Goltzenberg wrote:
Top 3? Where you pulling that stat from. We were injury plagued that year
if true, then that is why micky would of took the job thinking the window was open.
Official Champion Data for the end of the 2012 season, had Carlton with the 3rd best midfield/rucks, 2nd best forwards and the 14th best defense.
we always need to be careful of stastical analyses becuase often the numbers can distort was is actually going on. The quality of possessions for example. There are clearances and there is also this other indicator called "clearances"
Nevertheless that's were champion data had our midfield ranked.
That year the swans knocked off the Hawks in the grand final. The Hawks midfield was ranked 9th in the league with the swans ranked 2nd. That's were the game was won. The swans midfield kicked about 7 or 8 goals in the 2012 GF, whilst the Hawks midfield didn't kick any. In a close game that was decided in the final minute, the performance of the swans midfield was crucial.
The Hawks recognised that weakness. They recruited Ratten for that very reason IMO (ratten may well be an ordinary overall team coach, but he does know how to organise a midfield and extract some attacking moves from it). In 2012 the Hawks list quality was ranked 1st in the league. It's not surprising that when they sorted out the midfield/rucks they snared back to back flags. They also reversed their losing streak against the cats in the 2013 finals.
When a coach takes over a list there will always be structural and players changes. But most importantly he needs to be positive, creative, gain the respect and trust of the playing group etc (see Ken, and what he did with the port list in 2012 which had a confidence level shot to pieces and ranked in the dungeons.)
We as a club make a lot of excuses from top to bottom....I wonder when that will change?