How to win a flag: The game has changed (Age)

[one-eyed]

How to win a flag: The game has changed

Bob Murphy
The Age
21 March 2018

“What a lot of people don’t realise about gangs, in my opinion, is that a gang is not there to attack you. Eighty per cent of the people in a gang are there to stop anyone from attacking them. You join a gang for protection, not to go out and hit someone.” - Michael Caine.

The game has changed. The race has opened up. The AFL premiership is up for grabs and more teams than ever fancy themselves as a genuine chance to hold the cup aloft.

A couple of bolters in the Bulldogs and the Tigers have won it the last two years. Both were romantic stories that enriched the game and inspired the competition. Was it a case of lightning striking twice, or is this the new “competitive balance” normal? I’m leaning towards the latter.

It’s no longer acceptable to talk about five-year plans. Supporters, sponsors and the media have all seen that you can win and win now, if you get all of your ducks in a row. The golden opportunity is there, but it’s counterbalanced by the expectations.

The pressure has lifted sharply. “If the Dogs and Tigers can do it in such a short turnaround, why can’t we?” It's a line that works for both optimists and bitter pessimists. It’s all in the tone of your voice.

The cultural shift started by Luke Beveridge’s Dogs and rammed home by Damien Hardwick’s Tigers is not just in terms of expectations and the mythical premiership window. These teams have displayed a new kind of masculinity, a tenderness and affection that we haven’t seen before in our game. Words like vulnerability and mindfulness are all of a sudden not just hip, but seemingly important cogs in the quest for victory. This is a radical change. Rest assured, the 16 other clubs in the AFL will have watched this with intrigue. We do tend to follow the leaders in footy.

So, can you win by simply meditating or sitting in a circle with your teammates to talk about your hopes and fears? Of course not. Have you got enough talent? What is the investment of the group to immerse themselves in the coach’s game plan and style of footy? Can you charm the football gods to get a clean run with injuries?

All of these things remain foundations of having a tilt at the big dance, but the intangibles of footy carry more weight than ever in light of the last two years.

For all of the hugs and tears of the last two premiership teams, make no mistake, what I believe set them apart was their gang mentality. Their bond was tight. They were also tougher than the rest. The Dogs were written off in 2015 and were able to harness that “us against the world” vibe for two years before the spark left them last year. Could they flame again?

The Tigers were ridiculed this time last year and I have no doubt they used that derision to stoke the fires of their team's engine. It carried them all the way to the premiership and they weren’t slowing down when the final, final siren sounded. Can they protect their unique spirit for another season? I think they can.

Who could be this year’s gang? Ask a dozen people and we might get a different answer from each.

Read more at: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/how-to-win-a-flag-the-game-has-changed-20180320-p4z59l.html