07-01-2019, 01:29 AM
(07-01-2019, 12:54 AM)tonyo link Wrote:The pretty stuff can come later, PaulP - the talent is there, for me it has always been a case of whether or not this group have enough intestinal fortitude to stand up when the going gets tough and play as a team. The last three games have been full of it, and to win this one without Crippa leading from the front was even more pleasing.
With even an ounce more poise and luck, we would have wins over Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Bulldogs, Saints, Collingwood and be fighting for the 8.
Mind you, if we'd won those games mentioned above, BB would still be coach and maybe this new-found freedom and 'fun-to-watch' footy would still be hidden in the cupboard....?
It's not about pretty or ugly. It's about being in control of proceedings. We won't be winning anything of note giving up big margins and trying to scramble playing desperado football in the dying minutes / seconds.
The good teams play tough accountable football, structured and in control. Think of any team that has won the flag this century. The Malthouse teams, the Clarkson teams, WC last year. That's what Bolton was aiming for IMO.
This isn't a weekend pottery course for depressed middle aged women of means. All this talk of freedom and players being able to express themselves - can you imagine Malthouse or Clarkson saying something like that ?