The "X" factor for ultimate success

[Harry]

ability

 

[RemoteTiger]

X factor receipe

Take -

A big splash of young Skilled footballers
A large dollup of belief in their ability verging on arrogance
A base desire to win at all costs
A touch of mongrel
And a pinch of making your own luck

nurture for 4 to 5 years
Wrap neatly in a yellow and black guernsey

Heating instructions

simmer early in the new year -
bring to boiling point for rounds 1 through 7 -
back to simmering during the colder wetter months of winter -
bring back to boiling early/mid August -
turn the temperature right up in September

Suggested drinks with this delightful receipe
Beer - ice cold brings the best out in the vocal chords
After last Saturday in September - A celebratory Champagne - but of course.......

 

[Rosy]

Hi Rosy,

The answer is actually very easy and has been proved.

I'm not so sure it is an easy or proven answer really, although I agree with your comments. The X factor can be a combination of things imo. You can draft all the potential champions in the world but if they don't have good leadership and coaching it won't win premierships. I reckon every post on this thread has part of the answer of the intangibles that add that bit extra to make a team that bit better than the opposition.

 

[Tiger_Pride]

It's hard to put your finger on any one thing.

Youth, Teamwork, Good Work Ethic and many others could help us to reach our goal of winning on that day in September

 

[Baloo]

self-belief that can manifest itself as arrogance. When the team start to really believe they are winners, they'll start playing like winners. That's when the 1%ers start happening at every play.

 

[TigerFurious]

Quality and quantity of a teams best players is the 'X' factor for mine.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Hawthorn got career best outputs from Hodge, Franklin, Roughead and Mitchell in 08' and went all the way. Same with Geelong's dominance over the last two years with the likes of Ablett, Bartel, Scarlett, Ling, Corey and Mooney (ironically his lack of performance in the GF cost Geelong dearly).

On the other side, look at how loosing Cousins and Judd affected West Coast. No amount of depth or shrewd list management can cover that.

 

[Leysy Days]

Quality and quantity of a teams best players is the 'X' factor for mine.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Hawthorn got career best outputs from Hodge, Franklin, Roughead and Mitchell in 08' and went all the way. Same with Geelong's dominance over the last two years with the likes of Ablett, Bartel, Scarlett, Ling, Corey and Mooney (ironically his lack of performance in the GF cost Geelong dearly).

On the other side, look at how loosing Cousins and Judd affected West Coast. No amount of depth or shrewd list management can cover that.

Fully agree.

 

[Streak]

Quality and quantity of a teams best players is the 'X' factor for mine.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Hawthorn got career best outputs from Hodge, Franklin, Roughead and Mitchell in 08' and went all the way. Same with Geelong's dominance over the last two years with the likes of Ablett, Bartel, Scarlett, Ling, Corey and Mooney (ironically his lack of performance in the GF cost Geelong dearly).

On the other side, look at how loosing Cousins and Judd affected West Coast. No amount of depth or shrewd list management can cover that.

This pretty much nail's it as far as I am concerned, although I do think that you need a number of your lesser light players to step up as well. I think of the few succesful years the Tigers have had over the last 25, and the one thing that springs to mind is that while our best players probably stepped up a little, a lot of our second tier players did as well.

 

[Tygrys]

Agree 100%, while there are several great qualities required (which we are developing), this is the highest priority IMO.

It's the big reason why I desperately wanted Cousins, he brings so many of these qualities to the table that are essential to GF sides. After reading Emma Quayle's book "The Draft", I'm reinforced of the belief that Trent is a brilliant character to have in the middle of our group.

As for the next 2 years, I would like to see a touch of blinding class added to the group - like a Cyril Rioli - as well as for Terry to nurture the mongrel in our current players like he did with the Bulldogs of the late 90's. We've got the grunt already, it's just held back by it's age.

Culture is really looking fantastic right now, I can't see any glaring gaps where we are missing any key ingredients. Some might only be developing, but we've at least got the seeds in all the right categories that I can think of.

I can - an A-grade young key power forward the quality of Roughhead or a Franklin...and perhaps one A grade tall down back. Will be very tough to get with the Gold Coast coming in. Wallets neglect of our spine during his tenure will continue to hurt us. Hawthorn who in in 2004 finished only a spot above us wisely rebuilt their spine first and used their top picks to do it (unlike Richmond which seems to believe you can achieve the same results with second rounders). Look at the spines of nearly all the premiership winners during the last decade. It's not an X Factor it's a basic. At best with the list we have we might be able to do a Footscray, although it's at least as likely we will probably slip. It's something that Wallet or more likely his successor will need to address if we are to have any realistic chance of winning a premiership.

 

[pahoffm]

I'm not so sure it is an easy or proven answer really, although I agree with your comments. The X factor can be a combination of things imo. You can draft all the potential champions in the world but if they don't have good leadership and coaching it won't win premierships. I reckon every post on this thread has part of the answer of the intangibles that add that bit extra to make a team that bit better than the opposition.

It's hard to put your finger on any one thing.

Youth, Teamwork, Good Work Ethic and many others could help us to reach our goal of winning on that day in September

Good points.

It never is just one thing.

The group has a collection of talents and performances. Each player is different. Each player varies a little from the next.

So it becomes like a puzzle, ensuring that you have all the pieces that make up the puzzle and putting all the pieces together correctly.

If you look at Geelong & Hawthorn, not only did they have enough players to get into the finals, but they had a handful of unfortunates who were still outside the team trying to break in.

If I had to break it down.

Talent, depth, culture, competition.

Talent - players that have the skills required at the highest level.

Depth - not only to fill the side but a secondary layer to cover for injuries & form.

Culture - a hunger to win as a group and supporting each other in doing so.

Competition - opportunity for each & every player to burst into the team and play a leading role.

 

[The_General]

I'm not so sure it is an easy or proven answer really, although I agree with your comments. The X factor can be a combination of things imo. You can draft all the potential champions in the world but if they don't have good leadership and coaching it won't win premierships. I reckon every post on this thread has part of the answer of the intangibles that add that bit extra to make a team that bit better than the opposition.

All I'll say re: good coaching is Robert Walls at carlton. That guy was a spud. I reckon almost every single poster on this forum could have coached the scum to the premiership that year. They did have good leadership though.

 

[pahoffm]

All I'll say re: good coaching is Robert Walls at carlton. That guy was a spud. I reckon almost every single poster on this forum could have coached the scum to the premiership that year. They did have good leadership though.

Must say though, it helped Carlton cosiderably that Hawthorn, after their preliminary final win against Melbourne, didn't have enough fit players to make up a full team.

If you remember, that was the year of the Buckenara / Stynes goal after the siren, and Ricky Jackson at his peak.

Still remember Brereton, Platten and others barely raising a canter all GF. They could barely walk. They were easy pickings that day.

 

[Rosy]

Richo=X Factor.

 

[BrisTiger24]

Richo=X Factor.

Richo = XXX Factor innochio