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So what's actually changed?

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Elmer_Judd said:
I first started to believe when I watched that dynamic first half against Melbourne in the practice matches. That had the imprint of Vossy and those great Lions Three-peat team all over it.

I thought to myself, is this real life? Is this just fantasy ?
Dees caught in a Blues Landslide
This is now our reality
Looked up to the skies and see
I'm just a Blues fan who no longer needs sympathy
Cause we are easy come, easy go
UNDER VOSSY 💙
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That’s very good Elmer. Some of your best.:cool:
 
Biggest change is our contested footy setup and mindset. Other changes like our defensive setups and running to assist is also better but it’s our midfield clearances that have made a huge difference.
We now use the outside runners and have them setup correctly at stoppages. We release them with handball and they run to receive and or deliver from there. Previously our midfielders would all be fighting for the same ball with no idea of structure and team balance on the outside.
I feel we now finally understand what it takes to be successful and more importantly have the desire and are willing to do what it takes to be successful. This might also be maturity but I feel it’s the coaching and of-field drive.
 
I agree with a lot of the comments in this thread. About much better coaching and gameplan, as well as a stronger midfield, and natural improvement and the return of Charlie. It also feels like these changes and developments have brought wins. And the wins bring confidence, and so there's greater buy in. And generally it 'snowballs'.
 

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We win or neutralise individual contests more often than not.

Our structure allows our players to be in position to impact and the clarity around roles allows them to do so decisively.

We don’t get caught in between or out of position much anymore and when a player gets the ball they seem to know where their team mates and options are.

We are a ‘connected’ team now.


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SurreyBlue said:
That’s very good Elmer. Some of your best.:cool:
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Yes I was there and they played all over the Demons in the first half. I said to my son at half time I don't care what happens in the second half they have shown enough. It was a revelation.
Removed most of the keys from forward line after half time, Plowman and Lewis Young played up there and we still hung on for a win.
All this success is due to Voss and his assistants and the recruiting department.
For the first time since David Parkin we now have a real coach.
Voss is Barassiesque, champion captain and leader, hope he can bring the same success as Ronald Dale did to Carlton.
 
OUT - Honourable Losses

IN - Grinding out tough, notable wins against several odds (injuries, umpiring etc)

Yesterday was arguably our best home and away win in many a year, given how much our backs were against the wall, especially after the first quarter.

Also I don't consider last week's loss to Richmond honorable at all, I was still filthy after that dire first half and I am sure Vossy was the same.

Speaking of Vossy, we still have not lost two games in a row under his watch, which quite frankly makes me as high as q kite and a real cultural game changer for our playing group. Cannot stress enough how significant the 'bounce back' factor is, and it's a large reason why we will play finals this year, despite a significant and lengthy injury toll.

In short, our group of young men (mostly) have toughened up and grown under Vossy and the new coaching staff.
Voss just gets coaching and gets what made this club great in the past.

Would be remiss of me not to mention how inspiring Charlie and Doc have been in their return as well
 

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No doubt that Voss has been a huge factor. But let's not forget that we went out and got a coaching TEAM. This is something that we have never done before. It's always been about the head coach and the assistants were not really viewed as integral to our success.

The return of Tim Clarke who Cripps really thrived under in his first gig with us. Has done wonders to our midfield.

Hansen has our forward structure really starting to work. Still not there yet imo but it's night and day from last year . Pressure small forwards. Midfielders chiming in and augmenting . Harry and Charlie developing an understanding and not cutting each other off. Lots to like, but still lots more to improve in order to become truly elite.

Hamill has done an outstanding job with our defence. With the injuries we have had, he could be excused if our defence was being bullied and leaking goals. Instead they have stood up and shown that the defence is a team within a team. Doc and saad are in AA form and are showing the sort of understanding that you see in premiership defences. Weiters has been phenomenal and young is providing a worthy replacement for Jones.

Luke Power is doing an amazing job with our development. Kennedy, fisher, Cottrell, LOB, TDK, Durdin, Boyd, JSOS, young being the standout improvers IMO.

Finally we are working as a team on and off the field. The turnaround truly amazing.
Thanks Vossy and co.
 
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I think getting early wins definitely helped, I mean you could tell there was buy-in early, but the wins solidified trust for players with each other and coaches.

Now the fade outs of first 5 rounds aren’t happening as much, nor as dramatically. We have tightened up, and much harder to get run ons against. Our small forwards put on great pressure and wings have improved massively.
 
Interesting what Whatley/Lyon said in the bit posted in the media thread today: we don't really have a weakness. Especially once Weitering comes back, I think that's pretty true. We have a few vulnerabilities, but when oppo coaches sit down to try to work out how to beat Carlton, there seem to be fewer and fewer gaps in the armour as the season goes on.
 
The main thing is the players actually know what is required of them. There is a clear game plan- and results building belief in the plan.

Players have also been backed in. It’s simple, crack in hard, play with an edge, and help out your team mates to make them walk taller. They know if they do that they gain respect of the group and the wins will take care of themselves.

You can have all the tactics in the world but it’s the basics that count. But tactically, we are playing the short game choosing to retain possession. We also have our half backs push up to receive the handball off the back of the square at centre bounces.
 
Time. A big group of talented players all hitting their prime at the same time. Talls first to give them the extra couple of years that they need. Then add ready made recruits to finish it off. Just planning and execution of a list build.
 

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CsBlue said:
Time. A big group of talented players all hitting their prime at the same time. Talls first to give them the extra couple of years that they need. Then add ready made recruits to finish it off. Just planning and execution of a list build.
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yeah but. There was some freakishly good luck there as well. In one draft we brought in Harry Charlie Weiters, JSOS (and cunners). A haul that no one could have predicted the future would be so bright collectively . It rivals the Buddy/Roughhead/Lewis haul that many have rated as the best ever. To describe SOS's effort that year as a masterstroke of pure genius is to ignore the busts that came afterwards (SPS, Dow)
Then to have the fortune to be in a position to pick Walsh, one of the best #1 picks of all time. Not there wasnt other talent that was around in that draft, there was , with the Kings, Rankine, Rozee, Lukosius, Bailey Smith- all superb players, but only one, Walsh, was EXACTLY what the blues needed- an inside/ outside mid with a huge tank, that is extremely durable and consistent. Another piece of luck IMO.
Add cripps and Doc and we suddenly had a core group that players like Cerra and hewitt and Williams and Martin, were prepared to come to join.
 
We're playing unsocialable football. We still get bullied a bit by the teams that are just thugs. But... that's definitely gonna change next year.

They are playing as a team and supporting each other as a team. Even a weed like LOB isn't afraid to fly the flag for their team mates.

Add in that we have a shitload of talented players and a coaching team that is bringing out the best of these players.

And the final piece of the puzzle. We have a president who wasn't afraid to pull the trigger on finalising the rebuild and getting rid of the dead wood on the coaching staff.
 
The flankers and mids actually working together to free up the right option in back 50, to compensate for the injuries to talls in back half.

In years past, coaches would either not try and compensate strategically for player absence, or if they did it wouldn't work. This year it's not only working it's going to be beneficial to our structure when we start getting players back. This defensive method with Gov/Marchbank and Weitering is going to result in even faster rebound and more intercepts; more scores for us and less scores against.
 

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So what's actually changed?

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