Let’s face facts Norf got rubbished letting go players, we need to do the same, we have 12 not afl standard.
If we made the finals from here we’d be a smokey to win it because our form would have be THAT good.
Absolutely, we make the finals from here and will would have made some significant changes.
Start of the season - you have two options:
Roll out the same game plan and get the same result - e.g. exposed come finals time.
Make changes: hopefully get a plan that will stand up when the pressure is on, but risk the team going backwards if we don’t buy in or the plan just doesn’t work.
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Can you imagine, the line coaches not allowed to talk to the senior coach. Their messages/thoughts/ideas were transferred to Woosha via Neeld. Now who thought of that brilliant idea? No wonder we are going down the toilet when that sort of crap was going on in the coaches box on game day. Thank God that crap is now off the agenda. The “good assistant coaches” in Harvey and “Pop” Kelly might get their ideas through. Don’t think Corrigan and Skipworth will be able to offer much? Time for those two to be shown the door. They lack AFL experience and knowledge about the “modern” way of playing the game.
I reject the premise.
You can build on something without tearing what was already there to the ground first.
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What if you try and it doesn’t work?
Then you still have what you had.
And that doesn’t mean you have to stop trying.
On both a practical and an intellectual level the idea that you only have two options; do everything exactly the same as before, or do everything completely different than before, is just silly.
And it’s kind of what’s been making me tear my hair out (and I don’t have a lot to spare) with Worsfold (or in the brave new world, Neeld).
Build your base first.
Put down the non-negotiables.
Then you add to it.
Add to it, not replace it.
Maybe the base was wrong?
Maybe, but if that’s the case then you have no business coaching under 10’s, let alone a senior AFL side.
Maybe the base suited a team that wanted to play fun and exciting football for a year but wasn’t suitable for a team to win finals?
The loss to Sydney last year just looked like massive stage-fright to me. Nerves got the better of the boys and they went into their shells and stopped taking the fast, positive decisions and risks that had been a hallmark of their game-style in 2017. Now that’s what you call a huge learning opportunity.
I do hope to goodness the change in game-plan that’s destroyed our confidence so utterly this season didn’t stem from that one game!
Anyone who wants to see how well our 2017 game-plan can work in a pressure-cooker clash just needs to watch Port Adelaide in the showdown on the weekend…and to think that at times last year we were better at it than them!
Dont believe the rubbish - listen to Merrett and look with your eyes. Our ‘game plan’ hasnt changed much this season, we are still trying to play faster, through the guts etc.
The problem? The rest of the comp isnt copping it anymore. We have been worked out as early as 5 minutes into the Richmond nab cup game when saad went on his run. Most teams (there are still hard headed teams who dont adjust much for others ie Adel) who will give us the corridor, but most wont.
Make no mistake, we entered this season thinking playing one way would work and the game changed, and the opposition changed. The result of this is chipping around the backline, going slow, not getting into the forwardline quickly etc. It is not the aim. Everybody seemed to watch Richmond last season but us.
Dont fall for the excuses.
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I’d get Jake Carlisle back to do a review. He seemed to have his finger on the pulse when he was with us. 
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Nah! Hurley got a 50 and kicked a goal, the team celebrated as if the final siren had blown. Maybe hubris, arrogance or just over-confident but the game wasn’t over and Sydney knew that. The rest is history.
Unless it’s a final.
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If they can put it together this week - they can win!
Just in case.
No hard tag podcast
Suspect we’ll find out a lot over the next five matches, three of which are interstate. GWS, Richmond, Brisbane, WC & NM is a pretty stern test.
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