Well evidently they do. and while I admit to many frustrations with wright and have called for him to be dropped in the past, to say that Day was a better choice than Wright is just stubbornly refusing to admit the match committee was wrong.Just maybe match committee valued Wright less than you. What is distasteful about that? What does it have to do with loyalty? Peter is a great person off the field but you don't get to play games for that. In the end, it's coaches jobs on the line.
FWIW, I watched Wright closely in the last pre-season game against Crows. First 3 quarters were embarrassing from him, the last quarter was good. Personally, I would also play Day ahead of Wright. Difference between them is in effort, contest, pressure, speed (and Day is not fast). Wright slowly jogging around the field, dropping marks constantly, no mongrel and easily pushed aside did not fill me with excitement. I loved his set shot though.
Good luck to Peter. He will need it. Enormous pressure on him playing for Essendon. The last chance.
In 2019 Wright averaged 5 marks (1.1 contested), 1.2 goals, 0.8 behinds and 6.8 hitouts
This season Day averaged 2.8 marks (0.8 contested), 0.7 goals, 0.4 behinds and 3.2 hitouts
Day went goalless in 10/17 games this season and yet not once lost his spot in the team. That includes a run of 3 games in the middle of the year - two of which we lost by less than 6 points.
He literally performed worse in marking, both contested and uncontested, goalkicking and his backup ruck works was to a lower standard.
Wright is a talented player who's strengths we continued to overlook (his leading, goalkicking and ability to bring the ball to ground) because he had some flaws (not super aggressive and not a big pack marker) despite the guy who took his spot and seemingly kept it with impunity, performing worse in basically every statistical area important to a key forward.
We've had a bunch of 18 year olds sign on for an extra 2 years and feel it's appropriate to toss someone who's been with us through the absolute worst and remained committed to the club, to the curb?
that's what I find distasteful.