Lessons from the GF

[Greening gold]

I learnt the Norm Smith voting is a joke.

Boyd was clearly the most influential player in the Doggies' win, and deserved to win it. Kennedy was awesome for the Swans. I'd also have Picken and Bont in the discussion and ahead of Johannisen. In fact Johannisen butchered everything he touched in the first half.

Hardly surprising to see who the judges were and which ones didn't rate Boyd:
Brad Johnson - too closely connected emotionally to the Dogs to be a judge.
Jay Clarke - typical Herald Sun flog reporter..cannot take him seriously. Just watch the Pies website after-match analysis with Chrisso and you'll see he's not a serious football analyst.
Michael Voss - never impressed me as an analyst, and suspect he's a bit twisted and not fair and balanced.

For what it's worth, Wayne Carey and Emma Qualye both had Boyd as bog.

This, I watched it with a few mates and most of us thought Boyd was the best player, took some very important contested marks, kicks 3 and rucked well. Anyway the winner is announced and we went WTF.

The only other player considered for me was Picken.

Agree completely. Your mates are good judges.

[schuey07]

Bevo handed his medal to Murphy, what a dick head!
Sugar-coat it all you like but the medal ain't his, Murphy hasn't played a game since June...

So suffer you ugly mofo, you get the pretend medal, LOL!

That's what I learnt!

Really?

So much hate in such a little person.

I thought it was a brilliant touch.

Yeah me too Stui. I guess being a lover of a narcissistic grisly no talent scrag takes it toll and makes you bitter and twisted like it is.

I am absolutely thrilled for the dogs - firstly because the people I met there the trainers particularly ( blokes who were tradies, overweight, loved a beer and were unpaid ) when my ex hubby played VFL were the best and have been life long friends.

Secondly cause I love watching them play - fast and exciting and brave! ( Don't take Cloke you will be sorry!!!!!)

Thirdly because the health service I work in is in the West and they are incredible with their time and Bob Murphy is one of the best human beings you could meet.

And yep they may well have got some concessions and assistance from the AFL BUT not as much as the interstate clubs got and not as much as we as a club generated - but they used it wisely ( mind you apparently we have a netball team) recruited well and won the 2016 flag!! Well done dogs

+1 Great post.

[MagpieBat]

Bevo handed his medal to Murphy, what a dick head!
Sugar-coat it all you like but the medal ain't his, Murphy hasn't played a game since June...

So suffer you ugly mofo, you get the pretend medal, LOL!

That's what I learnt!

So much salt. Why?

Seriously, have you ever been part of a team. I saw it and my comment to my mates was I'd bleed for this bloke. Hence why they've won the premiership.

Were you aiming that at me? Because I loved Beveridge's gesture.

[CarringbushCigar]

I learnt the Norm Smith voting is a joke.

Boyd was clearly the most influential player in the Doggies' win, and deserved to win it. Kennedy was awesome for the Swans. I'd also have Picken and Bont in the discussion and ahead of Johannisen. In fact Johannisen butchered everything he touched in the first half.

Hardly surprising to see who the judges were and which ones didn't rate Boyd:
Brad Johnson - too closely connected emotionally to the Dogs to be a judge.
Jay Clarke - typical Herald Sun flog reporter..cannot take him seriously. Just watch the Pies website after-match analysis with Chrisso and you'll see he's not a serious football analyst.
Michael Voss - never impressed me as an analyst, and suspect he's a bit twisted and not fair and balanced.

For what it's worth, Wayne Carey and Emma Qualye both had Boyd as bog.

This, I watched it with a few mates and most of us thought Boyd was the best player, took some very important contested marks, kicks 3 and rucked well. Anyway the winner is announced and we went WTF.

The only other player considered for me was Picken.

Agree completely. Your mates are good judges.

This is killing me - Boyd was my number 1 bet for the Norm Smith (@ 180-1), and would have recovered all my Collingwood losses for the year.

Watching the live Norm Smith betting markets in the last half - me thinks there was some dodgy activity going on.
Im calling on the AFL integrity department to investigate and redistribute the medal to the rightful owner and arrest Johnson, Voss and Clark.

How the judges voted

Brad Johnson (Fox Footy): Johannisen 3, Kennedy 2, Boyd 1.
Emma Quayle (The Age): Boyd 3, Johannisen 2, Kennedy 1.
Wayne Carey (Channel 7): Boyd 3, Picken 2, Kennedy 1.
Michael Voss (SEN 1116): Johannisen 3, Picken 2, Kennedy 1.
Jay Clark (Herald Sun): Kennedy 3, Johannisen 2, Picken 1.

[58pie]

Doesn't matter who won the Norm Smith medal but Liam was the match winner and we passed on him. Loved he won it for the Dogs and to all my friends who have not waived as dog supporters. Enjoy. Go pies in 2017.

[Culprit]

A champion team will always beat a team of champions and you need the whole team contributing and have no passengers.

[Pies4shaw]

The lesson? When you get there, just win.

Imagine having almost an entire supporter base that doesn't know what it feels like to watch your team die pathetically in a ditch on Grand Final day.

[think positive]

The lesson? When you get there, just win.

Imagine having almost an entire supporter base that doesn't know what it feels like to watch your team die pathetically in a ditch on Grand Final day.

Man .. that's a stake to the heart! Hubby just suggested we pop down to the kennel today, I think he's having a lend of me but I still filled the swear jar. Although I wish he would go, I'd love a peaceful day avoiding all media

[Rush Stand Wing]

I learned...

Contested ball is still king - Hawthorn's demise and the Dogs/Swans GF is concrete proof. This is already our mantra and we must maintain it consistently

Mobile Forwards are preferred - the game is much faster and relies heavily on players finding 'space' more so than big key position marking players who are more likely to cause congestion, if a mark is not taken. However, this will turn back again at some stage because big men will always get bigger the longer the game goes on.

Keep ball moving at forward all costs - Basically, back in your mates and go 'hell for leather' but yet be prepared to block it from going the other way. Every second and inch counts. The 'transition' game style is already entrenched at the Pies but we need the group to really click.

Never give a sucker and even break - the Dogs were to be admired the way they took most goal scoring chances when they presented. Its definitely a confidence thing and they peaked at the perfect time. A build up of self belief would go down very well at the Pies.

The Club's media need to go into lockdown - Instead of fuelling the media machine we need to close ranks and give the group more space to let their true personalities come out. We need some mystique back at the club.

We are on the right trek and its not as far away as I thought.

[thebaldfacts]

As Bucks said at the members meeting, the side we are most like is the Bulldogs. He also tipped the Bulldogs by 10 points.

We probably were unlucky not to beat them at least once this year.

Just gives me confidence that maybe we are on the right track after all.

[Rush Stand Wing]

I also heard Beveridge say" Melbourne and Collingwood are coming" when commenting on the evenness of the competition this year. A bit more class and health and who knows what can happen.

[WarrenerraW]

Bevo handed his medal to Murphy, what a dick head!
Sugar-coat it all you like but the medal ain't his, Murphy hasn't played a game since June...

So suffer you ugly mofo, you get the pretend medal, LOL!

That's what I learnt!

annodam, what a nasty thing to say, you should be ashamed of yourself. I know you hate the bulldogs but do you need to be so juvenile and petulant.

I thought it was a heartwarming gesture and an act of respect and admiration for someone who has stuck with his club through thick and thin and was just as much a part of the win as any of the 22 blokes that took the field.

It also shows how much Bevo values his players.

[RudeBoy]

The main lesson I got from the Dogs win was that there is no set template, game-plan or style for winning a flag. Those who try to emulate others are doomed to be second rate. Each team has its own strengths, its own personnel, it's own skill-sets and character. The key is to harness the best of what you've got and play to your strengths. However, the only other thing I'd add is that in doing that I do believe its essential to have a fully united and committed team, full of team spirit and passion. The Dogs have that in spades. This is the one area of Bucks coaching style which worries me, when I hear him saying he expects the players to be self motivated. To a point he's right. However, the team culture and spirit - as opposed to individual motivation - is the responsibility of the coach to nurture. FWIW, I think Bucks is smart enough to realise that, and getting rid of Leading Teams is a good step towards rebuilding the team spirit we need to march on to victory in 2017.

[stui magpie]

This, I watched it with a few mates and most of us thought Boyd was the best player, took some very important contested marks, kicks 3 and rucked well. Anyway the winner is announced and we went WTF.

The only other player considered for me was Picken.

Agree completely. Your mates are good judges.

This is killing me - Boyd was my number 1 bet for the Norm Smith (@ 180-1), and would have recovered all my Collingwood losses for the year.

Watching the live Norm Smith betting markets in the last half - me thinks there was some dodgy activity going on.
Im calling on the AFL integrity department to investigate and redistribute the medal to the rightful owner and arrest Johnson, Voss and Clark.

How the judges voted

Brad Johnson (Fox Footy): Johannisen 3, Kennedy 2, Boyd 1.
Emma Quayle (The Age): Boyd 3, Johannisen 2, Kennedy 1.
Wayne Carey (Channel 7): Boyd 3, Picken 2, Kennedy 1.
Michael Voss (SEN 1116): Johannisen 3, Picken 2, Kennedy 1.
Jay Clark (Herald Sun): Kennedy 3, Johannisen 2, Picken 1.

Unless they've changed the process, the people judging the Norm Smith had to hand in their votes at the 10 minute mark of the last quarter.

Jay Clark was obviously either drunk or too busy writing a column to watch the game.

[RudeBoy]

The other lesson from the Grand Final is that we can win the flag in 2017.