Turning Point for the RFC

[partycorolla]

Hi guys, I'm getting a little bored with all the trade talk.... I wish the week and then the draft and then pre season would just hurry up!!!

So I thought I would make an observation and then get some feedback on it. Here goes....

Our big come from behind win against Sydney was fantastic. As I was jumping up and down with a mate of mine at the game I remember saying in a rather euphoric tone.... "This is the rebirth of the football club, you can build a club on wins like this" and more dribble to that effect!!!

Having watched it a couple of times since (47) I still get a real buzz out of watching a team that would have thrown in the towel many many times in the past and been beaten by 70 odd points actually dig deep and fight back. The win against West Coast was easy, we have won games like those for years (fast start, then play well under little pressure), the Brisbane game, well Fev's game said it all and we were good against Freo (thank god for the interchange stuff up and Hill and Sandilands kicking).

I actually think my second favourite game of the year (this will sound stupid) was the Pt Adel game. We saw the best and worst of Richmond in the one game. Should have been 3 or 4 goals up at qtr time, then the most diabolical quarter of ball butchering I've seen in years, then what was almost our greatest ever comeback and the 4th best in AFL history.

I know we lost but I think it would have sent a great message to the players going into the off season - If you work your ass off, things will start to go your way, think you are going better than you are and you'll get spanked!!

Anyway, feel free to say whether you think the Syd game was the turning point, or the Hawthorn near win or any other game or that we haven't turned yet at all....

 

[Mario Speedwagon]

Our big come from behind win against Sydney was fantastic. As I was jumping up and down with a mate of mine at the game I remember saying in a rather euphoric tone.... "This is the rebirth of the football club, you can build a club on wins like this" and more dribble to that effect!!!

Gee you must've had a real moment of deja vu when you got home, watched the replay and heard Bruce McEvaney say virtually the exact same thing....

 

[Deledio2Conca]

Was probably my favourite game of the year as well, being there in the flesh was amazing. Collins' last quarter was the real highlight and really stamped in my mind that this kid is going to be a very good player going forward for us. Great day.

 

[Punt_Road_Roar]

My favourite match was the Freo game, it was pretty physical match, I thought it showed the team had a bright future of sheer grit and determination. I know we felt the effects for a few weeks after that game but so did Fremantle, we also impacted Freo's top 4 chances that game as they struggled winning only 2 of their next 5 games.

 

[partycorolla]

My favourite match was the Freo game, it was pretty physical match, I thought it showed the team had a bright future of sheer grit and determination. I know we felt the effects for a few weeks after that game but so did Fremantle, we also impacted Freo's top 4 chances that game as they struggled winning only 2 of their next 5 games.

Yeah that Freo game was tough.... You knew that Nth would be able to grind us down the next week.... It took heaps out of the young kids

 

[tugga]

The turning point of what exactly?
A 15th-placed finish?

 

[The Goon]

As far as a potential turning point, it has to be the Hawthorn near win for my money. After two months of being flogged the kids finally clicked with the game plan (or something) and had to know that with a bit more polish (or without Mitchell's tackle) they would have beaten a decent team. To me the self belief that generated was what won them 6 games this year. Even the 'easy' wins I think would have been impossible without that.

But is it a turning point? I think we'll have to wait till next year to see. Imo the Sydney game was only win we had this year without the opposition being seriously compromised in some way. So if we win 6 games again next year, but against competitive outfits, I'd be happy with the result.

 

[partycorolla]

The turning point of what exactly?
A 15th-placed finish?

Tugga, you may well be a grumpy moderater but if you can't see the difference between the way the Tigers were playing at the end of the season (with belief, albeit skill and ability still a long way to go) compared to the start of the season or in 2009 then you must be blind.

A 15th place finish exceeded what everybody thought after 4 or 5 rounds. Don't get wrong Tugga, I'm not saying we will improve massively in ladder position next year or even the year after but the belief and the building blocks started this season and it wasn't evident in my eyes until after rnd 8. But definitely the Sydney game gave the players belief they hadn't previously had....

 

[The Goon]

The turning point of what exactly?
A 15th-placed finish?

Well, compared to 16th...

Seriously though, I thought by the end of the year we looked like next year we'll be better that West Coast, Brisbane and (bear with me on this) Port.

 

[Mario Speedwagon]

At the momernt the only Turning Point I know of is a crappy ballerina movie from the late 70's with Shirley McClaine & Anne Bancroft..which will soon be eclipsed by the hot girl-on-girl action of Natalie Portaman and Mila Kunis in the upcoming Black Swan...oh man I can't wait...hang on what are talking about again?..Ah bugger it..I need a shower now....

 

[Roachy8]

Might sound a bit retrospective and perhaps obvious, but last year when Terry was pushed aside started to turn the down-trodden Tiger...

Appointing Hardwick & Benny Gale's return was pivotal
Moving on almost all of our 'assistant coaches' was important
Cleaning out the previous club 'stallwarts' like Bowden, Nathan Brown & to some degree, even Richo not going on ensured the winds of change continued to blow...

Some inspired drafting last year and the selection of these youngsters early and often throughout this season changed the 'old culture' for good during this year

Early on-field smashings were not a sign of trouble in the club/ranks, but rather a sign of the long slow process of starting to turn around a big, old club... directing it away from the rotten path of the last decade or so & setting it on the correct path for sustained improvement and success in the future.

In terms of results, bits started to be seen in the first half versus Adelaide in round 7 & then the following week when we fought hard against the Hawks.
A couple of wins in the weeks that followed were mixed with some inconsistent form from the young team but certainly against The Swans in round 14 we showed 4 quarters of fight and pride.

Plenty more to do & again, drafting and trading over the next few weeks is critical but unlike the previous decade... I really feel like my team is in good hands.

 

[RFC_Official]

New facilities, new players, new management. Get me a seat on to the "things are looking up" bandwagon.

 

[Danog]

Was probably my favourite game of the year as well, being there in the flesh was amazing. Collins' last quarter was the real highlight and really stamped in my mind that this kid is going to be a very good player going forward for us. Great day.

And he got 0 Brownlow votes for the game

 

[IDGAF]

Yeah .. great rhetoric and sentiments

But

.. i rememeber being at a game at Etihad v the Lions on the back-end of Ploughs 4th year . Was there and shared a number of beers with fellow posters on this board ... even had a euphoric phonecall from "oxx" afterwards such was the high we were all on ... 5 goals down at 3 quarter time ... stormed home for a rousing victory ... who remembers that ?

That was the re-birth of our footy club at the time

Hang on ????

Lets celebrate the re-birth of this club when it is actually "born" as a power again .

We are merely laying some foundations right now , and that is all they are .. foundations . Experience should have taught all who follow this club that one of our greatest failings for a very long period of time is the tendency to get ahead of ourselves ...

Enjoy a couple of nice wins for sure , don't let me be a total killjoy , but what this club needs more than anything else right now is for its supporters to "keep it real"

 

[partycorolla]

Yeah .. great rhetoric and sentiments

But

.. i rememeber being at a game at Etihad v the Lions on the back-end of Ploughs 4th year . Was there and shared a number of beers with fellow posters on this board ... even had a euphoric phonecall from "oxx" afterwards such was the high we were all on ... 5 goals down at 3 quarter time ... stormed home for a rousing victory ... who remembers that ?

That was the re-birth of our footy club at the time

Hang on ????

Lets celebrate the re-birth of this club when it is actually "born" as a power again .

We are merely laying some foundations right now , and that is all they are .. foundations . Experience should have taught all who follow this club that one of our greatest failings for a very long period of time is the tendency to get ahead of ourselves ...

Enjoy a couple of nice wins for sure , don't let me be a total killjoy , but what this club needs more than anything else right now is for its supporters to "keep it real"

There was no way that was a rebirth.... have watched that game about 35 times.... but who won it for us.... Bowden, Richo, Tambling was brilliant (who'd have thought), Sugar played, a very much older team.... It was a great win but no one could seriously believe it was a re-birthing.

Not to mention that the club certainly died on field after that in 2009.... I have followed this rabble for 30 years and had only this feeling a couple of times... once in 94 and the other rather regrettably was in 2005 after a few wins against Port and Freo and the like. Pity Plough went away from what he said.....

So IDGAF, while I understand you are hesitant, optimism and growing belief can be a powerful thing for a club..... When we finally become a successful team again.... I believe we can look back to 2010 and the Sydney win as a visible catalyst....

 

[Tiger_Stripes]

New facilities, new players, new management. Get me a seat on to the "things are looking up" bandwagon.

Haha, gold

Dunno if you want to mention the word 'bandwagon' in regards to the Tigs though, we could probably all pitch in and start a successful bandwagon resale business to eradicate the club's debt.

 

[folester41]

TUGGA, thats a stupid comment, the turning point for the club is not about our position, its about the culture of the club and the mentality of the players.

 

[tugga]

TUGGA, thats a stupid comment, the turning point for the club is not about our position, its about the culture of the club and the mentality of the players.

I still haven't seen a turning point.
Maybe I will see it in hindsight.

 

[The Rusty Trombone]

Turning points

1) hiring full time recruiting staff
2) employing Damien Hardwick & assistants
3) hawks game
4) swans game
5) not announcing our delistings to early
6) grooming Andy Collins for Captain when Newman retires

 

[Mr Magic]

Going to Cairns to pay off the debt is a big win!!!

 

[tiggywigs]

Call me Quasimodo if you like, but I have a huge hunch that we have not only turned the corner, but we are about to cross the Rubicon as well (for all the reasons already given plus that gut feeling that we are learning how to win). And if you're looking for omens, how about finding breeding pairs of Snow Tigers in Bhutan (reported this week) where they weren't supposed to exist?

 

[Wet Biscuit]

Call me Quasimodo if you like, but I have a huge hunch that we have not only turned the corner, but we are about to cross the Rubicon as well (for all the reasons already given plus that gut feeling that we are learning how to win). And if you're looking for omens, how about finding breeding pairs of Snow Tigers in Bhutan (reported this week) where they weren't supposed to exist?

Quoted for relevance.

Wait what?

 

[peejay]

Suspending Connors and Cousins is the event made me go hmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdyLOkyss_A

 

[Dr Tigris]

The turning point I see is that we have started drafting for a balanced squad, using lots of picks, done by competent professionals, and then developed properly to perform a game plan that will work against top class opposition. Winning one games is Meh! to me. Winning a string of games, good stuff. But having a balanced squad that is developing together is what I see as a turnign point. Under Wallace/Miller there was an attempt to build a run and carry team - didn't work. We'll see if this is a real turning point in two years time, or so. I am confident we are going to do very well, but I expect plenty of ups and downs.

 

[_RT_]

Suspending Connors and Cousins is the event made me go hmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdyLOkyss_A

This was the turning point.