The media narrative of our club's success this season can be summed up in 3 words. Winning a final.
In an ideal, equal environment, there is no additional pressure placed on our own players compared to those of a Hawthorn or a Collingwood. In the real world, the media manipulate rising and falling expectations to make money, and the RFC generates a lot of attention. So we need to be smart about how we shape our environment. We need to be smart to achieve our one true goal - to win a premiership either this year, or next year, or the year after.
Theoretically, we could miss the finals in 2015 and win a flag in 2016. In hindsight, it wouldn't matter whether we 'won a final' the year before. Just as it wouldn't matter if we lost a prelim, like North/Port last year (where are they now?). Wins in previous years are nothing more than suggestions for future performances, future performances that can be measured as a success by the one and only measure that actually matters - a premiership. Allowing the media's storyline to infect our club's psyche would be to our own detriment for two reasons: 1. We get sucked into viewing each season in isolation, compared to putting it into the perspective of a premiership-winning journey over several years, and 2. It undermines our potential to go further this year.
Yes, winning a final is a good sign. But it's like a club aiming to be "in front at half time" so their focus shifts to being in front at half time, because it is a good sign you'll win the match. However, if uncontrolled, too many people lose sight of the final siren.
Moreover, it implies that winning "a" final is our ceiling. If we do win a final, that's it - we've had a successful season! Congrats Tigers! We proved our critics wrong. Our opponents in week 2 or 3 would therefore have a subtle yet potentially powerful psychological advantage. This could negatively affect our finals campaign this year. So knock it on the head Tigers. We should actively prepare/ensure that we don't fall into the trap of viewing 'winning a final' as a measure of success for our 2015 season. The coaches and players will be dreaming big regardless, so this is more a question aimed at helping them perform at their best by managing the external pressures of a club that so often attracts widespread attention, and accompanying external pressure, that left unchecked can be a potent anxiogenic.
Thoughts?
In an ideal, equal environment, there is no additional pressure placed on our own players compared to those of a Hawthorn or a Collingwood. In the real world, the media manipulate rising and falling expectations to make money, and the RFC generates a lot of attention. So we need to be smart about how we shape our environment. We need to be smart to achieve our one true goal - to win a premiership either this year, or next year, or the year after.
Theoretically, we could miss the finals in 2015 and win a flag in 2016. In hindsight, it wouldn't matter whether we 'won a final' the year before. Just as it wouldn't matter if we lost a prelim, like North/Port last year (where are they now?). Wins in previous years are nothing more than suggestions for future performances, future performances that can be measured as a success by the one and only measure that actually matters - a premiership. Allowing the media's storyline to infect our club's psyche would be to our own detriment for two reasons: 1. We get sucked into viewing each season in isolation, compared to putting it into the perspective of a premiership-winning journey over several years, and 2. It undermines our potential to go further this year.
Yes, winning a final is a good sign. But it's like a club aiming to be "in front at half time" so their focus shifts to being in front at half time, because it is a good sign you'll win the match. However, if uncontrolled, too many people lose sight of the final siren.
Moreover, it implies that winning "a" final is our ceiling. If we do win a final, that's it - we've had a successful season! Congrats Tigers! We proved our critics wrong. Our opponents in week 2 or 3 would therefore have a subtle yet potentially powerful psychological advantage. This could negatively affect our finals campaign this year. So knock it on the head Tigers. We should actively prepare/ensure that we don't fall into the trap of viewing 'winning a final' as a measure of success for our 2015 season. The coaches and players will be dreaming big regardless, so this is more a question aimed at helping them perform at their best by managing the external pressures of a club that so often attracts widespread attention, and accompanying external pressure, that left unchecked can be a potent anxiogenic.
Thoughts?
