AFL Rd 23 2022 Post Game Postulations Carlton vs Collingwood

[Baggers]

No more excuses or living in denial, we had the Pies on toast at 3/4 time and choked like a baby bird with a tennis ball stuck in its throat because we knew they had that reputation for never say die and once they got that sniff of Navy Blue Blood they just wouldnt let up and kept coming. Good players goofed off, lost contests they shouldnt, leaders didnt lead and we let a less talented team torture us with the result.
Its either builds resolve or we become the new Nthmond and we have to look at the list and work out who isnt taking us to the next level and act. We had a chance to give players finals experience this season and maybe even win one but we ballsed up that opportunity which is a decent setback imho when you are trying to build a foundation for sustained success.
Pratty is right to say we cant assume anything and we cant trust this football club and its players because they dont have any runs on the board in that regard.
I would be all over the list and making changes where appropriate and not adopting a set and forget attitude like some seem to want, imo there are plenty of players under the microscope and we dont want them feeling safe and comfortable to the point where they dont want to improve. 2022 Better,  but still disappointing and as Voss said we need standards driven higher.....

Understand your perspective, EB1 and it sure is fair enough. We've had enough false dawns to break the most optimistic of hearts.

However...

Had we nailed at least one of those early final qtr shots against Rottingwood, we probably would have had the confidence to go on with the job. Lesson: efficiency, composure, leadership and persistence.

Those final two games were as close to finals pressure as you could get in a H&A season. The boys will have learnt heaps from both games, especially against the Dagpies.

Throughout the season we barely came close to having the chance to select from our best 25. Guys who came in to plug gaps, performed, in the main, admirably... and got valuable experience. Most importantly, our game plan held up against the best, just didn't have the cattle or experience to fulfill it for longer... even a coupla minutes!

The one lingering weakness (no doubt contributed to, to a degree, by what I mentioned above), and has been for years, is folding under real or perceived pressure/having our strengths challenged. This must be a focus for a pre season - how to react to challenge/heat/pressure with delight, and meet it then answer it with even more ruthlessness, composure and efficiency. Fierce and smart response beats 'into my shell' reaction every day of the week.