“Things are never as good or as bad as they seem”
Let’s say they are pretty effin bad right now!!, and we don’t remember when they were good anymore!! Well, we will never forget, but its a while ago now.
March 2016
I thought I’d put my hand up to do the Carlton preview later in the year. I was expecting we’d be winning a few later in the year. Pretty confident we’d have 5 or 6 on the board, the midfield core would be firing, no possible way they’d be injured again. They’d feeding Schache, Freeman, Walker, maybe Hipwood and Close would be demanding a place due to strong NEAFL form by now. They’d have no shortage of ball delivered I was thinking, just as I cranked up “Run to the Hills” with anticipation.
The Night of Saturday 6 August I
In my lounge room accompanied by my Hawk brother. He watched in amazement as we polished of a few bourbons. “You watch that every week” he said at half time. “Yep” I replied skulling half the home made Burboun -Zero Can mix I concocted
He was asleep by 3qtr time waking up to watch me motionless, dispirited but very calm. I then proceeded to point out the flaws in there loss to Melbourne and very convincingly outlined why they won’t win the premiership! I have said that about them around this time of the year for the past two years.
What we have here is a failure to communicate!
The glimpses of youth have been overshadowed by the apparent disgruntlement of a senior core of players, all who are signed up, and for whatever reason, we can’t get our shit together all year.
After the Swans game I thought this is it, we are ready to take the next step but what we delivered next was two of the worse losses in 10 years against Port and the Ferrals in consecutive weeks. How could we go from the Sydney game to that? Basically it’s been the same ever since. Not once since the Sydney game have we seen what we saw that day- run and carry, contested ball, preparedness to run hard, kicking short to leading forwards kicking longer to one on ones in the Box? Why?
Any semblance of game style, improved development from youngsters or the mid year range of players has simply not occurred over the course of the year. To be honest we don’t look like we gut run anywhere as much as others and if the 3rd year rock bottom scenario was by design it couldn't of been accepted to this degree of losing buy the way we have failed to compete. I doubt we ever envisaged we’d be this bad, and to be honest I don’t believe we are, as much as I love Leppa it’s pretty hard for the club to stay the course from here when it looks like the boys are demoralised before bell for quarter time rings each week.
There are a range of reasons why we are where we are. We have a catalogue highlighting the reasons- Lack of Facilities, injuries to our best players, the failures of the NEAFL, Boardroom mistakes, the Go Home Factor, instability amongst the playing group, the captain, the itemised reasons go on and on and on……….
The reality is we are the youngest team in the Comp. We have barely had our best 22 fit and firing since Leppa started and the available list after injuries is younger again. When Thursday 6:25pm arrives and we look at the selected team you don’t have to be able to build rockets to know we are going to struggle to win. I tipped a 20 goal + win on the weekend, and I went to Church on Friday to light a candle for hope.
Effort, desire work rate and care? That all appears to have got lost in the messages this year. We as membership and supporter base cannot complain too much- we have tasted success, and we have to deal with the difficulties the market place delivers when you are at Rock Bottom. As Fitzroy and bears alike – that’s something we know about.
Well at least all bar a couple are signed up for a few years yet and the majority of the group are tight and are committed to stay the course. Ar ether good enough or hungry enough?
The Game
On the other hand we have a game to win this week against a pack of Bastards I was hoping would be in the position we are in and us in theirs!
As much as I hate em, Bolton and Carlton have been able to accept their predicament and the way they have communicated their approach and applied their game style is to be commanded. They have played out many hard fought contests against much better skilled opponents and been very good. We seem miles away from them right now, we should be better.
So can we beat Carlton, Of course we can !! We beat Essendon 2 weeks ago!
Its a long season and they too will have their lapses and periods of nothingness where they can be scored against or struggle with their ball movement. Unfortunately I can see now Simpson, Gibbs, Docherty, Curnow, add Kerridge, Wright, Thomas, Tuohey will all have huge games against us. Someone we’ve never heard of will probably kick a bag and kreuzer will probably hurt us by playing his best game in years.
We on the other hand can only hope our Senior core that’s left on the park, Zorko, Rockliff, Hanley, Rich, Bastinac, Robinson, Mayes, Merrett, hopefully Martin (comes back) and Walker all have strong performances. When they do we see a lot more from the kids. I think we will get opportunities against Carlton if we have the desire to win the ball, but we will probably blow our chances through poor execution and provide Carlton textbook turnovers on a platter.
I wish I could chuck some stats out there or highlight some specific thing we are good at, but really after Saturday Night its pointless. We have to play kids and get games into them and hope that through good coaching and effective list management strategies that things will improve. Looks like the direction forward is one without Leppa.
So Men and women of the Brisbane/Fitzroy Lion faith!
We have been here before!
I was born a stone throw from Brunswick St, I’m a North Fitzroy-tonian through and through!
I’ve fought in the trenches at the Junction Oval;
I have stood proud whilst being spat at amongst the Ferrals in the Rush Stand at Victoria Park;
Stuck it up the silver tails at Carlton;
Hurled abuse in the Animal Enclosure at Moorabbin;
Shouldered my way through the drunken bearded red and black beanie wearers at Windy Hill; and
Been chased by country campaigners at Kardinia Park
Despite all that- We've all sung the songs of victory on the terraces and in the club rooms. I've led the charge brandishing the Lion colours of past and present, through thick and thin, and when the only score that counted was the one settled by fists I was there outside Princess Park - albeit after Roosy beat the Ferrals in 93.
Let us all run to this fight and help this great club turn it around. Pull your collective socks up, roll up your sleeves up and lets work hard and support this young group as hard as we can from here!! We better than anyone know what i srequired in times like these and-
Things can turn around very quickly
Can we win this game! YES
Will we? NO
Carlton by 39points.
Let’s say they are pretty effin bad right now!!, and we don’t remember when they were good anymore!! Well, we will never forget, but its a while ago now.
March 2016
I thought I’d put my hand up to do the Carlton preview later in the year. I was expecting we’d be winning a few later in the year. Pretty confident we’d have 5 or 6 on the board, the midfield core would be firing, no possible way they’d be injured again. They’d feeding Schache, Freeman, Walker, maybe Hipwood and Close would be demanding a place due to strong NEAFL form by now. They’d have no shortage of ball delivered I was thinking, just as I cranked up “Run to the Hills” with anticipation.
The Night of Saturday 6 August I
In my lounge room accompanied by my Hawk brother. He watched in amazement as we polished of a few bourbons. “You watch that every week” he said at half time. “Yep” I replied skulling half the home made Burboun -Zero Can mix I concocted
He was asleep by 3qtr time waking up to watch me motionless, dispirited but very calm. I then proceeded to point out the flaws in there loss to Melbourne and very convincingly outlined why they won’t win the premiership! I have said that about them around this time of the year for the past two years.
What we have here is a failure to communicate!
The glimpses of youth have been overshadowed by the apparent disgruntlement of a senior core of players, all who are signed up, and for whatever reason, we can’t get our shit together all year.
After the Swans game I thought this is it, we are ready to take the next step but what we delivered next was two of the worse losses in 10 years against Port and the Ferrals in consecutive weeks. How could we go from the Sydney game to that? Basically it’s been the same ever since. Not once since the Sydney game have we seen what we saw that day- run and carry, contested ball, preparedness to run hard, kicking short to leading forwards kicking longer to one on ones in the Box? Why?
Any semblance of game style, improved development from youngsters or the mid year range of players has simply not occurred over the course of the year. To be honest we don’t look like we gut run anywhere as much as others and if the 3rd year rock bottom scenario was by design it couldn't of been accepted to this degree of losing buy the way we have failed to compete. I doubt we ever envisaged we’d be this bad, and to be honest I don’t believe we are, as much as I love Leppa it’s pretty hard for the club to stay the course from here when it looks like the boys are demoralised before bell for quarter time rings each week.
There are a range of reasons why we are where we are. We have a catalogue highlighting the reasons- Lack of Facilities, injuries to our best players, the failures of the NEAFL, Boardroom mistakes, the Go Home Factor, instability amongst the playing group, the captain, the itemised reasons go on and on and on……….
The reality is we are the youngest team in the Comp. We have barely had our best 22 fit and firing since Leppa started and the available list after injuries is younger again. When Thursday 6:25pm arrives and we look at the selected team you don’t have to be able to build rockets to know we are going to struggle to win. I tipped a 20 goal + win on the weekend, and I went to Church on Friday to light a candle for hope.
Effort, desire work rate and care? That all appears to have got lost in the messages this year. We as membership and supporter base cannot complain too much- we have tasted success, and we have to deal with the difficulties the market place delivers when you are at Rock Bottom. As Fitzroy and bears alike – that’s something we know about.
Well at least all bar a couple are signed up for a few years yet and the majority of the group are tight and are committed to stay the course. Ar ether good enough or hungry enough?
The Game
On the other hand we have a game to win this week against a pack of Bastards I was hoping would be in the position we are in and us in theirs!
As much as I hate em, Bolton and Carlton have been able to accept their predicament and the way they have communicated their approach and applied their game style is to be commanded. They have played out many hard fought contests against much better skilled opponents and been very good. We seem miles away from them right now, we should be better.
So can we beat Carlton, Of course we can !! We beat Essendon 2 weeks ago!
Its a long season and they too will have their lapses and periods of nothingness where they can be scored against or struggle with their ball movement. Unfortunately I can see now Simpson, Gibbs, Docherty, Curnow, add Kerridge, Wright, Thomas, Tuohey will all have huge games against us. Someone we’ve never heard of will probably kick a bag and kreuzer will probably hurt us by playing his best game in years.
We on the other hand can only hope our Senior core that’s left on the park, Zorko, Rockliff, Hanley, Rich, Bastinac, Robinson, Mayes, Merrett, hopefully Martin (comes back) and Walker all have strong performances. When they do we see a lot more from the kids. I think we will get opportunities against Carlton if we have the desire to win the ball, but we will probably blow our chances through poor execution and provide Carlton textbook turnovers on a platter.
I wish I could chuck some stats out there or highlight some specific thing we are good at, but really after Saturday Night its pointless. We have to play kids and get games into them and hope that through good coaching and effective list management strategies that things will improve. Looks like the direction forward is one without Leppa.
So Men and women of the Brisbane/Fitzroy Lion faith!
We have been here before!
I was born a stone throw from Brunswick St, I’m a North Fitzroy-tonian through and through!
I’ve fought in the trenches at the Junction Oval;
I have stood proud whilst being spat at amongst the Ferrals in the Rush Stand at Victoria Park;
Stuck it up the silver tails at Carlton;
Hurled abuse in the Animal Enclosure at Moorabbin;
Shouldered my way through the drunken bearded red and black beanie wearers at Windy Hill; and
Been chased by country campaigners at Kardinia Park
Despite all that- We've all sung the songs of victory on the terraces and in the club rooms. I've led the charge brandishing the Lion colours of past and present, through thick and thin, and when the only score that counted was the one settled by fists I was there outside Princess Park - albeit after Roosy beat the Ferrals in 93.
Let us all run to this fight and help this great club turn it around. Pull your collective socks up, roll up your sleeves up and lets work hard and support this young group as hard as we can from here!! We better than anyone know what i srequired in times like these and-
Things can turn around very quickly
Can we win this game! YES
Will we? NO
Carlton by 39points.
