Firstly, Happy Father’s Day DLers!! Hope you dad’s all had as good a day as mine - except maybe minus the surly teenage daughter!
Clearly I was watching different games of footy this year to some of you.
Our problem was not our forward structure/s or game plan, our problem was the inability to hit targets midfield and inside 50’s. I lost count of the number of times we would be running in numbers either through the middle or on the wings, only for the ball carrier to mistime their release and/or butcher the disposal. That then caught all our blokes out of position and a score against would often be the result.
It comes down to skill - not game plan. When we hit our targets this year (sadly, almost exclusively at home) we dominated sides with far higher credentials in terms of player ages and games played. Think Bulldogs, Essendon (home) and both Adelaide’s. Had Walter’s played the whole first Derby we would have won that too.
For a young team that isn’t blessed with elite speed across all lines (certainly not in available players this year with both Hills missing big chunks of the season) we made these teams look slow, yet rushed at the same time.
The game plan HAS changed from circa 2015 - executing it properly and often enough has been the issue.
We all agree that serious work needs to go into the skills side of things - the club as a whole has acknowledged such (by ‘whole’ I mean players, coach & admin) and I expect that will happen during the pre-season. One way to help that along is only bring in players with elite skills- especially kicking.
The tackles will stick once it is men tackling men - not boys tackling men as it is now. I’m less concerned with tackles missed than the lack of tackling to start with. The intent is there, they just need the bodies to mature enough to match the ambitions with their abilities.
Just because I agree with and support the current direction of the club does not mean I accept ‘whatever Lyon say’s’ or that I hold Lyon as some coaching messiah. That’s like saying the ABR faction don’t just want to sack Roly but they have come to a consensus on a properly qualified and experienced coach to take ove........ oh, right...
anyway...
My point is, if you’re really unhappy with the current state of affairs and you’re a paid up member you have the right to raise your concerns with the club at it’s AGM or whenever else you want to fire off an email. Or you can let your wallet do the talking and cease being a paid up member.
Or if you really want a fundamental change in direction, put a ticket together and contest for a Board position.
Or you can continue to whinge on public forums.
We’re at record membership levels despite 3 pretty ordinary seasons in a row. That says something to me about what the majority of supporters also think about our direction and labelling these 55,000+ people as Lyon/Rosich/Bond sycophants is patently ridiculous.
More important to me than who’s coaching (because we have had more crap coaches than good ones) is the club sticking to a process and seeing it through. If we want to attract a quality coach to replace RL at some point in time, having stuck with a clear process, despite the trials, tribulations and shrill media and ‘fan’ noise that comes with a rebuild - that would give the candidate confidence that they, too, will be given a chance to implement their plan - despite some pain along the way.
We do not have an exodus of players - the exact opposite when you look at our last few trade periods. Unhappy teams with players who aren’t listening to/happy with their coach leave (Adelaide anyone??). Who of any consequence has left us (read, not delisted) in the past 7 years that wasn’t a ‘go home’ factor?
There are those out there who have already marked Lyon’s card - no matter what happens from here - and you seem to see it as your civic duty to tell everyone your opinion - over and over and over.
Luckily for the club, not many of you hold memberships or attend games regularly. That’s fine, but if you think standing outside the tent and lobbing hand grenades in is the way to change things - well, that’s like an extreme minor party supporter who’s more interested in the protesting than the solution. Either way it’s the same outcome - no-one who matters is listening.
