Fans/Media Reactions

[The Pie Man]

I commented on last night's game day thread that like Desipura, I thought we were gone with minutes to go, and so with it our season.

Reading the Herald Sun this morning, Mark Robinson shared a similar view, mentioning that should we have lost, our 'premiership dream would lie in the MCG slush'

Got me thinking about SS' 'Animal Farm' thread (which is now closed) I haven't posted a thing on BF before, but the general theme from those of yo that do is that WOOF posters are generally more balanced. I've got no idea what perceptions of my posts are, but I'd like to think I post on here after wins as much as a loss, and like to celebrate positive stuff when it's there (happy to hear otherwise, but this isn't the point of the thread)

So let's imagine we were 3-4 after last night with a tough trip to Canberra to play Sydney next - I'll admit, last night for 10 seconds I contemplated losing last night and thought our season of hope is slipping away - but would it really have been that bad to have lost last night?

So my question is are we & media scribes like Robbo too critical or quick to judge?

[Stefcep]

No.

As Lake said: "We were crap"

We have been crap for most of this season.

Long way back, if we lost, to get a top 4 spot. No top 4 spot, no flag.

[LostDoggy]

I felt the same way with 10mins to go and began thinking up excuses in my head...poor conditions one of them.

I wouldn't of classed out season as all over but it would be looking in pretty bad shape.

Regardless of the loss im still looking forward to going to Canberra to watch them play a side in good form whom we have a good recent record over it will be a telling game of our contested football and ability to compete with the current top sides in the comp.

[AndrewP6]

I think we are sometimes too quick to judge/too critical, but in this case, it's been 7 weeks and we haven't looked anything like our best. We've got lots of talent that isn't delivering....

I was sure we were gone, along with our season. I'd still have gone to our games though :)

[Scorlibo]

I hate wet conditions. We lost to Brisbane largely because of the wet ground, and we nearly did the same against Melbourne. If we hadn't have experienced such horrid conditions in 2 matches, and we hadn't have had St Kilda fluke that win last week, we would be 6 and 1. That's the way I look at it anyway. Call me an optimist.

[Jasper]

Its often wet on Grand Final day. Would rather play say StKilda on the MCG than on tighter Dome.

Listened to D Cross interview, admitted the mids are confused about delivering to the forward line. It will be intersesting to see how Eade addresses this.

[LostDoggy]

I hate wet conditions. We lost to Brisbane largely because of the wet ground, and we nearly did the same against Melbourne. If we hadn't have experienced such horrid conditions in 2 matches, and we hadn't have had St Kilda fluke that win last week, we would be 6 and 1. That's the way I look at it anyway. Call me an optimist.

I tend to agree, the Brisbane one was in horrible conditions and it seemed as though we lost it when Williams went off and the Saints loss could have just as easily been a win. Having said that, we didn't win so the if's and but's mean absolutely nothing as far as the ladder is concerned. I just hope that the games we've played in the rain that most other teams haven't had to, will help us at the latter end of the year if it happens to be wet.

As far as if we'd lost last night goes, well, I got my P's yesterday and was looking forward to capping my day off with a great win, so if they'd lost, I would have been less than impressed, there's no point denying it- if Griffen or Lake had missed, chances are bigfooty would be in meltdown and our season outlook would be looking pretty bad.

[Remi Moses]

Gee I would have thought wet conditions were part and parcel of a winter sport!We've been spasmodic
Putting it mildly some efforts have been poor and some players are out of form.We need together a big scalp starting next week!Making excuses about conditions is just (dare I say it) accepting mediocrity

[LostDoggy]

Of course it's a winter game and teams cop rain at times, but when your home stadium has a roof on it, like it or not, they get used to playing in good conditions. I agree making excuses isn't the way to go and our form hasn't been good, but trying to look for some positives so that it's not all doom and gloom isn't accepting mediocrity, it's trying to stay sane.

[LostDoggy]

Our whole structure is out of whack with the compensations Rocket has had to make for the absences at various times of Picken, Ward, Reid, Boyd and Johnson through injury.

Gia has had to come into the middle to cover and been brilliant, but we've lost our no.1 assist man from the half-forward line, Murph loses a key ally in the half-forward region, loses form, and has to go down back, so we lose another quality avenue into the forward 50, so the ball is often in the wrong hands bombing towards Hall, so we're not scoring as freely.

It's simplistic to say that Hall is the problem, because the rest of the team isn't lining up the same way as last year. The fact that Daniel Cross (!) of all people is talking about delivering in the forward 50 tells you that the ball is in the wrong hands going forward. Our defensive structure generally has been good and not been cut up (except maybe the Brisbane game) and we've kept the opposition scores low, but we're just not posting the scores offensively that we were last year.

[LostDoggy]

[QUOTE=Lantern;151654]Our whole structure is out of whack with the compensations Rocket has had to make for the absences at various times of Picken, Ward, Reid, Boyd and Johnson through injury.

Gia has had to come into the middle to cover and been brilliant, but we've lost our no.1 assist man from the half-forward line, Murph loses a key ally in the half-forward region, loses form, and has to go down back, so we lose another quality avenue into the forward 50, so the ball is often in the wrong hands bombing towards Hall, so we're not scoring as freely.

Agree with your comments Lantern, but also feel that there is another way to look at last night - yes, we obviously didn't play well and we are playing well below our best, but then to drag a win from the jaws of defeat surely says something about our grit and determination not to give in? I have heard it said about Geelong before - they are playing below their best, but somehow are still managing to scrape through with a win. Taking a positive - we can only get better, yes? Whilst I am not happy that the boys are down on form, etc., I am accepting if we are playing ourselves into form, with the return of players too, and are getting the four points. It is obviously not what my wild dreams at the start of the season had in mind, but hey, I'll take the four points in an ugly win any day to a heart shattering loss like last week. :o

[AndrewP6]

I hate wet conditions. We lost to Brisbane largely because of the wet ground, and we nearly did the same against Melbourne. If we hadn't have experienced such horrid conditions in 2 matches, and we hadn't have had St Kilda fluke that win last week, we would be 6 and 1. That's the way I look at it anyway. Call me an optimist.

You optimist... :)

[LostDoggy]

Did anyone agree with questions and opinons given to cooney on that footy show tonight about Halls inclusion has disrupted the mojo of our game plan?

[AndrewP6]

Did anyone agree with questions and opinons given to cooney on that footy show tonight about Halls inclusion has disrupted the mojo of our game plan?

It has changed the way they're going about things, but poor disposal, bad decisions, lack of intensity, and failing to capitalise on opportunity has nothing to do with Hall being there. It's an obvious question for them to ask, and they're not exactly a panel of geniuses on that show.

[Sedat]

So let's imagine we were 3-4 after last night with a tough trip to Canberra to play Sydney next - I'll admit, last night for 10 seconds I contemplated losing last night and thought our season of hope is slipping away - but would it really have been that bad to have lost last night?

So my question is are we & media scribes like Robbo too critical or quick to judge?

With Freo and Collingwood both winning tonight, and with St Kilda and Sydney still to play this weekend, a loss last night would have potentially put us 3 games and percentage outside the top 4. It was a massive win last night in the context of our season.

[Rocco Jones]

With Freo and Collingwood both winning tonight, and with St Kilda and Sydney still to play this weekend, a loss last night would have potentially put us 2 games and percentage outside the top 4. It was a massive win last night in the context of our season.

Yep.

It was also pleasing to see us stand up when it mattered. Our last 5 minutes were great and hopefully will give us confidence next time the game is on the line in the 4th quarter.

[Stefcep]

Of course it's a winter game and teams cop rain at times, but when your home stadium has a roof on it, like it or not, they get used to playing in good conditions..

Was thinking about this. I reckon the art of playing in the wet is being lost, especially for the teams that play under the roof in the home and away season, who are at a disadvantage when they have to play at the 'G come finals, especially if the rains or wind are there.

It even catches the coaches out it seems, like when Ross Lyon admitted he made a mistake in his tactics of kicking long to Reiwold and Kozzi in the wet in the GF only for them not to hold marks they would in the dry. Well derrr! As kids we were told to kick low and chest mark, and even kick it along the ground a little more.

[Stefcep]

Yep.

It was also pleasing to see us stand up when it mattered. Our last 5 minutes were great and hopefully will give us confidence next time the game is on the line in the 4th quarter.

No stats on this but last season I felt if we were within two goals at 3 quarter time we could over-run most teams. Part of that was that I felt we were a great finishing side capable of scoring 120 points per game more often than not.

[Remi Moses]

I think most teams look lost in wet conditions,particularly with the amount of handballing!

[ledge]

I was thinking are we as bad as we make out, if we had beaten St Kilda we would have been 5-2, only a game off top spot, yes we arent playing well but good teams still win enough in bad times, we are doing that. Just.

[The Pie Man]

With Freo and Collingwood both winning tonight, and with St Kilda and Sydney still to play this weekend, a loss last night would have potentially put us 3 games and percentage outside the top 4. It was a massive win last night in the context of our season.

Agreed - scary that Freo won in Brisbane. I think St Kilda's spot in the top 4 is the one most vulnerable now...will watch Monday night with interest (I tipped Carlton)

I started the thread acknowledging that I'm as guilty as anyone of thinking the worst - after reading Robbo's comments in the paper I thought 'I felt the same thing last night...was I too quick to come to that conclusion?'

But in reality, a loss would've really hurt top 4 chances - so would a loss next week...not a fatal blow, but it's a classic 8 point game

[LostDoggy]

I hate wet conditions. We lost to Brisbane largely because of the wet ground, and we nearly did the same against Melbourne. If we hadn't have experienced such horrid conditions in 2 matches, and we hadn't have had St Kilda fluke that win last week, we would be 6 and 1. That's the way I look at it anyway. Call me an optimist.

I too hate the wet. My reason is because it plays havoc with my mohawk.:rolleyes: