Trying to keep a lid on it!

[acuguy]

I think it is important to address the fact that i am trying my hardest to keep a lid on expectations after Saturday night. It was by far the best all round team performance we have had for years. Adcock and Sherman showed what they are capable of- somthing we all have begging to see. Brown and Bradshaw have an insatiable appetite for goals, Drummond, J.Mac and Patfull are fit and firing and of course D.Rich is whipping us into a frenzy.

Most of all Voss seems to have a good gameplan and have the players wanting to do whatever it takes to make our team successful. With all these positive thoughts it isn't hard to see how expectations are growing in my mind.

Is anyone else experiencing the same?

 

[John]

Is anyone else experiencing the same?

No. One good win does not make a season. I agree that it was an excellent performance but it does not make us flag certainties (that is not aimed at you acuguy) and bear in mind a couple of things. It was very wet against the Swans and that changes the game and IMO the Swans are a team on the slide. I am quietly confident of a win on Friday night and I am of course wanting to go on and play finals footy and win the flag but it is best to keep calm. We are only 3 games in and in the first 2 games showed some frailty.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Impossible to get a read on it from a wet-weather game I think. When I see kicks hitting their targets in the dry I may join you. But by all means go nuts!

 

[luthor]

I see the start of this season as encouraging ....but that's all

Last Sat night was the best 4-quarter effort for maybe a couple of years but I think it's completely unrealistic to expect they are going to play to that level all the time.

Sooner or later, there will be another bad quarter,half or even whole game before this team is fully molded as a cohesive unit.

Lot's of youth and inexperience together with a new coach with a different game plan is undoubtedly going to give rise to some inconsistent performances.

My lid is well and truly still on at this stage.

 

[mpal6]

A possible finals season going to drain last year has taught me never to keep my hopes up. Good teams squeeze out a win even on their below par days. We are just atrocious when below par (refer to 2nd quarter against Carlton).

 

[dannitori]

Nope...not feeling the same...

But I think we are on the up, which is a great sign

 

[Cousin Jed]

A possible finals season going to drain last year has taught me never to keep my hopes up.

Yep. Been there or thereabouts recently, so don't feel like getting too carried away yet.

 

[acuguy]

Obviously watched and played enough footy to know that we aren't up there with the top 4 but there is an air of excitement around the place. I think the way the tone and comments of the players during interviews is also very positive. Lots of good noises around our club at the moment. Let's hope we can get on some sort of roll.

 

[Lace Out]

My lid is on as we only have 1 injury and there is only one way for that to go.

 

[whatboutbob]

I understand where you're coming from acuguy. There are certainly some reasons for optimism at the moment, but ask again after round 5.

 

[notting18]

2005 me would've been expecting great things from the start of the season. However, after a few years of underachieving, I have become quite the pessimist and just assume things will go badly eventually. Lid well and truly welded on.

 

[acuguy]

I look forward to seeing how this thread evolves over the season!

 

[mpal6]

I am glad for the fact that we are 2-1 after 3 rounds with wins against our bogey sides West coast and Sydney. When we win against Sydney, we normally end up with a good season. I am happy to see the changes in style of play, players willing to ice the clock to get to a win. With Vossy in charge, I sit in front of tele every week with lot of expectation, not for a win but just to see how he is adapting to his new role and how this team is getting moulded by the great man. I would compare it to feelings of a kid going to unwrap the gifts and see the presents inside, with every week compared to a new present. I am hoping I will get more than 25, including the NAB cup ones.

I can safely say Vossy has been very impressive so far, keeping me looking forward to the next one.

 

[blynd_freddie]

Keeping the lid on it?
I think I can explain in my usual round about way why I see this as a possible tautological recipe for a metaphoric disaster.

For me… by keeping the lid on I’d be risking the possibility of over cooking the 2009 pudding. I’d prefer to remove the lid, watch, enjoy and experience in full, all the ingredients of Voss with less than a month into the real thing and both player and supporter expectations etc. continuing to simmer along.

What I've just said could also suggest I’m keeping a lid on things… mmmm perhaps I’’ll have to settle for a glass lid sitting half on.

 

[Gibbo_88]

Round 3 is a bit early to say for me, one or two more games and we will know where we're at.
Read somewhere that Drummo said he loved the game plan.
The whole running and taking on the opposition instead of sitting back and waiting for someone to get in the clear for the whole game will give a lot more confidence to everyone. I think at this stage they've got a long way to go but a few players have improved a lot this year so we're on the way up.

 

[POBT]

There have been two very good, and yet contradictory, points made so far.

1. Acuguy's point about the quality of the "team" performance. Who had a bad game on Sat night? Some contributed less than others but no-one had a shocker. That is exceptionally pleasing.

2. TFB's comment about the weather conditions. If it dries out by Friday, then we'll see how we go against a side which is usually full of endeavour and, despite last week's game, has a reasonably high skill level. I've got a high regard for Collingwood's footy so they are a measure for us. Beat the Pies and I'll let a bit of steam out of Freddie's pudding!

 

[chopperduck]

need to refocus on the pies this week. after the long weekend its Tuesday already and a Friday night game means its only 4 days away. I think this game will be more important than the swans game. We have to back up our performance and back it up against a team that is in pretty good form despite the early record.

Hooper, Charman and Brennan likely to come in, who do we drop from a winning team to make way ?

 

[blynd_freddie]

I think in all seriousness though – one should enjoy the moments as they occur – refer to St.Kilda keeping the lid on things re their pre-season Wizard wok win several years ago, all wins should be celebrated, with some wins being more significant season defining moments even pivotal turning points in the history of the club.

For example Rnd 12 1997 we had our first win on the MCG, Rnd21 1999 was our second, both wins were against Melbourne who were respectively 16th and 14th on the ladder at the time. Yeah maybe the first being significant in the history of the club but hardly extraordinary in any other way.
Then comes round 15 2001, as the Brisbane Lions we had only won 2 of the 14 games played at the G, it was a 5th vs. 7th blockbuster and we won our third. [Below]

Our 4th win was then only 11 weeks later on September the 29th.

So how significant was Saturdays long awaited win against Sydney?
Only future history or a gaze into one of Grims crystal orbs might reveal, but for me, in an introverted sort of way, the lids were well and truly off and in a big cymbal-ic way [sorry].

PS – they have now been packed away for another week but are now sitting at the very top of my toy box ready for Friday.

 

[paulige]

Our season Starts:
2005: 1-3
2006: 1-3
2007: 2-2
2008: 2-2
2009: 3-1

A win this week would certainly provide our best start since the grand final run, something to no doubt look forward to.


2005: 4 losses to WC and Sydney this year
2006: 4 losses to WC and Sydney this year
2007: 1 loss, 1 draw, 1 win to WC and Sydney this year
2008: 3 losses, 1 win to WC and Sydney this year
2009: 2 wins, 1 undecided

Interestingly enough, last year, rounds 1-4 included losses to both West Coast and Sydney.
And just to highlight the hold our bogey teams had over us.. In 4 seasons, we managed 12 losses, 2 wins, and 1 draw against them. This year, we've already matched the 2 wins.
Beating two teams that have consistently whipped us 4 years running, in the first 3 weeks of this year, is no doubt a very positive sign.

A turn of fortunes?

 

[POBT]

Maxwell has accepted the 2 weeks.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Maxwell has accepted the 2 weeks.

Shall I start the official match thread now?

 

[blynd_freddie]

Hahaha, this now seems to becoming the official ‘trying’ to keep a lid on it pre-preview – post game review thread.

So...... why can’t an ‘official’ review [not a ¾ time fat lady] thread be started at the conclusion of each round and then be linked to the following weeks official Preview thread?

 

[chopperduck]

Shall I start the official match thread now?

actually i think we need to get a match thread going. being a friday night game, its only 3 sleeps away. we need time to bag out the collingwood supporters

 

[LuckyLuke]

actually i think we need to get a match thread going. being a friday night game, its only 3 sleeps away. we need time to bag out the collingwood supporters

Hehe, that reminds me... need to update the Encyclopedia of Collingwood jokes!

 

[POBT]

Hey, we like routine.

For those that don't know, there is a bit of work goes into the official match day threads. The work that weevil, lionbear and the weekly contributors put in makes the threads an outstanding feature of this board. Every team board is now being encouraged to do something similar. But it is time consuming and is not a "click the fingers" sort of thing.

Whilst it is sometimes good to get discussions going early (and this week would be a good time to do that), the reality is that we need to: (1) give people time to discuss the previous round, and (2) give the preview writers enough time to write a preview (and weevil enough time to weave his geek magic with the thread).