6 out of 7 losses under 21 points. Are we mentally weak?

Vitalogy

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All games we were in winning positions and in the contest.

Vs Collingwood (21 point loss)
Vs Geelong (10 point loss)
Vs West Coast (10 point loss)
Vs Essendon (19 point loss)
Vs Fremantle (12 point loss)
Vs Adelaide (19 point loss)

Do we lack mental strength?
 

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"The Roar Is Back"

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#2
All games we were in winning positions and in the contest.

Vs Collingwood (21 point loss)
Vs Geelong (10 point loss)
Vs West Coast (10 point loss)
Vs Essendon (19 point loss)
Vs Fremantle (12 point loss)
Vs Adelaide (19 point loss)

Do we lack mental strength?
We lack midfield rotation depth .
 

rideclutch

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#3
Wouldn't say we're weaker mentally than any other young side. I think all that the stats show is that we're close, but not there yet.

Not worried at all.
 

nut

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#7
we lack leadership and composure when the game is in the balance..... we are getting better.... and the future looks good with players like Martin cotch and lids that can list the side.
 

Harmichael

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#10
Mental fragility has been out biggest problem for three decades now, not just this year.
 

rammbo

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#11
All games we were in winning positions and in the contest.

Vs Collingwood (21 point loss)
Vs Geelong (10 point loss)
Vs West Coast (10 point loss)
Vs Essendon (19 point loss)
Vs Fremantle (12 point loss)
Vs Adelaide (19 point loss)

Do we lack mental strength?
Overall no, but there is a player or two that does.
 

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Livonski

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#12
Mental fragility has been out biggest problem for three decades now, not just this year.
So we must be weak mentally because we were weak mentally in 1997? or 2001? or 2004?
Sorry, don't get your point.
Were we mentally weak against St Kilda a few weeks ago? Hawthorn?

There is no shame in losing to teams that are better than us. And yes we can find mistakes and incidents that lead to turnovers and goals, but there is no underlying weakness.
The Tiges are playing a brutal game where the other mob wants to win just as much as we do. And so until we've grown physically and mentally to the point where we are consistently better there will continue to be disappointments.
As supporters we've just got to live with that. We can chuck rocks from the cheap seats, but that's a bit mentally fragile imo.
 

ReaperX

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#13
In the words of Hardwick himself...

"Adelaide are a bloody good football side"

We're not mentally weak, some of those teams are just mentally stronger than us AT THE MOMENT. I emphasise that last part strongly.

We haven't been comprehensively beaten all year, even in our biggest loss to the Blues it was close early in the final quarter. And when we were down big against Essendon in the Dreamtime game, we got back in-front in that match. The only game I can think of that we were never realisticly in was the Collingwood game, but look at they way they have gone so far this year?

We're a dangerous proposition for any team in the competition, and if you went back to a Tigers' supporter 18 months ago and told them that this would be the case, they'd laugh at you square in the face.

Just a little over 2 seasons ago we were the new Fitzroy. Do we all have such short memories? :eek:
 

nut

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#14
In the words of Hardwick himself...

"Adelaide are a bloody good football side"

We're not mentally weak, some of those teams are just mentally stronger than us AT THE MOMENT. I emphasise that last part strongly.

We haven't been comprehensively beaten all year, even in our biggest loss to the Blues it was close early in the final quarter. And when we were down big against Essendon in the Dreamtime game, we got back in-front in that match. The only game I can think of that we were never realisticly in was the Collingwood game, but look at they way they have gone so far this year?

We're a dangerous proposition for any team in the competition, and if you went back to a Tigers' supporter 18 months ago and told them that this would be the case, they'd laugh at you square in the face.

Just a little over 2 seasons ago we were the new Fitzroy. Do we all have such short memories? :eek:
I like to think we are a "bloody good football side " too... Arguably we have the AA ruckman.... Cotchin and lids in AA calculations.... Grimes and Rance( recent form poor) ... Tuck an elite extractor.... Jack coleman medalist.... Martin a young gun.... etc....

Are we alllowed to wonder what it would be like if we had Bomber Thompson or Malthouse at the club??? I'm not saying Dimma is not doing a good job ... but is it possible to believe we might be playing well below what we should be????
 

Harmichael

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#15
So we must be weak mentally because we were weak mentally in 1997? or 2001? or 2004?
Yes. It's become ingrained in the club's pysche IMO. If you think history doesn't way heavily on clubs then go ask supporters of Footscray, St.Kilda, Melbourne, South/Sydney, Geelong before 2007, Collingwood 58-90, even Fremantle. It's not an easy thing to shake.


Were we mentally weak against St Kilda a few weeks ago? Hawthorn?
Seasons are longer than two games. We've had plenty of notable wins over the years that have counted for nothing at the end of the season. Even the worst sides usually snag one or two noteworthy wins a year. Winning enough of them to get invited to the spring dance is another matter entirely and invariably beyond us.

There is no shame in losing to teams that are better than us. ,.
Adelaide are not that much better that we can give them a five and half goal start, Fremantle are better than nobody in Melbourne.
And yes we can find mistakes and incidents that lead to turnovers and goals
Better than most I'd say. Been our hallmark for 30 years.
but there is no underlying weakness
You serious?




The Tiges are playing a brutal game where the other mob wants to win just as much as we do.
It's exactly the same for the 17 other teams. What's you're point?


And so until we've grown physically and mentally to the point where we are consistently better there will continue to be disappointments.
How long did it take WC & Essendon? We still have enough blokes who've been in the system long enough. "No more excuses" FWIW I think we're on the right track for the most part and closer to success then we've ever been, but as it stands right now, we've achieved nothing yet in real terms -those terms at a minimum being playing finals football regularly. We've had enough false dawns and we're still yet to see the sun. Geez just merely finishing a minimum of 8th out of 16/17/18 teams, at least every now and then, shouldn't be this bloody hard. It's hardly the Everest of sport, but for us it seems to be.

As supporters we've just got to live with that. We can chuck rocks from the cheap seats, but that's a bit mentally fragile imo.
Please. If this club's supporters were as mentally fragile as many of our sides have been over the journey we' would've gone the way of Fitzroy years ago.
 

bollo

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#16
Cotchin 22, Riewoldt 23, Rance 22, Morris 23, Connors 23, Edwards 23, Martin 21, Grimes 20, Griffiths 20, Elton 19, Ellis 19, Dea 21. I think a lot of people forget how young these guys actually are, composure in tight games will only come after experience, we did against the saints. Look at Geelong, until there core group of players got to their mid 20s with 100-150 games under their belts they had talent but were nothing special, it takes a lot of time, experience and playing together as group over a number of years where they understand each others game and know what team mates are going to do before they do it. Through smart trading in the national draft, rookie picks and targeting players for certain roles, together with a consistently higher effort each week slowly the wheels will turn. I think we are going well only 2 1/2 years into hardwicks tenure and he's doing a great job
 

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I like to think we are a "bloody good football side " too... Arguably we have the AA ruckman.... Cotchin and lids in AA calculations.... Grimes and Rance( recent form poor) ... Tuck an elite extractor.... Jack coleman medalist.... Martin a young gun.... etc....

Are we alllowed to wonder what it would be like if we had Bomber Thompson or Malthouse at the club??? I'm not saying Dimma is not doing a good job ... but is it possible to believe we might be playing well below what we should be????
Actually all you have done is say Hardwick is not doing a good job. You have continually potted the bloke for two years. Why you would hide behind this with that post is amazing. Admit it. You don't like him. You don't rate him. You wished we had someone else.
 

nut

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#18
Actually all you have done is say Hardwick is not doing a good job. You have continually potted the bloke for two years. Why you would hide behind this with that post is amazing. Admit it. You don't like him. You don't rate him. You wished we had someone else.
Wow.... cant say a bad word about Dimma.....

I've been critical of Dimma on certain things..... I like him and I have never said he isn't doing a good job overall and you wont find anywhere where I have said otherwise.
.... and I've gone on record saying that I didn't agree with the contract extension which again doesn;t mean I dont think he is doing a good job.... I just dont think he deserved a three year deal at the start of the season..... espoecially on the back of some monumental mistakes last season.... The Port game.. Cairns... Tuck....etc...
We are "still" in Development mode which is fair enough when you look at the age of our list..... there are certain attributes that make a great coach.... the best coaches win games from the box.... I'm happy to sit and wait because I still dont think we have the Cattle.... Dimma is still learning and is man enough to admit mistakes.
I want to see him under the pump.... giving him the luxury if three years eases the pressure.
 

Nuffers

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#19
Cotchin 22, Riewoldt 23, Rance 22, Morris 23, Connors 23, Edwards 23, Martin 21, Grimes 20, Griffiths 20, Elton 19, Ellis 19, Dea 21. I think a lot of people forget how young these guys actually are, composure in tight games will only come after experience, we did against the saints. Look at Geelong, until there core group of players got to their mid 20s with 100-150 games under their belts they had talent but were nothing special, it takes a lot of time, experience and playing together as group over a number of years where they understand each others game and know what team mates are going to do before they do it. Through smart trading in the national draft, rookie picks and targeting players for certain roles, together with a consistently higher effort each week slowly the wheels will turn. I think we are going well only 2 1/2 years into hardwicks tenure and he's doing a great job
Well said....... time is all takes from here.
 

Barnzy

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#20
In the words of Hardwick himself...

"Adelaide are a bloody good football side"
He's right but he says that about every side we lose to. Always praises them. Probably to glaze over some of our own issues a bit.

Still, pretty much all of losses under 4 goals says to more we're heading in the right direction and next year a lot of those will turn into more wins.

Just EXTREMELY frustrating that we could miss the 8 once again but it will so close. So many games we've been in winning positions where we could've/should've won. Today especially was frustrating to give up that lead and I think selection played a big part in the loss. Some finals experience for the kids would be nice.
 

theflea

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#21
Wow.... cant say a bad word about Dimma.....

I've been critical of Dimma on certain things..... I like him and I have never said he isn't doing a good job overall and you wont find anywhere where I have said otherwise.
.... and I've gone on record saying that I didn't agree with the contract extension which again doesn;t mean I dont think he is doing a good job.... I just dont think he deserved a three year deal at the start of the season..... espoecially on the back of some monumental mistakes last season.... The Port game.. Cairns... Tuck....etc...
We are "still" in Development mode which is fair enough when you look at the age of our list..... there are certain attributes that make a great coach.... the best coaches win games from the box.... I'm happy to sit and wait because I still dont think we have the Cattle.... Dimma is still learning and is man enough to admit mistakes.
I want to see him under the pump.... giving him the luxury if three years eases the pressure.
youve never said he is doing a good job overall just said he gets outcoached alot. those monumental mistakes are the players mistakes primarily which as you point out mean that we are still really in development mode and this will happen with kids. the best coaches dont win games from the box they win mostly from the coaches paddock during the week. hardwick again said in the pressa tonite we changed the way we played after the half but it didnt work so im not sure he could of done anything else. if its so easy and plain obvious then why do other top clubs fail. did the hawks get outcoached or no plan b when we smashed them? no just outplayed.
 

Spagman

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#22
3rd youngest list in the competition and as Leigh Matthews says, you need 30 top players for the depth to be a team that's a premiership challenger.

we barely have 22. we just don't have the depth yet.
 

nut

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#23
youve never said he is doing a good job overall just said he gets outcoached alot. those monumental mistakes are the players mistakes primarily which as you point out mean that we are still really in development mode and this will happen with kids. the best coaches dont win games from the box they win mostly from the coaches paddock during the week. hardwick again said in the pressa tonite we changed the way we played after the half but it didnt work so im not sure he could of done anything else. if its so easy and plain obvious then why do other top clubs fail. did the hawks get outcoached or no plan b when we smashed them? no just outplayed.
We are well coached leading up to matches and evidence of that is how we play in the first qtrs.... high percentage of the time we come out dominating... (I just think the high work rate in the first qtr's are not helping us play out games)... but Dimma can talk full credit for getting us up for games. He is still learning the caper..... and is doing a better job than I would do....lol. With more money going into the football department we will have the luxury of my eyes in the coaching box also.

Dimma would be the type of person that would be open to criticism and ultimatley that makes him a better coach.... regardlesss whether or not he agrees...... If I feel we make a mistake thern I am going to bring it up....
 

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#24
If anything the thread should be praising the fact that we have had only one blowout loss, and that was against Carlton where we got spanked in the last 5 minutes.

This is the first year in about a decade where we have a % greater than 100 at this stage of the season! God, how many times have we had a percentage about 90 and still hoping for finals and effectively needing a win more than any of the other contenders.

I would say it is mental strength that sees us not letting games blowout.
 

HeadandShin

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#25
Well said....... time is all takes from here.
LOL. However assuming that the hard work that the club has put in these past 2-3 years continues (or increases), then yes we just need to be patient.

According the countless other threads on here, we are not mentally weak, we just have the wrong players playing. ;-)
 
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