Could Patience Be The Key??

[boncer34]

As with you guys I've been watching incredibly frustrated with the Bombers efforts this year, our boys just dont seem to have any heart. Don't chase, to soft. Etc etc

However watching the games from last year something has hit me whats different.

Last year these blokes ran around in 2 of our wins against WCE and Richmond. (Only 2 games I've watched.)

Jason Johnson, Mark Johnson, Damien Peverill, Scott Camporeale, James Hird, Scott Lucas and to a lesser extent Mal Michael (I'm including him because he just hasn't been the same Mal this year somethings not right with him and I doubt he'll play again) and Mark Bolton.

All strong bigger bodied blokes, all able to take a hit and break tackles and are strong enough to handle AFL footy. More importantly Pev, JJ, MJ, Campo, Hird and Lucas were all front line players. They were the ones we looked to in times of trouble.

Thats over 1600 games of experience right there. Huge hit to take that much experience out of a side and not expect drastic results. Just for to satisfy my own curiousity I thought I'd compare the sides from the West Coast game and the Richmond game we just played.

Out: Hird, Lucas, Bolton, Johnson, Johnson, Peverill, Camporeale, Micheal, Davey, Laycock
In: Reimers, Nash, NLM, Lovett, Daniher, Jetta, Hislop, Myers, Neagle, Lonergan

Out: 1688 games of experience
In: 188 games of experience and 2 of those blokes make up 128 of those games.

People say Stanton hasn't stepped up, that he's dropped off and gone backwards.
He averages 19 touches a game over his career, how many has he averaged this year? 19
Winderlich: 13 touches a game, this season 16.
Lovett: 15 touches, this season 16.
Lovett-Murray: 13 touches, this season 11.
Welsh: 16 touches, this season 18.
Watson 20 touches, this season 22.

All bar one are getting their hands on the ball more. These guys are doing exactly what they did last year, the year before and the year before that. Problem is they no longer have JJ, MJ, Hird, Campo, Pev and co. running around with them and providing support when we hit trouble. Now they have to step up to the plate and be the experienced and tough guys that lead from the front. A role they've rarely had to do.

9 rounds in people are expecting it to have happened. They've spent 2/3 years running around as the 2nd tier mid-field. Now suddenly their experienceing themselves been the front line mid-field and yet despite only having done it for 9 games they're getting crucified for not doing it.

Essendons play lately has been deplorable, no matter what spin you on it. I know that, you know that hell the whole world knows it. BUT is it because our blokes are hopeless or because they're all having to do roles they've never done before? Is it because they have no ticker or is it because their now playing against sides where the players have had more then 9 games to adjust to their roles?

Could it possibly be that they need more then 9 games to adjust to their new roles? I certainly think thats a reasonable possibility.


NOTE: I'm fully aware that my possesion stats dont include effectiveness etc. But the effectiveness is more or less the same as last year from the mentioned players.

 

[anti.]

i reckon.

 

[Jörmungand]

That's crazy talk.

 

[TheDon35]

Stanton has been dissapointing. This is undisputed. Doesn't matter which stat you apply to it.

Winderlich though possibly playing sore has been poor this year.

Watson has been slightly down on his last couple of years.

Lovett has been disgusting and probably the biggest dissapointment on the list. Non-interested spectator

NLM i think we all hoped to come on again this year but he's not showing any signs of improvement and looks to have gone backward in his confidence, one on one work and ball winning ability.

Welsh can have his 18 touches a game. It means nothing when most of them are either soft meaningless possessions at non critical parts of the game or clangers - 45% efficiency last week tells the story. Another imposter who has had the perfect opportunity to step up this year but has vindicated my opinion of him as being a poor footballer.

The problem is that none of these guys are playing better than last year and as 22 - 25 yo's are the guys that now have more opportunity given the absence of Hird, JJ, Pev, Campo et al.

Obviously we need to have patience and it will take a while but these guys as a group have been dissapointing this year and I don't think there's much arguement about that.

 

[Big Scottknowsall]

Let's not over analyse.

We are simply a poor team with a coach who is prepared to "play poor" for the benefit (hopefully) of the future as opposed to potentially stealing some games now with the likes of JJ, Pev and Mal...

Output, input, effective, ineffective.....all that is relative to us simply being a poor team in just about every category with the named 22 we've had over the last 5 or so weeks....

 

[Darealrath]

I think you're right Boncer34.

The worry is that the repeating beatings will set some of the younger blokes back.

 

[Jesse Custer]

I think you're right Boncer34.

The worry is that the repeating beatings will set some of the younger blokes
back.

Nah the young blokes will be allright. They move on quickly. It only takes a few wins and it all starts.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

I think you might be on to something. Why didn't anyone mention this before?

 

[MilhouseVanJohn]

i think a little from column a, and a little from column b.

yes there have been some dissapointing players/ draft selections...and they'll have to step up or go.
and yes there is some real talent that should go a long way (we hope!)

IMO
Dissapointing (as in trade or de-list end of this year unless they seriously stand up by then) = gus, dyson, johns, laycock, NLM, J-Winders, Slattery.

Bye, bye (and thank you) = JJ, Pev, Lee, Mal.

Promising (give another 30-40 games and 3-10 kg's n see how they go) = reimers, neagle, gumby, Daniher, Meyers, Hislop, Hocking, houli, jetta, lonergan, nash, dempsey, pears, hooker(+ possibly bellchambers, williams etc as long as they show something at bendigo).

Keep until they retire (within reason!)= Lloyd, Lucas, McVeigh, Watson, Fletch, Hille, Stanton, Davey.
and
Talented but not doing enough, so give 'em next year n hope they work hard and lift (so we'll see) = Lovett, Rama, McPhee & Welsh.

There is a big difference between having a team of duds, and having a team that is physically smaller that it's opposition every week.
A lot more IMO in the promising, keep, and "we'll see" categories than dissapointing & bye, bye categories so i'm confident that when we're physically bigger, and more confident and experienced (show patients, it will happen), we'll be back were we belong at the top.

Go Dons!!!

 

[Slattery_20]

To the rescue!

Welsh can have his 18 touches a game. It means nothing when most of them are either soft meaningless possessions at non critical parts of the game or clangers - 45% efficiency last week tells the story. Another imposter who has had the perfect opportunity to step up this year but has vindicated my opinion of him as being a poor footballer.

LOL
Conceited much?

 

[Tippaz]

yes. patience is the key.

Matthew Knights has already indicated he wants to bring a young group through together (the Myers, Gumbleton, Ryder, Houli, Neagle, Daniher, DANIEL RICH , etc)

i think Knighter is doing the right thing by introducing an attacking gameplan and sticking to it.
i just feel giving easy games to the young blokes could destroy their confidence, and would like to see Peverill, J.Johnson, M.Michael back in the side. kids like Daniher will get their chance.