Defiant McLeod vows to fight

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12:58:36 PM Sun 18 April, 2004
Jason Phelan
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Star Adelaide midfielder Andrew McLeod has vowed that the player group will pull together and fight its way out of the mire after St Kilda defeated the Crows by 15 points at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.

The result saw Adelaide – winless after four games – consigned to the bottom of the AFL ladder for the first time in its 14-year history.

A disappointed but defiant McLeod refused to admit the Crows are a spent force in 2004 and feels that Adelaide’s form is moving in the right direction.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve played pretty good footy and unfortunately for us we just haven’t had that polish that you need to kill top sides off,” he said.

“I think that’s probably the thing that’s just eluding us at the moment – we just can’t seem to finish off as well as we’d like to and that’s something we’re going to have to keep grinding away at. Sooner or later it’s going to come if we work hard enough.”

Adelaide pushed the league-leading Saints all the way but was ultimately undone by St Kilda’s aerial superiority and fluency in attack.

The Saints took 111 marks to the Crows’ 76 and appeared to score their goals with relative ease while Adelaide was forced to struggle and scrap for its own.

This fact was not lost on McLeod but he maintained that Adelaide has the personnel to get the job done in attack.

“It helps when you’ve got a bloke like Fraser Gehrig in the goal square and Riewoldt up there as well but we’ve certainly got the players up there to do it,” he said.

“I suppose it just comes down to a bit of a confidence thing too, obviously because we haven’t won a game yet (the) guys don’t have that confidence in themselves but that’s going to come.

“It seems that we’re just battling to get a goal at the moment (but) one day it’s just going to click and it’s all going to happen. If we just keep working hard and keep grinding away at it, it’s going to start happening for us.”

But while he was putting on a brave front in light of Adelaide’s poor run of results there were signs that the mounting pressure on the Crows camp is starting to take its toll.

The normally-affable McLeod bristled at the mention of recent negative press he had received on his own form.

“I just go out there and do my business,” he said.

“I don’t read (too much) into some of the crap that’s been said about me – I’m a pretty big boy - they can say what they want. I know where I am and where I want to be as a footballer.

“I was pretty happy with the way I played last week – I played off half-back and played there again tonight – I’m pretty happy with the way things went but I’m very disappointed with the result.”

When asked how Adelaide planned to resurrect its season, McLeod pinpointed player unity and a strong focus as the keys to success.

“The thing for us now is we’ve got to stick together as a whole and don’t let anything from the outside get to us,” he explained.

“We’ve just got to stick together and things are going to turn around pretty quick.

“There’s still eighteen games to go… that’s the thing we’re pretty excited about. We’ve been in this position before as a club and we know that we’re capable of winning some games.

“We’ve got a quality list – we know that – and as soon as we crack a win I think a whole weight is going to be lifted off our shoulders – it’ll be just what we need and hopefully that’s not too far around the corner.”
 

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tribey

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#2
attributed to McLeod
We’ve got a quality list – we know that – and as soon as we crack a win I think a whole weight is going to be lifted off our shoulders – it’ll be just what we need and hopefully that’s not too far around the corner.”
Wrong answer Macca. WAKE UP!
 

tribey

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#4
Originally posted by spindoctor
Well he's hardly going to tell the media our list sucks.

Wake up yourself.
I'll retract my initial reply to you and back up my initial comment.

McLeod's comment that I highlighted is further proof that they're in dreamland at West Lakes. If the senior players...:

Ricciuto: "we've got some unfinished business at this football club."

Smart: "we're a top four side"

McLeod: "we've got a quality list"

... continually make public statements to the effect that we're a contender or that our list is just fine then what message does that send to the junior players and the supporters in general?

It's hightime we called a spade a spade and stopped living off dreams and false hope. If the AFC and our senior players truly believe that nothing's wrong then god help us.
 

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#12
Originally posted by spindoctor
Well he's hardly going to tell the media our list sucks.

why cant he? why do the players HAVE to say how GREAT the team is? when the supporters know that things arent what they seem. Why cant players say "heck our list isnt up to scratch, we are determind to correct this matter"?

the players get paid enough, surely they can tell the turth once.


telling DT to wake up just goes to show you what kinda mature person you are. At least DT has facts and figures to back up his statements.
 

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#13
Originally posted by dyertribe
I'll retract my initial reply to you and back up my initial comment.

McLeod's comment that I highlighted is further proof that they're in dreamland at West Lakes. If the senior players...:

Ricciuto: "we've got some unfinished business at this football club."

Smart: "we're a top four side"

McLeod: "we've got a quality list"

... continually make public statements to the effect that we're a contender or that our list is just fine then what message does that send to the junior players and the supporters in general?

It's hightime we called a spade a spade and stopped living off dreams and false hope. If the AFC and our senior players truly believe that nothing's wrong then god help us.
I agree. I think if you watch channel 9 news tonight you'll see that the Crows are starting being a bit more honest in where they are at.

John Reid will be telling us that we're not looking at the top 4 now but we'll be happy to make the eight - at least thats how 9 is promoting it. Gee I hope he got approval from the coach to say that.
 

tribey

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#14
Originally posted by Jerome
I agree. I think if you watch channel 9 news tonight you'll see that the Crows are starting being a bit more honest in where they are at.

John Reid will be telling us that we're not looking at the top 4 now but we'll be happy to make the eight - at least thats how 9 is promoting it. Gee I hope he got approval from the coach to say that.
Yeah I saw the promos for it - it should be interesting.

I still reckon that even the top-8 is pushing it, but if we can turn at halfway at 3-8 or 4-7 we might be a chance with our kinder draw.
 

tribey

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#15
Originally posted by _espoir
Why cant players say "heck our list isnt up to scratch, we are determind to correct this matter"?

the players get paid enough, surely they can tell the turth once.
Essentially that's all I want. If we could get a frank admission from the AFC for once in our lives that hey, maybe our recruiting and drafting has been p|ss poor of late and as a result we have a lack of quality and depth and are struggling to be competitive BUT we're going to try our very best to rectify the situation by improving the list and blooding youngsters then I'd be rapt even if we finished 0-22.
 

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#16
Originally posted by _espoir

telling DT to wake up just goes to show you what kinda mature person you are. At least DT has facts and figures to back up his statements.
Obviously you've never worked in paid employment. Basically if McLeod was to say that it would be like me going to front the media and saying my work has a bunch of incompetent employees.

When you are doing promotional spots for your employment, you have to pump it up. That's reality, truth is a bonus.

Telling dyertribe to 'wake up' does display my maturity - yes, it shows, I actually know what is expected of players when they front the media, and what they can and can't say, rather than living in some stupid, immature dreamworld where players will actually say what they're thinking. Only the coach can do that, and even he has caveats on him.

And there are no 'facts and figures', what the hell are you talking about? You're an idiot.
 
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#17
Originally posted by dyertribe
Yeah I saw the promos for it - it should be interesting.

I still reckon that even the top-8 is pushing it, but if we can turn at halfway at 3-8 or 4-7 we might be a chance with our kinder draw.
IMO, will need a minimum of 4-7 at the half-way mark to be a chance at making the finals.
 

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#19
Originally posted by spindoctor
Obviously you've never worked in paid employment. Basically if McLeod was to say that it would be like me going to front the media and saying my work has a bunch of incompetent employees.
I own my own damn business mate, i know what i want from my employees and myself ...there ya go again thinking you know a lot when you dont


Telling dyertribe to 'wake up' does display my maturity - yes, it shows, I actually know what is expected of players when they front the media, and what they can and can't say, rather than living in some stupid, immature dreamworld where players will actually say what they're thinking. Only the coach can do that, and even he has caveats on him.

And there are no 'facts and figures', what the hell are you talking about? You're an idiot.
calling myself an idiot just proves how incorrect your statements are. I wasnt just TALKING about this time, i'm talking about others that you've had a go at DT for. Many MANY cases you go off callin him an idiot because you disagree with him. Yet you call me one because i brought other factors to attention?

I understand players can say certain things, yet they can still speak their minds, they are human afterall. Heck look at Mr Hird, took it to another level. I'm sure that stating that the list of players arent up to stratch is no where near putting down your employees. But if you want everything sugarcoated be my guess.

Just hope you realise that NOT everyone on this board is going to agree with you, but you always seem to come at people with "you idiot" ...haha....takes a lot more that to get your point across.
 

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#21
I don't have a go at dyertribe, espoir. The only person I ever have a go at is Stiffy, but that's for non-football related reasons.

You ARE an idiot.

Get some reality.
 

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#22
Originally posted by spindoctor
I don't have a go at dyertribe, espoir. The only person I ever have a go at is Stiffy, but that's for non-football related reasons.

You ARE an idiot.

Get some reality.

:rolleyes:
 
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