Finals Theory

[Geoffa32]

Our finals record under NC is 2/7

2005 Saints L Port W WCE L
2006 Freo W WCEL
2007 Hawthorn L
2008 Collingwood L

Our first final record is 1/4.

One theory discussed was the pressure put on the club to first make the finals and then a sense of acheivement comes over the side once we do. The following week we have failed 3 out of 4 times. A possible lack of focus after a sense of achieving something??

This kind of ties in with the idea NC put forward FiveAA of a sublimnal message of "being competitve".

Thoughts???

 

[SydCrow]

Spot on.

The Power had the same problem winning their first final the week after Showdown.

 

[subaru]

This may be stupid , but are home finals truly an advantage any more?

Maybe the teams that have beaten us here, Saints, West Coast, Collingwood - manage to fire up a bit more where Crows are in a kind of comfort zone playing at home?

 

[Geoffa32]

This may be stupid , but are home finals truly an advantage any more?

Maybe the teams that have beaten us here, Saints, West Coast, Collingwood - manage to fire up a bit more where Crows are in a kind of comfort zone playing at home?

I dont think so. It is a profesional sport now and the best clubs realise this and perform at any venue. Like all profesional sportspeople the venue should hold no fear.

 

[neddy36]

Finals record under Neil Craig is 2-5. Not sure why so many people have said 2-7.

 

[Bacon8]

Media classes the 2 NAB Cup finals we lost as Finals, so up it to 2/7.

 

[NTRabbit]

Media classes the 2 NAB Cup finals we lost as Finals, so up it to 2/7.

Haha, no they most certainly do not.

The media has being saying "2 from 7", not "2 and 7"

 

[SydCrow]

Media classes the 2 NAB Cup finals we lost as Finals, so up it to 2/7.

that makes no sense

if so, they should include the NAB cup QFs and SFs we won in 2006 and 2008. That would be 6/11. NC finals record > 50%, AFC need to put out a press release

 

[lamby]

How many of those final series have we gone into WITHOUT our leading goal kicker and/or Full Forward and/or main ruckman?

Sometimes you need a bit of luck.

Other times, you just need your senior players not to keep turning over the footy at important times in important matches (I am in the get rid of Scott Thompson camp)

 

[Geoffa32]

I have meant 2 out of 7 ie 28.571%

 

[Sir Vlado]

So....We are all talking about it.

What is the solution then?

 

[Macca19]

I dont think so. It is a profesional sport now and the best clubs realise this and perform at any venue. Like all profesional sportspeople the venue should hold no fear.

I think home crowds being an advantage does hold some validity but its dependant on a few factors. I think the truly great sides dont care, but I think with clubs that arent quite good enough it plays its part.

I think of the two prelims our clubs played against Collingwood in 02 and 03. You look at the way Collingwood came out of half time in those two games and put the result beyond doubt...and look at a full house of screaming rabid Collingwood supporters...I think it does make a difference.

 

[Geoffa32]

I think home crowds being an advantage does hold some validity but its dependant on a few factors. I think the truly great sides dont care, but I think with clubs that arent quite good enough it plays its part.

I think of the two prelims our clubs played against Collingwood in 02 and 03. You look at the way Collingwood came out of half time in those two games and put the result beyond doubt...and look at a full house of screaming rabid Collingwood supporters...I think it does make a difference.

Your right about a Collingwood crowd at the G. Bad enough on ANZAC day, a prelim would be worse.

But Mick Malthouse is also a great finals coach. He knows how to get that extra out of his players. Him Sheedy Blight and Matthews are the modern day coaches that are great finals coaches. All had success in multiple eras and all coached more than one flag. Blight and Malthouse not quite making it at Geelong and Collingwood(yet) but still could motivate their players to perform come September.

NC lacks this, but four years in there is time to improve.

 

[past-it]

There are many factors but two stand out for me.

First is that rather than play to win we play not to lose. Sounds odd but we are preoccupied with getting out of the back line without making a mistake rather than getting it into the forward line quickly and effectively. Then we get to the point where we just bomb it into a 50/50 contest. In fact a couple of times Knights had a player clear to kick to but chose to handball backwards rather than kick to the player.

This will work for us in the easier games but not in the tougher ones, particularly finals.

The other is that we are not preoccupied with playing as a team as Geelong are. They actually go out of their way to draw everyone into the play and which means everyone is playing with confidence. There are some stars in any team but drawing everyone in to play with confidence makes the other players look like stars because they play with confidence.

Not wanting to pick on Knights because he gets lots of possessions and works hard but he should be asked why he did not kick to the guy in space by the coaches. There might be a good reason but it should not be a regular action.

It can become a case of what 'makes me look best (or at least not be critisized)' rather than what can I do that is best for the team. This has to be recognised and rewarded by the coaches or people revert to self preservation approaches.

Our list is pretty good and getting better (with the development of some of the kids).

We clearly should have beaten Collingwood but these two things, for me, resulted in failure.

 

[subaru]

Your right about a Collingwood crowd at the G. Bad enough on ANZAC day, a prelim would be worse.

But Mick Malthouse is also a great finals coach. He knows how to get that extra out of his players. Him Sheedy Blight and Matthews are the modern day coaches that are great finals coaches. All had success in multiple eras and all coached more than one flag. Blight and Malthouse not quite making it at Geelong and Collingwood(yet) but still could motivate their players to perform come September.

NC lacks this, but four years in there is time to improve.

The prelim - was it ? - against Collingwood at the MCG was the Crows for the taking til Edwards got injured. He had been playing a blinder.

I remember Carey saying once he loved the anti-Carey crowd - fired him up a bit more.

Dunno..