Team Mgmt. Makeup of our team II - Strengths & deficiencies, player development

[jdstorm]

How so? How does a power vacuum / poorly led environment develop good leaders? By that logic every essendon player should be an on field general by now because our leadership group has been poor for a while (excluding those you've mentioned who hopefully turned the ship this year).

I’d argue the leadership group has been very capable/successful at achieving its goals.

Kicked Merrett out for being called spurs, truck into counselling for calling them spuds
New coach every few years just before the players have to be held accountable

If you want to stay employed as an afl player with moderate success and no accountability Essendon is the best place to play in the comp

 

[P Money]

Good leaders are born but also nurtured. Our current crop of 'leaders' have had absolutely no-one to learn from. No-one to look up to to understand what it really takes to be successful. They have had Dyson Heppell to look up to, not Joel Selwood, not Scott Pendlebury

10

Scott Pendlebury

Age

36

Ht

191cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.5

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

13.3

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.9

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.3

3star

CL

3.6

4star

D

12.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

, not Luke Hodge. They have no idea what it takes to be successful, how could they?

Merrett is a 'one out of the box' type of guy that comes along super rarely, that somehow has incredible leadership qualities that are completely intrinsic. But he's alone out there. There's no leadership culture. His 2IC is McGrath FFS. The 'leader' who goes to water under pressure.

There's still a massive leadership vacuum on the team. I don't know who we could target but we absolutely need to do a Brisbane and get a 'Luke Hodge' type onto our list to show what real leadership is. And not some North Melbourne loser. Someone who has genuinely achieved success and has something worthwhile to pass on.

 

[MattyB3150]

Remember years ago when Zac Merrett got dropped from the leadership group while Daniher and Fantasia got brought in. That probably sums it all up. Zac Merrett has high standards for himself and others....while we prefer our "She'll be right" Heppell style approach.

 

[eth-dog]

Remember years ago when Zac Merrett got dropped from the leadership group while Daniher and Fantasia got brought in. That probably sums it all up. Zac Merrett has high standards for himself and others....while we prefer our "She'll be right" Heppell style approach.

Um. The issue was that he set standards that he wasn't living up to. It was "do as I say, not as I do."

He himself has admitted that it was a really check that he needed about leadership. His getting dropped from the leadership group is something we should be commending because it made him grow.

 

[MattyB3150]

Um. The issue was that he set standards that he wasn't living up to. It was "do as I say, not as I do."

He himself has admitted that it was a really check that he needed about leadership. His getting dropped from the leadership group is something we should be commending because it made him grow.

Thanks for clarifying...i was just going based off memory. Atleast they did something right then.

 

[faible]

Good leaders are born but also nurtured. Our current crop of 'leaders' have had absolutely no-one to learn from. No-one to look up to to understand what it really takes to be successful. They have had Dyson Heppell to look up to, not Joel Selwood, not Scott Pendlebury, not Luke Hodge. They have no idea what it takes to be successful, how could they?

Merrett is a 'one out of the box' type of guy that comes along super rarely, that somehow has incredible leadership qualities that are completely intrinsic. But he's alone out there. There's no leadership culture. His 2IC is McGrath FFS. The 'leader' who goes to water under pressure.

There's still a massive leadership vacuum on the team. I don't know who we could target but we absolutely need to do a Brisbane and get a 'Luke Hodge' type onto our list to show what real leadership is. And not some North Melbourne loser. Someone who has genuinely achieved success and has something worthwhile to pass on.

I wonder whether Durham and/or Caldwell might be viewed more favourably given how much they've stepped up their game this year. They've been one of the few that have consistently physically cracked in all year.

 

[MattyB3150]

I wonder whether Durham and/or Caldwell might be viewed more favourably given how much they've stepped up their game this year. They've been one of the few that have consistently physically cracked in all year.

Yes i would love to see Durham and Caldwell named as vice captains but i doubt Essendon have the balls to take it off Andy McGrath.

 

[jdstorm]

In terms of captains I’ve always liked the idea of line captains

So overall Captain

Then below them Backs, Forwards, Mids and Rucks all get a reperesentative to the leadership group then have one indigenous captain since we play Dreamtime and should have a good number of indigenous players on the list.

As far as next season goes I’d say
C Merrett
Def: Ridley or McKay both quality players who have maintained standards and have been selfless with their role/efforts
Optional (Caldwell if moved to HB)
Mid Caldwell or Durham
Forward ??? Langford would want it
Indigenous Gresham
Ruck… ????? Let’s see who’s playing there next season. Drapers an obvious option due to his big personality.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Um. The issue was that he set standards that he wasn't living up to. It was "do as I say, not as I do."

He himself has admitted that it was a really check that he needed about leadership. His getting dropped from the leadership group is something we should be commending because it made him grow.

All well and good but why have joe and Fanta in the leadership group? What leadership qualities have those two ever shown?

 

[yodellinhank]

All well and good but why have joe and Fanta in the leadership group? What leadership qualities have those two ever shown?

Didn't Joe lead a mini-exodus?

 

[Old Campaigner]

All well and good but why have joe and Fanta in the leadership group? What leadership qualities have those two ever shown?

I think they were showing a desire to leave so they were gifted leadership roles as an inducement to stay

 

[ant555]

Board members should not select the leadership group .

 

[P Money]

Um. The issue was that he set standards that he wasn't living up to. It was "do as I say, not as I do."

He himself has admitted that it was a really check that he needed about leadership. His getting dropped from the leadership group is something we should be commending because it made him grow.

He's taken positives from the experience and grown from it (and also is saying the right things in front of the camera), I don't think that means it was the right decision or done for the right reasons. If kicking Merrett out and bringing Joey and Raz into the leadership group had any positive effects it was by sheer dumb luck and we should definitely not be commending the club for anything.

 

[eth-dog]

He's taken positives from the experience and grown from it (and also is saying the right things in front of the camera), I don't think that means it was the right decision or done for the right reasons. If kicking Merrett out and bringing Joey and Raz into the leadership group had any positive effects it was by sheer dumb luck and we should definitely not be commending the club for anything.

Nah, I'm comfortable with what I said.

 

[MattyB3150]

Essendon need the "Luke Hodge Type"...The one i would be chasing would be Luke Parker

26

Luke Parker

Age

32

Ht

183cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.2

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.8

5star

D

22.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

9.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

5.0

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

8.0

5star

CL

5.2

5star

. I know he is a midfielder but he can also play forward.

 

[katana]

Essendon need the "Luke Hodge Type"...The one i would be chasing would be Luke Parker. I know he is a midfielder but he can also play forward.

why do we need another cooked plodder?

 

[joey_jo_jo]

why do we need another cooked plodder?

An experienced leader from a team with a winning culture, it worked for the Lions and Dees. Instead we bring in senior players from other loser teams in the saints and North.

 

[Old Campaigner]

An experienced leader from a team with a winning culture, it worked for the Lions and Dees. Instead we bring in senior players from other loser teams in the saints and North.

Selwood is the only notable player like that who was potentially available and I got the sense he was very much done with footy

 

[katana]

An experienced leader from a team with a winning culture, it worked for the Lions and Dees. Instead we bring in senior players from other loser teams in the saints and North.

how many times have we tried this? chapman, kelly, cooney, goldstein. nah one more i reckon.

 

[FlyingV]

Richmond built their game off that shorter forwardline with ridiculous pressure and realistically had Riewoldt/Martin/Rance as stars holding each area of the ground together. Stupid high press and repeat I50s. Pace papered over any perceived talent gap when all that was asked was 100% effort and intensity.

We do the same with the Ents from Lord of the Rings as our forwardline and wonder why we have no pressure and can't stop teams running it out.
With the added bonus of asking a team of average ball users to be perfect so as to not lose posession of the ball.

Well said. Add Collingwood to the above. All McRae talks about is pressure applied to the ball carrier. They won a premiership with Cox and Mihocek as their forwards ffs. And a fleet of hardened small skillful types that run all day.

 

[Zach Package]

I tend to look at how many of our best 20 would get a game with the consistently better teams.
Taking into account we were top 4 for a while, Durham, Merrett, we are where we deserve to be.

Or you could look at it the other way, D’Ambrosio and Voss were shunted here and then found homes with teams who finished below us on the ladder, and have helped them go above us because we couldn’t utilise their talents.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

how many times have we tried this? chapman, kelly, cooney, goldstein. nah one more i reckon.

chapman was 10 years ago/Kelly was a top up player.
Are Cooney and Goldstein from winning systems? news to me.
Look at examples from other teams in recent years, Melbourne and lions were in deeper holes than us and were happy to bring in Hodge/Birchall/Lewis despite them being close to the end.
We dont have any players on the list with experience of being in a winning system, and barely any players that have displayed the on-field leadership qualities of parker. Anyway its all a moot point, dont think he will be on the market anyway.

 

[DERO]

Or you could look at it the other way, D’Ambrosio and Voss were shunted here and then found homes with teams who finished below us on the ladder, and have helped them go above us because we couldn’t utilise their talents.

There is something a but crook about things at the moment. Things just aren't functioning for whatever reason.

 

[FlyingV]

We need the Davey twins and Wanganeen to kick on next season. We lack the zippy, skillful smalls on our list. Non of them a renown runners, I’m hoping there’s a big program for them this summer as we can ill afford all three not to make it/for them to get games but not be able to run them out.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

We need the Davey twins and Wanganeen to kick on next season. We lack the zippy, skillful smalls on our list. Non of them a renown runners, I’m hoping there’s a big program for them this summer as we can ill afford all three not to make it/for them to get games but not be able to run them out.

Im glad we are likely to get Kako but you need more than one decent close to goal small forward in the current game so there is a lot of pressure on at least one of these three to make it.