03-09-2024, 04:36 AM
Didn't think we were going to win going into the game and was certain we were going to lose 15 minutes into the second quarter. I had started watching Midsummer Murders rather than Gabbasummer Murders. I am almost convinced the team and the Club may have turned the corner.
Winners win because they win. It is a cultural thing. To some extent it doesn't matter who is out there but whether they are going to have a go and not give up. After the Elliot debacle I spoke to David McKay and said what I wanted was a team that had a go. It didn't mean that much in the short term whether they won or lost as long as they had a go. Since the 20 odd year since the changeover I am not sure this has been the case. I didn't think the players were having a go before the demise of Elliot as well.
Well done Young and Kemp on holding those two key position posts allowing McGovern to be creative off half back. Well done Saad for playing a close checking game on Cameron which isn't his natural game. Well done to Jack Carroll his game was a revelation.
What I had wanted was for us to really turn up and make a contest of the game. Playing Brisbane at the Gabba and without seven players who could be in our best 23 I thought we would be up against it and after watching the practice match against Melbourne and our past record of being satisfied with mediocrity, I really had my doubts. Obviously after watching Melbourne Thursday night it is clear practice match form is not a good guide. That first quarter and a bit where we couldn't lay a tackle was a worry but once the initial pace went off and the humidity started making the conditions more slippery which suits our style of game, the players really turned it around.
I said before the game that Brisbane defence can be scored against which turned out to be so in the third quarter, but I also think they are more of a team of individuals than the other top sides and I also think that the enjoy handing out the little whacks and back handers in match but tend to take umbrage when other sides respond and they seem to lose concentration and go off script. They have been in the finals the past five years without making an impact so clearly something is wrong.
Watching Carlton in the 60's under Barassi and in the 70's under Jezza was great because they would always fight. The 1970 Grand Final and those third quarter blitzes don't just come about. They are built on the foundations of earlier seasons. We may have the opportunity to do something special.
Finally a big shout out to the hoards of Blues Brothers in the stands. They give our Club a point of difference.
Winners win because they win. It is a cultural thing. To some extent it doesn't matter who is out there but whether they are going to have a go and not give up. After the Elliot debacle I spoke to David McKay and said what I wanted was a team that had a go. It didn't mean that much in the short term whether they won or lost as long as they had a go. Since the 20 odd year since the changeover I am not sure this has been the case. I didn't think the players were having a go before the demise of Elliot as well.
Well done Young and Kemp on holding those two key position posts allowing McGovern to be creative off half back. Well done Saad for playing a close checking game on Cameron which isn't his natural game. Well done to Jack Carroll his game was a revelation.
What I had wanted was for us to really turn up and make a contest of the game. Playing Brisbane at the Gabba and without seven players who could be in our best 23 I thought we would be up against it and after watching the practice match against Melbourne and our past record of being satisfied with mediocrity, I really had my doubts. Obviously after watching Melbourne Thursday night it is clear practice match form is not a good guide. That first quarter and a bit where we couldn't lay a tackle was a worry but once the initial pace went off and the humidity started making the conditions more slippery which suits our style of game, the players really turned it around.
I said before the game that Brisbane defence can be scored against which turned out to be so in the third quarter, but I also think they are more of a team of individuals than the other top sides and I also think that the enjoy handing out the little whacks and back handers in match but tend to take umbrage when other sides respond and they seem to lose concentration and go off script. They have been in the finals the past five years without making an impact so clearly something is wrong.
Watching Carlton in the 60's under Barassi and in the 70's under Jezza was great because they would always fight. The 1970 Grand Final and those third quarter blitzes don't just come about. They are built on the foundations of earlier seasons. We may have the opportunity to do something special.
Finally a big shout out to the hoards of Blues Brothers in the stands. They give our Club a point of difference.