Have a look at teams that have gone from a rabble to a strong team, since the mid nineties.
Sydney, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Geelong, Fremantle,
The one thing they all have in common is a massive pair of swingers.
Collingwood got Malthouse, Freo got Lyon, Sydney own trading and had Colless prepared to tell the AFL to shove it anytime he felt like it, Ditto Costa and Kennett.
If we had the plums we would have gone out and got Roos last year ourselves, not sat back and waited for Melbourne to blow past us in future.
What we need badly is a huge pair of big, hairy swingers and I can't see them coming from anyone in charge at the moment.
Sydney have been heavily propped up by the AFL & COLA, Collingwood have money coming out of their arse, have always been regular finalists and have big end of town support and high-profile supporters,(something we've always lacked compared to other clubs, particularly the other 3 in the "Big 4") Fremantle share an entire state with just one other side and only really got their act together two years ago. None of these clubs would've been allowed to die by the AFL. Geelong are one team town, got lucky with Fathers and Sons and scooped a superdraft that got the ball rolling. Hawthorn's unmatched and relatively recent golden -era kept meant they never really lost their swagger and had a wealth of still young quality football people to draw on...also seem to have high-profile supporters...which is not without it's value.
I agree however that we still appear amateur & too "nice" in a lot of ways and that we don't stand up to the AFL, other clubs and the media enough. At least not publicly.
We do need to be more ruthless - I think the club is psyched out by the whole "Eat their Own" myth the media & football world constantly exaggerate & reinforce. They basically just like to troll us about it and the club and supporters believe it and it causes us to always second guess ourselves and over-compensate. Also think we tend to be too scared of getting our players off-side and risking team morale - especially good players because we've had such a dearth of them, so we mollycoddle & indulge the core playing group for fear of losing them. We hang on to spuds and keep selecting them because they're "popular" , "good blokes" or "well liked around the club". Nevermind if they're not actually very good footballers.
Fact is we've has three coaches in 15 years (not counting Rawlings) - all have coached for half a decade, made it deep into the last year of their first contracts and the current one has had his extended. Hardly the stuff of "eat their own" legend.
On a semi-related note: I often think of how key moments can shape things and wonder how thing might've turned out if in that last match of Hardwick's first year v Port at Docklands - Cousins' farewell - Troy Taylor's goal to put is in front had been allowed like it should've been.
We go on to win, coming back from 10 goals down, Taylor the hero, 7 wins after losing the first 10.
Taylor stays, becomes that X-factor we lack, team gets huge belief after miracle victory....who knows. Like I said...key moments...or "sliding doors" as the kids say.
