- May 23, 2016
- 6,863
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- AFL Club
- West Coast
Many predicted this would be a danger game, but few predicted Essendon would totally run over the top of us - but they have a tendency to do that, and be hot especially when nobody gives them a chance. Remember them flogging Geelong either last year or the year before, coming out of nowhere, kicking like 8 goals or so in the first quarter. They got ahead, and we got a lot of the play in the last three quarters, but were totally ineffectual up forward...I think we've discussed enough about how insipid we were in pretty much all areas...
Anyway, where does it leave us? What are the implications for our season? Of course to not only lose at home to a bottom 10 side after flying so high, but in the manner we did, is pretty soul-destroying. Sure, we knew the lack of the twin towers and alternative forward targets was gonna probably be big, but the way it just took the heart out of the side was pretty demoralising. How much their absence affected the rest of the playing group we can't fully say. Credit to Essendon too, but it was a game we could have easily won. In many ways the writing was on the wall with the Saints and Swans, we have similar problems then even with JK. Anyway, I kinda feel it's a 'fork in the road moment.' Is it a win we had to have? In some ways, maybe, since it exposed some MAJOR weaknesses in our playing group, and took away ANY sense of arrogance/complacency we have (or it should do, if this doesn't nothing will). I won't go into them here (most are aware), but the coaching group has to either really learn from this, the players have to take stock of things and find that confidence and hunger again, and take it as an unacceptable aberration, or this is the beginning of the end. Maybe we just got lucky and are really pretenders? Do dependent on Darling and Kennedy? Even our usually stars of Nic Nat, Yeo, Hurn, Gaff, Rioli weren't anywhere near up to standard, but the question is why? It seems a lot of it is mental: like on only a few occasion did we link up as we usually do time and time again, SO MUCH can't be blamed on the outs we have.
Where do you think we'll go from here? Do you think it's season done? Can't believe I'm saying this but after this I feel a win against Adelaide will be a huge achievement. I think HOW we play will be pretty important. Two teams at rock bottom now. I mean yes, we should be getting Kennedy and or Darling in the next few weeks, but how much will this defeat affect us, regardless? Will it spur us to be tougher, or expose as as 'pretenders' who other teams will make short work of? It just feels like the fortress has been stormed and overrun. Personally I'm not even thinking premiership. Unthinkable as it is even finals aren't guaranteed. How we respond in the next month will be very revealing of our character.
Anyway, where does it leave us? What are the implications for our season? Of course to not only lose at home to a bottom 10 side after flying so high, but in the manner we did, is pretty soul-destroying. Sure, we knew the lack of the twin towers and alternative forward targets was gonna probably be big, but the way it just took the heart out of the side was pretty demoralising. How much their absence affected the rest of the playing group we can't fully say. Credit to Essendon too, but it was a game we could have easily won. In many ways the writing was on the wall with the Saints and Swans, we have similar problems then even with JK. Anyway, I kinda feel it's a 'fork in the road moment.' Is it a win we had to have? In some ways, maybe, since it exposed some MAJOR weaknesses in our playing group, and took away ANY sense of arrogance/complacency we have (or it should do, if this doesn't nothing will). I won't go into them here (most are aware), but the coaching group has to either really learn from this, the players have to take stock of things and find that confidence and hunger again, and take it as an unacceptable aberration, or this is the beginning of the end. Maybe we just got lucky and are really pretenders? Do dependent on Darling and Kennedy? Even our usually stars of Nic Nat, Yeo, Hurn, Gaff, Rioli weren't anywhere near up to standard, but the question is why? It seems a lot of it is mental: like on only a few occasion did we link up as we usually do time and time again, SO MUCH can't be blamed on the outs we have.
Where do you think we'll go from here? Do you think it's season done? Can't believe I'm saying this but after this I feel a win against Adelaide will be a huge achievement. I think HOW we play will be pretty important. Two teams at rock bottom now. I mean yes, we should be getting Kennedy and or Darling in the next few weeks, but how much will this defeat affect us, regardless? Will it spur us to be tougher, or expose as as 'pretenders' who other teams will make short work of? It just feels like the fortress has been stormed and overrun. Personally I'm not even thinking premiership. Unthinkable as it is even finals aren't guaranteed. How we respond in the next month will be very revealing of our character.
