Hard Nuts

[jo172]

Well said King.

I love arrogant players. Players like Franklin and Fevola are extremely arrogant yet they are fantastic players and fire up the crowd. We need more of that.

Personally I like arrogant players as long as they have something to be arrogant about.

Adam Hunter for instance is a ****wit who is way too arrogant for his football ability!

 

[Alex99]

How can we expect the players to show aggression towards winning when the coach isn’t aggressive in his role at the draft and trade table?

I would love us to actively seek out a trade for Alan Didak but unless someone wants to leave Neil Craig won’t do it.

 

[jo172]

How can we expect the players to show aggression towards winning when the coach isn’t aggressive in his role at the draft and trade table?

I would love us to actively seek out a trade for Alan Didak but unless someone wants to leave Neil Craig won’t do it.

I'm sure that's exactly what's running through Michael Doughty's mind when he's running back with the flight of the ball.

I'm not putting my body on the line because our drafting isn't agressive enough

**** me, I can't get over the stupidity of some people's anti-Craig campaigns.

 

[Alex99]

**** me, I can't get over the stupidity of some people's anti-Craig campaigns.

I am not anti Craig by any means but the sycophants who believe he can do no wrong are just as stupid.

 

[crowsup]

**** me, I can't get over the stupidity of some people's anti-Craig campaigns.

I have been waiting for all the MM fans to come out and urge the afc to trade Craig for him. I guess that not having won the flag for Collingwood, they are having second thoughts about him now!

 

[Hondo]

How can we expect the players to show aggression towards winning when the coach isn’t aggressive in his role at the draft and trade table?

Yes you're right, the players aren't aggressive because they are protesting at what happens in trade week and on draft day

"Hey fellas, they didn't go for Didak hard enough ... so NO WAY am I putting it on the line today ... why should I???"

 

[BunjiMac]

I don't think it was hard nuts so much as genuine footballing ability that won Hawthorn the premiership.

Luke Hodge is certainly tough at the ball, but he is so much more than just a hard nut, he has genuine game breaking footballing talent.

 

[Alex99]

Yes you're right, the players aren't aggressive because they are protesting at what happens in trade week and on draft day

"Hey fellas, they didn't go for Didak hard enough ... so NO WAY am I putting it on the line today ... why should I???"

How about player not in fear of getting dropped or worse yet delisted and having a free ride without the pressure being applied to them to win. Even tho they have failed year after year.

If Neil Craig is not going to do everything in his power to win a premiership overtime the players on the list will eventually get (well that’s where they are now) complacent. But hay, lets finish 5th again and then lose another elimination finals with the same player that have failed for the last 4 years. They know they are getting it easy as all they have to do is say....i wanna stay.

The message he is sending to them is....close enough is good enough, well it bloody well isn’t.

 

[jackster83]

How about player not in fear of getting dropped or worse yet delisted and having a free ride without the pressure being applied to them to win. Even tho they have failed year after year.

If Neil Craig is not going to do everything in his power to win a premiership overtime the players on the list will eventually get (well that’s where they are now) complacent. But hay, lets finish 5th again and then lose another elimination finals with the same player that have failed for the last 4 years. They know they are getting it easy as all they have to do is say....i wanna stay.

The message he is sending to them is....close enough is good enough, well it bloody well isn’t.

It is starting to get to me, the amount of games, in particular finals - that we should have won and were in a position to do so but we fade out and end up losing.

The 2006 PF against WC and the last two EF "efforts" were all games we were in a commanding position yet we gave up in the third quarters in all three of them and couldn't hold on in the 4th. Scary thing is that those are the last 3 finals games we've played in.

Lack of hard nuts or lack of skill is not the complete answer - otherwise we'd never get out to a good lead in the first place.

If we are to improve next year, we have got to do something about our deplorable performance in third quarters. To put it bluntly, they are crap. IMO the workrate of the midfield is something which badly needs to be addressed. Games where you have 25 less tackles as well as less disposals says something about your workrate. VB and Thompson are probably the only two mids whose workrate is good enough. Knights and Vince MUST improve in this area as they (in particular) seem to kick the ball and then just stand there with their hands on hips thinking the job is done when they should be getting in position should the ball come out of our forward 50.

 

[King Elvis]

We need more depth in our list (which we're developing now), so that it isn't just idle chat about competition for spots.

 

[Crow-mo]

I have been waiting for all the MM fans to come out and urge the afc to trade Craig for him. I guess that not having won the flag for Collingwood, they are having second thoughts about him now!

don't be silly, MM & the pies still had a more successful season than us.

craigy is not a bad option, and he's who we have so we move on.

but where exactly does he rank amongst the current crop of coaches?

Above or Below:
Leigh Matthews
Paul Roos
Alastair Clarkson
Mark Thompson
John Worsfold
Micky M
M Williams

6 of those guys are recent premiership coaches...

 

[Crow-mo]

the whole discussion of hard players is just a big bag of meh for me.

 

[anthc]

Jericho is not really a valid comparison as he is going to be delisted for that very reason. We do have a lot of tough players, but no-one who is really intimidating like Hodge or Campbell Brown. Some of the young players such as vB and Knights are hard, but don't quite have the frame yet. That comes with time, these guys are still 21ish and don't yet have the mature bodies of someone like Hodge (who was equally skinny at the same age).

Did anyone see the photo of the Hawks and Cats' young players from a few years ago, in the Sunday Mail the other day? Everyone who complains that we don't have strong enough bodies should see those photos - you don't simply draft strong players. Most young players are skinny and build muscle with multiple pre seasons in the gym.

strong bodies has nothing to do with agression at the ball! look at matty scarlett- he smashed buddy easily and is half his size mate, need not only strong bodies but strong minds!