Are we ruthless enough?

[Commando]

We probably should take a serious look at a fall post Danger Blitz
But then we still have Cameron and Stewart for a couple of years and a capable core or mid 20s players
Plus our games at KP each year
It's hard to see us ever being bottom 4 unless we have a horrible injury run
We will always seem to win 1/3 of our games which is 7/8 wins a year because there are so many poor teams in the comp

Then you're staring at no man's land

 

[Hinkley29]

Absolutely not. Hard truth

Many won't want to hear this but a team like Hawthorn with an unsociable mentality probably find a way to get it done yesterday

Hawthorn lost last week.

So much for unsociable mentality.

If “being more ruthless” means “being more hawthorn” then you can shove that. No thanks

 

[Commando]

Hawthorn lost last week.

So much for unsociable mentality.

If “being more ruthless” means “being more hawthorn” then you can shove that. No thanks

I'm not referring to last week specifically I'm referring to their mentality
We are the good guys, they are the bad guys
Sometimes a mean streak is needed when playing for sheep stations

What's that saying, nice guys finish last

 

[iameviljez]

Absolutely not. Hard truth

Many won't want to hear this but a team like Hawthorn with an unsociable mentality probably find a way to get it done yesterday

That is absolutely untrue IMO.

The game was basically a street fight for the first half, and it wasn't our inability to compete that got us in the finish - it was basically that we ran out of juice, our possession got sloppy, Neale made a huge difference and they beat us with class.

IMO, if it were attitude that lost the match, then we would have lost it in the first quarter, not midway through the third.

 

[Hinkley29]

I'm not referring to last week specifically I'm referring to their mentality
We are the good guys, they are the bad guys
Sometimes a mean streak is needed when playing for sheep stations

What's that saying, nice guys finish last

My point remains.

I don’t want Geelong to be hawthorn. For so many reasons.

I want it all. I want us to win AND do it the right way. I don’t want us to do “whatever it takes” (ie tank and subject our supporters to years of shit teams) just to win the odd premiership.

I am not a premiership or bust kind of guy. There is more to my relationship to the footy club than that.

But hey, that’s just me. Others can have a different view.

 

[iameviljez]

I'm not referring to last week specifically I'm referring to their mentality
We are the good guys, they are the bad guys
Sometimes a mean streak is needed when playing for sheep stations

What's that saying, nice guys finish last

We managed to win it all in 2022 - playing one of the toughest QFs I've ever seen - with a very, very similar core group of players. You don't need to be 'mean' per se, you just need to be tough.

 

[Commando]

We managed to win it all in 2022 - playing one of the toughest QFs I've ever seen - with a very, very similar core group of players. You don't need to be 'mean' per se, you just need to be tough.

Yeah but we've turned over half a team in those 3 years

No Stew was telling on that front Saturday

 

[Commando]

My point remains.

I don’t want Geelong to be hawthorn. For so many reasons.

I want it all. I want us to win AND do it the right way. I don’t want us to do “whatever it takes” (ie tank and subject our supporters to years of shit teams) just to win the odd premiership.

I am not a premiership or bust kind of guy. There is more to my relationship to the footy club than that.

But hey, that’s just me. Others can have a different view.

Hey I hear you and I agree with you as far as a relationship with footy and club goes

But when it comes to the biggest day I am win at all cost, all about getting that cup and medal

 

[iameviljez]

Yeah but we've turned over half a team in those 3 years

No Stew was telling on that front Saturday

Sure, but even of those players who have gone, I’d say that only Stewart and Selwood were leaders with a mean streak. Kolo, Guthrie and Hawkins were all Nice Boys.

I don’t think that lost us anything, anyway. It’s hardly like Andrews, Neale et al are league-leading in that department.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Think this is an overreaction thread.
Late in the 3rd it was around a goal the difference. Despite most matchups being won by the Brisbane player.

In the end that dominance, the Stanley/Cameron situation told the story and the dam wall burst in the last.
I think Neale needs to have more competitiveness. Looked like Ollie Henry on Saturday but overall think we're overreacting here.

Especially with the commentary surrounding post-goal songs. So what if Brisbane fans have embraced it. If they embraced jumping off cliffs should we also do so. Its cringe shit.

 

[Commando]

Sure, but even of those players who have gone, I’d say that only Stewart and Selwood were leaders with a mean streak. Kolo, Guthrie and Hawkins were all Nice Boys.

I don’t think that lost us anything, anyway. It’s hardly like Andrews, Neale et al are league-leading in that department.

Even more case to go harder at them
Neale is the one we need more presence from

 

[TomsBulgingDisc]

I'd like our players to play with more aggression, sure. But I think for the most part it's being coached out of them for the sake of not getting suspended every second week. It could be argued its more beneficial to have a consistent team throughout the year than an aggressive one. With that said, gloves should be off during a GF though.

 

[you pick one]

It’s really does show that beyond Atkins and Stewart there’s no one else on the list that has a bit of mongrel

I’m not talking about belting blokes but blokes that goes in hard and flies the flag to let opposition players know they can’t push the kids around

We had that with Joel, Hawkins , Chappy, even Mooney to an extent

Absolute crickets beyond Atkins and Stewart..even Danger goes in hard at times but won’t do anything that’ll make him unlikeable to opponents

No easy fixes , Holmes, Dempsey and co don’t have those traits..none of the kids do

The hardest nut we had through those times was Pops Kelly a genuine take no prisoners player

 

[Romeoh1]

I'm not referring to last week specifically I'm referring to their mentality
We are the good guys, they are the bad guys
Sometimes a mean streak is needed when playing for sheep stations

What's that saying, nice guys finish last

They used to be unsociable in the hodge/mitchell days - they aren’t tough now, they are just gooses.

 

[Romeoh1]

We looked plenty resolved enough in the first two finals.
We just met a better team on Saturday - lions at their best beat everyone-simple.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

No. Need a hard edge.
Hopefully we can convince Butters to come.

 

[Commando]

They used to be unsociable in the hodge/mitchell days - they aren’t tough now, they are just gooses.

Was referring to their mentality as a club overall not so much current list

 

[Romeoh1]

Was referring to their mentality as a club overall not so much current list

Oh yep- agree on that.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We're too reliant on Dangerfield or bust.

It's no surprise we won when he was on including beating Lions, but then we lost when he was quiet.

It's happened to us through multiple finals series where we would win or lose based on how much of an impact Danger would have.

 

[iameviljez]

We looked plenty resolved enough in the first two finals.
We just met a better team on Saturday - lions at their best beat everyone-simple.

Honestly, I think this is probably it.

Interstate sides sometimes don't get the credit they deserve because they play interstate every second week, which has a real flattening effect on their H&A performance. Hence why the Lions were only favourite in one of their three flags in 2001-03, but are now seen as an absolute champion side.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I think other parts of the club aren't ruthless enough.
Lowther and Corrigan are both seriously underperforming with the AFLW and VFL programs.

 

[Hinkley29]

Hey I hear you and I agree with you as far as a relationship with footy and club goes

But when it comes to the biggest day I am win at all cost, all about getting that cup and medal

Each to their own

 

[fpm84]

We're too reliant on Dangerfield or bust.

It's no surprise we won when he was on including beating Lions, but then we lost when he was quiet.

It's happened to us through multiple finals series where we would win or lose based on how much of an impact Danger would have.

Disagree, I think Danger was reduced to a cameo player this season. He played two clear standout games - the H&A win over Collingwood and obviously the prelim. Plenty of other solid games but nothing that ever resembled Danger or bust.

Was good in the QF but so were many others. Five of our players polled in the Gary Ayres Medal but he wasn’t one of them.

The prelim game was one for the ages but gave so many unrealistic expectations for the GF. I couldn’t believe he was third favourite for the NS. Was never a chance to pull out another performance like that IMO.

As an aside I’ll be interested to see where he finishes in the Carji. Off the top of my head I’d have Holmes, Smith, Jezza, Atkins, Dempsey, Miers, Zuthrie and Blitz ahead of him. Maybe an 8th - 10th finish?

 

[lettheboysplay]

We probably should take a serious look at a fall post Danger Blitz
But then we still have Cameron and Stewart for a couple of years and a capable core or mid 20s players
Plus our games at KP each year
It's hard to see us ever being bottom 4 unless we have a horrible injury run
We will always seem to win 1/3 of our games which is 7/8 wins a year because there are so many poor teams in the comp

Then you're staring at no man's land

We've said this every year though... since around 2010.

Then someone like Butters says our name and we get him in 2027. Let's not forget, the lay of the land is very different to what it was when it was draft first to rebuild. Good clubs do it on the run now. We're in a good spot - we came second to a very good side, and they'll be hard to beat again. But we did beat them three weeks ago. It isn't farfetched to say we will be there at the pointy end next year.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Disagree, I think Danger was reduced to a cameo player this season. He played two clear standout games - the H&A win over Collingwood and obviously the prelim. Plenty of other solid games but nothing that ever resembled Danger or bust.

Was good in the QF but so were many others. Five of our players polled in the Gary Ayres Medal but he wasn’t one of them.

The prelim game was one for the ages but gave so many unrealistic expectations for the GF. I couldn’t believe he was third favourite for the NS. Was never a chance to pull out another performance like that IMO.

As an aside I’ll be interested to see where he finishes in the Carji. Off the top of my head I’d have Holmes, Smith, Jezza, Atkins, Dempsey, Miers, Zuthrie and Blitz ahead of him. Maybe an 8th - 10th finish?

I'm talking about finals, not H&A, he's played forward for most of the year to be cherry ripe for finals which part of our over reliance on him.