Goodbye 2009

[tigerjoe]

So people are saying 0-3 is not the end of the season.

Round 4 we play the demons who have'nt won either. What makes people so sure we will beat them?

Round 5 we play the roos. When was the last time we beat them?

Round 6 we play Sydney at the SCG. When was the last time we beat them up there?

AFL is such a confidence game it is not funny. I don't think our guys have enough belief in themselves.

They don't back themselves enough, and continually become negative when they should continue to attack.

Run and carry, break lines, tackle ferociuosly, pressure.....things I rarely see from my team.

Geez I hope I'm wrong and we come good. :-\

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

AFL is such a confidence game it is not funny. I don't think our guys have enough belief in themselves.

They don't back themselves enough, and continually become negative when they should continue to attack.

Run and carry, break lines, tackle ferociuosly, pressure.....things I rarely see from my team.

We could do worse than borrow the John Kennedy line from last year's Hawthorn membership campaign. "Don't think. Do!"

 

[TigerForce]

We could do worse than borrow the John Kennedy line from last year's Hawthorn membership campaign. "Don't think. Do!"

Makes me laugh everytime I hear it.

 

[Phar Ace]

So people are saying 0-3 is not the end of the season.

Round 4 we play the demons who have'nt won either. What makes people so sure we will beat them?

Round 5 we play the roos. When was the last time we beat them?

Round 6 we play Sydney at the SCG. When was the last time we beat them up there?

AFL is such a confidence game it is not funny. I don't think our guys have enough belief in themselves.

They don't back themselves enough, and continually become negative when they should continue to attack.

Run and carry, break lines, tackle ferociuosly, pressure.....things I rarely see from my team.

Geez I hope I'm wrong and we come good. :-\

I hope you're wrong too TJ

A couple of side issues that might add something is that if we turn up to play and win like it should mean to us, we should win as we need it more than the Bulldogs who, while not wanting to lose, can live with a loss.

Campbell will understand their structures and will want us to win too

 

[YinnarTiger]

Last year we played Carlton twice - and they beat us convincingly the second time

Last year we played Geelong twice - when was the last time they haven't beaten us convincingly?

Last year we played the Bulldogs twice - we drew once - and lost the second convincingly.

If we assume we have made zero improvement in 2009 - then 0-3 was always possible.

However - there are 19 more games - and if I recall the draw, we have every opportunity to easily make the 8 - even with a 0-3 start.

Time to pick ourselves up - regain Cousins/Cotchin/Coughlan - and start our climb up the ladder,

with - or without - a win tomorrow

GO TIGERS :clap

That was a bad dream you had, Sir. We only played them once (for the draw).

 

[GoodOne]

I think we're in with a chance today but even if we dont its not season over. Geez I'd hope that any team didnt think like that after the 3rd round of a 22 game season. What a defeatist attitude that would be and a far worse issue than being 0-3 against probably 3 of the better teams going around. No doubt we have to start winning against top 8 sides however it is far from season over.

 

[josey]

I think we are chance today.

Although I have found I have a little researched brain injury that makes me believe the Tigers will win each weekend.

I have been to the doctor. He just gives me a smug smile and with a flick of his Geelong scarf escorts me out the door.

Go Tiges!! ;D

 

[jb03]

What is disappointing is that the best we seem to aim for is to scrape into the 8. If everything falls into place for us we may make the 8 but realistically we are miles away from a flag which is what we should be striving for.

 

[gustiger12]

Especially if Campbell takes over.

Many at Essendon said the same about Matthew Knights.

Funny how they have changed there tune

 

[Baloo]

Even is we make the finals this year, Rd 1 showed us that we'll lose every finals match we're in because the hype of the Tiges in the finals, with Richo, Cuz back, new elites Cotch and Lids, Brown and Simmo in their last real finals campaign, the media coverage will be so big the boys won't bother turning up.

 

[tha8ball]

For me - this is one of the biggest games this club has had since wallace took over. Massive difference between 0-3 and 1-2 playing the dees next week. Massive difference.

 

[ILuvLids]

To be honest - this pessimism is getting a little boring :blah

I agree people need to start being more positive. I know the season hasn't started well, and we were expected to. We didn't start well last year (after the win against Carlton.) Our season eventually turned out very good, just missing out on the finals. I think we can play like that but we need to do it more consistently and in the whole game. If we can turn the season around and make the finals this will all be in the past. I have been supporting richmond for a very long time like many of PRE users and have seen much pain. So we should be positive. It is round 3!.

 

[Matiger]

What is disappointing is that the best we seem to aim for is to scrape into the 8. If everything falls into place for us we may make the 8 but realistically we are miles away from a flag which is what we should be striving for.

Exactly. What is the difference between missing the 8 and scraping in. We are not up to the top sides until we fix some list problems.

I couldnt think of anything worse than making finals and getting humiliated in another big game.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Exactly. What is the difference between missing the 8 and scraping in. We are not up to the top sides until we fix some list problems.

I couldnt think of anything worse than making finals and getting humiliated in another big game.

It'd be a step forward just to get there, and in keeping with Wallace's "2011" pronouncement. There aren't any shortcuts.

 

[GoodOne]

Exactly. What is the difference between missing the 8 and scraping in. We are not up to the top sides until we fix some list problems.

I couldnt think of anything worse than making finals and getting humiliated in another big game.

You've never played finals then. Finals is a completely different ball game and the more experience your youngsters can have the better. There is nothing worse than finishing 9th.

 

[French Tiger]

I couldnt think of anything worse than making finals and getting humiliated in another big game.

You don't think Richo deserves a chanceon the big stage ?

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Exactly. What is the difference between missing the 8 and scraping in. We are not up to the top sides until we fix some list problems.

I couldnt think of anything worse than making finals and getting humiliated in another big game.

You've got to get into the 8 before you can even think of working towards a Premiership, though. Who is to say that the Tigers won't actually fire up in a final and win it? Who expected to beat the Bombers in 1995 or Carlton on 2001? It's a moot point this year, though. Richmond will not make the 8 in 2009.

 

[Azza]

2009 should be seen as an opportunity to overhaul the football department before settling in with a new head coach in 2010.

Firstly, Wallace needs to go sooner rather than later. He’ll be an obstacle in the process. March needs to sit him down and in the strongest terms recommend that he resign. If he refuses, sack him and cop the pay-out.

Secondly, appoint an interim coach for the rest of the year. There seems to be a move afoot for Campbo to take over for Wallace, so lets see what he can do for the rest of the year under Sheeds as a mentor, and under strict guidance to promote youth development and be ruthless with 8under-achievers. He can then put his hand up with other applicants for the full time job.

Thirdly, seriously explore other head coach options. If the Board can show strong leadership in dealing with Wallace and reviewing the football department, it may encourage doubting prospective coaches. Take our time to formulate strenuous but realistic KPI for the new coach, including youth development and year by year expected achievements. Include get-out clauses for non-performance. Don’t just do a couple of interviews with prospective coaches. We’ll have plenty of time. Turn the process into a dialogue to show that we’re serious in supporting a new coach and to get a best possible perspective on how they’ll fit our requirements.

Fourthly, appoint a panel to conduct a thorough review of the football department. Sheeds, perhaps Tony Free, and one other board member. Look at all decisions and achievements/failure throughout Wallaces tenure and even earlier that are impacting on the current team performance. Mark for retirement at the end of the year all non-performers. Allow for new appointments by the incoming coach.

We may or may not scrape into the 8 this year, but it doesn’t alter the fact that our onfield performances are going nowhere fast. We need turn 2009 into a review year. If our on-field performace suffers temporarily, well, this is the last uncompromised draft year isn’t it?