Analysis On-field Mental Toughness

[Blue_Fusion]

I’m 68. I 100% agree with your comment.

We were the last to admit change was needed as AFL grew and we are still paying for it.

The issue for me is we don’t stand for Anything anymore. We just drift and try and fix things around the edges that do little

This is a cultural issue

Not sure we don't stand for anything...

Used to be winning premierships...

Now we stand for virtue signaling and corporate greed.

 

[katmanblue]

I’m 68. I 100% agree with your comment.

We were the last to admit change was needed as AFL grew and we are still paying for it.

The issue for me is we don’t stand for Anything anymore. We just drift and try and fix things around the edges that do little

This is a cultural issue

Even the club statements are wishy washy.

On SM-F946B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Stiffler's Dad]

I just want to say it's really sad
I mean really really sad when I watch other games on TV where teams play great footy and their players do what good players should be able to do week in week out.
Then there's us!

 

[Blue Pulse]

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

Weiters is an absolute jet and a beautiful kick, however when things start to go pear shape his kicking goes short and sideways instead of taking the game on, he is a leader, lead.

 

[bourbons]

I just want to say it's really sad
I mean really really sad when I watch other games on TV where teams play great footy and their players do what good players should be able to do week in week out.
Then there's us!

This. Its so evident when you watch other games.

We are simply not a proper footy club any more, can't be counted on to do the basic things practically every other team does, not for anywhere near 4 quarters anyway

 

[Graffy4242]

A couple of times during the game I watched Doc in isolation...he's a senior player and spent much of the time just wandering aimlessly. Didn't ever play on anyone and didn't even really create space. At this point other teams wouldn't mind him getting the ball. It's either a sign he's confused with his role, he has zero confidence, or he's checked out.

At the game I said this numerous times to my 2 sons. He was in "no mans land" doing his best not to be involved in the play. Literally playing a man down. Needs to find his spark in the VFL or fast track his way to coaching.

 

[Stamos]

We had a golden opportunity to correct an appalling 0-4 start to be in the 8, 4-4 with a good percentage, coming up against an average team that we owe for previous poor performances.
The opportunity to make a statement.

Instead, we didn't even rock up.

 

[Wickzki]

At the game I said this numerous times to my 2 sons. He was in "no mans land" doing his best not to be involved in the play. Literally playing a man down. Needs to find his spark in the VFL or fast track his way to coaching.

Yep. Needs to be a player coach at VFL level.

Love Doc, always will but he's done.

 

[Wickzki]

We had a golden opportunity to correct an appalling 0-4 start to be in the 8, 4-4 with a good percentage, coming up against an average team that we owe for previous poor performances.
The opportunity to make a statement.

Instead, we didn't even rock up.

That bathwater must taste awfully nice.

 

[Blue since 72]

Weiters is an absolute jet and a beautiful kick, however when things start to go pear shape his kicking goes short and sideways instead of taking the game on, he is a leader, lead.

Lol second half fade out Mitch, it was a whole of game fade out.

Don't think there was any proactivity going on up the ground so Weiters ended up kicking it sideways a lot. Mental toughness is absolutely the issue and the midfield (all of them) set the tone for the game from the first bounce, the rest of the team decided that was the standard for the day and followed suit.

The lack of pressure on the ball carrier, the number of marks Adelaide took in front, the number of uncontested possessions Adelaide had, the sagging off and being caught between plays, this was all embarrassing in the extreme.

Knowing you can do it and willing yourself to do it are two completely different things and this team will not make it to the top until they are willing to do it consistently.

Very easy to expect the next guy to take care of business.

 

[Blue_Fusion]

Lol second half fade out Mitch, it was a whole of game fade out.

Don't think there was any proactivity going on up the ground so Weiters ended up kicking it sideways a lot. Mental toughness is absolutely the issue and the midfield (all of them) set the tone for the game from the first bounce, the rest of the team decided that was the standard for the day and followed suit.

The lack of pressure on the ball carrier, the number of marks Adelaide took in front, the number of uncontested possessions Adelaide had, the sagging off and being caught between plays, this was all embarrassing in the extreme.

Knowing you can doing it and willing yourself to do it are two completely different things and this team will not make it to the top until they are willing to do it consistently.

Very easy to expect the next guy to take care of business.

When the midfield isn't applying pressure because they can't deal with a team that spreads and moves the ball quick, the back line is always going to struggle.

They are trying, but they are too one paced and multiple players get sucked in to chasing the ball carrier leaving so many options open.

WC, North and Geelong all don't really have the ability to exploit them like this...

However, having said that... the amount of times you look up the ground and they are just stagnant and not even remotely working to provide options is disgusting.

Like many have been saying, to a lot of these players, it's a job. Get paid and move on to next week.

 

[jj1978]

Just book the collective into the tattoo parlour this week. They can get a tatt of a unicorn, butterfly or whatever tickles their fancy. We need more tatts.

 

[Blue Pulse]

Lol second half fade out Mitch, it was a whole of game fade out.

Don't think there was any proactivity going on up the ground so Weiters ended up kicking it sideways a lot. Mental toughness is absolutely the issue and the midfield (all of them) set the tone for the game from the first bounce, the rest of the team decided that was the standard for the day and followed suit.

The lack of pressure on the ball carrier, the number of marks Adelaide took in front, the number of uncontested possessions Adelaide had, the sagging off and being caught between plays, this was all embarrassing in the extreme.

Knowing you can doing it and willing yourself to do it are two completely different things and this team will not make it to the top until they are willing to do it consistently.

Very easy to expect the next guy to take care of business.

Might need to check the date, that statement was made a month ago, but here we are a month later our mental toughness lasts us 3 weeks.

 

[Blue since 72]

Might need to check the date, that statement was made a month ago, but here we are a month later our mental toughness lasts us 3 weeks.

Exactly.

 

[Alice]

Our defensive efforts suck.
1. DelSanto hit the nail on the head. Our regular methodology is to hang off opponents instead of make them accountable and force errors. We then want to make it appear we are busting a gut to get to the contest only to fall short - again and find ourselves out of position. Happens time and again.
2. Once the ball hits the deck in F50 ( surprising how often when trying to wrestle when you don’t have the capacity to do so or the ball is miskicked……..again!!!) it requires EVERY player to apply pressure - not some with others doing their best to win a Logie in a poor Australian teleseries.

 

[SOS Rules]

Our defensive efforts suck.
1. DelSanto hit the nail on the head. Our regular methodology is to hang off opponents instead of make them accountable and force errors. We then want to make it appear we are busting a gut to get to the contest only to fall short - again and find ourselves out of position. Happens time and again.
2. Once the ball hits the deck in F50 ( surprising how often when trying to wrestle when you don’t have the capacity to do so or the ball is miskicked……..again!!!) it requires EVERY player to apply pressure - not some with others doing their best to win a Logie in a poor Australian teleseries.

Yep, makes us a lot easier to transition the ball against when we stand back guarding space rather than applying some actual pressure to the ball carrier or receiver. The difference was stark with what Adelaide was doing when we had the ball and vice versa. Don't understand the strategy.

 

[gbatman]

Is something demotivating the players or do we lack effort? To me getting ran all over and being unable to apply pressure was simple positioning. Pace was part of it but positioning was a big part. Play closer to them. We gave Adelaide players a lot of outlets with no one even close by. So is our perceived lack of effort simply a crap game plan and crap coaching?

This is a side that has run all over us for 5 years or more. So we allowed them the lose players in close and all over the place. Doesn't make sense.

Would love to know what's going on in the inside. Are the players being undisciplined or is the coaching just miles off?

You'd think you would go into a game like this one on one in close, try and apply apply a lot of pressure, make it a bit of a slog when it comes to teams who can smash you for pace. Also playing on narrow grounds where we can't use the width to keep the game congested and contested.

 

[BlueTongue]

We had a golden opportunity to correct an appalling 0-4 start to be in the 8, 4-4 with a good percentage, coming up against an average team that we owe for previous poor performances.
The opportunity to make a statement.

Instead, we didn't even rock up.

And this is the most frustrating, annoying, gut-wrenching thing about this club in recent times.
Like a few others have said, players happy to collect a good pay check and not worry too much about playing for the jumper.

Modern footy is a lot poorer for this. Big $$ creates Mercenaries, with no loyalty and totally self absorbed about ticking the 'Won a Premiership' box for their own self promotion, not winning a flag with a bunch of mates you'd 'Go to War' with.

 

[Benaly28]

Great thread title pity we don’t have any.

 

[katmanblue]

Great thread title pity we don’t have any.

I was thinking that this must be the Fantasy thread.

 

[Wickzki]

 

[Wickzki]

Morning after and I'm sticking with this

That was easily the mentally toughest game this football club has won in years.

We had every excuse in the book to roll over and die in the second half but they battled on.

Injured players stood up when and where we needed them to. Players who were under the pump or who had played poorly (Motlop) came alive in the clutch. Some players coming of age

As someone said on the match thread we've seen them get discouraged when the calls go against them and give up and let the opposition get a run on.

From almost every player out on the field right on up to Voss and the coaches box they galvanized as a team and allowed Ross to play right into our hands.

That was special. I hope it's the turning point on this issue.

 

[bradfisher14]

Morning after and I'm sticking with this

That was easily the mentally toughest game this football club has won in years.

We had every excuse in the book to roll over and die in the second half but they battled on.

Injured players stood up when and where we needed them to. Players who were under the pump or who had played poorly (Motlop) came alive in the clutch. Some players coming of age

As someone said on the match thread we've seen them get discouraged when the calls go against them and give up and let the opposition get a run on.

From almost every player out on the field right on up to Voss and the coaches box they galvanized as a team and allowed Ross to play right into our hands.

That was special. I hope it's the turning point on this issue.

Spot on mate.

All we ever want to see is that level of commitment, professionalism, and tenacity every game.

Skill execution won't always be there and the results might not go our way, but this group have to learn how to keep fighting until the siren.

 

[JustaBattler]

Also playing on narrow grounds where we can't use the width to keep the game congested and contested.

wot?

 

[gbatman]

wot?

Wide grounds assist defensive game styles. Teams like us who strive to keep things congested, wide grounds assist with that. We can keep the ball wide, stops opposition teams running rings around us as. Also if our defensive structures are good and we can push opposition wide, we get more bang for our buck. Getting the ball wide on the Adelaide oval, it's like having they ball on centre wing at the MCG. The ball is still central and most plays at an oval like that are direct play.

Direct play suites quicker sides which is the Crows and not us. Wide play, boundary side play, that suites us and we can really get a lot out of it by keeping the ball wide and a wide ground. You really get hemmed in and it adds an extra kick if you get wide on the MCG.

This is literally where home ground advantage comes from. Ground width is massive, changes the style of play significantly.

Narrow grounds aint our jam. Get quicker, become a running side, that changes.