Well after a difficult year and with one game to go, we have secured our place in the eight.
While we secured the four points and our place in the final series for 2010 on Saturday, the game probably did not tell us very much given the depleted opposition we faced. However, we still needed to win and we did so convincingly, albeit at a price, with Grant Birchall suffering a hamstring injury.
It is a dilemma for a coach, when his team is secure in the eight as to whether he should play his best team or give some players a rest in order to hopefully perform better in the finals, to enhance the team’s chances of winning the flag. This year that was the option of Mark Harvey at Fremantle, last year it was Ross Lyon’s at St Kilda.
St Kilda sent a team to play us at Aurora which was missing some of its better players. They beat us all the same. This year Fremantle rested several of their players, but we defeated them comprehensively.
I defended both coaches when questioned by the media, because I believed their first responsibility was to do all they could to advantage their manpower to give their club the best chances of winning the ultimate prize - the premiership flag.
I still think that was the right answer, but after speaking to a number of Fremantle supporters, who weeks ago decided to travel from Perth to Tasmania for three or four days, only to find that their team was going to be heavily compromised, I understood their disappointment. I am sure they would not have undertaken the trip, and the cost, had they known that in advance.
But I still think the two coaches’ decisions were correct, but it needs to be clearly explained to their members to avoid disappointment.
Tough call for a coach at any time.
Now we take on Collingwood next Saturday. A tough task, but a great challenge. It will be our home game, so I ask you all to come to the MCG to support the coaches and team in the last game of the home and away season. The outcome of the game will determine our position in second half of the eight.
And that is important for it will determine whether our first finals game is here in Melbourne, in Sydney or Perth.
So please, come to the game, let the mighty brown and gold, and your lungs, lift our team to great heights.
After the match on Saturday we - that is I, your Chief Executive Stuart Fox, some of the coaches and the team - presented before our Tasmanian supporters at their after-match function.
As always it was well attended, and it reinforced for me again how strong and committed our Tasmanian members are, over 8,000 of them. They are loyal and passionate, and we are indebted to them for their ongoing support.
On Saturday night they presented me, as your President with a cheque for $10,000 which they had raised through raffles and activities. That is a fantastic effort and we thank Malcolm and his volunteer leadership team very much indeed.
The Board will give serious thought to how the money will be spent, but to all Tasmanians who contributed, we are in your debt.
Finally, we are continuing our discussions with the Tasmanian Government regarding our next contract and I hope to report positively before the end of the football year.
For now, after next weekend, we start all over again. You cannot win a premiership flag unless you are in the eight. Hawthorn is, and anything can happen in the last four weeks of September.
We continue to live the dream, and I am sure you all feel proud to be a member of this great Club.
But please we need you at the MCG on Saturday. See you there.
Jeff Kennett
President
