Flat track Bullies?

[The Pie Man]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

He jumped right off us after the Hawthorn loss, which was &*%$ stupid.

Healy (who I can't stand really TBPH) had to remind him we only lost by 3 points, and Sheahan fires back with 'yeah but it wasn't a win was it?'

Hawthorn lost to Geelong round 17 in 2008 by 11 points after Hodge turned it over switching play in the middle late on - cracking game. I spose that result proved they couldn't win the flag

They then had the nerve to lose to Richmond a few weeks later, by nearly 5 goals...surely they're gone then.

Meh

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

Hearing Sheahan On The Couch now, his contested disposal knock on the Dogs is/was a joke. You can bag us for a few things this year but not our ability to win a contested ball. If Mike had a clue he would just go with our mental fragility late in the big ones.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

He jumped right off us after the Hawthorn loss, which was &*%$ stupid.

Healy (who I can't stand really TBPH) had to remind him we only lost by 3 points, and Sheahan fires back with 'yeah but it wasn't a win was it?'

Hawthorn lost to Geelong round 17 in 2008 by 11 points after Hodge turned it over switching play in the middle late on - cracking game. I spose that result proved they couldn't win the flag

They then had the nerve to lose to Richmond a few weeks later, by nearly 5 goals...surely they're gone then.

Meh

I sort of get what he meant by the 3 points loss to Hawthorn: premiers find ways to win those close ones, somehow.

Having said that, it IS just psychological and there often is tipping point when the challenger eventually becomes the champion, and it happens in many sports eg McEnroe eventually beating Borg at Wimbledon. I think we are due to beat both Geelong and St Kilda in the finals this year. We have the list, we just need the belief.

[Topdog]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

I sort of get what he meant by the 3 points loss to Hawthorn: premiers find ways to win those close ones, somehow.

One of the greatest myths going around in any sport. Geelong couldn't find a way to beat the Saints last year in the middle of the year, does that mean they aren't a great side.

When 2 elite teams play each other 1 must lose*

* In 99.5% of the games.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

I sort of get what he meant by the 3 points loss to Hawthorn: premiers find ways to win those close ones, somehow.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. They don't win because they are somehow special, they are just labelled special because they won. The reality is they won because they were better than the other mob.

I'm with Topdog. All this "we're not mentally tough enough" is bollocks.

Two teams play, one team wins. It doesn't mean one is mentally tougher, it just means one was better. Sometimes it might come down to someone choosing the right option at the right time, maybe it means one was a even bit luckier.


Even if someone blows it, it's not necessarily mental weakness, players stuff up every game, but if your timing is lousy and you make a mistake at the wrong time the calls of "choker" or "mentally weak" ring out. No, he's just done the same thing that a dozen other blokes have done in this match, his mistake just came at the end.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

I think it's very simple . We had a poor first half to the year, which is when we happened to
meet Collingwood twice. We also lost to Brisbane and Essendon in this period, and were very lucky against Melbourne also. And don't even get me started on the St Kilda game, which was one of the most excruciating games I have ever watched, only to see us throw it away in the last 5 minutes.

We simply weren't playing well, but are now heading in the right direction, and i'm looking forward to our game against Geelong, and then the finals, with a great deal of anticipation. I get the feeling the boys don't fear anyone this year, and rightly so.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. They don't win because they are somehow special, they are just labelled special because they won. The reality is they won because they were better than the other mob.

I'm with Topdog. All this "we're not mentally tough enough" is bollocks.

Two teams play, one team wins. It doesn't mean one is mentally tougher, it just means one was better. Sometimes it might come down to someone choosing the right option at the right time, maybe it means one was a even bit luckier.


Even if someone blows it, it's not necessarily mental weakness, players stuff up every game, but if your timing is lousy and you make a mistake at the wrong time the calls of "choker" or "mentally weak" ring out. No, he's just done the same thing that a dozen other blokes have done in this match, his mistake just came at the end.

But that's the point isn't it? Once or twice, thats bad luck. BUT we consistently have lost the close ones against the Saints and Cats. If you're matched up for 119 minutes and you CONSISTENTLY get over the line by NOT making THAT mistake AT the wrong time, where does that come from, and why can some do it consistently and others can't?

Having said that, I think this team is no longer lacking self belief. I sense a determination from the senior players especially that their time is NOW.

I don't fear Collingwood, I think they're a team of plodders that the best coach in the league has been able to get to play at their peak as a unit. We've beaten ourselves in our last two matches against them.

St Kilda has gone backwards this season.

Geelong. Yep they're the team to beat. But they're not at their peak either.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

Having said that, I think this team is no longer lacking self belief. I sense a determination from the senior players especially that their time is NOW.

I don't fear Collingwood, I think they're a team of plodders that the best coach in the league has been able to get to play at their peak as a unit. We've beaten ourselves in our last two matches against them.

St Kilda has gone backwards this season.

Geelong. Yep they're the team to beat. But they're not at their peak either.[/QUOTE]

Yes i can agree with most of what you say, BUT in the finals will we be able to come from behind if the case and win?
Previous comments posted over the year have asked who can stand up and grab the game and make it a winner. Hope the self belief can arouse this now.

GO Dogs.....................

[LostDoggy]

Re: Flat track Bullies?

bump.

couple of points:
* probably as good a time as any to get swamped now (not that there is ever a good time to lose by 100 points). with KB picking us over the Cats etc. we were starting to get some press which we always seem to struggle with. Now we've been written off completely, so the boys can forget the expectation and just play.
* worst time possible to have played the Cats after they had just put in THEIR worst performance of the season to lose to Collingwood (plus the flu, but we'll just leave the excuses in the cupboard). We'll probably destroy Sydney next week after this embarassment. If we don't then we're goneski.

Nothing more to say, have to just move on after a game like that.