Are Bomber Fans happy with Matthew Lloyd?

[Big Ted]

A serious question, not trolling by any means..

Are Bomber fans happy with Mathew Lloyds appointment as captain of their football club?

By what Ive seen of him in the media so far, he doesn't exactly come accross as a natural leader or ambassedor of the club. After watching him on Foxtel he doesn't appear very comfortable or natural in the spot light either.

Hird was a natural and he had the respect of not only the club, but of us opposing fans as well.. I dont believe that Lloyd has either of those qualities.

Did Lloyd sort of win by default as their are no other options at Windy Hill ?

 

[Bombers_Forever]

Personally Hird set such high standards so whoever was next would have to follow one of the best of all time.

I will be happy with him if it helps his game and he does show on field leadership. If his game suffers, it might be a burden on him. On the other hand, he might just flourish with the extra responsibility.

I would have preferred one of the Johnsons or McPhee but I am not too fussed.

Hird will continue to be the main leader on the field next year anyway.

 

[Rocket23]

Personally Hird set such high standards so whoever was next would have to follow one of the best of all time.

I will be happy with him if it helps his game and he does show on field leadership. If his game suffers, it might be a burden on him. On the other hand, he might just flourish with the extra responsibility.

I would have preferred one of the Johnsons or McPhee but I am not too fussed.

Hird will continue to be the main leader on the field next year anyway.

Quick question BF and other Essendon fans. Do you think it would have been better to appoint another captain completely opposite to Hird eg: Jason Johnson type etc?

As you stated and I agree wholeheartedly following Hird would be a hard task for anyone but I think it would be easier on someone who is a completely different player to him!

 

[jackson_rules]

my tip was mark johnson for it, but atm saying hurd is bad choice is jsut silly wait 2 yrs really before knowing wether or not he is a good skipper

 

[dave_27]

mcphee is still young and imo not ready for the captaincy yet.

i think he will be the successor to lloyd though later in his career.

 

[bongo]

I think Lloyd will prove everyone wrong. He has been a great player at essendon over the last 10 years and without doubt one of the best players in the comp.
I think anyone of the following could have been named captain, Fletcher, Lucas, J. Johnson, M. Johnson, D. Solomon, but Lloyd was the best candidate. I think if the appointment was made 12 months ago nobody would be saying much because lloyd came off a good 2004, He has no doubt struggled in 2005, but with a good preseason (no broken arms), and with a few promising midfielders coming up, he could well and truly win the coleman again. He may not be the best public speaker going around, and may not recieve the respect he deserves from other club supporters, but he is well respected at essendon and will be a good leader. When he has filled J. Hirds shoes in the past he has done the job.
(eg: 2004 against Port, cleaned up C. Kornes and kicked 7, a good captains knock)
To answer your question i am very happy with M. Lloyd as bomber captain next year.

 

[Fraz]

Yeah I'm happy with the decision.
He has been the heir to the throne for years now so it is the logical choice and he has the respect of his teammates. He has also proven over the years that he can step up when given the captains role when Sir James has been out and many people at Essendon (players, coaches etc) have commented on how he has great leadership qualities and the younger guys look up to him a lot.
With the whole media thing I must admit he does have a very monotone voice when on shows such as White Line Fever, Footy Show etc but I think that is mainly due to two things. 1. Footy players obviously take the game very seriously, afterall it is their career! 2. Footy players also have to be careful not to give too much away so they tend to give very robotic answers.
However if you see him on Auskick'n Around or just outside of football then he is able to relax and be more like himself.
As it's already been said Hirdy has obviously set such a high bench mark and I don't think we should expect Lloyd, or anyone else for a number of years for that matter, to be as "good" as him especially straight away. As he said in the press conference Hirdy wasn't as good a captain in 1998 as he was in 2004.

 

[Minkus_Swan]

What about Ramanauskas?

Is he any chance to captain the club in the near future?

 

[bongo]

What about Ramanauskas?

Is he any chance to captain the club in the near future?

before his cancer and knee injury yes, but now he just neeeds to concentrate on getting fit and staying fit and playing good footy, and enjoying life, he doesnt need the stresses of the captaincy

 

[nonchalance]

What about Ramanauskas?

Is he any chance to captain the club in the near future?

He could be anything.
Has a lot of talent, but is the unluckiest bloke in the competition.
Might get his form back, might not - either way I won't be blaming him, but if he's a chance at captain, it'd be four or five years away.

 

[Cyclops]

I feel Hird wasn't a great captain, although he is a champion player. I think like Buckley or Cousins he learned to be an acceptable captain and lead vocally and emotionally as well as by example.

Lloyd faces the same challenge. I don't think he's a natural leader a la Tony Shaw or Michael Voss, all chat and sledging and gee-ing up and radiating confidence (and knowing when to go the sly biff). Those guys could burst an opponents bubble, blast one of their own when they need it or put some steel into a flagging team-mates spirit, so its like having an extra coach on the ground.

Lloyd's probably the best player at the club, and has the respect of his men and opponents.

Its up to him to learn the whole caper, and develop a vocal and demontrative side to his game so he lifts his team-mates as well as himself. Even though he looks like a dumb-arse yokel (I love the way his lower lip is to heavy for his chin to support) he most likely has enough sense to make a fist of it.

I reckon he has a shot at becoming a decent captain like Hird or Bucks or Cousins did.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I feel Hird wasn't a great captain, although he is a champion player.

dude are you for real?? Sorry but you'll lose everyone with that line. That is so wrong it's not funny

 

[Toots Hibbert]

I feel Hird wasn't a great captain, although he is a champion player. I think like Buckley or Cousins he learned to be an acceptable captain and lead vocally and emotionally as well as by example.

Lloyd faces the same challenge. I don't think he's a natural leader a la Tony Shaw or Michael Voss, all chat and sledging and gee-ing up and radiating confidence (and knowing when to go the sly biff). Those guys could burst an opponents bubble, blast one of their own when they need it or put some steel into a flagging team-mates spirit, so its like having an extra coach on the ground.

Lloyd's probably the best player at the club, and has the respect of his men and opponents.

Its up to him to learn the whole caper, and develop a vocal and demontrative side to his game so he lifts his team-mates as well as himself. Even though he looks like a dumb-arse yokel (I love the way his lower lip is to heavy for his chin to support) he most likely has enough sense to make a fist of it.

I reckon he has a shot at becoming a decent captain like Hird or Bucks or Cousins did.

Are you seriously suggesting that James Hird does not have the ability to inspire his team mates and put some steel into flagging spirits!

 

[roge_3]

Its not ideal in the situation the bombers are in, but Lloyd deserves his chance, no matter what anyone's opinion is on the matter.
I personally would have liked to see Hird hold the captaincy for one more year and then hand it over to McPhee. But opinion only.
Hope Lloyd proves everyone wrong and returns to form of a couple of years ago, and leads the side back to the top.

 

[crackers57]

" C'mon fellas, all back to my place for a sing song with the missus (no laughing, OK) and we'll knock back a few Bacardi Breezers "

 

[Vulcan]

Absolutely.

But to the St.Kilda fan who started this why not get your coach to find and appoint a Captain and stick with him long term so that the rest of us can comment on his worth.
As it is no one has any idea who it is from week to week let alone year to year and it shows on the field.

 

[Cyclops]

dude are you for real?? Sorry but you'll lose everyone with that line. That is so wrong it's not funny

Are you seriously suggesting that James Hird does not have the ability to inspire his team mates and put some steel into flagging spirits!

I'm saying when Hird started he was tentative as a captain and although he had the respect of his men he didn't know about all the little things that make a great captain.

Don't confuse being a great player with being a great captain. I don't think Hird's a great captain. He's been good recently, but not the best by any means.

I recall an interview he gave in around 2000 when he said he thought he did a bad job at first-typical footballers modesty, but its fair to say he wasn't a natural at it and had to learn.

I think he learned to be a decent captain and to inspire, discipline, lead and motivate his men, as Buckley and other captains have. I don't think he was a natural and he's said as much (if I recall correctly).

Likewise I think Lloyd ain't a natural but he can learn.

In one way it could be easier for him to develop once Hird retires. Its hard to be the big dog when there's an all time champ and ex-captain in the group you're leading-people might look to the old leader in a crunch rather than the captain.

 

[Mighty Hawk]

Lloyd as player > Lloyd as captain.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I'm saying when Hird started he was tentative as a captain and although he had the respect of his men he didn't know about all the little things that make a great captain.

Don't confuse being a great player with being a great captain. I don't think Hird's a great captain. He's been good recently, but not the best by any means.

I recall an interview he gave in around 2000 when he said he thought he did a bad job at first-typical footballers modesty, but its fair to say he wasn't a natural at it and had to learn.

I think he learned to be a decent captain and to inspire, discipline, lead and motivate his men, as Buckley and other captains have. I don't think he was a natural and he's said as much (if I recall correctly).

Likewise I think Lloyd ain't a natural but he can learn.

In one way it could be easier for him to develop once Hird retires. Its hard to be the big dog when there's an all time champ and ex-captain in the group you're leading-people might look to the old leader in a crunch rather than the captain.

He may have had to learn it, I'll give you that... But James Hird is a leader of men. If you've seen him revving up his team-mates before a game or at half time I don't see how you could disagree. He led from the front, inspired others with his deeds, and made his team-mates walk taller. I don't see what more a captain can do, and Hird I believe will go down as one of the all-time great Essendon captains, if not league captains.

 

[Fraz]

I don't think that we should expect Lloyd to be an amazing captain in his first year. Obviously he's got to grow into it, become more confident in his role etc. I think that's the same for everyone. Hirdy didn't start of being an amzing captain straight away, ofcourse you've got to learn.
I think it was always going to be hard for whoever took over from Hirdy as people will expect that high standard straight away.

 

[Fraz]

Lloyd as player > Lloyd as captain.

May be true however:
Lloyd as captain > Vandenburg as captain

 

[Cyclops]

He may have had to learn it, I'll give you that... But James Hird is a leader of men. If you've seen him revving up his team-mates before a game or at half time I don't see how you could disagree. He led from the front, inspired others with his deeds, and made his team-mates walk taller. I don't see what more a captain can do, and Hird I believe will go down as one of the all-time great Essendon captains, if not league captains.

Don't see enough to authoritively comment, but my feeling is that hes like Buckley-he inspires more through deeds than words, although both have become better at gee-ing up their boys, standing up to bullys etc. An all-time great player yes, but all-time great captain?

He is definitely not as good as Voss, who exerts amazing influence over his boys, even when he's playing below par.

 

[Steady Dave]

May be true however:
Lloyd as captain > Vandenburg as captain

Geez what an achievement that would be eh. I guess at least Lloyd could inspire his teamates with his constant diving whereas richie doesnt have anything to offer. Lloyd - Essendon Captain or nomination for best actor in a drama/comedy??

 

[windyhill]

Hird, in my opinion is ********house in the media, i cringe whenever he`s on that bloody footy show , no good. Absolutely rapt that The Great One will now be leading us , he`s carried us for years and will continue to do so. Excellent if not obvious choice as captain.

 

[Vulcan]

Hird, in my opinion is ********house in the media, i cringe whenever he`s on that bloody footy show , no good. Absolutely rapt that The Great One will now be leading us , he`s carried us for years and will continue to do so. Excellent if not obvious choice as captain.

In fairness to Hirdy how the hell would anyone with half a brain be able to function on that show.Bet he hated it everytime he had to be there.
Lloyd of course was satirised by McGuire a few years ago and never appeared on it again.His choice not their's.
Great move and will be a great skipper.