Sentiments after the unexpected and somewhat painful loss on Saturday on this site have seen the full spectrum of grievances, complaints, and even positivities conveyed.
I think the way I'm feeling at the moment is of pure frustration. A frustration that was on display for the first three quarters against Essendon*, when I saw a more capable, direct football side seemingly unable to put the necessary score on the board. The last quarter arrested some of those feelings (feelings that had built up over the previous four quarters v the Kangas) and were once again thrust into the fore havign witnessed our second half capitulation.
I'm not writing off the season like some of us on here have done. Remember- the Kangas won the first three games last year and ended up missing the finals. The Dons lost their first two and reached the Semis. Hawthorn smashed Melbourne in Round 1 last year, and the Dees were 1-2 after 3 rounds.. just like us now.

We are standing 1-2 with a percentage to match our intensity (or lack thereof) on Saturday. Some of the more sanguine supporters had us pencilled in to be 3-0 at this stage.. Maybe this is the start we had to have?? A kick in the guts that will ensure our achilles heels are addressed immediately and are not exposed when the more demanding end of the season takes shape.

I'm not trying to turn the 3 quarters of anythign resembling W Cup football for the year that we've played into a sign of how good we can be, nor am I saying that those heights are going to propel us into September. What needs to happen with these 3 quarters of footy is for it to be inserted into the minds of the players that they are capable of doing some damage at this level. However, there were some blatant signs from those quarters of footy that were missing in the other 9.

I speak of intensity, communication, morale... Who can forget Fevs chase on the wing against Fletcher, or even Betts rundown on Wakelin (?) in our forward half on Saturday... Or Stevo getting up from a solid Holland bump or Whitnall with rising confidence booting one from 50.

These glimpses (because thats all they are at the moment) can only become part and parcel of our overall game if the three aformentioned categories are improved. It's the common denominator that will not only ensure these glimpses become seen more consistently, but will translate into an improved win- loss ratio and potentially a final 8 spot.

Josh,

I think you are right.

We got hoodwinked by our Wizzer cup success and form. March champions - we have despised them for years.

We are 3 rounds in to a 22 round season. we are quite clearly not capable of reproducing that wizzer cup form, let alone reproducing it consistantly, week in week out.

Add to that injuries - chambers, Livo, T-bird, and we are down to where we were last year. Pagan has spoken about consistancy. last year when belted we bounced.

We are building, slowly, three steps forward, two steps back...

_________________
"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

Opposites attract?

_________________
Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

Geesh good things take time...What is the average games for our players?..What is the average age?...Its a young group and you take out the 2 best backs we have we are gonna be brillant in patches and indifferent.

Patience

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Can smell the gf its there for the taking we are the form side

Nothing to overly get too concerned about at this stage.Dees and Kangas are firing at the moment,but who else ? We are in the same boat as most sides at the moment.So called preseason hotshots cats and saints should be the ones panicking.

_________________
All my dangerous friends

its a call to calm...
I remember last year when the wolves came out after we got thrashed by St Kilda. One would think the roof was falling off Optus..

whilst @#$%&! disappointng, theres a long way to go yet folks

Depends on what we mean by writing off the season.
If the season was to make the eight.. its touch and go.
If it means were closer to identifying talent, improving and re doing outrageous contracts from the past so we can go forward. Were very much closer.
When this season dawns there is no Mott, Beaumont, Harford, Corey contracts.
There is no Lance and Campo contracts ... and where on our last year of the Kouta contract to go.
Which means we will have a war chest to improve the list.
The kids will have another year under their belts and im sure Denis will add more virginal talent to the list.

If we make the finals its a bonus. However, were miles away.

We're only out of the eight on percentage boys and girls ....

_________________
The only way for some people to understand is for them to be on the receiving end

Left wing moralists
In self serving denial
They shit me no end

Let's see where we are after round 10.

12.13 v Roos
16.14 v Bombers
16.12 v Pies.

Plenty of shots on goal but obviously the defense has struggled. 25-30 scoring shots a game would win alot of games if the defense could be abit more miserly. It hasn't helped that the opposition have been kicking goals out of their collective backsides.

Abit more....

A) overall composure from the young kids infront of goal
B) output from Fev and
C) to a lesser extent, output from Whits

and we are back to being hard to beat.

Regards Cazzesman

_________________
Ricky Gervais - “Everyone has the right to hold whatever beliefs they want. And everyone else has the right to find those beliefs f***ing ridiculous.”

At last the Jedi Master has spoken - I have been saying this since Saturday Night - I am but a humble Padwan apprentice whose word carry no weight.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Hmmmmm............

virrrginaaal.............!

like all of us here.......saturday hurt me......
it really hurt.......!

but......i have faith in our coach.......i'm sure
he will sort this little mess out........!

a great man once said.........

"in Pagan we must"..........!

nahhh wait a minute....uummmm......!




virrrrrginaaaal...........!


kindest regards tommi

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

We desperately need T-Bird & Livo.

_________________
"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies." - Gene Hill

The first 3 rounds have taught me that not only do we miss Bret Thronton, but dare I say he is one of, if not the, most important members of our team.

That kid is a superstar. Never mind Matthew Scarlett or any other of those defenders that get all the accolades. T-Bird has been taking on the oppostion's best forward since he was 18 and doing a damn fine job of it. At the tender age of 21 he is already the general of our backline, he not only straightens us up in defence, but I believe he makes his fellow defenders walk taller when he's in the side.

I don't think we should underestimate how much his loss has hurt us. Not that any of us has underestimated the loss of T-Bird, I just think we should keep in mind that we are yet to put our best team on the paddock. There is still a lot of room for improvement.

Blue Bird,

Tarrant was red hot in that second half.
If Livo was on him he would have taken him to the cleaners as well!!

As he did in Round 22.

The gap between the top and the bottom of the ladder is smaller than ever. We're on the same number of wins as last year's premier.
I'm not concerned at this early stage, but if we're playing the same way at round 10 I'll be very disappointed.

With the delivery that Tarrant was getting from the midfielders, I'm staggered that they didn't beat us by more.

I reckon the midfield have a fair bit to answer for on this one.

Too many times did Collingwood have a loose man around the packs or out wide. And too many times when we tried to lay a tackle on them they just brushed us aside.

Need to lift our physicality, IMO.

_________________
Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

Our midfielders had plenty of time and space as well PJ.
We entered 50 more than Collingwood did.
Stevens delivered the ball inside 50 more than 10 occasions. They wont get better service than Stevo.
Our forwards were beaten by their opponents and we didnt take our opportunities when they were presented.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Yep for sure, BV.
I just felt that our midfielders weren't doing enough to help out our defenders.
As I said too many times there were loose Collingwood midfielders just peeling off and before we knew what was going on they were sending the ball down the throats of Rocca, Tarrant etc

_________________
Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24