Blue Vain wrote:
Hughes has been one of the best recruits we've had. It wasn't our kids that let us down last night, it was our leaders. We had the game in our grasp and we let it slip.
Brisbanes experienced players in Brown, Bradshaw, Black etc, they picked the team up on their shoulders and willed them to a win. Our leaders allowed us to become defensive and reactive.
we required somerone to stand up and make a difference but no one was capable.
Hughes has provided us with one of the better lists in the AFL to go forward.
This I agree with. It's no surprise to me that many of our 2nd tier kids have found it harder than ones at other clubs to begin to shine, given the quality of our 'leaders' in recent times. Yes, Juddy is a perfect role-model, but look to the next group. Fev can get his teammates rolling when he's on-song, but if he's having a shocker does he really inspire confidence? Stevo, well it's all been said. Thornton and Waite are both capable of the brilliant and shocking in equal measure, and in T-bird's case can sook in very unleader-like ways with his younger contingent. Our other more experienced players like Houlihan and Wiggins are also two of our most inconsistent. And let's not forget that Lance was captain when a lot of these young guys were starting, not exactly a model-leader in his own right.
Murph, Gibbs and Kreuz have the hallmarks of being great leaders of this club for the next generation, but they've shouldered too much burden already. When our older guys have to look to blokes 6-7 years younger than them for leadership and inspiration, something ain't right. I can only imagine what these players could achive with the four Brisbane had.