Adelaide. western Bulldogs

There's something wrong with the mindset of this team as I keep on saying.

There's a lot to like with many of the younger players, but thebtea is mentally very weak, apart from some outstanding exceptions.

Cannot agree with you more R&B.

As the season wears on I keep waiting for them to turn things around, but they just aren't.

From memory Adelaide has at some point been in a winnable position in every game this year except against Sydney. In a few they've managed to hang on, but in the majority they have choked.

The pattern of play has happened so often that I can recite it:

- They will race out to a 3 - 5 goal lead early.
- They will stabilise this, however miss multiple chances in front of goal to establish a 'match winning' lead.
- They will then let through multiple red time goals to give the opposition a sniff - usually from terrible turn overs between the arcs or from bombing it into the floating opposition defender about 40 out who instigates a rebound goal from half back.
- Sometimes they manage to still hang on, most times they capitulate with more turn overs or by missing easy set shots.

It pains me to admit it, but at the moment Adelaide are the biggest front runners going around.

Yes.

I like their future with a lot of the young and emerging players, including Brown, Laird, Talia, Lynch, etc.

Crouch will be (already is) a gun.

I know they've had injuries, but they desperately need a Petrie type up forward, regardless of Walker's availability, someone better than Petrenko up forward and a better ruckman.

Then, a bit of old fashioned, hard nosed grunt.

There is no doubting that there are some supremely talented youngsters on the list, and that has been the one positive out of this year.

The mental toughness is just not there for the playing group though at the moment, they are weak between the ears. This probably comes down to experience, or lack thereof, amongst the playing group. I'm sure this will change.

I actually knew with certainty 5 minutes into the last quarter that we would lose that game. I have lost all faith in their ability to play out games this year unfortunately.

A real shame after last year. And amongst it all is that nagging fear in the pit of the stomach that the Tippett scandal will cost us dearly.......