Burning Jealousy - 11th in 2018 to flag in 2019

[JBOMBER]

I think you need one or two, but to win a premiership you no longer need a midfield full of superstars, was my point.

Who are you basing that off? Which team do you think has won a flag without multiple top level mids?

[Bully]

we lost to the pies in our last game by 4 points - in a game even their own supporters say they were heavily favoured by the umpires.
It ended up being +10 frees to them.

We’re already there
If it hadn’t been for our ordinary start to the season - we would have been in the 8 - and who knows creating chaos.

the pies had a soft as margarine draw and got very favorable treatment from the umpires - we’re better than them and we’re going to smash them next year.

Lol.

[dingus]

If anyone is supportive that Melbourne have overtaken us should be ashamed.

They were a f*cking basket case… at Fitzroy levels. They Couldn’t even compete. Their culture made us look like a hardworking and successful team.

Now they’re playing for a grand final spot. We’re still in no mans land.

In part because we appointed the man responsible for Melbourne’s basket case status to an important role.

Screw Neeld.

[BillyBewick]

Collingwood’s improvement this year (as with Richmond’s last year) I believe has been from finally being able to move the ball quickly with the ability to hit their targets cleanly more often than not under pressure.

They’ve always had the ability to provide maniacal pressure on the opposition ball carrier and close down space to force turnovers, much like Richmond of the past two seasons, but regularly burnt the ball when they had it in their hands ie Treloar, Adams, most of their midfield bar Pendlebury and Sidebottom.

Clean disposal by hand and foot under immense pressure, and elite decision making is where the game is at these days.

There is not much seperating all 18 teams in terms of being able to apply pressure on the opposition but there absolutely is in the way teams use the ball consistently well for long periods of a match under a lot of heat.

The Hawks 3-peat team of 2013-15 showed us how important having elite footskills brought to the table in the modern game but since then scrappy sides like the Bulldogs, Richmond and now Collingwood have used their strengths of being able to apply pressure, which imo helped mask their skills defiencies previously to stay competitive, have now married up that strength with their much improved skills to take them to flags and Grand Final appearances.

One other ingredient to these teams successes has also been, as touched on before by other posters, is the undeniable hunger, will to work hard and supreme fitness that they all possess.

Essendon aren’t too far off what these teams have I believe. Melbourne have finally learnt these qualities and has, after last year’s disaster for them, has tapped into it this season.

Our very best is right up there with the best sides in the comp but our inability to back it up week after week is what holds us back at the moment.

Building consistency is the key with this group from now on. I believe we saw large chunks of improvement in the gameplan and our skills under pressure in the second half of the year and the challenge now is to keep improving and take it into the following year and to have a decent start to 2019 and not allow for the ■■■■ to fall out of the beginning like it did this year.

The club is just starting to build something good and the next five years I believe we will emerge once again as a powerhouse. Just need to have a bit of faith in what the football department are doing, just like Collingwood did with Buckley this year and Richmond did with Dimma the year before. We’re getting there.

[Henry_s_Angry_Pills]

Don’t agree

It was a million miles off early in the year, but it built through the year.

[is_good_is_don]

To be fair, it’s easier to be ‘committed to the cause’ when you have confidence in your team mates… and this can’t be manufactured with a few raa raa speeches from the coaches during preseason.

Three new players last year, youngsters coming in still building their bodies and game. It takes time to create a quality team. …and next year is probably yr2 on the 3 to 4 year journey. Have a look at Melb and Collingwood.

[JohnRain]

Clean disposal by hand and foot under immense pressure, and elite decision making is where the game is at these days.

Excellent post. Cheers.

[Henry_s_Angry_Pills]

Pressure wins games, tackling wins games and sticking tackles wins games, and I think we are very inconsistent in that regard. We have talent, talent wins some games, but not consistently.

We were #2 in the league for tackling for/against, and very very very close to first.

Hawks beat Richmond for tackles and lost. Pies beat WCE for tackles and lost. GWS beat Pies for tackles and lost. Hawks beat Dees for tackles and lost.
Cool story but it doesn’t really hold much water.
There’s umpteen ways you can win or lose a game.

[Henry_s_Angry_Pills]

Concur with all of this.

[wimmera1]

Pressure wins games, tackling wins games and sticking tackles wins games, and I think we are very inconsistent in that regard. We have talent, talent wins some games, but not consistently.

We were #2 in the league for tackling for/against, and very very very close to first.

Hawks beat Richmond for tackles and lost. Pies beat WCE for tackles and lost. GWS beat Pies for tackles and lost. Hawks beat Dees for tackles and lost.
Cool story but it doesn’t really hold much water.
There’s umpteen ways you can win or lose a game.

True dat!!!

[Bomb_Doe]

There’s umpteen ways you can win or lose a game.

yep - agree

there is what is fashionable and there is also other ways.

The basic fundamental to win has not changed, you have to outscore you opponent. You need to get the ball and move it to where you can score. Many ways to do that. You negate your opposition’s strengths. Take advantage of their weaknesses. And flip those for your game style. It’s about being consistent, and being able to play as a team for as long as possible during a game.

Minimising your mistakes. And kicking the goals when offered the opportunity.

[is_good_is_don]

There’s umpteen ways you can win or lose a game.

Yup. And to win a flag you have to get almost all of the umpteen right. Melb and Collingwood, in their last two games, were close to peak in every area of the ground… Def, mid, fwd, ruck. It’s easier to run hard, execute your kicks into 50 with confidence, clear from the centre etc. if you know your ruck is better than theirs, your fwds are better marks than their defenders etc. Some posts here saying ‘all we need is to be more determined and better skilled’ to win it soon, when clearly we have deficiencies in the midfield, body size and age demographic, that mostly needs time to fix. You can’t separate the physical and mental in pro sport.

[mcewanc2]

We gotta stop holding on to that…

[FromTheAshes]

I feel this burning, horrible jealous feeling with the footy increasingly more these days 100%. My thirst for success is now higher than ever and it is galling to see team after team pass us over and over again.

Might not be a popular opinion but I wish we had an Eddie Mcguire type at the helm. He oozes passion and wouldn’t let a powerhouse club perform as we have for 15 years.

It is painful. Was relatively young at our last premiership so the adult years have all been pain and misery. When will it end.

Getting excited for trade period from early September has worn off already. Id rather be looking forward to September.

[Tippa-the-Iceberg]

No matter what talent you have,and no matter how good a game plan.

If you constantly pressure the opposition ball carrier you will create turn overs that lead to goals and win you the game.

We play an exciting brand of footy,but its when we got more intense in the contest that we really turned things around.

Sure,we need a bigger bodied mid.
But we equally need even more intensity and consistency at the contest,like Devon Smith has provided.

[ALBIE_YEO]

We already had them, their names are Hibberd and Melksham. Both genuine hard nuts.

[jonovdp]

Spot on.
IMO we have a more talented list than Richmond. Their frenzied defensive efforts has given them results. Totally mindset driven is success in AFL.

[ALBIE_YEO]

I thought that at the end of the 2nd quarter and first 15mins of the 3rd CFC arced around with too much handball . They forgot that a decent 45m kick gets you into the D50 and puts the opposition under huge pressure, whereas stuffing around on the wing with crappy little handballs invites turnovers.

[Mr_Sunbury_1]

I can’t help but think we have the talent on the list but not the will or the want to show the total commitment to take us to the top. It’s all mindset and totally controllable internally. What’s it going to take to get there? I’m like the majority on here I suspect, just craving some success. I’ve been fortunate to see four flags in my lifetime, two as a junior, one as a teen and the other in my early 20’s but should we win one in the next couple years, I’ll behave like that early 20’s guy and not be home for a week! How sweet would it be??

[SMJ]

Spot on sir