Tight Games - Will The Crows learn from their recent mistakes?

[PCORF]

We need to look back to three defining moments in our recent history if we want to take the next big step in 2008 or beyond.

* 2003 Tarrant - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHzg4uWfqyM

* 2004 Fevola - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brendan+fevola+goal&search=Search

* 2007 Buddy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccJ24Vqv_TI (The team should watch this one 5 times over and over again)

Its been such a long long time and I think this frustration of losing tight games can be hopefully thrown down the drain in 2008 because one day we'll be winning 15 out of 20 and not losing 15 out of 20 of those games. If I was the coach I will make the players watch these three moments of our recent past and give the players a good spray and tell them you've got to believe in yourselves and forget about the bad times. The coach needs to be very positive to his players in 2008 and this team has got to believe in itself. I still think we've got the abilllity to go all the way next season and make it into a Grand Final but its up to the self belief of the players. A few less injuries might also help improve the confidence of the players. And therefore we'll become a much more exciting team to watch. Geelong were in a simmilar situation, in 2005 they lost a semi final in the last 5 seconds and really struggled in 2006 but once they got hunger and belief they were an awesome team to watch in 2007. One of the best ever.

ADELAIDE - 2005 8 wins and 3 losses in games by 10 points or less.

2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 6 wins and 16 losses in games by 10 points or less.

In Finals ZERO wins and 3 losses by 10 points or less.

Also ZERO wins by 3 points or less since R17 2002. I think we also became the first AFL team to lose games by 1, 2 and 3 points in a single season (in 2007).

Think back to the good times of 1997 and 1998, and some other moments. Lets look at the hunger this team played with in 1997 preliminary final, the Grand Finals, Showdowns 2, 7 and 19 for example. But maybe looking back to the bad times will make this team more hungrier than ever. Its all about been positive, and believing in one another. I wasn't confident about our 2007 season. But I will be following this team harder then ever in 2008. I wanna see a new and more exciting Crows team, not a slow and boring team which made me boo at the TV at times this season. Hopefully a team that can put a smile upon our faces, a repeat of 2005 but this time with finals success would be great. We also need to play much better at home, 9 wins and 2 losses at home would be good, plus 6 wins and 5 losses away. That makes it 15-7 and a genuine top 4 spot, or even top 2. The midfield and backline is the key to this team and I think we can definetly do it.

[James_37]

We do have Fevola to thank for putting that final nail in Ayres coffin though.

I do agree though and I think this is due to our lack of genuine match winners who can get the job done when it needs to be, and those who can arn't in a position to do it.

We need blokes up forward who can kick that match winning goal, Mcleod and Johncock may be able to do it but they play in defence, apart from this, Burton and maybe Gill are the only ones really with the ability to do something "special" to win a game and Welsh on the right day will often kicks a few last quarter goals to give us a win, but is too often played too far from goal.

In a lot of our close losses, it has been because the opposition had someone who could do the extra special thing, back in 97-98 we had the likes of Modra, Robran, Vardy, Bond and need i mention the magician Jarman who, all up forward had the ability to "win" a tight game for us off their own boot. As well as that we could throw Smart or Ricciuto forward at a pinch, the likes of Rehn and Mcleod often went forward or won it from the midfield, Bickley often with his suicidal interceptions in defence could lift a team, we lack players of that ability currently, hopefully some of our current young crop can develop and do this.

Craig isn't really to blame here either, its more so Blight in terms of Modra and Ayres with a few others, especially Vardy and Rehn who got rid of these kinds of players without a succession plan.

Hopefully Craig can resurect this, although unfortunately he also lacks the vision or has too much faith to pull moves like a Smart or Ellen to full-forward at a pinch, leave a Mcleod or even just a Welsh one out in the goalsquare, or even through Rutten to full-forward for a quarter, something to make the opposition coach think and have to react, put him on the back foot.

[Farmy]

All I know is I'm sick of the boring footy.

I want to see a play run with the ball, I want to see a long bomb goal, I want to see snaps, I want to see flair I want to see some bloody selfish footy once and a while.

Don't get me wrong, we won lots in 2005, 2006, but we didnt win those games through flair, we won through the use of crowbots. I wanna see a mcleod esque run from the midfield going for a long bomb.

[IddyBiddy]

All I know is I'm sick of the boring footy.

I want to see a play run with the ball, I want to see a long bomb goal, I want to see snaps, I want to see flair I want to see some bloody selfish footy once and a while.

Don't get me wrong, we won lots in 2005, 2006, but we didnt win those games through flair, we won through the use of crowbots. I wanna see a mcleod esque run from the midfield going for a long bomb.

I'll take a win any day of the week thank you, crowbots or not.

[jackster83]

This is why Daniel Motlop is so highly rated at Port (apart from his dismal showing in the 119 game) because he has shown he can be the difference in a close match. A lot of our problems come from the way we go ultra-defensive in the 3rd quarter when we have a 3 goal lead at half time and have all the momentum such as in the EF or last year's PF.

IMO we seem to be holding too much back in the 3rd quarters which transforms the game from one where we are cruising to a 4-6 goal win for us into one where it is going to be a <10 point result either way.

So we need to find a way to bury a team by 3 quarter time and not let them have a sniff of victory. Moving players into different positions like Blight was famous for could be an option. Mcleod/Johncock up forward? in the midfield? I would like to see Johncock given a 10-15 minute burst on the ball and to use his pace and bulk, even if he has to spend the final quarter on the bench because if he can be the spark, then the whole team will lift.

[Stiffy_18]

This is why Daniel Motlop is so highly rated at Port (apart from his dismal showing in the 119 game) because he has shown he can be the difference in a close match. A lot of our problems come from the way we go ultra-defensive in the 3rd quarter when we have a 3 goal lead at half time and have all the momentum such as in the EF or last year's PF.

IF anything, he goes missing in close matches all too often. H emight have one great game in a close match out of 10 but overall he goes MIA when the pressure is on.

[Baron Winds]

I want to see a play run with the ball, I want to see a long bomb goal, I want to see snaps, I want to see flair I want to see some bloody selfish footy once and a while.

i dont see how people say we play boring footy.. Watchin the Birdman take flyers, Edwards throw a would-be tackler to the ground by his face, McLeod breaking through a pack on the wing, tucking the ball under his arm an bombing a goal from 50, Thomo in a 2 vs 1 managing to get the ball from the opposition and then getting a break away, the defensive pressure from Gill and, of course, VB giving Rocca a bump he'll never forget are all things i find highly exciting to watch.

[Stiffy_18]

i dont see how people say we play boring footy.. Watchin the Birdman take flyers, Edwards throw a would-be tackler to the ground by his face, McLeod breaking through a pack on the wing, tucking the ball under his arm an bombing a goal from 50, Thomo in a 2 vs 1 managing to get the ball from the opposition and then getting a break away, the defensive pressure from Gill and, of course, VB giving Rocca a bump he'll never forget are all things i find highly exciting to watch.
I tend to agree! This year was a bit different to 2 years prior because we were a bit more tentative to attack than usual and I strongly believe thats been mainly due to lack of consistency with the personnel in the side week in week out.

When we are on our game, we play a highly attractive game of footy with a great deal of run and carry, running in numbers to support the ball carrier and when the opposition has it we are as good as it gets defensively with out zones, pressure and tackling.

Don't confuse what happened this year with what is our real style. What we saw this year was a team that was trying to play with what it had week in week out and was never able to really settle. When we eventually did settle it was towards the end of the year when we got some consistency in our side. We made the finals when we really had no right to do so and its unlucky that we lost to Hawks in a bit of a freak circumstances.

If you want to look at our real style of play, take a look at the 2005 and 2006 seasons where we ran in numbers and it was all about the counter attack.

[marvin]

All I know is I'm sick of the boring footy.

I want to see a play run with the ball, I want to see a long bomb goal, I want to see snaps, I want to see flair I want to see some bloody selfish footy once and a while.

Don't get me wrong, we won lots in 2005, 2006, but we didnt win those games through flair, we won through the use of crowbots. I wanna see a mcleod esque run from the midfield going for a long bomb.

There was nothing boring about the footy we played in mid 2006. Watch the night we smashed St Kilda at Docklands, or the night we gave Essendon a flogging, or the first quarter against the Kangaroos on Mothers Day, and the quality of the footy was as good as you could wish to see.

[Crowked]

Since the years mentioned are seasons in which we won considerably more than we lost. The only significant conclusion that I have made is that when we lose, we lose by bugger all, and when we win, we ussual win big. I wouldnt have thought its a big deal really.

[Kane McGoodwin]

No issue playing boring footy for the final minutes of the game if it means we win the game.

Reckon we were "boring" at time in 2007 due the lack of forward firepower & injuries unsettling the team.

[James_37]

Since the years mentioned are seasons in which we won considerably more than we lost. The only significant conclusion that I have made is that when we lose, we lose by bugger all, and when we win, we ussual win big. I wouldnt have thought its a big deal really.

It was similar this year, we were pretty much in every game we played right up until the last 10 minutes, unfortunately we havn't converted enough of the close ones which we have lost by very little into wins.

NC reckons these games are all about luck, they are to a degree, but you can also make your own luck, we cannot do this at the minute, we have lost too many close ones for it just to be luck.

[Farmy]

No issue playing boring footy for the final minutes of the game if it means we win the game.

Reckon we were "boring" at time in 2007 due the lack of forward firepower & injuries unsettling the team.

Exactly this is what I meant.

[SA Tricolours]

All 3 of the goals mentioned (Tarrant, Fevola and Franklin) were exceptional kicks. However they were fairly lucky kicks and would probably have well less than 50% conversion rate for similar shots on any given day (especially Tarrant and Franklin). These kicks could have just as easy been points.

Franklin, on the following week, had the same shot from the same position and missed (and earlier missed from 20 metres, plus heaps of points only a few weeks earlier).

So comes down to luck on the day - but do agree it would be nice to win the close games.

[mb2326]

I'll take a win any day of the week thank you, crowbots or not.


Wait until we start losing a few and you will not think the same. At the moment the only thing that keeps people going to games is that we are winning and making finals. Its not the 2 and a half hours of entertainment we get from the actual game. At the moment under NC the games are as boring as hell with very few ,if any, highlights. When you have a look at a highlights package of fox or CH 10 you very rarely see any Crows plays at all (if any) This says a lot about the team NC has created... and it is one of the reasons why I think he should be replaced with someone who actually has the supporters in mind.

[Southerntakeover]

Wait until we start losing a few and you will not think the same. At the moment the only thing that keeps people going to games is that we are winning and making finals. Its not the 2 and a half hours of entertainment we get from the actual game. At the moment under NC the games are as boring as hell with very few ,if any, highlights. When you have a look at a highlights package of fox or CH 10 you very rarely see any Crows plays at all (if any) This says a lot about the team NC has created... and it is one of the reasons why I think he should be replaced with someone who actually has the supporters in mind.

Supporters are never happy. Basically they are a bunch of greedy morons.

You ask a bottom teams supporters and they want to be competitive.
You ask a competitive teams supporters and they just want to win.
You ask a winning teams supporters and they want to play prettier football.
You ask a winning and pretty teams supporters and they want a premiership
You ask the premiers supporters, and they want a dynasty.

[IddyBiddy]

Wait until we start losing a few and you will not think the same. At the moment the only thing that keeps people going to games is that we are winning and making finals. Its not the 2 and a half hours of entertainment we get from the actual game. At the moment under NC the games are as boring as hell with very few ,if any, highlights. When you have a look at a highlights package of fox or CH 10 you very rarely see any Crows plays at all (if any) This says a lot about the team NC has created... and it is one of the reasons why I think he should be replaced with someone who actually has the supporters in mind.

Could this be because we live in an eastern state focused world? Who honestly wants to lose but look good... Apart from Wesley Snipes?;)

NC is trying to get us to premiership, i would suggest therefore he does have the supporters in mind.

[PCORF]

I do not want to talk about premierships yet and yet again we might not even play in the Finals action next year. Too many people have way too many high expectations. Think about Buddy's nailer and think how we can solve that problem and think just winning games is the main focus then concentrating in the Finals. Remember its impossible to win every game, we will win more and lose more at home and away. Don't think about premierships, or prelims against Port cos if you think of them you don't get them. Its all about commitment and focus and that will get us over the line. Look at the way Collingwood plays, they just go real hard for it and fought off their butts to the very end of a prelim final from 6th spot after winning the toughest final imaginable against West Coast at subi in extra time. If our players can stick to their tasks we'll be there at the MCG one day. In a Grand Final don't even think about the premiership, you just play the game like any other game. It comes down to sheer effort. We need someone on our team, like Dale Thomas for example. We've got plenty of players to choose from, Nick Gill might be our awnser. He can kick freakish goals and take freakish marks and not to mention the afro which confused me as Ken McGregor. But you can never predict anything.

[NSWCROW]

Read the comment by hnfdhh in the Collingwood youtube.
I still stand by those comments.

Remember looking at my bro at quarter time and saying " Better not lose this !!! " :rolleyes:

[Freddy Bassett]

There is no doubt we lose too many close games. And I for one do not blame Craigy as I reckon its up to the players to finish off games after NC has got us in that position. We were spoilt with Blighty and we seem to think he would magically win games for us which we now lose. I doubt it in most cases. I think we struggle with skill execution in tight situations. So many close games we lost in 07, after watching a replay, we continually missed targets an AFL player should eat. Hit those targets and NC is a genius. Miss them and you are the Kangaroos in the 98 GF.

[IddyBiddy]

The competition at AFL level is about as even as you can get, anyone can win on a given day and we saw plenty in 07 to demonstrate that case. We as a club need to be constantly looking at what gives us the competitive edge, and it doesn’t necessarily sit totally on the player shoulders. Our fitness, our psychology, our preparation prior to the game, pre-season, injuries etc etc. When you really think about it there are a million and one things that contribute to who wins and who loses. The problem is getting the combination close enough to perfect to ensure you always perform when you need to. Geelong had it this year, we almost had it in 2005/6.

Then there is luck, and it is temperamental. I’ve seen balls bounce in ways that make you swear that the football gods are either for or against you.

[Freddy Bassett]

The competition at AFL level is about as even as you can get, anyone can win on a given day and we saw plenty in 07 to demonstrate that case. We as a club need to be constantly looking at what gives us the competitive edge, and it doesn’t necessarily sit totally on the player shoulders. Our fitness, our psychology, our preparation prior to the game, pre-season, injuries etc etc. When you really think about it there are a million and one things that contribute to who wins and who loses. The problem is getting the combination close enough to perfect to ensure you always perform when you need to. Geelong had it this year, we almost had it in 2005/6.

Then there is luck, and it is temperamental. I’ve seen balls bounce in ways that make you swear that the football gods are either for or against you.
True, but, hit a target in front of goals, 2 points down, in the last minute and all those 1% you are working on as a club got you the points. Miss the target and all the things you are doing is not working. Skills under pressure is crucial

[crowtricolours]

I tend to agree! This year was a bit different to 2 years prior because we were a bit more tentative to attack than usual and I strongly believe thats been mainly due to lack of consistency with the personnel in the side week in week out.

When we are on our game, we play a highly attractive game of footy with a great deal of run and carry, running in numbers to support the ball carrier and when the opposition has it we are as good as it gets defensively with out zones, pressure and tackling.

Don't confuse what happened this year with what is our real style. What we saw this year was a team that was trying to play with what it had week in week out and was never able to really settle. When we eventually did settle it was towards the end of the year when we got some consistency in our side. We made the finals when we really had no right to do so and its unlucky that we lost to Hawks in a bit of a freak circumstances.

If you want to look at our real style of play, take a look at the 2005 and 2006 seasons where we ran in numbers and it was all about the counter attack.



Top post ........ agree 100%







------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 grand final tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48SSCB6hyh4

[The Crows Truth]

Wait until we start losing a few and you will not think the same. At the moment the only thing that keeps people going to games is that we are winning and making finals. Its not the 2 and a half hours of entertainment we get from the actual game. At the moment under NC the games are as boring as hell with very few ,if any, highlights. When you have a look at a highlights package of fox or CH 10 you very rarely see any Crows plays at all (if any) This says a lot about the team NC has created... and it is one of the reasons why I think he should be replaced with someone who actually has the supporters in mind.

i hope you are not being serious with this comment :confused:

[NikkiNoo]

and it is one of the reasons why I think he should be replaced with someone who actually has the supporters in mind.

So you think he does not have the supporters in mind? This is the same man that has stated that the Press conferences after the games is for him to communicate with the supporters, and not for him to respond to the media so much any more.

This is also the man that has instigated a policy of the team, after a win, that the players split around the ground and acknowledge the crowd up close. They also all hand out a footy and one player gives out a signed match ball. Other teams are now copying this.

We also have instigated a policy where after a win a supporter is selected out of the crowd at random by a player, taken into the rooms with the players and joins in the circle to sing the song. No other team does this! It happens both interstate and at home.

NC also does a talk at the start of each season with the supporters in the shed where we can ask him questions directly without the media being involved so that he can be a little more revealing than he normally would if they were around.

[Ozzie]

Some of you young blokes should take a step back and actually think about some of the garbage you are writing at this time of the year. This thread is a prime example.

In sport and life in general their are times when things go your way and times when they don't. It all evens out in the long run.

I will also take a shot at some of the terrible spelling I have to endure here at BF. Examples such, as "your" for you are or as it is shortened to, you're. Drueling for drooling, and the classic use of the American bastardised form of English we get thrust upon us through the media. IT IS ANYWAY not anywayS. Get that one right at least please.Then you get the ones who want to use fonetics or text messaging in here. Please spare us and make better use of your time in the classroom before you let yourself loose on the general population.

[Baron Winds]

I will also take a shot at some of the terrible spelling I have to endure here at BF. Examples such, as "your" for you are or as it is shortened to, you're. Drueling for drooling, and the classic use of the American bastardised form of English we get thrust upon us through the media. IT IS ANYWAY not anywayS. Get that one right at least please.Then you get the ones who want to use fonetics or text messaging in here. Please spare us and make better use of your time in the classroom before you let yourself loose on the general population.


If the way people spell is your biggest worry champ, I wish i was you.

Now stop being a grammar nazi, piss off and find something better to do than whinge about grammar :P

PS Carn teh Crows

[Macca19]

IF anything, he goes missing in close matches all too often. H emight have one great game in a close match out of 10 but overall he goes MIA when the pressure is on.

Kicked the match winner against Melbourne early in the season.

Took a strong grab and goal to put us within reaching distance against Hawthorn with 20 seconds left late in the season.

Was a match winner against West Coast in the final with numerous strong grabs up forward at crucial times.

There are other examples of where he has taken a game apart in the first half as well (Brisbane, Roos final).

Only time he has let us down in a close game was the St Kilda match last year, but how many players in the league would have taken that spectacular mark to get in that position anyway?

[out of order]

We need to look back to three defining moments in our recent history if we want to take the next big step in 2008 or beyond.

* 2003 Tarrant - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHzg4uWfqyM

* 2004 Fevola - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brendan+fevola+goal&search=Search

* 2007 Buddy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccJ24Vqv_TI (The team should watch this one 5 times over and over again)

Its been such a long long time and I think this frustration of losing tight games can be hopefully thrown down the drain in 2008 because one day we'll be winning 15 out of 20 and not losing 15 out of 20 of those games. If I was the coach I will make the players watch these three moments of our recent past and give the players a good spray and tell them you've got to believe in yourselves and forget about the bad times. The coach needs to be very positive to his players in 2008 and this team has got to believe in itself. I still think we've got the abilllity to go all the way next season and make it into a Grand Final but its up to the self belief of the players. A few less injuries might also help improve the confidence of the players. And therefore we'll become a much more exciting team to watch. Geelong were in a simmilar situation, in 2005 they lost a semi final in the last 5 seconds and really struggled in 2006 but once they got hunger and belief they were an awesome team to watch in 2007. One of the best ever.

ADELAIDE - 2005 8 wins and 3 losses in games by 10 points or less.

2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 6 wins and 16 losses in games by 10 points or less.

In Finals ZERO wins and 3 losses by 10 points or less.

Also ZERO wins by 3 points or less since R17 2002. I think we also became the first AFL team to lose games by 1, 2 and 3 points in a single season (in 2007).

Think back to the good times of 1997 and 1998, and some other moments. Lets look at the hunger this team played with in 1997 preliminary final, the Grand Finals, Showdowns 2, 7 and 19 for example. But maybe looking back to the bad times will make this team more hungrier than ever. Its all about been positive, and believing in one another. I wasn't confident about our 2007 season. But I will be following this team harder then ever in 2008. I wanna see a new and more exciting Crows team, not a slow and boring team which made me boo at the TV at times this season. Hopefully a team that can put a smile upon our faces, a repeat of 2005 but this time with finals success would be great. We also need to play much better at home, 9 wins and 2 losses at home would be good, plus 6 wins and 5 losses away. That makes it 15-7 and a genuine top 4 spot, or even top 2. The midfield and backline is the key to this team and I think we can definetly do it.

in the ayres years we were notorious in losing the close ones, mainly due to ayresy being a dill, but since craigy has been in charge can't really say its been a problem to be honest. We win some and lose some.

[J-Ro-20]

The more tight games the crows are involved in (and lose) are far better than games we were convincingly beaten and never looked a chance.

It shows we aren't that far off the mark rather than major fundamental errors.

[James_37]

in the ayres years we were notorious in losing the close ones, mainly due to ayresy being a dill, but since craigy has been in charge can't really say its been a problem to be honest. We win some and lose some.

It hasn't really improved, I heard a stat on the radio or tv, think it might have been triple m that under NC we have won twice after being behind at 3/4 time. How many times have we lost after being up at 3/4 time, my guess is that it would be a fair few more. We can save games under craig relatively well, just cannot "win" them.

[out of order]

probably because we have rarely been behind at 3/4 time while craigy has been in charge.

When craigy has a decent squad we do fine, this yr just about everything that can go wrong did. Ayres had arguably a better list but the theme every week was, win the 1st quarter by a mile, get a 40 point lead, then watch the opposition flood our forward line and chip away at our lead. Happened over and over again. Doesnt anymore.

[PCORF]

in the ayres years we were notorious in losing the close ones, mainly due to ayresy being a dill, but since craigy has been in charge can't really say its been a problem to be honest. We win some and lose some.

I'm fed up of this close game **** and if you don't include 2005 we've been notorius for giving away way too many games no matter if its under Ayres or Craigy. So many times I've seen this team up by a few points in the last 2 minutes and they don't keep possesion and and just try to kick it to a pack of players, one mistake and they automatically give up a goal, thats ballgame. That needs to change in 2008.

Our last win by 3 points or less was in R17 2002 against Geelong (by 3). Since then I think our record is 0-6 by 3 points or less (1,3,3,1,2,3) - I want to see more wins, sick of the losing. Wins will make a huge difference in our confidence, and confidence can lead to great things. Next year we will end this drought because its about time. If the game is tight I would bench Scott Thompson and put McLeod into the midfield, and take Kris Massie away from full back and put him either somewhere else or bench him.

[out of order]

you can't really say 'if we dont include 2005' to suite your pov......

At least now we get numbers back making it more difficult to score, in the ayres days they would get one on ones in their forward line on a continual basis.

One thing i'll agree with is winning those tight ones makes a big difference, it was something we did quite often in 2005 from memory.

[James_37]

probably because we have rarely been behind at 3/4 time while craigy has been in charge.

When craigy has a decent squad we do fine, this yr just about everything that can go wrong did. Ayres had arguably a better list but the theme every week was, win the 1st quarter by a mile, get a 40 point lead, then watch the opposition flood our forward line and chip away at our lead. Happened over and over again. Doesnt anymore.

Good point, we have won a lot more than we have lost, which is great, but we win them by 2-5 goals, bordering on close, but still comfortable, we have won very few in the 0-2 goal range, but I would say the vast majority of our losses under craig are around this margin, which essentially says, when its tight, we panic and lose the game. Craig says these types of games are down largely to luck, well if that is the case, then we must have the worst of it.

[Stiffy_18]

Good point, we have won a lot more than we have lost, which is great, but we win them by 2-5 goals, bordering on close, but still comfortable, we have won very few in the 0-2 goal range, but I would say the vast majority of our losses under craig are around this margin, which essentially says, when its tight, we panic and lose the game. Craig says these types of games are down largely to luck, well if that is the case, then we must have the worst of it.
Thats a HIGHLY subjective way of looking at it. What that tells me is that we will fight to the very end even when its clear that we cannot win the game. I think that speaks hihgly about the character, pride and determination of our team.

Take the St. Kilda game this year as an example. We never looked like winning the game since about quarter time yet the final margin was something like 2 or 3 points. Look at that game and at no stage were we a real chance to take it out yet the final scoreboard flattered us a fair bit because we as a team fought to the very end no matter how impossible the task was.

We never get blown away. The worst loss this year was 32 or 33 points against Geelong at Kardinia Park.

Many close games we have lost in recent times we really were never a chance to win and its thanks to our determination, pride and fighting spirit that the margin was that close.

[James_37]

Thats a HIGHLY subjective way of looking at it. What that tells me is that we will fight to the very end even when its clear that we cannot win the game. I think that speaks hihgly about the character, pride and determination of our team.

Take the St. Kilda game this year as an example. We never looked like winning the game since about quarter time yet the final margin was something like 2 or 3 points. Look at that game and at no stage were we a real chance to take it out yet the final scoreboard flattered us a fair bit because we as a team fought to the very end no matter how impossible the task was.

We never get blown away. The worst loss this year was 32 or 33 points against Geelong at Kardinia Park.

Many close games we have lost in recent times we really were never a chance to win and its thanks to our determination, pride and fighting spirit that the margin was that close.

I agree, it shows we have a great fighting spirit and am very proud of that, unfortunately we just cannot seem to be able to take the next step from turning these fighting defeats into victorys, we get within striking distance, yet just cannot lay that final strike and create famous victories such as the 97 prelim.

[PCORF]

I agree, it shows we have a great fighting spirit and am very proud of that, unfortunately we just cannot seem to be able to take the next step from turning these fighting defeats into victorys, we get within striking distance, yet just cannot lay that final strike and create famous victories such as the 97 prelim.

Albsolutley wrong!

This team shows no fight in these types of games. Oh, well it does sometimes like in Round 18 vs the Power and Round 22 vs the Pies but those games were wins.