"Winning mentality"

[dominguez]

to go into the season with a string of losses has gotta do something negative to the players minds.

Pretty sure Sydney lost all 4 pre-season games in both the years that they played in grand finals.

Winning is obviously preferable but I certainly won't be disappointed if we only have 8-10 of our best 22 playing next week regardless of whether it's a semi-final or a scratch match. A win against the crows shouldn't take our focus off round one.

 

[newlander77]

I'd just like to see the boys win an away game early and that seems to be a focus going over to AAMI today. They have changed their travel schedule again to see how the players adapt to flying in the day before. The idea of wraping someone up in cotton wool to me is ridiculous. Fringe players should be rotated in the pre-season, but all in all it's important to get your structures right. You can't do that with majority of your team watching from the grandstand or a television set!

 

[Sman-21]

Winning the nab cup will not help freo get that winning mentality.

Everybody knows its a mickey mouse cup that has no relevance to how your team will go in the season.
All it does is help coaches try out new players and in diff positions etc.

Even if freo went out an won every nab cup game by 50 points it would not help get us that winning mentality.
Theres too many people saying how unimportant it is an meaningless etc so that will be in the back of their minds.

Only way to get that winning mentality is in the season proper, an when there up by 30 or so not to slack off.

 

[Shadow Man]

NAB Cup is a time to expirement with the entire roster (if fit) playing various roles in game situations. It's a time to tinker with the game plan and hone team strategies.

I believe every team goes out to win, every time they take the field but not at the cost of fine-tuning and experimentation during the NAB Cup.

Winning games is just a by-product of all the other stuff coming together and if you win, then you certainly take it.

 

[raiders07]

Fremantle definately need a winning mentality. Even in last Sunday's Derby they started the first quarter and a half in blaizing fashion and then the faded for the rest of the game up until they kicked those late goals deep into the last quarter. What I am trying to say is when we are thrashing a team at half time, don't give up and stop trying just because you think you have won the game. Absolutely bury a team, take no prisoners. This will also boost percentage. I can only think back to what 2007 may have been like if we had this mentality installed in our players against Port Adelaide in Round 1. Maybe we could of made top 4 how know's.

PS. Geelong last year when the were thrashing a team, they did not stop and start to go easy they put the hammer down and demolished teams. This then showed at the end of the home and away season when they had a percentage of 152.8%. The next best was Port Adelaide on 113.5%.

 

[leeloo]

Winning the nab cup will not help freo get that winning mentality.

Everybody knows its a mickey mouse cup that has no relevance to how your team will go in the season.
All it does is help coaches try out new players and in diff positions etc.

Even if freo went out an won every nab cup game by 50 points it would not help get us that winning mentality.
Theres too many people saying how unimportant it is an meaningless etc so that will be in the back of their minds.

Only way to get that winning mentality is in the season proper, an when there up by 30 or so not to slack off.

Just wondering, will the first team that wins both the NAB cup and H&A grand final set a new standard and the preseason will then become a gauge of the season to come?

 

[dominguez]

Just wondering, will the first team that wins both the NAB cup and H&A grand final set a new standard and the preseason will then become a gauge of the season to come?

Got a feeling that Essendon did the double in 2000. Not 100% sure though.

There was a period there, probably from about 2000 to 2003, where both teams that played in the pre-season competition finished top four each year.

 

[The Night Shift]

Got a feeling that Essendon did the double in 2000. Not 100% sure though.

There was a period there, probably from about 2000 to 2003, where both teams that played in the pre-season competition finished top four each year.

I think the Bombers did do the double in 2000 Dom.

 

[leeloo]

Well if it can be done once it can be done again! Definitely good bragging rights.

Personally I think all clubs should try to succeed in both or is it the supporters who don't take preseason so seriously?

 

[dominguez]

Personally I think all clubs should try to succeed in both or is it the supporters who don't take preseason so seriously?

The players give their all in the NAB Cup, but it would be silly IMO for a coach to select his best 26 players all four weeks of the pre-season. The NAB Cup is about getting your list in the best possible condition for round one.

I'd like to see Pav, Josh, Sandi, Farmer, Grover and McPharlin rested next week. Considering we'll have Bell, Warnie and Tarrant coming back in we'll still have a strong line up. Then play our best available side for the final pre-season game in a fortnights time.

 

[YALLS]

Good call Dom. I'd like to see the same players rested next week in view of having a close to full strength side in a fortnight.

In regard to taking preseason games seriously of course clubs do. Clubs can't just hit the green button come round 1 and you don't get to play at the elite level unless you're a very competitive person, and all competitive people have too much pride to play at 70 or 80%. So although you might not have the strongest lineup on the park, rest assured they're giving it their all every time they play.
The excuse supporters use that their team doesn't take it seriously is a crock, and a loser mentality. You will get hurt out there if you're not committing to the contest.

 

[leeloo]

Thanks Yalls and Dom. I suppose my point has been that there is a 'feeling' that if you were to win the night grand final you have no chance to win the H&A and I can't understand that type of thinking.

Why wouldn't you try for both, of course without jeopodising the players which you wouldn't do in either competitions I would think.

 

[dominguez]

Good call Dom. I'd like to see the same players rested next week in view of having a close to full strength side in a fortnight.

I think the final game is definately the most important one. I like to see a combination of the old and the new in the first 3 weeks then as close as possible to our best side week 4.

 

[anti.]

woo! go winning mentality!

 

[chook2734]

I think the final game is definately the most important one. I like to see a combination of the old and the new in the first 3 weeks then as close as possible to our best side week 4.

Agreed that they need to be rested, but I'd like to know where week 4 will be before making the decision as to whether it's this week or next week that they rest. If any players are sore/tired/whatever they shouldn't be played regardless of their status in the team. If some of the older guys (particularly those who didn't travel to SA) want to play this week, I'd let them, then give them the week off from travelling in week 4. The training schedule can be adjusted to accommodate if necessary.

 

[dominguez]

Agreed that they need to be rested, but I'd like to know where week 4 will be before making the decision as to whether it's this week or next week that they rest. If any players are sore/tired/whatever they shouldn't be played regardless of their status in the team. If some of the older guys (particularly those who didn't travel to SA) want to play this week, I'd let them, then give them the week off from travelling in week 4. The training schedule can be adjusted to accommodate if necessary.

There is a weeks break between the 4th NAB game and round one, so if our "A team" play next week then rest the week later they'll have 2 consecutive weekends off. Much better to rest them next weekend then treat the final game as a dress rehearsal for round one, regardless of the venue.