Preview Changes v Saints

[CarnTheScray]

Another little update :
I have spoken to my friend and he seems not so confident as he usually is! He feels the players have a problem of getting themselves up for games with clubs outside the top teams. It’s the feeling I get when I talk to him these days! He hopes they will come up for this up coming game. Is it drinking there own bath water? He said he would have preferred to be playing a big club that most people would say we couldn’t beat. He is just unsure I guess!
He has told me the club doesn’t have many players that handle rough and tumble tactics hence Gowers. He told me last year that’s what GWS showed us.
Vanda killed them in the practice match, so so quick! They have had a very high opinion of him since they got him. He worries he may be like Wood and JJ - early in there carriers getting lots of soft tissue injuries so he will need to be watched.Couldn’t believe he went in the 60 in the draft!
Very happy with Sweet - thought last year had tank problem.
They seem to have a fascination with Gardner! Words fail me but what would I know.
He say the other day and again this time if our mid field can’t get the ball we will struggle to win many games. Everyone at the club were so disappointed in the Collingwood game and the major problem was the mid field. I get the impression people have been spoken too!

Something that really upsets me I will mention briefly- I have an another impeccable source that is across the Libba situation. Libba’s knee is not good as I have mentioned before and will be on a modified program for the rest of his career. Unfortunately Libba’s private life has taken another downward turn! That’s all I would like to say. I only mention this because heaps of us want to see the old Libba back!

How weak is that? And I thought the days of drinking their own bath water were over. The boys themselves have shown that they don't deserve to be a top team after those insipid performances yet they expect to play against top teams in big games? They need to grow up.

 

[bobs head soup]

I was listening to SEN yesterday and they were chatting to Craig Jennings, football strategist with one of the better footballing brains going around. He spoke about the Broadway effect that has an impact on how teams perform week in week out.
The theory is that some teams are better suited to the big occasion and playing in front of bigger crowds (On Broadway) and others that can perform when there’s not as much outside noise, without the bigger crowds and without the big occasion. (Off Broadway).
The better teams are able to do both.
Interesting theory which explains something that I and others brought up a few weeks ago.
The Dogs, in recent years, have been the type of team that thrives playing On Broadway. Big crowds, big occasion, plenty of outside noise/encouragement.
But when we need to build the enthusiasm from within we can fail on the field.
I think we have seen that from some of the Rd1 matches with the less experienced, less drilled teams struggling a little.
It doesn’t completely excuse our performances but I can definitely see that as having an effect with us and may even explain some of our losses against the lower ranked teams in the last year or two.
Hopfully we’ve grown from that Rd1 loss and with a bit more experience, growth and becoming a better drilled teams we can start handling games being played Off Broadway, as well as On it.

Surely the facts don't support this theory

Our last 2 subpar performances were clearly 'On Broadway', a final against avowed enemy the plastics followed by R1 Friday night vs Collingwood.

Surely on these occassions, if anything, we bottled it under the pressure of the occassion rather than because we couldn't get ourselves up.

 

[NBates]

The Dogs, in recent years, have been the type of team that thrives playing On Broadway.

Not just recent years. This club's been doing it for years. 70's/80's when we were sheeite we'd lose week after week until we played a big club and miraculously managed a win (although tanking by the away team for a good return at the TAB might have been a reason then). Culture? Really shouldn't be as we're a long way down the track from those days. I love Bevo for my Premiership, but he seems to have lost the plot since then. Somehow I get the feeling that the newer boys think it's just going to happen. The older boys achieved the ultimate & how do you match that? - by loving the high & doing it again obviously - but they immediately lost the team mates they did it with. The side's completely different now. If their mindset is the On Broadway one, then this season isn't going to do it for them.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Surely the facts don't support this theory

Our last 2 subpar performances were clearly 'On Broadway', a final against avowed enemy the plastics followed by R1 Friday night vs Collingwood.

Surely on these occassions, if anything, we bottled it under the pressure of the occassion rather than because we couldn't get ourselves up.

Rd1’s game had zero people in the crowd. Can’t get anymore Off Broadway then that

It’s not a moral on every occasion so the GWS games are going to happen.

The theory’s coming from one of the great brains in the comp. It’s not a random theory, this is something that’s spoken about by coaches. Not as gospel but it’s something considered.

Do we sometimes bottle it against the better teams on the big stage? Yep. Do we sometimes towel up inferior oppo in front of 15k at Marvel? Yep. The reality though, we’re a team who prefers performing on Broadway.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Not just recent years. This club's been doing it for years. 70's/80's when we were sheeite we'd lose week after week until we played a big club and miraculously managed a win (although tanking by the away team for a good return at the TAB might have been a reason then). Culture? Really shouldn't be as we're a long way down the track from those days. I love Bevo for my Premiership, but he seems to have lost the plot since then. Somehow I get the feeling that the newer boys think it's just going to happen. The older boys achieved the ultimate & how do you match that? - by loving the high & doing it again obviously - but they immediately lost the team mates they did it with. The side's completely different now. If their mindset is the On Broadway one, then this season isn't going to do it for them.

No better time to change the psyche of the team than now! Playing Off Broadway every week could do us wonders in the long run.

 

[Northernsoul74]

No better time to change the psyche of the team than now! Playing Off Broadway every week could do us wonders in the long run.

Could also help us identify who is mentally weak in this department and can’t be relied on. If some of them can’t get up for this weekend questions need to be asked of them individually.

 

[CarnTheScray]

So how are we a team that performs 'On Broadway' if we have small crowds and half our best 22 hasn't played in front of a big crowd. That is what I call a bunch of pretenders who don't take every team seriously.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

So how are we a team that performs 'On Broadway' if we have small crowds and half our best 22 hasn't played in front of a big crowd. That is what I call a bunch of pretenders who don't take every teamIts seriously.

It’s a case of being able to play across both. That’s what was spoken about by Jennings. The better teams play well regardless of being On or Off Broadway.

As for us, it’s a combination of crowds, opposition, match importance that we do/ don’t struggle with.

Last year we beat every top 8 team bar WC including two towelling jobs of GWS and Ess.
We also lost to North, Blues, Saints, Freo and GC. This is a perfect example of what the theory is.

The current circumstances are creating extreme On/Off Broadway conditions so regardless of the opposition or match importance, the effect comes to the fore. Not in every case but there’s a trend.

As for getting up for every oppo... Competitive sports is a strange thing, sometimes you just have off games and sometimes it happens regularly under certain circumstances. Whether it be a particular opposition, ground etc.
So what you call pretenders, others may call young, inexperienced, lacking in killer instinct and lacking that well drilled mentality. Personally I think labeling the team a bunch of pretenders is too simplistic and it doesn’t give you a good understanding of how and why teams play the way they do.

As I said, it’s not gospel, but it can explain a lot if you have an open mind. .

 

[Yojimbo]

I think the MC might need some new feathers for the darts or the spinning wheel could use a grease and some oil.

Sack Ken Bruce my teams are better !

 

[LondonBulldog]

Why Gowers? The only thing he can do is mark yet with Bruce and Naughten we don't need another marking target, he will just get in the way of the leading patterns and space.

All we needed was another small forward runner like Mclean. Gowers has no ground skills, no decision making skills and good players run off him. Oh well being finally back in the side may spark him up!

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

i get the hate for Gardner but Gowers?? he could be a good addition he did win our goalkicking when we were insanely trash like he isnt that bad

I was a huge fan our Gowers in his first season, but he has gone backwards at a rapid pace. He stopped leading hard to the ball and crashing packs and started to chase goals out the back and play for frees. His preseason and early games last year were abominable.

Another little update :
I have spoken to my friend and he seems not so confident as he usually is! He feels the players have a problem of getting themselves up for games with clubs outside the top teams.

I know others have said it, but this does seem true given we have been outplayed in every facet of the sport in our last two big games.

 

[footscray1973]

Just on the Broadway analogy, Brent Cresswell (a very astute football thinker in his day, wrote some ripper articles for the Age before his health issues), always said he could better motivate himself for big (on Broadway) games. His actual quote:

"Give me 80,000 people at the MCG and I was Hercules. Give me a grey day at the Western Oval and I wasn't worth a cracker."

This is a Martin Flanagan article with the quote (sad that Meniere's disease has robbed us if someone who could actually write about football, rather than just 'report' it):

Crosswell a rare sporting crossover

www.theage.com.au

 

[Northernsoul74]

Why Gowers? The only thing he can do is mark yet with Bruce and Naughten we don't need another marking target, he will just get in the way of the leading patterns and space.

All we needed was another small forward runner like Mclean. Gowers has no ground skills, no decision making skills and good players run off him. Oh well being finally back in the side may spark him up!

He does bring genuine aggression which we’re sorely lacking. The make up of the forward line is perplexing though.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

He does bring genuine aggression which we’re sorely lacking. The make up of the forward line is perplexing though.

Gowers does remind me of a quicker, more agile Mitch Hanh with a smaller footballing IQ.

 

[Mofra]

Gowers has swagger. You can't manufacture it. We sure as hell need some as our last two official games have been putrid.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Could also help us identify who is mentally weak in this department and can’t be relied on. If some of them can’t get up for this weekend questions need to be asked of them individually.

I think picking out individuals is almost impossible. You could stick 5 or 6 of the Richmond players in our 22 and they’d go from supremely confident to shrinking violets. Our problem is we are not a cohesive unit. That is a much harder problem to address and I’m afraid the buck stops with Bevo.

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

Why Gowers? The only thing he can do is mark yet with Bruce and Naughten we don't need another marking target, he will just get in the way of the leading patterns and space.

All we needed was another small forward runner like Mclean. Gowers has no ground skills, no decision making skills and good players run off him. Oh well being finally back in the side may spark him up!

If he can repeat that last Richmond game where he shut down Grimes and let Naughton dominate one on one I'll be very happy. Needs to take that mentality to every game.

 

[Dazb86]

Do we score heavily in red time?

 

[BEaston]

having a sunday game in this round is the worst

 

[Del165892]

Onya Laith

 

[Mojorisin]

having a sunday game in this round is the worst

And doesn't start till 6

 

[Del165892]

having a sunday game in this round is the worst

I prefer it. If we were to play tonight and put in a similar performance to our last two it would ruin my weekend. This way I can enjoy watching footy all weekend without having any skin in the games.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

If Ryan Gardner plays where playing with a man down already

Like I said round 1 they need someone to get the balls when they go over the fence, Gardner is the man as he no good for anything else.

 

[go the dogs]

selection is baffling

 

[BEaston]

I prefer it. If we were to play tonight and put in a similar performance to our last two it would ruin my weekend. This way I can enjoy watching footy all weekend without having any skin in the games.

haha so glass half empty!
Seriously though, normally I don't really mind so much when we play but after waiting this long to atone for round 1, it's painful having to wait until sunday.