LaughingKookaburra wrote:It's fair to scrutinise severely Boon. Let's honestly turn back 18-19 months ago. Very unfortunate they lost a prelim, but for the best part of 2 years they had proven themselves to be an improving team and club. They then recruited a ready to go Patty Ryder to take them to the next step. Then signed their core group to long term deals and market themselves as a club with strong commitment values combined with a proud history.
Fast forward the next 2 years, the following are some issues---->
*Beat Hawthorn twice last year---> To me that's a bigger concern than a positive. What the heck was happening when they consistently lost to complete rabble? One of those wins was also when the season was over.
*Hinkley said last year that the club wasn't dealing with expectation or something along those lines. I remember hearing Leigh Matthews who was lost for words on how laughable that was.
*The players output has continuously been scrutinised----> How long can you seriously keep saying this. Something has to give at some stage. Saying it for 2 years is unacceptable for a team who on paper has a far better team than they did compared to Prelim final day in 2014.
So who is it? The Coach, the players or the club? The coach needs to motivate these blokes to work hard consistently, without that you're screwed. It needs to be fixed and if it's not fixed before preseason in October 2016 I reckon you're in bigger trouble than the early settlers. The reason I say that is that if this is served up again next year it's just going to piss your fans off that the club worked to hard to get on board and did a great job in doing so. Also that's 3 years wasted, I honestly thought you would play in 2 grand finals during that time.
I'm not being a smartarse, nor a troll. I'd back Port before anyone besides the Crows even though I stir my mates up. I reckon the time to fix these issues is now.
I point the finger fairly and squarely at the players.
Recruiters have done their job, they've attracted Ryder and Dixon to the club, two good gets who would have been on many clubs radars. It has been at the expense of recent drafts but the likes of Impey, Amon, DBJ 20,Wines 21, Wingard 22, Young, Polec, Hombsch 23, Trengove, Broadbent, Hartlett, Pittard 25, Boak 27, Gray 28...hardly in need of an injection of youth!
The side can play, the system does work, the players need to pull their ******* fingers out.