So, we have failed to Instill a culture. Post Gr.
Once he went , it became footy nepotism.
Always the imitator, Never the innovator
TIGERITIS is the disease that has ruined this club.
Get rid of this disease of mediocrity and raise the bar to excellence.
Don't accept punces that can't do their job.
Simple answer.
Culture.
This!
It seems the Club has only been able to deal with situations in a binary way. It's either all good, so don't change anything in a major way (top up instead) OR it's all bad, so rip the joint apart. There's no in between. There's no continual focus to uphold elite standards to prevent these extremes.
The past 5 seasons are a perfect example. Many of the issues that were totally exposed this year, were evident in the preceding seasons. However, because we said we were either an up and coming side (2012) or later on winning and making finals (2013-15), these issues were seen as minor and something that could be dismissed as they would eventually fix themselves the following year with an experienced top up or few .
The mental frailties in this current team were first displayed in 2012 with the chokes such as against the Suns ("worst 40 secs of football ever") and then against Carlton in all three 2013 meetings. Nothing was changed!
The dumb and ordinary decisions on and off field have existed for a long time irrespective of those in charge and irrespective of the season we are having on-field. Elite clubs set their own standards and continually try to raise them by critiquing and pushing themselves further even when winning. However, our culture is to only act when the proverbial hits the fan on-field and then set fire to the place off-field. A sign of a lazy, fragile club with a poor culture. That weak culture off-field has reflected itself on-field for the past 30-something years .
Excellent post MT.
Every time a new regime starts they seem to say all the right things.
Dumma Halfstep told us he had the "blueprint to success".
He told us that any player that wasn't able to win his own ball wouldn't be playing in a Richmond jumper.
He told us we were going to be ruthless and tough.
We have been an egg team for way too long. It's the single most frustrating thing I just can't stand seeing soft sissy pansy mummies boys crying over a sore pinky or not willing to put the body on the line for the club.
But this club continues to recruit, breed, develop and play limp wristed pansies every year.
I would've sacked the whole footy department and playing group after the 2013 EF debacle.
Someone needs to cut the crap, make a stand and demand nothing more than excellence and if you can't hack the heat then tell 'em to eff off!