Not turning against Roos.

[Sanecow]

I get the vibe from Roos a bit.

One thing we've done very, very well and it's something ever since I've got there, is an ability to take players from other clubs and make them into very, very good players.

"The players are good because of us."

You hope they're going to come ready to play but you're never absolutely sure

"The players suck sometimes and it's a mystery why they suck."

As a result we know we have scope to improve against the Magpies who have beaten us twice this year but we know there are other areas we must improve in as well if we are to avoid a first-week elimination from the finals.

In the past two games Collingwood has beaten us in the midfield, particularly in winning the contested ball, and we have to improve our work rate in this area.

"Our coaching strategies aren't to blame for losing to Collingwood, it's the midfield workrate."

[NMWBloods]

Yes - this type of thing, and there are plenty more like it.

[dread and might]

"Our coaching strategies aren't to blame for losing to Collingwood, it's the midfield workrate."

So are you blaming strategies?

Can we blame strategic failure for the raft of errors and lack of fire?

[Sanecow]

So are you blaming strategies?

Can we blame strategic failure for the raft of errors and lack of fire?

It's the current coaching strategy to fill the midfield with taggers and hacks.

[dread and might]

It's the current coaching strategy to fill the midfield with taggers and hacks.

Who from the list would you have in the mids then?

[Sanecow]

Who from the list would you have in the mids then?

As I said in another thread I'd love to see Goodes, Mal, Tadhg and Spida at the centre bounce sometime. Or even Davis (then move forward). More players trying to win the ball and go forward at the bounce would be a good start. WTF use is a "tap ruckman" if nobody is looking for his taps? I don't blame the players put in the centre for failing if they shouldn't be there in the first instance.

I don't blame Leo and Crouch for being under done and slow. The coaches knew their condition but they picked them anyway. Is it really their fault if they can't keep up? They can't magically get faster on the day.

I don't blame Davis for only getting one touch in the first quarter. He would have seen more of the ball at fullback for the reserves.

OTOH I do blame Spida for his costly brainfarts.

[dimelb]

"The players suck sometimes and it's a mystery why they suck."

This is the one that bothers me. Do we hear other coaches saying similar things?

[DeadlyAkkuret]

This is the one that bothers me. Do we hear other coaches saying similar things?

Woosha said something with a similar message behind it.

[liz]

Woosha said something with a similar message behind it.

As did

- Malthouse after his team got thumped by Brisbane
- Laidley after the Roos got thumped yesterday
- Williams several times when they were going through their mid-season slump
- Wallace too many times to count
- Eade several times in the last month
- Thompson several times last year
- Sheedy when his players didn't respond to James Hird's 59th farewell appearance

etc etc

You could find a similar quote from pretty much everyone who has coached a side that has been comprehensively outplayed.

And does anyone dispute that almost all our players were insipid on Saturday night? If not, why the calls to cull half the team.

The team laid 35 tackles (or there abouts) against the Pies. Regardless of match-ups and whether you're winning the ball at stoppages, a team is capable of laying tackles if it is switched on. Against the Hawks the previous week I suspect the tackle count was up around the 70 mark - despite having more time in possession.

It doesn't matter what tactics a coach employs if the players aren't going to do the controllable basics like tackling and running.

There is one statistic for this season that, for me, stands out above all others and has to be at least partly laid at the feet of the coaching staff.

The team has played 10 daytime games (+ one that was daytime locally but mid-time EST) for 9 wins. The daytime loss was against Geelong at KP in the pouring rain (and the mid-time game was against the Eagles at Subi). So neither of those was disgraceful losses taking into account who we were playing and obvious home team advantage. The wins included ones against Port, the Hawks (twice), Brisbane (who were in very good form at the time) and the Dogs (also in pretty good form at the time).

On the other hand, the team played 12 night time games for 3 wins, 1 draw and 8 losses. Two of the wins were against Melbourne (when they were at their most injury plagued) and Richmond. The only creditable win amongst those was the Saints game given they were in good form at the time.

This could be partly due to dewy conditions and the failure to adapt. But I think there is far more than that. The team's intensity in all those night games bar the Saints and Brisbane games was a shadow of the intensity during almost every single day game they played. Even in the losses to Geelong and West Coast they played at least some decent footy.

It suggests that maybe they haven't found a way to prepare the players to be mentally switched on at the right time. Whether it's changing training times, diet (ie when they eat) or other factors that determine their preparation I have no idea. But you'd have to hope they've been trying something different as this obvious trend has emerged during the season. And even if they were trying different things, there's no evidence that it worked.

[Lucky Knickers]

It suggests that maybe they haven't found a way to prepare the players to be mentally switched on at the right time. Whether it's changing training times, diet (ie when they eat) or other factors that determine their preparation I have no idea. But you'd have to hope they've been trying something different as this obvious trend has emerged during the season. And even if they were trying different things, there's no evidence that it worked.

We can rule out hitting the Casino the night before too

[annew]

Geez people get critical. Roos took us to 2 Grand Finals - yes 2. We won 1 and nearly won another with a team that was and still is described as not very talented. If that is the case with an injection of a few other players from the reserves (playing every or nearly every week) who is to say it can't happen again. We still have the youth or semi-youth of Malceski, Schneider, Buchannon, Ablett, Goodes, Dempster, Barlow, Laidlaw, Davis, C Bolton, that is half a team, and he did it in 2003 so why not 2008? Get off his back how many coaches would change their team or game plan very much after losing a GF by 1 lousy point! Don't also forget we have played in finals for 5 years I'm guessing there are plenty of other clubs that would love that record.

[NMWBloods]

Get off his back how many coaches would change their team or game plan very much after losing a GF by 1 lousy point!

Most would or should if the following year there is a big slide and the team has aged.

[ROK Lobster]

Don't also forget we have played in finals for 5 years I'm guessing there are plenty of other clubs that would love that record.

Not sure we should count this year.

[Sanecow]

Don't also forget we have played in finals for 5 years I'm guessing there are plenty of other clubs that would love that record.

BFD. Sheedy had consecutive runs of six and seven years in the finals and he is a crazy old bastard.

[NMWBloods]

Adelaide has played in 6 of the past 7.
Brisbane played in 6 in a row.
Prior to 2002 Carlton used to do it regularly.
Essendon played in 7 in a row or 16 out of 19.
Kangaroos played in 8 in a row.
Port played in 5 in a row.
West Coast has played in 6 in a row currently.