Gary Lyon on finals reputations.

[ReservoirDog]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/time-to-deliver-when-it-counts/2009/09/08/1252201223799.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

RYAN GRIFFEN (W BULLDOGS)

Here's a player who has all of the attributes to shine at this time of year but he is desperately in need of a big finals game to elevate his status from potential matchwinner to bona fide big-game performer.

This season has had its own challenges for him, off the field as well as on, but it is time for him to impose himself on a contest of the magnitude of this weekend's final against Brisbane. There have been occasions throughout his career where it has appeared he was on the precipice of stardom, only to see him slide back to periods of mediocrity.

There are no excuses. Matthew Boyd, Adam Cooney, Daniel Cross, Shaun Higgins and Jason Akermanis ensure he is not going to be the No. 1 target for opposition tags. He needs to aggressively break the lines and get maximum return for his ability to run and carry the football. Fifteen goals from 19 matches this year is another area that he should look to improve on. Maybe he's got to become more demanding in search of the football. Maybe he doesn't realise how good he could be. He has by no means been a failure in the finals he has played, for his numbers are comparable to those he produces in the home and away, but not comparable to the talent he possesses. He is due.

 

[Ghost of '85]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/time-to-deliver-when-it-counts/2009/09/08/1252201223799.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

RYAN GRIFFEN (W BULLDOGS)

Here's a player who has all of the attributes to shine at this time of year but he is desperately in need of a big finals game to elevate his status from potential matchwinner to bona fide big-game performer.

This season has had its own challenges for him, off the field as well as on, but it is time for him to impose himself on a contest of the magnitude of this weekend's final against Brisbane. There have been occasions throughout his career where it has appeared he was on the precipice of stardom, only to see him slide back to periods of mediocrity.

There are no excuses. Matthew Boyd, Adam Cooney, Daniel Cross, Shaun Higgins and Jason Akermanis ensure he is not going to be the No. 1 target for opposition tags. He needs to aggressively break the lines and get maximum return for his ability to run and carry the football. Fifteen goals from 19 matches this year is another area that he should look to improve on. Maybe he's got to become more demanding in search of the football. Maybe he doesn't realise how good he could be. He has by no means been a failure in the finals he has played, for his numbers are comparable to those he produces in the home and away, but not comparable to the talent he possesses. He is due.

I love Griff.....I hope he finds a way to be as good as he can be. he suffers from expectation....everyones sees how good he can be.

 

[comrade]

Seriously, Lyon is a tool.

Griffen was our best player in last year's final series and was also one of better performers against the Pies in 2006.

The kid has proven he can handle the big stage, and was clearly underdone last week.

I expect a big game from him on Friday night – hopefully this will shut up the so called ‘experts’ who watch us a handful of times a year.

 

[Dogs Rule]

I agree with Lyon.

Over the next two weeks and hopefully beyond, it's time for our 'senior' players, Murphy, Giansiracusa, Hahn, Cooney, Griffen, Johnson etc to take the games by the scruff of the neck.

Good players work hard as a group and have the will and determination to get their team over the line no matter what, they don't miss easy goals at crucial moments and go missing for long period of a match.

 

[Pigdog]

Agree with comrade,Gary Lyon is a tosser.

Why doesn't he challenge Cross, Boyd, Higgins or Cooney to perfrom well in a finals game?

Griffen was the easy target due to one bad game as he has shown in the past that he can perform on the big stage (finals).

 

[Sedat!]

Griffen was the easy target due to one bad game as he has shown in the past that he can perform on the big stage (finals).

Lyon wouldn't know the difference between Ryan Griffen and Ray Biffin. If he did, he would have known that Griff has already been the Dogs' BOG in 3 out of 6 finals he's played in, and that there are several other Dogs players (as mentioned by others) have much poorer finals records in comparison to their overall records. But that would have involved doing about 30 seconds worth of research before getting his ghost writer to pen the article

 

[Kelvin31]

Gary Lyon says there is "no excuses". What?
Is losing your father at the start of the season not good enough for you Gary?

If I lost anyone of my family, there is no way I could work let alone play any games of football.

Cut him some slack for Gods Sake. What a self important tosser!