On paper we should have what it takes to be competitive. Strong list combined with first class facilities.
But, until we play the way a competitive side should play -week in week out. Win the games we expect to win well. Win our fair share of the tough ones. Until that happens then given the last few (quite a few) years we are still a side with only the potential to be good.
I promised myself I would wait and see for 2019. Pre-season training reports have provided a lot of hope, but doing well against your teammates means nothing unless that replicates itself in an actual game.
What frustrates me is that Kelly said this week will be taking the Geelong game more seriously but all I saw was more of the same from the Carltons loss if not worse.
Club was all ready hinting after the loss that “we will keep working” I mean what the hell have the team been practising over the summer how can they not be ready still?
I agree that if they play the GWS game badly, with poor cohesion and understanding between the players we’d have good reason to be p***ed off and ask what have they been doing.
And even if that is the case after a few rounds it does not mean it cannot be turned around (i.e. last year). But we wouldn’t want that to happen because it makes it extra tough when you are playing catch up football to get into the 8 let alone top 4.
So yes, we all want the side to be playing well come round 1. GWS is not a lock in win. But a competitive match with us being skilled and well structured and well organised would be very encouraging for the season ahead.
If I had to go on these pre-season practice games, I’d be a bit concerned. It felt that we were out of sync on when to streak ahead down the corridor and when not to. I felt that we could have zig-zagged our way up a bit more at times - maybe go around and cut back in instead of full steam ahead. That some players tried to do this, but others were in different minds. I thought our defensive structure was too easily torn apart and spread.
Then again we had key players playing half the match and changing with others. Continuity was horrible. The midfield worked pretty well, I thought, particularly with TBell in there. Our first mids and TBell looked scary good at times. JLT2 saw the lift of some of our better players - but to no where near their capacity. Merret, Hepp, Stringer, McGrath - these guys have a lot more gears. I like Myers latest role. Thought he became a difficult match-up for the opposition, who know he is capable and willing to let fly from 60m.
Both Saad and McKenna showed glimpses of their usual run, but both were at 80%. Both were caught by players that wouldn’t normally. General awareness was down all around, which hints that the team was concentrating on things other than the opposition. There was almost no emotion in the games. Ambrose aside, and a few moments with Hurls. This shows that it was a technical exercise, not a win-at-all-costs blood game.
I could go on for a while on this, but In short - like all supporters, I hate seeing us ‘lose’. Just need to remember what these games are, save your disappointment for the season proper and we lose games we feel we should have won - because as sure as taxes, it will happen.