Tigers’ trustworthy flag credentials: Paul Roos (Australian)

[one-eyed]

Tigers’ trustworthy flag credentials

Paul Roos
The Australian
13 September 2019

Whenever I am asked who will win the premiership, the key word I always think of is trust.

Who can I trust to deliver the right performance on the day.

Leadership is so important at a football club. Already this footy season three coaches have been replaced and another two positions are now vacant.

With the competition so even, leadership is the one factor that can be a point of difference.

The modern coach is effectively the chief executive of the organisation, managing 44 players, assistant coaches, plus medical and fitness staff.

But, despite the breadth of the role, the job on game day is the most important.

Can the coach get the team to play to the maximum of their ability? Can a coach put players into roles where they are effective and selflessly play for the betterment of the team? Can a coach implement a game plan that will win the club a premiership?

Developing a playing culture that inspires trust does not happen overnight and, depending on what stage a club is at when a coach takes over, the relationships a coach can build will determine the length of time it takes.

Of the eight men that coached on the weekend I believe only Chris Fagan at Brisbane can claim he hasn’t had quite enough time.

You could potentially add John Worsfold to the list, given what had happened when he took over the Bombers’ top job.

AFL is an emotional industry but the test is to be objective in analysing a coach’s performance.

Damien Hardwick, in his 10th season, has ticked all the boxes and that is why we trust the Tigers to win their second premiership in three years.

Why did Essendon, Geelong, Lions and the Giants go into last weekend as slight underdogs? Simply, because of trust.

Geelong were on top of the ladder but, based on past finals performance, they haven’t fully gained our trust. I had picked them to win over Collingwood but that was with Rhys Stanley in the ruck and Mark Blicavs in defence.

The late change moving Blicavs to the ruck was a strong indication of the lack of certainty that exists internally at Geelong.

What will they do this weekend? The Giants have always been seen as super talented but have never produced a sustainable premiership game plan. What we saw last weekend was one of the best 120 minutes of finals football in the short history of the club.

But do we trust them to do it three more weeks in a row? The answer is no.

Trust can be built and this weekend is another investment for the Giants in the belief bank. Do it again and we start to believe.

The Lions under Fagan are still on the journey and were outstanding for much of the game against the Tigers.

The trust is building but they came up against a team that is just too far ahead at this stage.

Fans will perhaps expect them to drop off this week but I love what Fagan has done and this is another test against the Giants.

Fagan has shown he is a great leader. He has set standards, devised a premiership game plan and developed strong relationships.

If his players believe and continue to play their roles they will advance to the preliminary final against the Pies.

Essendon are by far the biggest talking point of the round and, by extension, so is the coach, Worsfold. The reason he is under so much pressure is because he is a premiership coach — and that brings expectations.

He doesn’t get the wiggle room afforded to Fagan.

Under any objective criteria, have the Bombers played to the maximum of their ability? Certainly last Thursday night against West Coast, no. However over the four years under Worsfold, and based on all the circumstances he and the club have endured, you would have to say it is a pass.

Has Worsfold implemented a game plan that can win a premiership? On this front, it is a huge fail.

How much is attributed to his coaching, the players not listening, or the inability of his best players to be on the field? That is the question. Does he put players in roles they are capable of fulfilling and do the players selflessly play those roles for the team?

If you look at the benchmark team in this category, Richmond, and look at two of their most talented players in Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin, the Bombers are miles behind.

In my opinion Worsfold deserves another year to get this right, as he has shown in the past he can. So it is pleasing that the indecision over his future at Essendon has finally been put to rest.

When picking the winners this weekend ask yourself one simple question.

Which two teams do you trust?

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/when-it-comes-to-a-premiership-plan-you-can-trust-the-tigers/news-story/c2eead6210eb195511a89caf3e1005d4

[pmac21]

wonders will never cease

[one-eyed]

By Paul Roos
Players Voice
13 September 2019

Being a young coach can be very hard and Damien Hardwick has faced a tremendous amount of pressure in his journey.

He started with nine straight losses back in 2010, but with pressure you can either fold or stand up, and he has stood up.

He changed his coaching staff and the way he interacted with players. It became a lot more about relationships, whereas early on it was all about tactics.

Clearly, the Richmond players love him. He’s really well balanced, speaks well in front of the media and he’s honest.

The Tigers have been the best team consistently over the last three years. They were worthy winners two years ago and pretty much had one bad game last year – it just happened to be the preliminary final.

I don’t think they’re over the line this year. They’re favourites but things can happen quickly.

You think if they don’t win this, then maybe they’ll be judged as not having cashed in on that period of dominance.

Obviously, the start of this year was tough, but the fact they won games they maybe weren’t expected to reflects well on his ability to lead under great adversity and the great relationship he has with players.

I look at Damien now and see a really well-rounded coach who understands what’s important and what isn’t and acts accordingly.

He’s a good fella and gets the balance right between the importance of coaching and life and doesn’t get overly serious about everything.

You’ve got to set high standards but you’ve got to show your players you care, that you are with them.

As well as being tight with his players, he has a great ability to set a game style that’s effective and sells the style really well to his team.

My view is the players are really receptible to what he says and does and he’s clearly one of the better coaches in the competition.

THE TURNING POINT

I can’t see the Tigers not getting through to a grand final. I think Collingwood will get there, too, although there’s a lot of footy to be played before then, of course.

The Tigers did a great job early in the season of weathering the storm. At one stage, they had Martin, Cotchin, Reiwoldt and Rance out and I think a lot of people wrote them off.

A couple of the wins they picked up – like Port over there – were critical for them in securing a finish in the top four.

At the end of the season, with the stars coming back, they got that momentum. I wasn’t as pessimistic when Rance went out as most people were, but I was more pessimistic when they lost the other three as well.

I think those wins early in the season under pressure with a really young team were the turning point for them.

https://www.playersvoice.com.au/paul-roos-how-id-try-to-stop-dusty/