Belief.

[kozi]

Today like many other games one thing separated us from the opposition: BELIEF. It seemed like we were too scared to hit the front. We ran over the top of them in the last quarter, but buckled because we don't have the self-belief that ALL top sides have. Although the Eagles were matched today, I saw a club that believed they'd get the win and guess what... they did. This is what I want at Richmond.

Want and belief are two very different things and for many years we have had little or none of the latter. At the core of our great club and in the subconscious mind of our senior playing list there unfortunately exists a losing culture, a cancer that has spread throughout the tigers for over 30 years due to the condoning of honorable losses and shit individual performances. This plague is far from easily removed. I do believe that Hardwick and the group are on the right track to ridding us of this losing culture once and for good (not accepting honorable losses etc) but at the moment I still see parts of the Richmond mindset of old on field, and it becomes more apparent late in games - especially when its close. Until the day we are half way through the last quarter with scores level and our players can stand up and say WE ARE WINNING THIS, unfortunately we will continue to see many more "honorable" losses against sides that are equal/better than us. Jack's 3 step shuffle and poke with 2 min to go didn't look like the kick of a man with belief. If he had that kick in the first quarter I bet he would have gone 20 paces back and (goal or not) would have kicked through the ball and nailed it post height

 

[Infamy]

Well as Hardwick has said, we've gone from hoping to win to expecting to win.
The next step is for us to believe we will win, this will come with time

Just look how long it took Carlton to build a Top 4 team from scratch

 

[TOOs_Finest]

This highlights the importance of the remaining 17 or so games of this season. We will play a lot of teams from here on in who we are more than capable of beating. When we do start to win those games we will build belief.

Yes, it's nice to measure yourself against the best, but as far as building a team with a winning culture goes, you have to beat those around and below your own level. Winning games, regardless of how highly you rate the opposition, is the only real tonic for building serious belief in our players.

 

[Blood Meridian]

Great post.

Part of the match review should be dedicated to looking at what some of our players weren't doing when the game was on the line.

Chris Newman's pregame TV interviews might come in for some scrutiny too. To judge by them he doesn't expect to win - he doesn't know how.

 

[kozi]

Great post.

Part of the match review should be dedicated to looking at what some of our players weren't doing when the game was on the line.

Chris Newman's pregame TV interviews might come in for some scrutiny too. To judge by them he doesn't expect to win - he doesn't know how.

Yes correct. Tell me in what sport does a successful team have a captain that doesn't expect or know how to win? None. To me Newman is a bad omen of dark days past (we have a few) and we will be that much better once Cotch is given the captaincy for 2013.

Winning games, regardless of how highly you rate the opposition, is the only real tonic for building serious belief in our players.

We have players that have had a losing belief drummed into them for far too long, so much so that its actually become them as players and 1000 wins will make little impact on their deep seeded losing mindset.

Newman
Jackson
Tuck
Edwards
Miller (Melbourne losing culture)
Deledio

Ive included Deledio on the list but he's one character id back to turn it around As for the rest, only once they are moved on can we truly develop an across the board winning culture.

 

[Spluff]

Culture is bullshit. You can always change belief.

 

[harimal12]

I found the Chris Newman interview before the game a little disturbing,he spoke like he expected to lose.
Our captain seems to be struggling perhaps its getting close to time to inject some new blood into being the captain.
Nothing against Newman but we need to keep moving forward and Cotch is the man to lead us.
I cant imagine how hard it must be as a player, I know how I feel as a supporter the feeling of coming so close to a win then its all over and your facing another loss.

I am sure the club have in place people to motivate our young players but really nothing like a win.

 

[True Thylacine]

This highlights the importance of the remaining 17 or so games of this season. We will play a lot of teams from here on in who we are more than capable of beating. When we do start to win those games we will build belief.

Yes, it's nice to measure yourself against the best, but as far as building a team with a winning culture goes, you have to beat those around and below your own level. Winning games, regardless of how highly you rate the opposition, is the only real tonic for building serious belief in our players.

Agree! So far apart from Melbourne we have played games where we werent expected to do well let alone win so we can play with nothing to lose. That all changes this Sunday.

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

Agree! So far apart from Melbourne we have played games where we werent expected to do well let alone win so we can play with nothing to lose. That all changes this Sunday.

It's funny because this game is probably our most dangerous due to public perception and expectation. A very dangerous mix for any Richmond side.

It still relates to belief though. I just hope the players don't sub consciously believe it's just going to start to happen this week without the same effort.

Hopefully a good solid win and then we have 3 weeks in which the players can get back into trying for a scalp to build some momentum and belief.