Good rant mateAt the risk of sounding like some truly irate, archaic old fart (an accurate enough description on occasion), I almost feel like it's time to start training our guys like soldiers instead of footy players.
By this, I'm not saying JLo needs to be a arseh*le drill sergeant worthy of some wartime Kubrick masterpiece.
But I am saying that maybe we're not sufficiently mentally training our guys to deal with both consistent overt aggression, and an openly hostile environment, and still operate efficiently at the same time.
By overt aggression I mean close checking and tight tackling by opposing players, and by hostile environment I mean getting consistently utterly fcuked judgement calls from the umpires.
The number of times I've seen our guys lapse into passivity, or worse, go into their shells in the face of relentless physical pressure from the opposition, is simply appalling.
I also keep seeing them repeatedly look crestfallen and shocked whenever the umps actively call an entire game in a biased fashion.
I really hate to say it of a team I love and support, but if you expect even a smidge of fairness from an AFL umpire, as a WA based team member playing against one of the VLF old guard in Melbourne, then you are literally crazy, and mentally unfit to play the game.
It doesn't matter if it's the twentieth bad call from an umpire, or the two hundredth, none of them should cause you to want to react badly or give up hope and just surrender.
Because seriously - that's the crowd's job isn't it?
It's their complete reason for being frankly... Whereas the umpires just do it as a hobby.
Speaking of being mentally unfit, I note the reason drill sergeants in armed forces the world over, are all utterly heartless bastards, is because they need to be.
Any soldier walking into combat expecting fairness, gentility, or anything less than a ceaseless torrid struggle for survival in a pervasive atmosphere of eternal hate death and brutality, really won't last very long.
So soldiers are therefore trained to perform in a hate-filled, aggressive, relentlessly oppressive mental atmosphere, in order to acclimatize these kids to survive sustained exposure to the ceaseless mental aggression of combat.
J-lon is not the right guy to supply a training atmosphere like this... It's simply not in him. This is not a failing on his part, not a criticism of the guy, or of the club.
J-lo is a teacher, a healer, and a constructive criticism styled coach. These are all necessary characteristics of an AFL coach and I respect him for it.
My question therefore is, who IS playing the ball breaker coaching role at Fremantle?
Who IS mentally preparing our guys to remain cool, composed and un-intimidated while operating in a relentlessly hostile environment, via a process of deliberate, repeated exposure therapy?
Josh carr could have played this role when he was still at Fremantle ... He had the right mindset. Justin, for all his strengths and abilities, simply does not.
Am I going to far here?
Nope... I don't think k so.
The biggest single difference between playing in Victoria, and playing in Perth, is the attitude of the crowd towards our guys.
In Perth our team are loved and supported, and operate in an overall supportive and positive mental atmosphere.
Playing in Melbourne, not so much.
By my logic, J-lo is the perfect guy to train our guys to win in Perth. His mindset matches the overall mental environment the fans create (ie: generally focused on encouragement).
By the same logic, J-lo is the worst guy to train our guys for playing in Melbourne, were everybody hates them, laughs at every mistake, and constantly screams at the umpires at the top of their voice to treat them unfairly at every opportunity,, while also shouting at our team at the top of their voices, telling them they are all rubbish, and they all need to immediately drop dead.
And, they are. So they do.
This parallel is not an accident, nor confined to actual warfare.
Ross once said, "you train and practice as you intend to play".
Or in other words, you can only ever recreate on the field, what you practice and perfect at training. (Oh wait, Ross said that too).
So tell me training watchers: what's the dialogue and atmosphere like at Fremantle training sessions?
Does it closely mimic the aggressive hostile environment found when playing in Melbourne?
Do the umpires show the same consistent anti freo bias in training our guys get on an AFL field?
Are they also exposed to constant relentless, blood curdling abuse from the sidelines, from 80,000 demented fans bent on bloody murder of anyone wearing purple
...No?
Okay then.
...I gotta admit, I wouldn't want to train in that environment either .. it's as hostile and abusive workplace as it gets.
Who the hell wants to be in a workplace like that? (Apart from actual AFL players that is?)
My question therefore becomes, when and how DOES Freo take the necessary steps, to mentally prepare our guys for the hate, venom, and relentless negativity they're exposed to on game day?
Cause I honestly can't tell.
And who at Freo IS charged with being the uncompromising hard arse who is more fierce and fearsome than the entire magpie army?
Because again, I can't tell.... And it can't be J-lo.
If our guys can't handle the mental pressure of game say in Melbourne, it's because nobody is teaching them how to.
I don't doubt J-lo is a great coach. Truly I don't.
I also don't doubt that the players love him, and vice versa... The mutual respect they have for each other is obvious.
Problem is however, love isn't hate.
Our guys play well where they are loved, and poorly where they are hated. And for one game out if every two, they are hated.
Love is also a bad motivator in battle apparently.
Because if that last game is how the players perform our of their love for J-lo, then relying on that love alone as a motivator for their behaviour mid-game, is probably a pretty bad idea.
They may love the guy, but clearly they won't die for him,
... nor will they kill the other team to protect his career.
Does Freo simply lack a killer Instinct?
Maybe they do... But that's not j-lo's fault... The man simply isn't a killer.
What they need is someone else to fill in that gap. They need a killer to put them down, and a teacher to pick them up.
I so wish this kind of attitude weren't necessary. Truly I don't.
I so wish there was another way to train our guys to fight, and survive in such a hostile environment rather than us brutalising them ourselves.
Maybe Instead we could convince Melbourne crowds to simply be nicer to them?
And maybe even be a little less selfish In their judgement calls about umpiring decisions?
You know... Convince Melbourne based AFL fans to just be more considerate l, caring, and compassionate to other teams.
Siiughhh.....
...yeah, I know...
I did actually notice it wasn't currently snowing people.
I did actually notice that we're all still currently stuck in every Freo supporters version of a personal recurrent hell.
And I did notice there's a complete absence of snowballs about right now
I guess that basically sums up.our chances doesn't it...
...At least till someone at Freo starts to think like a heartless bastard drill sergeant, that is.
(I'm sure you get my point.)
(Huh... Fancy that!
There really is a small private recurrent version of hell, reserved solely for Freo supporters.
And I'm bloody well stuck in it again.
...I thought I recognized this place!...
And I thought all you poor bastards stuck here beside me looked familiar....)
(.....Chriiiiiissssttt!! )
Let it out
I totally agree , show me a “nice “ premiership coach . Maybe Fagan comes close but he still fires up and has a hard edge .
Geelong are the blueprint of a well drilled machine
I went to a function yesterday with Chris Waterman as speaker .
He told some old Eaglez stories and also some current analysis
Was interesting
He said Mick Malthouse would start a lot of their pre match meets with a war story of heroics and bravery . Chris kind of brushed it off saying that as a bunch of young piss heads it went straight over their heads but I wonder if it didnt sink in a bit
It was a mainly Eaglez crowd and they rightly got stuck into the Dockers after Friday nights efforts. He didn’t mince his words when he said JL is not the right guy and doesn’t have the hard edge . Apparently when he was assistant coach under Harvey they would have one on one player meetings where players would come in , vent , rant , discuss how they think they should be played etc ….. apparently JL would come in , sit down and not say a word . Nicest guy in the world but probably not cut out for this cut throat world
Oh and lastly he reckons Reid is gone and the club would be crazy not to trade him .
Best suitor is Melbourne in his opinion
