Analysis On-field Mental Toughness

[gbatman]

Nailed it

Look at all our wins over last 12 months. Cripps & Walsh dominating middle and McKay and Curnow taking marks and kicking goals.

Walsh's performances has fallen away as has Harry & Charlie (all for varying reasons) and we have struggled

Seems to be the only way we can win. Which is why we are easy to coach against I suppose. Restrict those two mids and those two forwards and job done.

 

[Stamos]

Since R17 last year…

What do you think could have killed that momentum?

How did we reach a clear 2nd on the ladder at R17 - momentum?

How was that momentum created?

Momentum doesn’t just happen & doesn’t just disappear with the wind like a virus.

There are clear reasons for gaining it & apparently losing it .

In general, momentum is gained by doing the right thing, it's successful, you do it again and again, gain confidence, keep going.

In terms of us losing momentum last year, so many things went into it.

We got ahead of ourselves, both the players in game, but also the MC experimenting with selection (diabolical to not realise that we just needed the next 2 wins, and what our fixture was).

Selection to an extent sets the tone for mindset, on top of us not having our best chance to win.

So the week before against the Tiges we'd brought Cerra in off no 2s games, and TDK had missed sore. Then we bring TDK back in from being sore to ruck solo against Briggs! Drop Pitto (who had dominated the Gaints in Round 6).
And drop the ever reliable Hewett to bring in Cottrell, who like Cerra had no games in the 2s.
(We compounded the selection mistakes the next week by bringing Pitto back in to play 2 rucks against English and the Dogs, and then drop him against Xerri who puts TDK out for the season).
Absolutely zero foresight from the MC!

Charlie hurts his ankle in the warm up. Something happens to Walsh, who isn't right for the rest of the season.

Despite all that, we brain them.
Up 8 goals to 2 with 30 seconds to go in the first quarter.
And our season turns, first with Weiters chip kicking to Ollie at half back instead of long down the line, give the Giants a sniff. We get way ahead of ourselves, try to play cute going into the forwardline and fall apart giving up 14.5 to 3.2 over the next 2 quarters!
We actually fought it out in the last, but we had blown a golden opportunity.


Stuff up selection against the Dogs with 2 rucks, and sore Charlie and Walsh. Fall just short.

Tough Sunday night game where we make it closer than it should be by kicking inaccurately, lose TDK for the next 6 weeks, and a pretty crucial Acres.

5 day break to Port (H out sick) when we're cooked.
Bottle it against the Filth

6 injuries against the Hawks and the season is essentially done.

 

[BlueTongue]

Seems to be the only way we can win. Which is why we are easy to coach against I suppose. Restrict those two mids and those two forwards and job done.

Every single week it's the same top 4 or 5 with a cameo. We are the worst side in the comp at developing players and run our champs into the ground.

 

[Faz 2000]

Perhaps a part of it is everything left to so few. Plan A is so obvious that plan B is unpracticed and not ready.

Would an idea be stick Cripps in the forward line for 4 weeks and put it on Walsh and Cerra? It’s your midfield, fellas, make it work. They’re the two that have the ability and point of difference to change our team.

Then reintroduce Cripps who is honest, reliable and a force of nature.

 

[bradfisher14]

Whole footy department needs a serious review.

 

[branedotorg]

Once again, one team wants to win, one doesn't want to lose.

 

[klompy]

We have a team of introverts. Had that for a long time. We need a mix of confident types. Hawks are full of them, and so are Pies. They bring energy. When our backs are to the wall, we go into our shells.

 

[blues4flag]

Period.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Yeah ... about that

 

[prisoner777]

Our mental weakness is not new. If you look at our performances since 2000 it has been a recurring issue. Sport is 80-90% mental and 10-20% physical yet we have numerous "physical" coaches (consider our injury list in recent years) and only 1 sports psychologist. It's not rocket science to see where the club should be tweaking the coaching staff.

 

[prisoner777]

A burning question is after season 2023 and the first half of season 2024 what happened to change the team's performance?

 

[Stamos]

We do not have the football fundamentals drilled into us properly to fall back on when things aren’t going our way.

We were completely devoid of confidence tonight, and fell apart. Because we don’t have reliable fundamentals or system.

 

[branedotorg]

We do not have the football fundamentals drilled into us properly to fall back on when things aren’t going our way.

We were completely devoid of confidence tonight, and fell apart. Because we don’t have reliable fundamentals or system.

I've had this avatar since early teague.

Give me systems based football.

 

[BlueTongue]

We have a team of introverts. Had that for a long time. We need a mix of confident types. Hawks are full of them, and so are Pies. They bring energy. When our backs are to the wall, we go into our shells.

No, it's not that, Hewett is an introvert, as is Cerra.
It's more about confidence and uncertainty. If things arent going well, we have no idea what to do.
That is the job of Coaching. To remove uncertainty, and provide a system to follow.
Our coaches are failing on every line. If Voss is staying, then the worst offender surely has to be Jordan Russell.
Get him out now. Our forward line is as disfunctional as it gets.

 

[prisoner777]

Under Vossy we peaked in 2023 (over-achieved??) and have gone backwards since mid 2024. Can he turn things around? A lack of Plan B (or effective Plan B) and a sense that he has lost the players (who seem confused at times) are major issues the club needs to address. With new CEO Graham Wright in place, a man known to orchestrate major changes, the next few weeks could be interesting at Princes Park.

 

[prisoner777]

We have a team of introverts. Had that for a long time. We need a mix of confident types. Hawks are full of them, and so are Pies. They bring energy. When our backs are to the wall, we go into our shells.

Spot on!!

 

[gab213]

We have a team of introverts. Had that for a long time. We need a mix of confident types. Hawks are full of them, and so are Pies. They bring energy. When our backs are to the wall, we go into our shells.

What makes you think that introverts lack confidence? We've had some champion players who were introverted. Doull and Stephen Silvagni come to mind. Don't confuse being introverted with being timid.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Apparently Weitering told reporters after the game that our players are mentally and physically weak. I'd love to hear that.

If true, make him captain.

I love Crippa, he leads by example on the field, but he's a nice guy and he is nice to his troops and nice to the opposition. He smiles and chats and shakes hands with the opposition after we go 0-4. He's popular with all players. He's not going to go off at his teammates though.

I reckon Weiters is outside the main cliques in the playing group, and JSOS to an extent too. There are your two leaders.

 

[Stamos]

Under Vossy we peaked in 2023 (over-achieved??) and have gone backwards since mid 2024. Can he turn things around? A lack of Plan B (or effective Plan B) and a sense that he has lost the players (who seem confused at times) are major issues the club needs to address. With new CEO Graham Wright in place, a man known to orchestrate major changes, the next few weeks could be interesting at Princes Park.

We did not overachieve in 23.
We were a basket case for the first half of the season, before we clicked.
But we’re coming from too far behind. So it was a pass.

We absolutely butchered 19, 20, 21, 22 and 24.
I guess you could give 22 a pass given a new coach after a disastrous 4 years.

 

[Blue_Fusion]

Apparently Weitering told reporters after the game that our players are mentally and physically weak. I'd love to hear that.

If true, make him captain.

I love Crippa, he leads by example on the field, but he's a nice guy and he is nice to his troops and nice to the opposition. He smiles and chats and shakes hands with the opposition after we go 0-4. He's popular with all players. He's not going to go off at his teammates though.

I reckon Weiters is outside the main cliques in the playing group, and JSOS to an extent too. There are your two leaders.

iinm, said something like "mental and physical toughness is what I think needs to be looked at"

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

iinm, said something like "mental and physical toughness is what I think needs to be looked at"

Yes and behind the goals camera footage will be interesting. He seems to be calling someone out there.

 

[Beyond Blue]

We do not have the football fundamentals drilled into us properly to fall back on when things aren’t going our way.

We were completely devoid of confidence tonight, and fell apart. Because we don’t have reliable fundamentals or system.

We have a significant player on >$1m per year who doesn’t want to play…imagine if you were a boss relying on a high paid employee who didn’t want to turn up to work because of personal issues?

 

[Stamos]

We have a significant player on >$1m per year who doesn’t want to play…imagine if you were a boss relying on a high paid employee who didn’t want to turn up to work because of personal issues?

Imagine you were a shitty boss who made work less satisfying for your employees

 

[Beyond Blue]

Imagine you were a shitty boss who made work less satisfying for your employees

What evidence do you have of that?

 

[Stamos]

What evidence do you have of that?

Evidence?
We’re imagining, right?