Some Observations

[TigerImposter]

All of the above.
I've also noticed Balme walking around with a bloke called Caracella. Don't know what those to geniuses were doing all year.
I also had the cheek to ask Balme what he carries around with him in that little black bag. A wry smile was his response.
FITNESS FITNESS AND FITNESS was the big thing i observed and commented on pretty well from mid season.The boys including VFL kids were all jumping out of their skins.

 

[Dr Tigris]

i reckon there were a couple of things that haven't yet been mentioned that really, really helped.

At some point, Riewoldt started contesting marking contests like they were ruck hit-outs. That is, he flew for the ball but didn't even attempt to come down with it. He started going for taps to advantage and spoils, rather than trying to clunk 'em. The man has great footy iq. We wouldn't have come close without JR8 figuring out a way to make that forward line function. Good luck to the 17 suckers who try to replicate it with some dumb fathead as their CHF.

Another observation i'd make is that the defenders all started using Rance's technique of moving their opponents off the ball by either jumping early and pushing the oppo under the footy with momentum through the hips or grappling well before the ball arrived. i'd guess they trained that all summer. Not sure we will get away with that next season.

Similarly, Towner holding the intercept marking defender still so Jack can use them as a ladder... Reckon the umpies have already had a look at the replays and changed their interpretation of interfering in a marking contest. Won't get away with that again.

Great points. What Jack did this year is amazing!! He managed to turn being outnumber 2/3 to him almost every contest into a positive. Instead of losing the contest and there it goes. He works to ensure the ball is still in contest, or even tapped to our advantage. You can't do that without very high footy IQ. I reckon otherwise very good KPFs like Tex (Still have the laugh at the pose and his performance in the GF) probably wouldn't able to adapt to that style of being a KP.

 

[Hank Heavenly]

We still haven't beat anyone good!

 

[Socrates2]

We had 3 players who were super fresh and fit going into the finals
Graham, Townsend and Broad were fresh bodies from the Vfl who gave us extra grunt.

 

[26_Miles]

Hard to beat anyone good when you're the ones setting the benchmark. Maybe we should play the VFL team for a challenge.

 

[Helen Wheels]

We still haven't beat anyone good!

And even if we played a match against ourselves, it would be a draw, so we still wouldn't have beaten anyone good.
Damn!!

 

[Tigarmy]

Cotchin - insightful and inspirational leadership - already telling the boys no expiration on what we have and time to be greedy....


Sent from over here.