign.

He was very vocal at half time heading off the field, and was shooting filthy looks around, but he certainly did not lead by example last night.