Round 17 Carlton vs Hawthorn-Post Match

[Lods]

I've played team sports.

Criticism of one or two efforts is necessary and requisite to letting players know when they have performed poorly and how to fix it.

We however use them as examples of a player being berated daily, weekly, monthly to the point where they are emotionally dead.

Very extreme view.  Likely to be the stuff of fiction.

We may be arguing different things.
I totally agree that there are times when you have to point out individuals that have performed poorly....and make an example of them.
But it's not isolated disciplinary incidents that I'm talking about.

We however use them as examples of a player being berated daily, weekly, monthly to the point where they are emotionally dead.

As a group that's exactly what's happened.
From the start of this season both the club and the coach have said to this playing list ...."You're not good enough as a group."
We're going to get rid of a large percentage of you...in fact we're going to turn the list on it's head.
In player selections they would have  a fair idea where they stand in this pecking order.

The players are hearing, and reading, that they're 'hopeless' on  a daily basis.
It's happened again today.
It'll be all over the footy shows tonight....and it's a line of thinking that the club is probably quite happy to let run because it takes the heat off those outside the playing group.
"Don't worry about results, we're rebuilding"......(means.... "This lot of deadbeats won't be around too much longer.")

Now there's a line of thinking that players should  "suck it up and go out and prove the club wrong by their efforts."
In my mind that's the stuff of fiction because players are individuals and each will respond differently.

It's actually some of those on the fringe that are putting in superior efforts.
They're playing as well as they can but because of skill deficits they're still marked for "demolition."
Many have become fearful of making errors and will hesitate and concentrate solely on their own opponent rather than supporting others.

Now a strong club administration, coaching panel and leadership group can help overcome such problems but we have none of those.