The Myth that is and was GWS

[Dyer'ere]

As an example of the myth I want to quote Sarah Jones, not as an authority, but as a typical voice in AFL ranks. She recently referred to GWS as "the best side in the AFL."

Now, that's contentious, sure. But to my mind it's preposterous. I think GWS is a side of proven hacks and failures. And for years now, those bearish about GWS have been calling them short on talent.

First I want to address the way narrative works. This time applied to GCS (the new hyperbole darling of the AFL), not GWS.

I cannot name all the commentators who've described Jack Lukosius as a superb kick, or a brilliant kick, or get it in his hands etc. Because they are too many. One recruiting manager described him as "the best kick ever to enter an AFL draft."

By and large, I expect a Jack Lukosius kick to hit an opponent's hands on the full. Dew is tweaking the JL game atm. Setting for shorter targets so there is some improvement. But. In short. The bloke can't kick.

With GWS and GCS nobody watches the games. So we're more inclined to believe what we hear and then check the Supercoach points. When Jack Lukosius kicks it relentlessly to three unmarked opponents 41m or more away that is not a clanger. It doesn't show up in the numbers.

Getting back to the recruiting manager who described him as the best kick ever to enter a draft, I think he got caught up in what I'm going to call "competitive echoing". I wanna say it too but be heard I must hit it harder, not to say it louder, but to give my assessment more weight.

Jack Lukosius is not just a very good kick, he's "the best kick ever to enter an AFL draft". [Listen to me.] Competitive echoing. It's about Note that I said it, not about accuracy. And we all competitive echo sometimes.

To date in his career, young Jack Lukosius has a real problem with his kicking. The other narrative is a myth.

Imagine a whole football club based on such narratives. Narratives that won't go away, despite the relentless failure of the mythologised.

We're about to look at GWS.

 

[Dyer'ere]

So the base phenomenon is competitive echoing with GWS.

It doesn't matter who was the first to say that GWS would be a good side back in the early days of their development. What mattered then was who made the grandest statement. Because to be heard was to make a bigger statement than the one that went before.

So statements got bigger. And Sarah Jones recently described GWS as "the best side in the AFL." The whole thing had got out of hand years ago. And reached a preposterous caricature with Jones's aside.

Will they make the eight? Meh.

Let's go through this myth from it's early days.

Competitive Echoing
Nobody watches the games
We listen to AFL controlled media hype
We verify with Supercoach points

These are the factors that led to the hilarious tale of GWS supremacy that lingers even today.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Oh. Forgive me. I left out the big one-

The GWS Excuse Machine

 

[Dyer'ere]

It's a given that we don't watch GWS games and we overrate their current players. But what about the players who've moved on?

What do we think of these players?

• FB: Caleb Marchbank, Aidan Corr, Lachie Plowman.
• HB: Zac Williams, Sam Frost, Nathan Wilson.
• C: Tom Scully, Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel.
• HF: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jeremy Cameron, Devon Smith.
• FF: Jonathon Patton, Josh Bruce, Jacob Townsend.
• FO: Rory Lobb, Taylor Adams, Jack Steele.

Have a look at these players as we perceived them at GWS and how they appear now.

Mark Thompson, before he outed himself for a love of 'frozen water', was ebullient about this list of players. Competitive echoing in the AFL controlled media.

How many of them do you actually want at Punt Road? Haven't we changed our tune on this?

 

[Dyer'ere]

We'd sing a very different song if we had to watch their current list of battlers every week.

 

[TigerForce]

Well, this isn't a myth Jack

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Steele is the one whose stocks have risen massively. Adams won a b&f. Bruce, can't even remember him at GWS, handy on his day. The rest have probably trod water or worse, although Townsend has a premiership medal. Some haven't had much of a chance yet.

They got to a GF as 7th-oldest team, but are now doing a mini-rebuild (12th oldest). Don't think they had the group buy-in needed to reach their potential, which is supported by the number who've wanted out. Liked riding the "orange tsunami"; didn't like doing the hard things necessary for success, consistently at least.

They started out living together in something resembling a hub. Those things drive many to suicide in Asia. I used to call it Sheedy's creepy compound. Maybe it got off on the wrong foot.

 

[TigerFlag2017]

Where does the meatball fit into all of this?

 

[frickenel]

At least one of them managed to become a premiership player!

 

[Tigers of Old]

Grand Final Day 2019..The day Gil & co. started to hate us as we dismantled (obliterated) their business model.

My least favourite (AFL) club.

 

[mexican_radio]

This discussion brings to mind the build up to the 2019 grand final. The big big sound have hit town, woohooo.

 

[Jonesracing82]

IMO GWS biggest issue is & has always been that when the going got tough it was left to too few to dig them out of any situation they found themselves in during a game. They failed to cash in on the biggest window ever given to a Club, the only thing that went through it was a bunch of flies.

 

[Streak]

So we became Mythbusters in 2019?

 

[artball]

This discussion brings to mind the build up to the 2019 grand final. The big big sound have hit town, woohooo.

everything was about GWS, everything.

for me our most satisfying annihilation of a club, partly because of that Giant hype

 

[Tenacious]

This view won’t be accepted by many/most - but I fully support GWS in terms of their ongoing existence and long term success in the AFL and in Sydney

On the other hand there are two Melbourne teams - lolNorf (obviously) but another as well - who I’d rather see gone from Victoria absolutely ASAP

(But I did have a great day at the ‘19 GF)

 

[TigerFlag2017]

This discussion brings to mind the build up to the 2019 grand final. The big big sound have hit town, woohooo.

My ears are still ringing from the stupid loud speakers at the 2017 prelim

 

[eZyT]

Adam Simpson said one meaningful thing in Making Their Mark.

(No, not his big Confusious moment '*smile* you, so *smile* them.')

he said what we all said early days of GWS.

'they are a collection of first round picks, and first round picks have never had to chase or tackle or scrap in their lives.'

its simplistic, because Adam Simpson is a simpleton, but I think its largely true.

We lived through and are amidst a real life fairy tale. We are like actors in a Hollywood Movie.

while we were all busy saying GWS will win the next 5 flags unopposed,

the Richmond Enigmas were been busy winning flag,

drawing on the lessons of The Castagne Steelworks, Casuarina Prison, the amphetamine and gunpowder archaeology of the couch in The Rebels clubhouse, Bunbury West Charcoal Chicken and Ribs, and The Launceston docks

* note, GCS sent a clear message recruiting Towner

 

[Quickdraw]

As an example of the myth I want to quote Sarah Jones, not as an authority, but as a typical voice in AFL ranks. She recently referred to GWS as "the best side in the AFL."

Now, that's contentious, sure. But to my mind it's preposterous. I think GWS is a side of proven hacks and failures. And for years now, those bearish about GWS have been calling them short on talent.

First I want to address the way narrative works. This time applied to GCS (the new hyperbole darling of the AFL), not GWS.

I cannot name all the commentators who've described Jack Lukosius as a superb kick, or a brilliant kick, or get it in his hands etc. Because they are too many. One recruiting manager described him as "the best kick ever to enter an AFL draft."

By and large, I expect a Jack Lukosius kick to hit an opponent's hands on the full. Dew is tweaking the JL game atm. Setting for shorter targets so there is some improvement. But. In short. The bloke can't kick.

With GWS and GCS nobody watches the games. So we're more inclined to believe what we hear and then check the Supercoach points. When Jack Lukosius kicks it relentlessly to three unmarked opponents 41m or more away that is not a clanger. It doesn't show up in the numbers.

Getting back to the recruiting manager who described him as the best kick ever to enter a draft, I think he got caught up in what I'm going to call "competitive echoing". I wanna say it too but be heard I must hit it harder, not to say it louder, but to give my assessment more weight.

Jack Lukosius is not just a very good kick, he's "the best kick ever to enter an AFL draft". [Listen to me.] Competitive echoing. It's about Note that I said it, not about accuracy. And we all competitive echo sometimes.

To date in his career, young Jack Lukosius has a real problem with his kicking. The other narrative is a myth.

Imagine a whole football club based on such narratives. Narratives that won't go away, despite the relentless failure of the mythologised.

We're about to look at GWS.

Cam Rayner is the media narrative myth that makes me laugh.

"No. 1 draft pick", "built for finals football". Even bloody Richo was dribbling that!

Rayner hardly touches it, and more often than not sprays his shot at goal. Flashes in the play a couple of times per game. Meh.

Sorry that the kid has a bad injury. He'll be back. Might become a good player but a long way from it for mine.

And then there's Fatty Petracca! Boy are the media flogs on that bandwagon!

 

[tigersnake]

The mollycoddling parenting model doesn't work. Everyone knows it. You spoil your kids and don't let them learn the hard lessons, they turn out useless.

 

[Ian4]

They have made a lot of mistakes. They’ve drafted too many injury prone players. They have a useless coach who doesn’t get the best out of his players. They play in a stadium that can’t be used for 6 weeks in the year because of the Easter show, half a billion dollars handed to them from the AFL (and counting).

But the biggest factor of all, the issue they can’t escape is the fact that they are a plastic, manufactured AFL-created monstrosity with no history or culture that no one wanted.

This discussion brings to mind the build up to the 2019 grand final. The big big sound have hit town, woohooo.

i remember the fiasco of them not be able to come close to selling their GF allocation (great for richmond supporters of course). the brand new scarves at gurnseys that look like they had just been unwrapped from the plastic at the GF parade, and how all of thew GWS "fans" that did make it to the GF were placed in prominent positions of the MCG for the sake of TV.