The conundrum is that we can view and rate the physical. The mental is not observable; attitude levels cannot be measured.
What we do know is that sustained excellence requires both great physical skills and a consistent, highly competitive mind set.
Whether it is tennis great Roger Federer, golfing legend Tiger Woods, or closer to home Geelong, which has lost only four games in about three years, and St Kilda, which has strung together 14 consecutive wins – great performers and great teams will also have variations in their arousal levels from game to game.
Don't tell me that the likes of Brett Kirk, Lenny Hayes and Joel Selwood attack the footy ferociously all the time because they are more aroused or more committed than the average player. They do it because for them it is normal behaviour.
I have always believed that the essential element in coaching is the art of assisting in the creation of winning habits; the drilling of players to do the required actions without conscious thought regardless of how they feel at the time.
Feelings are a convenient cop out. To be a bit callous, in top level footy we cannot care how a player feels; ultimately they will be judged on what they do.
Discipline is about doing what you need to do, not what you feel like doing at the time.
Positive attitude is useless unless followed by positive deeds.
The variables of human performance mean ability can be almost an illusion. Here today, gone tomorrow.
Sometimes it's physical, sometimes it's mental. Mostly it is a combination of both.
The Hawthorn team is a good example at the moment.
Geelong might have been the best team of the whole 2008 season but the Hawks last September had reached a similar level.
Injuries and many underdone players going into this season meant they started the year well below their physical peak.
What they had was the reservoir of belief and confidence built up last season which kept them competitive even with a weakened playing list.
Gradually that belief and confidence has evaporated. A horrible, goalless first half against the Bulldogs last Saturday was the extreme consequence of the downward spiral that now engulfs the reigning premiers.
Same jumper, predominately the same players, but nowhere near the elite performance level of last September.
The situation that the Hawks are in has happened many times before. It happened to the Brisbane Lions during the 2005 season.
After four consecutive grand final appearances from 2001 to 2004, the energy-sapping malaise of retirements, injuries and an ageing list culminated in an embarrassing 139- point thrashing by St Kilda in round 22 of '05.
Like Hawthorn against the Bulldogs, it looked like the Lions players had stopped trying. Frustrated fans, be assured that every player is always consciously trying his hardest.
What does happen is that when spirit and hope disappears the physical symptom is a loss of energy.
Players look exhausted, reflexes slow – in the reverse of what the great former coach John Kennedy once said, they are thinking not doing.
We saw the opposite with Melbourne against the Eagles last weekend.
The emotion surrounding the illness of chairman Jim Stynes created an incredible spirit among the whole club which rubbed off onto the Demons players. All of a sudden this was a very special game.
The hope came from an opponent which had not won away from Perth for 17 games. This was a very winnable match.
While belief and confidence would have been low, the Demons, armed with a bonding spirit and motivating hope, attacked the game with enormous energy. Not great skill but great effort.
Sixty-odd tackles in the first half was the measurable evidence. Their competitive spirit was bubbling over.
Hope was maintained by an early, very accurate 10.1, which kept them in front on the scoreboard and they kept going for a morale boosting win.
They are only words but to maximise physical talent a team must have high levels of spirit, hope, belief and confidence.
Geelong and St Kilda are the competition pace setters because for now they possess this vital formula.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
