I could've played on: Matthew Lloyd

[getout]

I could've played on: Matthew Lloyd
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/i-couldve-played-on-matthew-lloyd/story-e6frf9jf-1225803043199

He said Knights was within his rights to nudge him into retirement, but believed he could have played on and helped nurture Neagle.

"Time will tell over his decisions on where I played or how Scotty (Lucas) was played, or what happened with (Damien) Peverill and (Andrew) Lovett and those things."

He sounds measured in his comments but very disgruntled.

Add this to a previous thread where I discussed the damage to the playing group that forcing Lloyd to retire would bring to the Essendon football club.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=644237


The question's Lloyd's now asking of Knights are the same ones that the Essendon members should be asking.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I could've played on: Matthew Lloyd
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/i-couldve-played-on-matthew-lloyd/story-e6frf9jf-1225803043199

He sounds measured in his comments but very disgruntled.

Add this to a previous thread where I discussed the damage to the playing group that forcing Lloyd to retire would bring to the Essendon football club.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=644237


The question's Lloyd's now asking of Knights are the same ones that the Essendon members should be asking.

so to summarise, you believe players should have more say in decisions than coaches and boards?

 

[Jesse Custer]

Since when is a player bigger than the club?

I remember the crap Clarkson and his team were going through when they were doing the exactly the same thing a few years ago. Yet always the idiots pop up with their two bobs.

Hard calls had to be made at the club, i guess the competition preferred we remained stale. If Knights kept these guys on, he would be criticised for that too.

You just can't win in this world....

 

[AG]

He should just shut his mouth tbh.

 

[MF]

. Yet always the idiots pop up with their two bobs.

Pretty harsh on a club champion there.

 

[UpTheGuts]

He's right by saying time will tell.

 

[Slattery_20]

The game where Brian Harris was BOG on Lloyd playing from the square told.
I've moved on.

 

[Ron The Bear]

No doubt we'll be hearing more from Lloyd should Essendon go backwards. Clubs don't need their greats putting that type of public pressure on a young list to perform.

 

[Mofra]

Lloyd hates Knights as much as most of the Essendon list do. I'm surprised it isn't common knowledge as yet.

 

[sgbn77]

In a perfect world you'd give your champions the opportunity to go out the way they want, but Lloyd's output was down, he wasn't dominating like he once was, and injuries were a factor.

In my completely uneducated opinion, Knights has made the right call. Unpopular with many supporters, but the right call.

If anything, I've gained respect for Knights out of the way he's handled it, and the manner with which he's had the courage to do it his way reminds me of Clarko. We would have been more of a respectable opponent in the early days if we'd slotted in the likes of Nick Holland in the forward line, but his days were numbered, and Clarko called it.

Obviously being senior coach isn't just about cutting players that "need" to be cut, it has a lot to do with mentoring the young group, asserting a positive culture and having a game plan and vision to win the flag...but I think Knights has been taking the right steps so far. Kudos.

 

[The Panther]

Lloyd hates Knights as much as most of the Essendon list do.

Exact reason why McPhee left.

 

[jonesy86]

Wasn't Lloyd the one who said what Patrick Smith wrote about the senior players disappointed with the treatment of Peverill etc... was completely false?

 

[bombermick]

The game where Brian Harris was BOG on Lloyd playing from the square told.
I've moved on.

Completely agree, it got to the stage where Lake was out-marketing Lloyd with ease and setting up their attacks. Lloyd was a champion full-forward and Essendon will be looking for a long time to find one better. Sadly, he just didn't have it last year. I think Knights will be proven right, just like Clarkson was at Hawthorn and just as Blight was at Adelaide when he cleared out a few senior players. Hopefully Neagle can be good for a couple of goals a game, Hurley can take the next step and Williams can return to his '08 form.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

These sort of things should be kept completely in-house.

No little hints and sly comments indicating displeasure - he's got to be bigger than that - he's an ex captain of a great (man it felt wrong saying that) club.

As it turns out he's finished his career knocking out a bloke, being pushed out by the coach and complaining about it in the media. Someone who works in the media should be more aware of how they are perceived.

 

[Flat White]

No doubt we'll be hearing more from Lloyd should Essendon go backwards. Clubs don't need their greats putting that type of public pressure on a young list to perform.

Too right.

Even if Lloyd thought he could go on it is no good him taking the spot of a Neagle or Hurley in the square. As for the 'mentoring' aspect, if he wants to mentor these players he should offer to go down to training a few days a week to do some work with them.

I see that as more beneficial to a young player rather than him mentoring him at training then wishing him a safe trip up to Bendigo each week.

I doubt you will find a Bomber supporter who thinks Lloyd could have been part of the next flag, better off taking a bit of short term pain and stick with the kids.

 

[Slattery_20]

Club wants one thing, player wants another. Meh.
Damien Peverill thought he could go on til 45 too... guess what bud...

I'd think less of our club if we were letting people decide their own positions and contracts. We made one bad call on Lucas, but dunno what else we missed out on.

I'd maybe be slightly worried if these guys leaving (Lloyd, Pev, McPhee) had come back to bite us. Lovett - still a fool. Lloyd - no-one else interested (despite Pat Smith telling us he had a 2-year deal from the Dogs ). McPhee - anyone who wants to give him 3 years is welcome to him.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Best for a recently retired Captain to shut up and prevent further disharmony at the club.

Clearly the senior players at Essendon have been running the show for far too long. Knights is trying to change things and clearly thats not going down too well. He's done well getting rid of Lovett Lloyd and Lucas. McPhee is a good player and collateral damage in the fallout. Bad luck there but he's probably not worth three years and was always going to walk back home to WA.

I suspect a lot of this friction dates back to before Knights arrrived - to circa the Sheedy debacle and the poor way he was managed out.

 

[didak04]

If he thought he still had something left in the tank he should've requested a trade or put himself in the draft.

Comments like these, in retirement don't paint the guy in a good light.

 

[bohdan]

Too right.

Even if Lloyd thought he could go on it is no good him taking the spot of a Neagle or Hurley in the square. As for the 'mentoring' aspect, if he wants to mentor these players he should offer to go down to training a few days a week to do some work with them.

I see that as more beneficial to a young player rather than him mentoring him at training then wishing him a safe trip up to Bendigo each week.

I doubt you will find a Bomber supporter who thinks Lloyd could have been part of the next flag, better off taking a bit of short term pain and stick with the kids.

this

 

[Saints Premiers 2006]

Is Neagle going to become the most nurtored (sp) player ever to play the game? Ever articles about him draws comparisons to Lloyd, Lucas and how they aren't palying and how he has no mentors etc etc. It all seems a bit rich.

From the article it seems like Lloyd and Knights do not get along.

If Knights doesn't get results he will be a very short coaching option and only have the one club coached on his resume by the end of this

 

[Pevers-Legend]

Is Neagle going to become the most nurtored (sp) player ever to play the game? Ever articles about him draws comparisons to Lloyd, Lucas and how they aren't palying and how he has no mentors etc etc. It all seems a bit rich.

From the article it seems like Lloyd and Knights do not get along.

If Knights doesn't get results he will be a very short coaching option and only have the one club coached on his resume by the end of this

he has 3 more years making it 5 all up. Not really a short amount of time.

 

[Falchoon]

Too right.

Even if Lloyd thought he could go on it is no good him taking the spot of a Neagle or Hurley in the square. As for the 'mentoring' aspect, if he wants to mentor these players he should offer to go down to training a few days a week to do some work with them.

I see that as more beneficial to a young player rather than him mentoring him at training then wishing him a safe trip up to Bendigo each week.

I doubt you will find a Bomber supporter who thinks Lloyd could have been part of the next flag, better off taking a bit of short term pain and stick with the kids.

Is Neagle the kind of guy you want to guarantee a game to? Has he ever presented himself match fit? should be made to fight for his place?

 

[Flat White]

Is Neagle the kind of guy you want to guarantee a game to? Has he ever presented himself match fit? should be made to fight for his place?

Yeah I guess he may be a bad example but in saying that it might not be such a bad thing for a young player to be told that they are going to be picked in the first 10 games of a season (fitness pending) and just to go out and play footy. Would take a heap of pressure off.

I do agree that you should never gift a player a spot but sometimes you may need to just play them enough to build up confidence.

I guess adopting the Geelong idea with the Corey / Kelly / Enright combination in their early years. Get games into the kids even if that means them getting some hidings, as they did off a rampant Lions outfit a few times.

 

[rainman06]

Nothing here that we didnt know already, and nothing here that anyone at Essendon should be surprised or annoyed with. Very honest but thats the way Lloydie does things.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Best for a recently retired Captain to shut up and prevent further disharmony at the club.

Clearly the senior players at Essendon have been running the show for far too long. Knights is trying to change things and clearly thats not going down too well. He's done well getting rid of Lovett Lloyd and Lucas. McPhee is a good player and collateral damage in the fallout. Bad luck there but he's probably not worth three years and was always going to walk back home to WA.

I suspect a lot of this friction dates back to before Knights arrrived - to circa the Sheedy debacle and the poor way he was managed out.

this is an excellent post. I couldn't agree more. Good analysis.

People who think Knights is the problem have the whole thing arse-backwards. The club - ie the board and the coaching staff have made the decision to make the hard decisions. Inevitably there will be fall-out.

McPhee simply didn't back himself to play well for two years. Thanks for your services, seeya later. I hope Freo get good service from him.

Lloyd was offered a contract. That's the stupid thing about this whole thing