Off The Long Run

[_RT_]

I've tried to be positive, I've tried to see the positives in every loss and I've tried to believe that Wallace was the right man to get this club back into the finals. Well after today, I've had it.

Today I got the chance to sit near the coaches box (thanks UTG) and when we were getting smacked in the 2nd/3rd/4th quarters I spent a bit of time looking up at the brains trust and quite frankly they looked clueless. Didn't seem to have any spark as to how they could stop the way things were going or at least try and wrestle back some sort of control. Wallace had that same expressionless look on his face as he did every other time we have been belted under his tenure. Even the assistants seemed to be lacking any spark.

Perhaps it was them realising that we are a long way off of being a contender for anything. Perhaps they were realising that the odds on them being there next year are getting longer and longer each week.

You see today IMO, it was worse than Round 1, because it came after such a spirited showing against the Cats where all the wrongs that occured then were seemingly addressed and we seemed to be getting things worked out. However, once the pressure was applied by the Dogs today we folded like a house of cards. Same old dumb errors were made time and again, same lack of belief was on show by the same players. When it gets a little too difficult these blokes seem to turn on their survival mode and look after themselves rather than stepping up to lead the side. It simply isn't good enough and should not be accepted by us the fans anymore.

As far as I'm concerned the following players should be told they have 5 weeks to save their careers: Simmonds & Bowden, both seem to be struggling to have the same impact they used to have on games and we can't and shouldn't carry them through the season. If they don't turn it around by then, they should be given the Gaspar speech and told that younger players will be given first crack at their spots. Johnson should be told that already. You've been a decent player for the club but we're going with the kids for the rest of the year.

As for the other players we have above 30 they should only be kept on as long as they are servicable. This means Brown Cousins & Richo. Now this will draw some heat, but in all honesty Richo should retire at the end of the season. Not because he can't compete but because he is not going to be playing when we are a contender for a flag. So instead of him going around another year and ending up as a player who spends most of the season in the stands rather than on the park, I would rather Richo goes out on his terms and at the top of his game. Brown should only be kept on if he can be servicable, in the same way Akermanis is for the Dogs, play a role and every now and then be a match winner for the side. Cousins at the moment the jury is still out on whether he was worth getting. If he is going to be servicable he needs to get out on the ground and set the example for the kids coming through that shows them what it takes to get the most out of yourself to be an AFL player.

Finally, I think the best thing Wallace and co can do now is to forget about ladder position and wins and losses. Remove the expectations from the list as it seems we just wilt under it. They do however seem to thrive when the pressure is off and they are allowed to just go out and play natural footy. So let them have their heads and let them go out and play. If it means we finish down near the arse end of the ladder then so be it. It wont be the first time we've done it and certainly wont be the last, because we simply don't have the cattle to be a genuine contender for a flag let alone the finals. It looks like another rebuild is in the works and it has to be a lot harsher than the one we went through under Wallace early on.

 

[JR#8]

Good post mate and I agree with you. As I said in another post, We need a big clean up of our list/coaching staff.

We need to give cousins a chance but if he stays fit I think he will do us well for another 2 seasons. Richo will retire at the end of the year, at least that's what I think.

There are alot of players that need to be given the boot and afew need to be given performance based contracts. We need a hard as nails coach which is why I'm hoping for Buckley. Someone young with fresh idea's on the game.

I hope we can put in a decent performance for the rest of the year, and lets hope for something better next year.

 

[Barnzy]

What happened to not being a turncoat? Everything you have been defending such as 30+ year old's on the list you just went against and basically said what myself and any other supporter with a clue has been saying. I knew after a couple more pathetic performances you would say something like this.

 

[_RT_]

What happened to not being a turncoat? Everything you have been defending such as 30+ year old's on the list you just went against and basically said what myself and any other supporter with a clue has been saying. I knew after a couple more pathetic performances you would say something like this.

You may recall Barnzy that I said I wasn't going to react to one poor loss in round 1. I wanted to see how the side reacted and as usual they put up a better effort in round 2 but then today was just a return to normal service.

There is nothing wrong with a supporter entering a season with renewed hope that this might be the year, but sadly for us it just isn't going to happen no matter how much Wallace would like to think it can. You might like to think that means I don't have a clue, and you're entitled to your opinion, but thats just being a passionate supporter and just because a supporter shows passion it doesn't mean they don't have a clue. They just want to believe that their side actually has a chance before the season starts. I can tell you this right now. February next year, I'll be back to thinking that this might be our year and it is the same thing I have done each year since Bartlett played his 400th. But once I realise that things aren't going as well as I hoped I have no problem putting my hand up and saying I got it wrong.

 

[Bojangles17]

I've tried to be positive, I've tried to see the positives in every loss and I've tried to believe that Wallace was the right man to get this club back into the finals. Well after today, I've had it.

Today I got the chance to sit near the coaches box (thanks UTG) and when we were getting smacked in the 2nd/3rd/4th quarters I spent a bit of time looking up at the brains trust and quite frankly they looked clueless. Didn't seem to have any spark as to how they could stop the way things were going or at least try and wrestle back some sort of control. Wallace had that same expressionless look on his face as he did every other time we have been belted under his tenure. Even the assistants seemed to be lacking any spark. .

lol, what kind of reaction did you expect RT, eyes lit up like saucers, hands gripping the glass panels in fits of rage like the whole joint is about to go up in a ball of flames...One thing I recall when on bench at freo was one of the interchabge stewards calling out c'mon positive body image, u know for when the camera pans to the bench and it doesnt look like oh well we're ****ed again....I would expect the coaches to be unflappable when the tides against them and if that was the case then maybe there is hope

 

[_RT_]

lol, what kind of reaction did you expect RT, eyes lit up like saucers, hands gripping the glass panels in fits of rage like the whole joint is about to go up in a ball of flames...One thing I recall when on bench at freo was one of the interchabge stewards calling out c'mon positive body image, u know for when the camera pans to the bench and it doesnt look like oh well we're ****ed again....I would expect the coaches to be unflappable when the tides against them and if that was the case then maybe there is hope

You would at least expect to see some emotion coming through. The times I turned around and I looked a few times during the game there was nothing more than blank stares. When I watch other teams play and they are getting smacked and they focus on the box you at least see some emotion, even of the coach knew they were going to get beaten, they still show emotion.

Wallace tonight when on Foxtel, said he knew we were up against it, now if thats not a sign that he has NFI, I don't know what is, he has practically conceeded the game before it has even started. How the hell are the players supposed to go out and give their all when the coach has already put a LOSS next to the game in his mind.

 

[Bojangles17]

You would at least expect to see some emotion coming through. The times I turned around and I looked a few times during the game there was nothing more than blank stares. When I watch other teams play and they are getting smacked and they focus on the box you at least see some emotion, even of the coach knew they were going to get beaten, they still show emotion. .

in my mind the probs run a little deeper, ive lost all faith in the coaches department, gameplan???? player development????? whats happened to Moore, Edwards, Hughes, sarge, Bling , all gone reeling backwards...Perservering with players that will NOT take us forward...young edwards just cant do anything right...needs a min 1 mth spell in ressies and I dont wanna see him back unless he has a month of >35 possie burger games...the whole coaching panel is accountable for where we are at

 

[Punt Road Feral]

One thing we should remember atm is that after Round 4 last year we had a similar loss and we turned our season around to play some decent attractive footy which started off by pumping the dockers.
Hopefully it can start again this week.........

 

[ToroHombre]

One thing we should remember atm is that after Round 4 last year we had a similar loss and we turned our season around to play some decent attractive footy which started off by pumping the dockers.
Hopefully it can start again this week.........

By that point we had actually won a game....against Carlton in Round 1...by 30 points.

We know what happened this year.

 

[Rayzorwire]

I've tried to be positive, I've tried to see the positives in every loss and I've tried to believe that Wallace was the right man to get this club back into the finals. Well after today, I've had it.

Because we've lost to two of last years' top-4 teams and had an embarrassing defeat in rd.1?

Seeing you've changed your sig I'll have to guess, but wasn't your most recent "Focus 2009:" all about making the bottom end of the eight and getting ~14 wins?

Must that involve beating the top-3 teams and never dropping a game to a side likely to be playing finals like Carlton?

Or just winning enough games to get to that position?

Richo should retire at the end of the season. Not because he can't compete but because he is not going to be playing when we are a contender for a flag. So instead of him going around another year and ending up as a player who spends most of the season in the stands rather than on the park, I would rather Richo goes out on his terms...

On his terms, your terms, or the clubs' terms?

Finally, I think the best thing Wallace and co can do now is to forget about ladder position and wins and losses.

Change your name to 'Reactionary Tiger' and be done with it mate.

The best thing they can do is play finals and our start is no barrier to doing that.

If you want to be genuinely 'realistic' you need to start by recognising that our side today only had five players with over 100 games, five players with over 50 games, and twelve players with less than 50 games.

The Dogs took in at least 12 players with over 100 games, the majority of them in their prime or at least consistently effective - unlike our 100+ gamers.

We are playing kids compared to most of the better sides.

Remove the expectations from the list as it seems we just wilt under it.

That'll teach our young players to handle expectations?

It looks like another rebuild is in the works and it has to be a lot harsher than the one we went through under Wallace early on.

Because Wallace delisting 25 players in his first two years wasn't harsh enough?

 

[getthefooty]

Well this is no surprise. RT has changed back again. Have him beave, Barnzy etc. Beware though, as soon as we win a few on the trot he'll be back on our side.

 

[thecotch]

We have too many 30+ players on our list. Second oldest list in the comp. The cleanout must begin.....again. Brown, richo, bowden, simmonds, johnson, cousins, all need to be capuanoed this year. Tambling, schulz, edwards, king, JON, not cut out for AFL.

RT, the reason why you saw the coaching team listless in the box is because they were looking for somewhere to hide. A lot of angry supporters outside waiting for them to emerge.

 

[gaelictiogar]

We have too many 30+ players on our list. Second oldest list in the comp. The cleanout must begin.....again. Brown, richo, bowden, simmonds, johnson, cousins, all need to be capuanoed this year. Tambling, schulz, edwards, king, JON, not cut out for AFL.

RT, the reason why you saw the coaching team listless in the box is because they were looking for somewhere to hide. A lot of angry supporters outside waiting for them to emerge.

The reason why they are listless is that they know its over for Terry and them. They are going through the motions and realise it is when not if. This season could easily implode now. The coach is finished and knows it. The oldsters know they have nothing to play for and won't give leadership ( Brown, Bowden ) and the best players are either injured ( Cotchin, Cogs ) injured and finished ( Cousins and possibly Cogs) or accepting the inevitable ( Lids, Foley ).

Drifting and rudderless with a lame duck coach we are a good chance for the spoon.

 

[_RT_]

Because we've lost to two of last years' top-4 teams and had an embarrassing defeat in rd.1?

Its not because we've lost Ray but how we've lost. We folded against the Blues & Dogs without a whimper. Played 1 good quarter against the Cats but then when we had the chance to come away with the win we folded once more. It would be different if we had fought out the game and at least been competitive. But once more the same old traits came to the fore when the chips were down. The kids were hung out to dry, the older players went about looking after themselves and when selection rolls around it will be the older ones who are spared while the youngsters will be the scapegoats and sent back to Coburg, because 'they aren't up to it'.

Seeing you've changed your sig I'll have to guess, but wasn't your most recent "Focus 2009:" all about making the bottom end of the eight and getting ~14 wins?

Must that involve beating the top-3 teams and never dropping a game to a side likely to be playing finals like Carlton?

Or just winning enough games to get to that position?

Yes it was Ray, I wont hide from that, but I'm also realistic enough to realise that if you can't be competitive against other sides that will be in the top 8 then your chances of making the 8 aren't that great. Surely you must agree with that sentiment Ray?

On his terms, your terms, or the clubs' terms?

On his terms Ray, he hinted at the start of the season that he may finish up this year. If we were to end the season in the bottom 4 with a new coach coming in which means another rebuild, I believe Richo would hang them up for the good of the team, because he would realise that any hope of him playing finals would be gone.

Change your name to 'Reactionary Tiger' and be done with it mate.

Think I'll stick with Realistic Tiger, Ray if its all the same.

The best thing they can do is play finals and our start is no barrier to doing that.

History says that it is though, 5 of 23 sides in the last 10 seasons have made the finals after being 0-3. As it stands right now our side is not competitive enough to become the 6th.

If you want to be genuinely 'realistic' you need to start by recognising that our side today only had five players with over 100 games, five players with over 50 games, and twelve players with less than 50 games.

The Dogs took in at least 12 players with over 100 games, the majority of them in their prime or at least consistently effective - unlike our 100+ gamers.

We are playing kids compared to most of the better sides.

Here is the breakdown of a side from the weekend Ray that are considered one of the better sides: 6 players with 100+, 6 with 50-99 and 10 under 50. Of those 10 6 of them had played less than 12 games. Of our 12, only 3 have played less than 12. The other 9 are between 30-50 games. So you can throw up the 'we are playing kids' excuse all you want but the facts are we aren't playing kids. We are playing players who have been in the system for 3-4 years and either they can't cut it or they aren't getting the support from the experienced players around them. Tell me Ray who do you consider to be your best 5 players for the Tigers yesterday? Mine were Rance, McGuane, Foley, Tuck & Polo.

That'll teach our young players to handle expectations?

There are expectations and then there are expectations. All summer the club has been talking up their chances of being a top 8 side, which increases the expectations of the supporters. The club should ease up on the expectations of finals and focus on getting the side to meet the expectation of at least being competitive each week. Because as I said at the start, you can't be a top 8 side if you can't be competitive week in and week out. Richmond are not meeting that expectation right now, so how the hell are they going to meet the expectation of finals?

Because Wallace delisting 25 players in his first two years wasn't harsh enough?

Wallace practically admitted last night that the changes he made at the start of his tenure weren't as harsh as he wanted to be because some players were on 2-3 year deals so they couldn't be cut. Right now I would be holding off all negotiations with the players regarding contracts for next year. Because the odds are we'll be employing a new coach at the end of the season and that coach should have the ability to come in and make the changes that are needed to be made so that this club can become the contender we so desperately want it to be.

Well this is no surprise. RT has changed back again. Have him beave, Barnzy etc. Beware though, as soon as we win a few on the trot he'll be back on our side.

You're more than welcome to celebrate wins against sides like Melbourne, WC and Freo. I'll wait and celebrate when we're beating sides like St.Kilda, Hawthorn, Geelong, Dogs, Swans, Crows & Roos, because it is only when we start beating sides like them that we will truly able to say that we are a contender and not a pretender.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Its not because we've lost Ray but how we've lost. We folded against the Blues & Dogs without a whimper.

We didn't fold without a whimper. If that had been the case, we have been outscore by a lot more than 5 goals in the second half.

We lost because our skills were dreadful and we turned the ball over. The following all turned the ball over continuously. (And there were others)

Foley - Again responsible for more turnovers than anyone else ... just getting the ball is not enough Nathan

Jackson - Has absolutely no awareness of what's going on around him. Constantly ignored better options, slowed the ball movement down, and coughed it up.

Tambling - His belief and self-esteem as a player is at his lowest ebb. Gave the ball up badly three times yesterday. Needs a big game v Demons.

McGuane - Our very own Prestigiacomo

Edwards - Meek.

Brown - Tried hard, but made uncharacteristic errors which cost us. As I've said so often, how Browny plays often determines the entire team's fate, and yesterday was no exception.

Hislop - Just what we needed, yet another unskilled player. This one reeks of a Danny Frawley recruit.

King - Appalling.


The following may as well not have played, given their almost total lack of impact

Morton - Some sympathy for him, as the ball was well and truly bitchered well before it got anywhere near him. But he needs to get himself involved under those circs, and impose himself on the contest.

Schulz - Gawwwnnn

Graham - Alright, I'll cut him the "young developing big man" excuse


The only blokes capable of hitting a target were Newman, Deledio and Bowden. When anyone else got the ball, I cringed.

 

[beaver fever]

We didn't fold without a whimper. If that had been the case, we have been outscore by a lot more than 5 goals in the second half.

We lost because our skills were dreadful and we turned the ball over. The following all turned the ball over continuously. (And there were others)

Foley - Again responsible for more turnovers than anyone else ... just getting the ball is not enough Nathan

Jackson - Has absolutely no awareness of what's going on around him. Constantly ignored better options, slowed the ball movement down, and coughed it up.

Tambling - His belief and self-esteem as a player is at his lowest ebb. Gave the ball up badly three times yesterday. Needs a big game v Demons.

McGuane - Our very own Prestigiacomo

Edwards - Meek.

Brown - Tried hard, but made uncharacteristic errors which cost us. As I've said so often, how Browny plays often determines the entire team's fate, and yesterday was no exception.

Hislop - Just what we needed, yet another unskilled player. This one reeks of a Danny Frawley recruit.

King - Appalling.


The following may as well not have played, given their almost total lack of impact

Morton - Some sympathy for him, as the ball was well and truly bitchered well before it got anywhere near him. But he needs to get himself involved under those circs, and impose himself on the contest.

Schulz - Gawwwnnn

Graham - Alright, I'll cut him the "young developing big man" excuse


The only blokes capable of hitting a target were Newman, Deledio and Bowden. When anyone else got the ball, I cringed.

So we have a list of poor kicks and Wallace continues to play players with poor kicks. Wallace believed our round 1 side was our best kicking side.

The club will not go anywhere until it addresses this fundamental list weakness. That starts with list management, moving on those players that have chronic deficiencies with their kicking, and don't have an excellent redeeming feature to their game that nullifies that trait. Players I'd include in the latter are Richardson and Foley and to a lesser extent McGuane, Rance and Simmonds. Players in the former include Polak, King, McMahon, Jackson, Silvestor, Pattison, Graham and JON with Edwards, Hislop, White, Thomson, Tuck, Raines, Gourdis also on shaky ground.

Wallace has been bemoaning our turnovers, shakes his head and wonders why the players keep on doing it? It's because he keeps on playing them. In this respect not much has changed since 2004. The above players might be better than the massive duds we had back then, but they are still duds regardless. Been bleating on this for ages but people still like to think the side's shocking kicking is something out of the ordinary. How can people think that when it has been evident for over 4 years?

 

[tony_montana]

We didn't fold without a whimper. If that had been the case, we have been outscore by a lot more than 5 goals in the second half.

yeah great effort that




more like 70 points after quarter time Thats a sheeeeerrrrrrrrrrlacking in any language.

 

[1980]

I'm with RT. I wanted to pass judgement after R6 but the players have lost the plot. They have the wrong mentality out there. They're back to crapping their pants like they were in Frawley's last couple of seasons. Petrified of losing and playing selfish.

Wallace cant turn this around and he knows it.

 

[1980]

Because we've lost to two of last years' top-4 teams and had an embarrassing defeat in rd.1?

Seeing you've changed your sig I'll have to guess, but wasn't your most recent "Focus 2009:" all about making the bottom end of the eight and getting ~14 wins?

Must that involve beating the top-3 teams and never dropping a game to a side likely to be playing finals like Carlton?

Or just winning enough games to get to that position?



On his terms, your terms, or the clubs' terms?



Change your name to 'Reactionary Tiger' and be done with it mate.

The best thing they can do is play finals and our start is no barrier to doing that.

If you want to be genuinely 'realistic' you need to start by recognising that our side today only had five players with over 100 games, five players with over 50 games, and twelve players with less than 50 games.

The Dogs took in at least 12 players with over 100 games, the majority of them in their prime or at least consistently effective - unlike our 100+ gamers.

We are playing kids compared to most of the better sides.



That'll teach our young players to handle expectations?



Because Wallace delisting 25 players in his first two years wasn't harsh enough?

Razor you've been following the club for a while so you know the drill. Players have dropped their heads, cant handle the pressure, probably dont care enough about losing another coach.

Wallace cant turn it around mate. He had 5 years, he left it too late, and he overestimated his playing group until it was too late. The facts are that our players were not big enough to put the Carlton loss behind them. The coach(es) should have known that we dont have belief, maturity and the right mentality to pick ourselves up. We'd have to win our next 3 games by over 5 goals to get the rightwinning mentality and belief into the playing group, and history tells us that our club turns on the coach and absolves the players.

Best case scenario is that Wallace is axed and Bowden, Simmonds, Johnson, Pettifer, Newman, Schultz are all Gaspared along with him. Deledio and the rest have learnt nothing but bad habits from our senior players. Sacking the coach without any consequences for the players keeps us in the same vicious circle we've been in for 25 years

 

[beaver fever]

Yup the problem won't be solved by simply replacing the coach.

 

[RichoRox12]

I'm with RT. I wanted to pass judgement after R6 but the players have lost the plot. They have the wrong mentality out there. They're back to crapping their pants like they were in Frawley's last couple of seasons. Petrified of losing and playing selfish.

Wallace cant turn this around and he knows it.

Totally agree. Just watching Jake King run with the ball yesterday, and boy that kid can move.. and to turn it over the way he did, crapped himself completely.

Anyone one of them can kick and handpass a footy - they wouldn't have been drafted in the first place if they couldn't. They're playing for themselves and are mentally all over the shop.

They need someone to get in there, grab them by the scruff of the neck and drill home that they can actually do this.

 

[tugga]

Totally agree. Just watching Jake King run with the ball yesterday, and boy that kid can move.. and to turn it over the way he did, crapped himself completely.

Anyone one of them can kick and handpass a footy - they wouldn't have been drafted in the first place if they couldn't. They're playing for themselves and are mentally all over the shop.

They need someone to get in there, grab them by the scruff of the neck and drill home that they can actually do this.

My mate turnd to me yesterday and said 'Why do they stop, prop, look and then kick it backwards or sideways?'.
I told him that when they do that, it looks like they're hitting a target. They play it safe by kicking it backwards to a teammate and then it's not his problem anymore. The mindset is that as long as your kick has his a target regardless of where he is kicking to, then he hasn't stuffed up and he is not the one who is looking bad. As long as your kick hits someone on the chest, even if it's 20metres behind him, then you can wash your hands of it and then it's the next bloke's problem.
It's a selfish mindset and it's a vicious cycle to break out of.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Its not because we've lost Ray but how we've lost.

...

It would be different if we had fought out the game and at least been competitive.

Why would it be different in terms of the 22 round season?

Missing four points is missing four points.

Yes it was Ray, I wont hide from that, but I'm also realistic enough to realise that if you can't be competitive against other sides that will be in the top 8 then your chances of making the 8 aren't that great. Surely you must agree with that sentiment Ray?

No, I don't agree. I think the top-5/6 teams all soundly beating us (which I don't think will happen) has very little bearing on whether we're able to and deserve to finish 7th or not.

On his terms Ray, he hinted at the start of the season that he may finish up this year. If we were to end the season in the bottom 4 with a new coach coming in which means another rebuild, I believe Richo would hang them up for the good of the team, because he would realise that any hope of him playing finals would be gone.

Well, you were talking about what YOU would rather he did. That's not his terms.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as his form holds he can play on as many years as he'd like to. Nobody is physically ready to kick him off the list and he puts bums on seats better than anyone.

I further disagree that any coach who takes on the job will commence any resembling a serious rebuild. Our board sees us as on the verge of finals and will only employ a coach who promises more success as quickly as possible.

That's the realistic scenario.

History says that it is though, 5 of 23 sides in the last 10 seasons have made the finals after being 0-3. As it stands right now our side is not competitive enough to become the 6th.

History says we haven't come close to winning a flag since well before the draft was brought in. Therefore it must be impossible...should we fold the club now or aim towards making a new history?

Here is the breakdown of a side from the weekend Ray that are considered one of the better sides: 6 players with 100+, 6 with 50-99 and 10 under 50. Of those 10 6 of them had played less than 12 games. Of our 12, only 3 have played less than 12. The other 9 are between 30-50 games. So you can throw up the 'we are playing kids' excuse all you want but the facts are we aren't playing kids. We are playing players who have been in the system for 3-4 years and either they can't cut it or they aren't getting the support from the experienced players around them.

You're just deflecting RT.

Geelong has 14 players over 100 games, the Dogs have 12, St. Kilda have 12, Hawthorn at full strength has 9 and a number of others that will pass 100 games this season.

Even a quick glance at the quality of those over-100 games players shows why these sides are consistent premiership chances, and also demonstrates clearly why other clubs like the Swans (14+) are always such a tough matchup for us.

We only have 6 players available over 100 games and several of them are next to useless. It hurts us enormously, it's a list flaw that Wallace inherited and whether it's him or someone else given the job beyond this season, it will take a couple more years to rectify. Even then we'll still be easing blokes like Vickery, Post etc. into the side and getting games into them.

Tell me Ray who do you consider to be your best 5 players for the Tigers yesterday? Mine were Rance, McGuane, Foley, Tuck & Polo.

These blokes have played 2 games, 35 games, 72 games, 93 games and 32 games respectively. Other than perhaps Tuck, none of them have reached their career peak (three are miles off) and there's a lot of others on our list in the same boat.

That's a big positive long term, however distressing it is in the short term.

There are expectations and then there are expectations. All summer the club has been talking up their chances of being a top 8 side, which increases the expectations of the supporters. The club should ease up on the expectations of finals and focus on getting the side to meet the expectation of at least being competitive each week.

Six of one, half a dozen of another.

I seem to remember you stating numerous times that we should be aiming for finals and nothing else is acceptable. The expectations of supporters wouldn't have changed one iota if Wallace had said at the beginning of the season that we were simply aiming to be 'competitive' - in fact, he probably would have been lynched for saying so.

It's called being between a rock and a hard place.

 

[1980]

My mate turnd to me yesterday and said 'Why do they stop, prop, look and then kick it backwards or sideways?'.
I told him that when they do that, it looks like they're hitting a target. They play it safe by kicking it backwards to a teammate and then it's not his problem anymore. The mindset is that as long as your kick has his a target regardless of where he is kicking to, then he hasn't stuffed up and he is not the one who is looking bad. As long as your kick hits someone on the chest, even if it's 20metres behind him, then you can wash your hands of it and then it's the next bloke's problem.
It's a selfish mindset and it's a vicious cycle to break out of.

Thats exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[beaver fever]

Razor if we lose to Melbourne this week what will you say then? None of the brightsiders dare touch this question because of the answer.