Finishing runner-up used to be seen as a stepping stone to greatness.
“You have to lose one in order to learn how to win one.”
“You don’t lose, you learn.”
“The secret to winning is learning how to lose.”
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
A great set of quotes, right? Even if the last one was from the worst of the Rocky movies, it was still a ripping moment from Stallone. These quotes are meant to inspire a team that came so close to winning it all and iterate that this isn’t the end of the world; their journey will continue. It teaches them that the lessons they take from this loss will serve them well in the future and lead to success.
However, in the AFL in recent years, that has been anything but the case.
Uh oh… Mongrel Paywall. Don’t you hate that? This is where I try to provide value to our Mongrel Members. They will receive access to five or so exclusive columns per week during the off-season detailing trades, free agency, player profiles, drafts, statistical analysis, and then into the pre-season previews. Wanna join them and support the best damn independent footy site you’ll find?
