Knights hits back at Lloyd.

[Geelong Fella]

Spoke absolute sense. Lloyd's still whinging about having to change his position, the only player who refused to adapt to the modern game, where you need to play more than ONE position. Knights has built this list, he drafted well and I honestly believe they had one of the worst lists during his time as coach and he took them to a final series. Will never get any praise, because from now on all the development under Knights will be labelled under Hird's coaching

 

[peejay]

Poor bloke just continually contradicts himself. Came out at the start of the year claiming he had proof that he was shafted and was threatening to use it, now wants to have sook for being exposed as undermining the leadership group of his players. I can see Lloyd's point of view here about asking him do you want me to play, why couldnt Knight's just answer it, one word either way.

What a contract making him the highest paid player did not say that ???

 

[dylan123]

This surprises me, seeing as how your club has been traveling since he's been involved with them at the start of this season.

Might want to take a look at someone else we got from your club.

 

[HighReeve]

You mean like Laidley, Choco and Thompson? Sheedy got sacked and got another gig.

first two are now just assis coaches. and Sheeds is at GWS first are foremost to bring interest to the game.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

first two are now just assis coaches. and Sheeds is at GWS first are foremost to bring interest to the game.

Try reading the post I was responding too again a little closer

 

[1980GFVideo]

What a contract making him the highest paid player did not say that ???

When I heard that, I was thinking how some footballers grow up in a nice little bubble completely oblivious to how the rest of society works.

Imagine saying that to your boss.

Do you really want me here, I just want to hear it from you.

 

[lemon chicken]

What a contract making him the highest paid player did not say that ???

No it doesnt. Its a simple yes or no.

 

[BomberWatson]

Might want to take a look at someone else we got from your club.

Campo? Yeah, don't worry I knew

 

[astro_toby]

Knights 1
Lloyd 0

Knights totally pants Matt. Lloyd comes out of this looking like a egotistical baby, unable to accept that its not "all about him" anymore. Also makes him look selfish with the fact that he said things that were meant to remain private as per the teams code of ethics.

Won't be buying the book - the guy struggles to speak in full sentence's, and from the sounds of it - has jiggled reality to fit around his own perfect image of himself.

Many more interesting people in this world whose books deserve to be read before this bloke. Future couch stump me thinks

 

[.Shotties.]

No it doesnt. Its a simple yes or no.

Can I sit in on your yearly reviews at work?

 

[cs61]

Good listen.

Not gonna stop the Bomber supporters acting like Richmond fans and shunning all blame on to one person for past performances, but was good to hear his side of the story.

 

[lemon chicken]

Can I sit in on your yearly reviews at work?

There is clearly events leading up to this, the player wants to know if the coach wants him to play, nothing to do with money. Im pretty sure ive heard Lloyd say the contract was less than the previous one.

 

[jorayme]

Knight's has said Matty should have played on and that maybe the case. My understanding though when he stated that Fletch adapts is that if Knights was still coaching Fletch would have retired as he didn't want to play under Knights anymore. FWIW

 

[brett15]

Lloyd's a narcissist, thinks he's more important then the club and his team mates.

 

[cash]

Knights is a phony.

Brought the stench of 30 years of Richmond failure to our club.
Lucky we got rid of him in time.

 

[brett15]

Knights is a phony.

Brought the stench of 30 years of Richmond failure to our club.
Lucky we got rid of him in time.

yep because it's all knight's fault

it's not like the players that were running out each week should be accountable as well.

 

[TheSunGod]

I don't believe it for a second... that Lloyd knows how to read and write.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Lloyd is an A grade moron, soft as and a genuine snipper. Can't believe he is well regarded in media circles he speaks trash is is brain dead. Get him off my tv FFS.

 

[wmvaux]

Knights sodimised my club for 3 years. I have no interest in what he thinks anymore.

You mean Sheedy *******ed your club for 5 years.... and your still dealing with it. Knights was the scapegoat and Hird still has another year to deal with the fall out before they finally turn the corner.

Knights was a miracle worker to get that list of Essendon's into the finals when he did.

 

[jonoman89]

Sounds to me like Lloyd was just very bitter that his role in the team was changed so dramatically. He was a champion full forward, but Knights knew that Essendon needed to evolve and change it's then decade old structures.

I understand that Lloyd would have been upset he was not able to play his natural game anymore. But honestly, he needed to realise that the club's future was not with him as their dominant player. And as captain he certainly should have played his cards closer to his chest. The media rumblings about the Lloyd/Knights relationship began very early on.

To me it seems that Lloyd, as captain and leader of the older playing group so used to the Sheedy era, spearheaded the anti-Knights agenda due to their own preference not to to play different roles for the team.

Knights clearly was not working as a head coach. But how much of that can we put down to his players not wanting to play for him, rather than his own inability to manage the side?

 

[Lance Uppercut]

You mean Sheedy *******ed your club for 5 years.... and your still dealing with it. Knights was the scapegoat and Hird still has another year to deal with the fall out before they finally turn the corner.

Knights was a miracle worker to get that list of Essendon's into the finals when he did.

Now: Knights was a miracle worker who got our list into finals.

Then: Essendon fell into a finals spot with more losses than wins.

It was a bit of a miracle taking no rucks into that final too, wasn't it?

 

[Tulip]

Well done Knights. Don't expect Dons fans to consider that their leaders working behind his backs may have been a distraction to him and some of the playing group.

 

[Mark25Jackson]

Can I sit in on your yearly reviews at work?

Not sure his Case manager at centerlink will allow that.

 

[Donakebab]

When we made the finals in 2009 it was a fluke and Knights was shit coach who should get the arse. Since he got the sack, Knights has somehow become a coaching genius who got unfairly dismissed.

Simple fact is Knights was an average coach and a terrible communicator who lost the faith the players, the board and the supporters. Of course both sides are going to be shitty about it, but the right decision was made.

 

[Top_4_Tiger]

I'm going to go against popular opinion here and show appreciation for Lloyd's point of view on the matter.

Essentially, Lloyd was unwanted as a key player because the coach wanted to sell himself to the Essendon board as being serious about developing for the future - to make his job safe.

This allows the coach to provide hope to the board, allowing them to believe that on-field failures were nothing more than "coaching for the long-term". The obsession with playing kids in the AFL is sometimes abused and used as a convenient cop-out in a self-preservation move by coaches.

By extension, the coach went to the board and sold the youth/development/long-term future ideology by pointing to Lloyd as one of the reasons preventing his team from succeeding. Therefore, it was necessary for Knights to push Lloyd out so he was seen to be consistent with the spin he was selling to keep his job. This leads me to another key point raised in this topic:

Lloyd asked "do you want me to play?"

Try to understand his point of view a little deeper.

Lloyd felt like he was unwanted. The money didn't matter, he was playing for pride and self-actualisation. The coach offered a token, highly conditional contract, and in doing so did not truly value and appreciate Lloyd. His comments in the above interview further suggest Knights holds negative views on the core of Lloyd's character, which no doubt would have been sensed by Lloyd and is a damaging thing for him to experience.

In a way, Knights said 'okay, since you're loved by fans etc we will let you play... but ONLY if you do exactly this this and this, and ONLY if you are prepared to spend time in the VFL at the first instance I say so, and you have no right to talk back. Oh, and if you don't like it, there is no room for comprimise".

Perhaps Lloyd could have done a Barry Hall and kicked 60-70 goals for another 3-4 years. Unfortunately, he was a scapegoate for Essendon's lack of alternative avenues to goal. The coach was under pressure to keep his job safe. There was no reason why another forward could not have succeeded next to Lloyd's guidance in the forward line - and to hide this fact - the scapegoating of Lloyd conveniently provides Mathew Knights with the excuse he needs to abuse the youth policy position in a bid to spin to the board why Essendon did not yet have any other quality young forwards on their list, and furthermore, provide one of many excuses offered up as to why he was not taking the Essendon Football Club to the great heights expected of him.