It was always going to happen!!

[graystar1]

The loss last night was no surprise to me. It had to happen.

With all the media attention on BC, the hype about our chances of being in the finals this year, speculation on what would happen to Terry if we don't make the finals, our supposed improvement, what great youngsters we have, etc., etc., meant that in my book we could not live up to the expectations heaped upon us. The players, whether they were aware of it or not, had to be under mental stress, and it showed half way through the third and then in the last quarter. Surely we can't be that bad in the skills department?? Or are we???

 

[Rosy]

Our skills were bad gray but if we let the things you mention put us under mental stress to the point we went to water then we're in dire trouble. I don't believe in reading too much into it other that we weren't good enough on the night and we have a lot of work to do before we meet Carlton.

As for the Cousins thing I feel like a lone hand being absolutely fed up with the hype generated by the club and on PRE. I don't know how so much expectation can be put on the shoulders of one single player. If Carlton behaved the way we have with Ben when they got Judd we'd be stuck right into them.

Both are champion players and expectations are high for both of them but Carlton let Judd blend in as one of the boys whereas we've put Ben on a pedestal with a spotlight glaring on him. I don't know if the hype would affect the players or not but we've encouraged it to a large degree. We have to deal with those kind of things or we'll never have the right attitude to win finals.

 

[fatcat]

Going to happen when we still have deplorable kicking skills and decision making.

Yes it's pre-season and the start of the season is when it counts but......

some observations

Newman - Thank god you replaced johnson
Moore - Turning into a great backman
Raines - Love your attack but your brain catches up after you turn over the ball.reminds me of *smile*. when under pressure what do I do?
Jacko - See raines
Cuz - Great I thought. can't wait till he's fully fit
Foly - Class
Deledio - see foly
Reiwoldt - Going to be good forward - just hope he isn't taking kicking classes from richo
Morton - reckon he'll be good this year.
Nahas - Too early but reminds me of matera
Johnson - too slow
Thursty - Glad your back. see Moore
Brown - Still class
Tambling - Still turns over the ball imo. He'd better have a big year.
Polo - He has impressed me the most from what I've seen in the last two games.
White- like his run but....see raines
Hislop - we'll have to wait and see
King - may find it hard to get into 22
Richoooo - Love ya mate but your gonna cost us big time this year with goal misses and a team rebounding to kick a goal. confidence deflating.

Can't wait for the real season to begin. :clap

I think we have a team that half know what to do with the ball and half that don't know what a ball is. Getting it right is where Terry Wallace comes in and to be brutally honest.......I have not seen anything this year or the previous 4 to say any different. :

Oh and Gday Rosy.....its Crouchintiger....i'm back but forgot me password so its fatcat now!! :hihi

Cheers
Go the Tiges

 

[Disco]

Yep, could pick this one like a dirty nose.

 

[Rosy]

Oh and Gday Rosy.....its Crouchintiger....i'm back but forgot me password so its fatcat now!! :hihi

Long time no see. Welcome back.

 

[tigersnake]

not fussed at all, Ansett cup doesn't mean much. Even contest, they were a bit sharper, then ran away a bit.

V good to get the BC debut out of the way, will make the hype die down that much sooner.

 

[Scoop]

Didn't Carlton make Juddy captain before he had played a game? I think they put Judd forward in exactly the same manner Richmond has with Cousins. If not more. And nothing wrong with that either, clubs owe it too members to conduct a marketing program that will generate the most income and air time for sponsors. Any thing else is mismanagement.

I was more shocked at how poor skills were. Terrible. You don't win without foot skills of the highest order.

 

[Baloo]

The big difference between Judd and Cousins is that the non-RFC supporting masses are just as keen to see him perform this year as we are. There wasn't that same feel good curiosity with Judas.