The Vent Thread

[uzabuz]

I'm pretty flat with our team's performance so far. It's like the 2nd half of 2012 never happened. So I keep telling myself it's only 4 rounds in, we're 1-3 which is equal 17th or 10th however you look at it. Realistically I would have had us 2-2 at this stage (the WB match hurt the most).

Anyway I want to vent about something other than our poor performance (much easier to vent about external factors). We've been completely bent over by the AFL with the introduction of GC and GWS. We rebuilt at the worst possible time, continual compromised drafts in addition to a perenial tanker rewarded with endless priority picks and dodgy pick dealings. Brissy and other honest teams entering the rebuild cycle have really been hit hard with the expansion (WB impact lessened by their FS picks). Demetriou couldn't care less about the intergretity of the competition and the AFL are more interested in lining their pockets with the corporate dollar (and chocolate eclaires) than rewarding places that actually deserve a football team (Tasmania!!!). Screw you AFL !!!

I know it's poor form to cry foul but I'm gonna stick my head in the sand and hold the faith we can turn it all around.

*** rant over ***

 

[13Beast]

I'm trying to work out how people can be defending a coach who has been at the helm for 5 years and has a winning percentage of 38%. Take out the first year and it drops to a pathetic 31%, this is not acceptable for a bloke who has been at the helm for this long.

Can people please get the idea of love of the club and his playing career out of their heads, footy is business and its a business that revolves around winning, which we're not doing. You need to win to bring in the crowds and the sponsor which in turn feeds the football department. Brisbane is in financial trouble and without changes it won't improve. Voss has had enough time and its pretty clear things aren't improving, I say sack him now and give Harvey the reigns until the end of the season.

Great post Slax. So, imagine if this was Hird, or Buckley, or some other hero from a club other than the lions coaching? I seriously doubt people would be defending him as much as they are Voss.

I was never happy with Voss' appointment as coach. It was too soon, and he hasn't learnt the craft elsewhere. Illustrious playing career and proud service to the club aside, whatever decision is made about Voss as head coach by the club has to be one removed of emotion and any lingering favoritism.

 

[Last of the Roys]

I left my venting for 24 hours later, but here it is:

"NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!" - this phrase is always on the tip of my tongue when we play in Melbourne. That awful sinking feeling of shocking deja vu when you can just see our intesity is not there and the opposition's is.

All of the sudden we seem to have so many problems, but no easy solutions. We look like we could be down the bottom for years. However, this is basically the same side that thumped Carlton in the NAB Cup final - things are never as bad or as good as they seem.

I don't really know what we should be doing differently to get our team to play better. But what we produced on Sunday was so ****ing unacceptable beyond belief.

At the moment I am at a loss to see how we can turn it around. But I always remember that things change so quickly in football.

I don't mind going to a footy game to watch my side lose - but I can't bare seeing it not put any pressure on the opposition for any significant period during the match. The Bulldogs and North games were both like that - they both could have easily been 100 point losses.

I just wish we were more resillent. I wish we could get to a point where we are fiercely competitive week in week out for significant periods of the game, even if we don't have the skills or experience to ultimately match the opposition.

I wish I could go to the footy and in the first few minutes not have that phrase on the tip of my tongue - "NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN!"

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Was hard to watch North time after time spread when they had possession and our boys hardly even moving to get into space when we had the ball. Sure, some of our players would do it for a couple of minutes at a time, North would score a goal and then the same shit would happen over and over again. We need more attacking defenders prepared to take the game on. I understand it's hard to take the game on when the rest of the teams so stagnant but I'm sick of this kick, mark, stop, wait, ump calls play on, rushed kick to an outnumbered contest and the ball coming straight back into our defense again. We look good when we take the game on and work hard to create space. We have to do it for 4 quarters, not in 2 minute patches here and there. It's really not good enough and I'm sick of watching the same shit happen week after week. Something has to change. Lazy, lazy football. They don't look motivated at ALL. What the hell is going on?

said the exact same things above somewhere, we need to get guys like banfield and green into the midfield as the game style we play is suited for fast players not slow, and we aren't using fast guys in the middle, silly vossy

 

[Mr Ripper]

Agreed - I spoke to one of the Assistant Coaches after the game and he admitted that kicking to the interchange gate side of the ground was a set routine "to make interchanges more easily" ...... that just shows how bereft of footy smarts our club has become!

So, in theory, what we need to do is get whatboutbob a seat directly behind the bench and this should repel our forward thrusts back inside the centre corridor - or is my Year 10 physics all arse-about?

 

[whatboutbob]

So, in theory, what we need to do is get whatboutbob a seat directly behind the bench and this should repel our forward thrusts back inside the centre corridor - or is my Year 10 physics all arse-about?

Nah, my force is too strong. It'd just send play down the opposite wing. Perhaps I could try pulling up a stump on the Stanley st bus stop?

 

[Slax]

Given that his contract expires at the end of the season, what would be the value in sacking him now?
I think he'd be well aware that he's unlikely to get another one if the season continues on its current trajectory.

The value is that it gives you first pick of the assistant coaches out there (although that doesn't guarantee you'll pick the right one), and it gives the interim coach a chance to put his own stamp on the squad and be able to make decisions about the list at the end of the season if appointed.

As BigBadBrisbaneBears posted our kick-ins are predictable, that goes for most of our game plan. The opposition can be pretty sure what we'll do 90% of the time, who we go to and how we move the ball. That's fine when you have the talent like Collingwood, but we don't and it means we are easy pickings.

 

[dlanod]

The value is that it gives you first pick of the assistant coaches out there (although that doesn't guarantee you'll pick the right one), and it gives the interim coach a chance to put his own stamp on the squad and be able to make decisions about the list at the end of the season if appointed.

I don't recall a club appointing an external candidate as coach prior to the end of a year for ages. Usually the pattern of a mid-season firing is that there's an internal interim coach appointed and then it's opened for external candidates at the end of the year. You don't get any benefit to firing the coach at the end of the year unless you intend to appoint the internal interim coach as the full time coach.

 

[knaf]

Not really at rant.

Just some lack lusture gallows humour - You will need to get there early on Sunday because the gates will be locked (to keep the crowd scattereds attendees in)

Never been felt as flat about the club.

 

[greendiesel]

What about changing our travel routine to Melbourne ? Yes , we did well in the pre-season..BIG DEAL.
We can't point to that and say we travel to Melbourne successfully.
The last eight years has been largely disgraceful in Melb. Have we bothered to change much in that time. Lets look outside the box. Be innovative.
Walls did the Cluster. Roos the flood. Clarkson the moving zone/ forward press. Why don't we do the independant traveller, or the travel with 3 team mates only, or stay with a host family until game time.
Maybe we mentally peak too early, putting on our game face when they meet at Brisbane Airport..thus being mentally exhausted by game time.
Maybe they all shouldn't meet until they all get to the ground..then starting the mental build up like they do in Brissie. Something, anything ....to make the players think we're cutting edge. Sheedy was mad with his thoughts and actions and sometimes they were outrageously stupid but his players always thought there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and played accordingly.
Where's our innovation ?
What are we doing to be the first with a new technique ?
Where are the new ideas ? Most people seem happy enough to wait for the kids to mature, wait for injuries to reduce then we'll be right. I want to be at the forefront of new, cutting edge ideas that challenge the norm.
What have we got to lose ? I believe we have more chance to win.

 

[MacMum]

I love a willingness to try something a little different to others etc (as long as its LEGAL).....so I agree lets mix things up a bit with our routine..

..what I'm about to say is a completely different scenario, and yet still the same principle. When I trained my greyhounds, I always looked for something different each week in their training, so as not to get them used to a situation or most importantly, bored with their day to day lot.....as a result they were always alert, full of interest in their surroundings, taking everything in and loved their walks etc.

Just may be something in what greendeisel has posted.

 

[maroon and blue]

I love a willingness to try something a little different to others etc (as long as its LEGAL).....so I agree lets mix things up a bit with our routine..

..what I'm about to say is a completely different scenario, and yet still the same principle. When I trained my greyhounds, I always looked for something different each week in their training, so as not to get them used to a situation or most importantly, bored with their day to day lot.....as a result they were always alert, full of interest in their surroundings, taking everything in and loved their walks etc.

Just may be something in what greendeisel has posted.

If only those pups could line up in maroon and blue

 

[Hollow Knight]

Maybe we could put a fake rabbit skin on the ball and our midfield might win a clearance.

 

[MacMum]

You never know, it might work!!

 

[maroon and blue]

Maybe we could put a fake rabbit skin on the ball and our midfield might win a clearance.

with our luck they would probably just hump it

 

[blynd_freddie]

What about changing our travel routine to Melbourne ? Yes , we did well in the pre-season..BIG DEAL.
We can't point to that and say we travel to Melbourne successfully.
The last eight years has been largely disgraceful in Melb. Have we bothered to change much in that time. Lets look outside the box. Be innovative.
Walls did the Cluster. Roos the flood. Clarkson the moving zone/ forward press. Why don't we do the independant traveller, or the travel with 3 team mates only, or stay with a host family until game time.
Maybe we mentally peak too early, putting on our game face when they meet at Brisbane Airport..thus being mentally exhausted by game time.
Maybe they all shouldn't meet until they all get to the ground..then starting the mental build up like they do in Brissie. Something, anything ....to make the players think we're cutting edge. Sheedy was mad with his thoughts and actions and sometimes they were outrageously stupid but his players always thought there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and played accordingly.
Where's our innovation ?
What are we doing to be the first with a new technique ?
Where are the new ideas ? Most people seem happy enough to wait for the kids to mature, wait for injuries to reduce then we'll be right. I want to be at the forefront of new, cutting edge ideas that challenge the norm.
What have we got to lose ? I believe we have more chance to win.

Great post greendiesel – love outside the box/left field thinking!

Travel - I acknowledge that the AFL stipulate all teams that travel interstate MUST arrive at least ONE DAY prior to the match day and love the suggest small group travel and possible host family lodging with a scheduled meet at the ground say two hours prior to bounce down.

After our last two Sunday 4:40pm failings this year against WBD and North, I wondered about the emotional, pre-game nervous energy that the travelling team might lose having to wait to play from the public announcement of the teams late Thursday afternoon through to game time, late Sunday afternoon – up to 72 possible anxious hours.

Sadly, we are all aware of our two Sunday 4:40 starts this year.

I then looked at the 2012 fixture… yes, I am aware there are one or two anomalies with last round games not being on a Sunday, Easter Mondays etc. but… using my 72 hours from Thursday team announcements – there were 18 games played where interstate teams travelled to play at 4:40pm [or at the equivalent eastern time in Adelaide or Perth] on a Sunday.

Only 3 of these games were lost by the ‘Home/non-travelling’ side – these 3 winning teams were the two grand finalists in Sydney and Hawthorn, with the third being the team that finished 2nd at the end of the home and away season, Adelaide.

My vent? Don't let the AFL dictate to travelling teams! I don't won't our team to play another AWAY Sunday 4:40pm game again... unless of course we use one of greendiesels travel package ideas.

 

[T Rick]

I'm pretty flat with our team's performance so far. It's like the 2nd half of 2012 never happened. So I keep telling myself it's only 4 rounds in, we're 1-3 which is equal 17th or 10th however you look at it. Realistically I would have had us 2-2 at this stage (the WB match hurt the most).

Anyway I want to vent about something other than our poor performance (much easier to vent about external factors). We've been completely bent over by the AFL with the introduction of GC and GWS. We rebuilt at the worst possible time, continual compromised drafts in addition to a perenial tanker rewarded with endless priority picks and dodgy pick dealings. Brissy and other honest teams entering the rebuild cycle have really been hit hard with the expansion (WB impact lessened by their FS picks). Demetriou couldn't care less about the intergretity of the competition and the AFL are more interested in lining their pockets with the corporate dollar (and chocolate eclaires) than rewarding places that actually deserve a football team (Tasmania!!!). Screw you AFL !!!

I know it's poor form to cry foul but I'm gonna stick my head in the sand and hold the faith we can turn it all around.

*** rant over ***

Bloody good rant!

 

[karix]

Just a little bit of venting but have the North Melbourne supporters gotten worse with time or was I just blind for so long?

Sitting at the footy was horrific on Sunday, so many of their supporters were sledging our boys every time they came to the bench, calling them dogs and filth like they were animals, even when we play Collingwood it's never that bad that they have to verbally abuse them each time they come for a spell on the bench.

Then on BigFooty it's even worse, I always liked North as a club but gee their supporters are down the bottom of the barrel with Richmond.

Also Lindsay Thomas is a diving prick.

Norf supporters have always been sore winners, they are much better hearted about losing - I guess they're more comfortable with it.

Same applies to Richmond supporters.

 

[matwt73]

with our luck they would probably just hump it

Or at least make a 'genuine attempt' to do so.

 

[wabaa]

Sadly, we are all aware of our two Sunday 4:40 starts this year.

We played the Dogs at 1:40 p.m.
On a Saturday.

 

[blynd_freddie]

We played the Dogs at 1:40 p.m.
On a Saturday.

Oooops... I think I morphed Round 23 - 2012 and Round 1 - 2013, apologies and thank-you for reading

 

[wabaa]

Oooops... I think I morphed Round 23 - 2012 and Round 1 - 2013, apologies and thank-you for reading

If only the result of Round 1 - 2013 was that of Round 23 - 2012....

 

[greendiesel]

What the hell were the coaches doing during that first quarter.
The coaches should always have a feeling whether the players are flat or not.
The first few minutes of a match should confirm or deny that.
I could see and feel from level three, at the 5 minute mark, that if we didn't slow down the play, bolster our backline, or do something to change the flow , we'd be 10 goals down at qtr time. This is what the top teams do. They prevent rather than cure. History shows North had 16 shots at goal in that first quarter. McKeever went to Majak at the start. I thought..OH NO. Brad Scott immediately isolated Majak with McKeever in our last line of defence and thought how good is this. What the hell was McKeever doing alone in our last line of defence on Majak. Eventually Patful was moved onto Daw. Good. But that was it. For an opposition team to have 16 shots at goal in the first quarter...something, or lots of things are very very wrong.

Richmond were all over Freo in the first few minutes last night. Ross Lyon pushes numbers back. Damage limited to 3 goals behind. Freo start to find their rhythm. Game opens up a touch. Freo fight back. Freo win. I love you Michael Voss but surely there is a lesson here.

 

[Full Wingspan]

The worst part about this week is that we have everything to loose and nothing to gain from a win from Melbourne. Based on the thumpings they have received this year. I would be honestly disappointed if we only got up by 10 goals. Would be hoping to at least equal Port's 78 point ? effort.

 

[irel]

Maybe we could put a fake rabbit skin on the ball and our midfield might win a clearance.

with our luck they would probably just hump it

Or at least make a 'genuine attempt' to do so.

Naah, we'll just bend over on our knees meekly and wait to receive our medicine.