Tight Games - Will The Crows learn from their recent mistakes?

[Ozzie]

Some of you young blokes should take a step back and actually think about some of the garbage you are writing at this time of the year. This thread is a prime example.

In sport and life in general their are times when things go your way and times when they don't. It all evens out in the long run.

I will also take a shot at some of the terrible spelling I have to endure here at BF. Examples such, as "your" for you are or as it is shortened to, you're. Drueling for drooling, and the classic use of the American bastardised form of English we get thrust upon us through the media. IT IS ANYWAY not anywayS. Get that one right at least please.Then you get the ones who want to use fonetics or text messaging in here. Please spare us and make better use of your time in the classroom before you let yourself loose on the general population.

 

[Baron Winds]

I will also take a shot at some of the terrible spelling I have to endure here at BF. Examples such, as "your" for you are or as it is shortened to, you're. Drueling for drooling, and the classic use of the American bastardised form of English we get thrust upon us through the media. IT IS ANYWAY not anywayS. Get that one right at least please.Then you get the ones who want to use fonetics or text messaging in here. Please spare us and make better use of your time in the classroom before you let yourself loose on the general population.

If the way people spell is your biggest worry champ, I wish i was you.

Now stop being a grammar nazi, piss off and find something better to do than whinge about grammar

PS Carn teh Crows

 

[Macca19]

IF anything, he goes missing in close matches all too often. H emight have one great game in a close match out of 10 but overall he goes MIA when the pressure is on.

Kicked the match winner against Melbourne early in the season.

Took a strong grab and goal to put us within reaching distance against Hawthorn with 20 seconds left late in the season.

Was a match winner against West Coast in the final with numerous strong grabs up forward at crucial times.

There are other examples of where he has taken a game apart in the first half as well (Brisbane, Roos final).

Only time he has let us down in a close game was the St Kilda match last year, but how many players in the league would have taken that spectacular mark to get in that position anyway?

 

[out of order]

We need to look back to three defining moments in our recent history if we want to take the next big step in 2008 or beyond.

* 2003 Tarrant - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHzg4uWfqyM

* 2004 Fevola - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=brendan+fevola+goal&search=Search

* 2007 Buddy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccJ24Vqv_TI (The team should watch this one 5 times over and over again)

Its been such a long long time and I think this frustration of losing tight games can be hopefully thrown down the drain in 2008 because one day we'll be winning 15 out of 20 and not losing 15 out of 20 of those games. If I was the coach I will make the players watch these three moments of our recent past and give the players a good spray and tell them you've got to believe in yourselves and forget about the bad times. The coach needs to be very positive to his players in 2008 and this team has got to believe in itself. I still think we've got the abilllity to go all the way next season and make it into a Grand Final but its up to the self belief of the players. A few less injuries might also help improve the confidence of the players. And therefore we'll become a much more exciting team to watch. Geelong were in a simmilar situation, in 2005 they lost a semi final in the last 5 seconds and really struggled in 2006 but once they got hunger and belief they were an awesome team to watch in 2007. One of the best ever.

ADELAIDE - 2005 8 wins and 3 losses in games by 10 points or less.

2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 6 wins and 16 losses in games by 10 points or less.

In Finals ZERO wins and 3 losses by 10 points or less.

Also ZERO wins by 3 points or less since R17 2002. I think we also became the first AFL team to lose games by 1, 2 and 3 points in a single season (in 2007).

Think back to the good times of 1997 and 1998, and some other moments. Lets look at the hunger this team played with in 1997 preliminary final, the Grand Finals, Showdowns 2, 7 and 19 for example. But maybe looking back to the bad times will make this team more hungrier than ever. Its all about been positive, and believing in one another. I wasn't confident about our 2007 season. But I will be following this team harder then ever in 2008. I wanna see a new and more exciting Crows team, not a slow and boring team which made me boo at the TV at times this season. Hopefully a team that can put a smile upon our faces, a repeat of 2005 but this time with finals success would be great. We also need to play much better at home, 9 wins and 2 losses at home would be good, plus 6 wins and 5 losses away. That makes it 15-7 and a genuine top 4 spot, or even top 2. The midfield and backline is the key to this team and I think we can definetly do it.

in the ayres years we were notorious in losing the close ones, mainly due to ayresy being a dill, but since craigy has been in charge can't really say its been a problem to be honest. We win some and lose some.

 

[J-Ro-20]

The more tight games the crows are involved in (and lose) are far better than games we were convincingly beaten and never looked a chance.

It shows we aren't that far off the mark rather than major fundamental errors.

 

[Mismatched]

in the ayres years we were notorious in losing the close ones, mainly due to ayresy being a dill, but since craigy has been in charge can't really say its been a problem to be honest. We win some and lose some.

It hasn't really improved, I heard a stat on the radio or tv, think it might have been triple m that under NC we have won twice after being behind at 3/4 time. How many times have we lost after being up at 3/4 time, my guess is that it would be a fair few more. We can save games under craig relatively well, just cannot "win" them.

 

[out of order]

probably because we have rarely been behind at 3/4 time while craigy has been in charge.

When craigy has a decent squad we do fine, this yr just about everything that can go wrong did. Ayres had arguably a better list but the theme every week was, win the 1st quarter by a mile, get a 40 point lead, then watch the opposition flood our forward line and chip away at our lead. Happened over and over again. Doesnt anymore.

 

[PCORF]

in the ayres years we were notorious in losing the close ones, mainly due to ayresy being a dill, but since craigy has been in charge can't really say its been a problem to be honest. We win some and lose some.

I'm fed up of this close game **** and if you don't include 2005 we've been notorius for giving away way too many games no matter if its under Ayres or Craigy. So many times I've seen this team up by a few points in the last 2 minutes and they don't keep possesion and and just try to kick it to a pack of players, one mistake and they automatically give up a goal, thats ballgame. That needs to change in 2008.

Our last win by 3 points or less was in R17 2002 against Geelong (by 3). Since then I think our record is 0-6 by 3 points or less (1,3,3,1,2,3) - I want to see more wins, sick of the losing. Wins will make a huge difference in our confidence, and confidence can lead to great things. Next year we will end this drought because its about time. If the game is tight I would bench Scott Thompson and put McLeod into the midfield, and take Kris Massie away from full back and put him either somewhere else or bench him.

 

[out of order]

you can't really say 'if we dont include 2005' to suite your pov......

At least now we get numbers back making it more difficult to score, in the ayres days they would get one on ones in their forward line on a continual basis.

One thing i'll agree with is winning those tight ones makes a big difference, it was something we did quite often in 2005 from memory.

 

[Mismatched]

probably because we have rarely been behind at 3/4 time while craigy has been in charge.

When craigy has a decent squad we do fine, this yr just about everything that can go wrong did. Ayres had arguably a better list but the theme every week was, win the 1st quarter by a mile, get a 40 point lead, then watch the opposition flood our forward line and chip away at our lead. Happened over and over again. Doesnt anymore.

Good point, we have won a lot more than we have lost, which is great, but we win them by 2-5 goals, bordering on close, but still comfortable, we have won very few in the 0-2 goal range, but I would say the vast majority of our losses under craig are around this margin, which essentially says, when its tight, we panic and lose the game. Craig says these types of games are down largely to luck, well if that is the case, then we must have the worst of it.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Good point, we have won a lot more than we have lost, which is great, but we win them by 2-5 goals, bordering on close, but still comfortable, we have won very few in the 0-2 goal range, but I would say the vast majority of our losses under craig are around this margin, which essentially says, when its tight, we panic and lose the game. Craig says these types of games are down largely to luck, well if that is the case, then we must have the worst of it.

Thats a HIGHLY subjective way of looking at it. What that tells me is that we will fight to the very end even when its clear that we cannot win the game. I think that speaks hihgly about the character, pride and determination of our team.

Take the St. Kilda game this year as an example. We never looked like winning the game since about quarter time yet the final margin was something like 2 or 3 points. Look at that game and at no stage were we a real chance to take it out yet the final scoreboard flattered us a fair bit because we as a team fought to the very end no matter how impossible the task was.

We never get blown away. The worst loss this year was 32 or 33 points against Geelong at Kardinia Park.

Many close games we have lost in recent times we really were never a chance to win and its thanks to our determination, pride and fighting spirit that the margin was that close.

 

[Mismatched]

Thats a HIGHLY subjective way of looking at it. What that tells me is that we will fight to the very end even when its clear that we cannot win the game. I think that speaks hihgly about the character, pride and determination of our team.

Take the St. Kilda game this year as an example. We never looked like winning the game since about quarter time yet the final margin was something like 2 or 3 points. Look at that game and at no stage were we a real chance to take it out yet the final scoreboard flattered us a fair bit because we as a team fought to the very end no matter how impossible the task was.

We never get blown away. The worst loss this year was 32 or 33 points against Geelong at Kardinia Park.

Many close games we have lost in recent times we really were never a chance to win and its thanks to our determination, pride and fighting spirit that the margin was that close.

I agree, it shows we have a great fighting spirit and am very proud of that, unfortunately we just cannot seem to be able to take the next step from turning these fighting defeats into victorys, we get within striking distance, yet just cannot lay that final strike and create famous victories such as the 97 prelim.

 

[PCORF]

I agree, it shows we have a great fighting spirit and am very proud of that, unfortunately we just cannot seem to be able to take the next step from turning these fighting defeats into victorys, we get within striking distance, yet just cannot lay that final strike and create famous victories such as the 97 prelim.

Albsolutley wrong!

This team shows no fight in these types of games. Oh, well it does sometimes like in Round 18 vs the Power and Round 22 vs the Pies but those games were wins.