Rd 11: Blues have the Bye

[crashlander]

We have been playing some good football, punctuated with some of the worst clangers to be seen at AFL level. We haven't been far off it, without being able to beat too many teams. Some of our guys looked like they NEEDED the Bye to come along. Now that it is here, hopefully we can get some use from it, now it has arrived.

Last year we did not win a single game after the Bye, even though we scared a LOT of teams. We were very ordinary after the Bye the year before. However, in both of those campaigns we had SERIOUS injury issues. By the end of last year we barely had enough fit players to make up a team for the last round. This year we have a list in much better condition.

[cookie2]

We have been playing some good football, punctuated with some of the worst clangers to be seen at AFL level. We haven't been far off it, without being able to beat too many teams. Some of our guys looked like they NEEDED the Bye to come along. Now that it is here, hopefully we can get some use from it, now it has arrived.

Last year we did not win a single game after the Bye, even though we scared a LOT of teams. We were very ordinary after the Bye the year before. However, in both of those campaigns we had SERIOUS injury issues. By the end of last year we barely had enough fit players to make up a team for the last round. This year we have a list in much better condition.

Despite our fade outs yesterday, I came away from the game, sharing the view of many around me, that we are tantalisingly close to a break out. We do need more focus and poise together with the collective tank to keep going for 4 qtrs but we are getting there for sure. Hopefully we can really play out the rest of the season strongly this year.

[Thryleon]

What worries me is that we are not getting the reward for effort.

Yesterday was another match that sort of got away from us right when it became a contest again.  Yes North had slowed to a crawl and lifted when we asked the hard questions of them, but there is only so long that this starts to become "defeating".

At the minute we are showing plenty of moxy to hang in there, and this season has gone pretty well for us, and then you look at the ladder and IMHO it might become a bit confidence shattering.

We dont need that.  Weitering is an example of what happens when confidence starts to escape your performances.  His last game may have been his worst game for the club, and might be an indicator of why we stuck him down forward to begin with as he hasnt really looked "right" all season.

[Navy Maven]

What worries me is that we are not getting the reward for effort.

As Bolton said after yesterday's game, the reward will come in time. Our young players will have learnt a lot from that, so the reward isn't coming in the form of 4 points yesterday, it's coming in the form of experience.

Honestly, I'm not too fussed with us losing these sorts of games this year. We get experience into the young players and go home with another prized draft pick at the end of the year. As long as we don't finish bottom, I'm happy.

[hotspur]

I cant see us getting higher than 14th ,we will be fighting for the spoon again against Suns ,Lions ,maybe Filth and the  Cheats  .Who disagrees 

[Thryleon]

As Bolton said after yesterday's game, the reward will come in time. Our young players will have learnt a lot from that, so the reward isn't coming in the form of 4 points yesterday, it's coming in the form of experience.

Honestly, I'm not too fussed with us losing these sorts of games this year. We get experience into the young players and go home with another prized draft pick at the end of the year. As long as we don't finish bottom, I'm happy.

I know and I understand that, but Im worried that it becomes a bit confidence sapping to not get the reward for effort.

It will expose those players who are not up to it in the long term, and hopefully we have a way to manage our players through such difficulty, but it worries me that too many games without winning may see players starting to lose focus and belief in what they are doing.

Thats when they can drop off, or worse, want out.

[LP]

I cant see us getting higher than 14th ,we will be fighting for the spoon again against Suns ,Lions ,maybe Filth and the  Cheats  .Who disagrees

It's a fair assessment, but keep in mind that yesterday we were only two or three isolated acts away from winning and being in 13th today.

It looks to me like Norp, the Swans and Dawks are only another unexpected loss away from packing up for 2017. They probably have to win another 7 or 8 games to even have a chance of sneaking into the 8.

The smart thing for us to do is finish below them, the smart thing for them to do if and when they sign out for 2017 is to finish as low as possible. We play them all in the 2nd half of the season except for Collingwood, I won't be surprised to find any or all of them resting players and sending them for surgery!

CheatsFC have the softest run into the finals of any club, Swans have the hardest.

It was interesting at the weekend, just about every expert asked thinks Freo is over-rated and they will slide before season end. A couple of the experts wrote them off as having lucky wins due to opposition injuries, etc., etc.. How far could they slide?

Under the current system nobody wants to finish 9th or 10th, that is like the old harness racing "death!"

[dodge]

What worries me is that we are not getting the reward for effort.

But we did.  We put in no effort in the first quarter and a bit and lost - our just reward.  Footy is a 4 quarter game.  We aren't quite fit and strong enough to do this yet.

[bigblue]

Last year we did not win a single game after the Bye,

Ahem.......... we beat Melbourne 2nd last game of year. ????

[Thryleon]

I know and I understand that, but Im worried that it becomes a bit confidence sapping to not get the reward for effort.

It will expose those players who are not up to it in the long term, and hopefully we have a way to manage our players through such difficulty, but it worries me that too many games without winning may see players starting to lose focus and belief in what they are doing.

Thats when they can drop off, or worse, want out.

But we did.  We put in no effort in the first quarter and a bit and lost - our just reward.  Footy is a 4 quarter game.  We aren't quite fit and strong enough to do this yet.