Couldn't agree more with all the posts slamming Mick about blaming the players lack of talent. I played footy at a regional club for about 15 years, the first 6 or 7 years was horrible with a series of coaches there for the money and negative game plans as we were not good enough so we tried to limit the damage. One day in walked a coach who told us to believe in ourselves and more importantly, each other. He only brought with him a full forward and a tough midfielder, an enforcer, the rest of the side was pretty much the same as the previous few years. Lost the first game by 10 goals, but he encouraged us to keep backing ourselves we got better and went on to win the premiership, all due to belief and with belief came the desire to do the hard work and to try new things. Most importantly it changed the culture of the club from a rabble that went out to minimise the damage to one that would give it a red hot crack. The coach left the next year but the club went on to play in 11 grand finals over the next 15 years winning 6 of them.
I know this is a long way from afl level but I feel the principles are the same.
It all started with belief, not a chequebook and a cleanout of players, we couldn't afford that, and a willingness to get knocked down a few times in order to learn. If our current coach doesn't think he can win games with the players he has, some of whom he recruited than lets find a coach who thinks he can, after all you don't get to play at afl level if you are a spud and while some of our players may have deficiencies lets work on them. Casboult could be a star, lets turn him into one, Yarran, Walker and Buckley love to attack and break the lines, encourage that don't stifle that, we won the "Bryce Gibbs Cup" because he was seen as a future star, he can still be that.
C'mon Mick what you are doing isn't working, go for broke and make the footy entertaining and let the kids have their heads. We will get smacked sometimes but make the footy enjoyable for them and this club a club they want to play at.
Sorry about the length of this post but I do feel better
