Coach Men's Senior Coach: Brad Scott

[fairbump_playon]

We have maybe 15 of our best 22 who are either new or need to improve significantly this year for us to do well
We are hoping Reid and Jones bounce back from long term injuries and Perkins, Hobbs, Caldwell go to another level and that Duursma, McKay etc turn out well, and Wright gets back to form and McGrath gets back to his best, and the presence of McKay helps Ridley get back to his best and etc etc

I’m sure some of this will happen but as a whole package it’s too much to hope for

The genuine top 4 threats usually just need to add a bit of cream to a machine that is generally already very strong

 

[brain taylor]

Setup a flag and false dawn dynasty that comes crashing down as we shoot ourselves in the foot with embarrassing misstep after misstep?

Kinda like the last 25 years

idk if you can call it a false dawn if they won a flag lol

 

[Vander18]

Probably as an obscenly talented athlete sportsman who is enough of a romantic to be trying to do it all.

I know you didn't say it. But I don't see why fans will dismiss McKenna's criticism when Scott has not just acknowledged it but has been driven to address/correct the issues McKenna identified.

Two things can be true….McKenna could be right about the club and still be a bit of a dick.

 

[Kong]

Maybe outside voice but no pressure from within given the club gave him a free hit last year to sit back and observe the situation and form a plan. They know it will be a 2 or 3 year plan to start moving forward. This year is basically year 1 of Scotts build starting with player attitude and preparation. There will be some casualties at the end of the year but it will not be the coach. 90% of the football department is new.

If we make a quick jump then it will be great but personally I see it as more of a 4 or 5 year build from here to top 4 consistency .
People need to get their heads around the fact that the list is middle of the road and a lot of the usual suspects have been around for 5 to 10 years of that mediocracy .

I don't disagree with any of that, and I hope he is given the time to finally rebuild the club that others weren't (Rutten).

But if I hear or read "this is technically year 1," one more time... I'll probably do nothing. But it is a bit like deja vu.

 

[Fayab99]

Honestly,

I really hope Scott is brutal with team selection this year. One of our problems over the last few years under Rutten and Worsfold was being too 'nice' to our players. After getting hammered by 10 goals, neither coach would ever 'swing the axe' or make a statement and drop a senior player. It's really disappointing.

I really hope Scott is brutal this year. Don't start heppell, don't start Kelly. If we lose by 100 points and our senior players don't perform don't be afraid to drop a senior player.

I have a strong feeling none of this will happen though. sigh.

 

[Vindicater]

He gets a minimum of three years before I even start looking at him being at risk.

We need to give him time to turn over the list and put the pieces he wants in the places he wants them.

 

[faible]

Honestly,

I really hope Scott is brutal with team selection this year. One of our problems over the last few years under Rutten and Worsfold was being too 'nice' to our players. After getting hammered by 10 goals, neither coach would ever 'swing the axe' or make a statement and drop a senior player. It's really disappointing.

I really hope Scott is brutal this year. Don't start heppell, don't start Kelly. If we lose by 100 points and our senior players don't perform don't be afraid to drop a senior player.

I have a strong feeling none of this will happen though. sigh.

We've had almost no depth to swing the axe previously. Hopefully that's somewhat improved this year.

 

[Lore]

We've had almost no depth to swing the axe previously. Hopefully that's somewhat improved this year.

We never have depth to swing the ax... it's a chronic problem. All of Essendon's problems are chronic.

 

[bombreys]

He gets a minimum of three years before I even start looking at him being at risk.

We need to give him time to turn over the list and put the pieces he wants in the places he wants them.

I think it depends.

If we improve, that's great.

If we plateau (and not have 2x100 point losses to close out the year) and float around the same spot (the likeliest outcome) and get games into our younger guys, I think that's okay too.

If we're bottom 4 (or even 6) and we close out the year like we did last year and have Heppell and Kelly and Weideman and Gulefi playing 20 games apiece, he should absolutely be in the firing line.

 

[JayJ20]

I wonder how much pressure scott will be under if we finish bottom 6 this year?
How long is he contracted for?

At some point they're going to have to start blaming the players and not the coach. How many coaches can they go through before they make this realisation? The players implement a gameplan for the first 2-3 months after a new coach is appointed before it inevitably becomes the same shit again.

Woosha, Rutten, Scott. The players all started year one in promising fashion before capitulating. So many players have one elite year that we'll never see again.

I don't want to see a new coach for at least 5-6 years. Keep cutting the players who are unwilling to put in the work to be a better side instead of cutting the coach all the time.

 

[jdBombers3598]

Maybe outside voice but no pressure from within given the club gave him a free hit last year to sit back and observe the situation and form a plan. They know it will be a 2 or 3 year plan to start moving forward. This year is basically year 1 of Scotts build starting with player attitude and preparation. There will be some casualties at the end of the year but it will not be the coach. 90% of the football department is new.

If we make a quick jump then it will be great but personally I see it as more of a 4 or 5 year build from here to top 4 consistency .
People need to get their heads around the fact that the list is middle of the road and a lot of the usual suspects have been around for 5 to 10 years of that mediocracy .

So you're expecting big list turnover at the end of the season? I hope Brad is sticking to his word about having an "elite AFL lifestyle" and that he is setting some type of standards

 

[JayJ20]

So McKenna;
"Scott had revealed to this journalist less than 12 months ago how Irishman (now Lion) Conor McKenna had told him the Bombers were the last club he would play for when Scott sought to get him back." The era from Carlisle to McKenna, flush with positives within the 4 walls.

I did like this part though;
“I think there’s reason for our supporters to be excited about what we’re building, but I think it’s unhelpful to be making grandiose statements about what we’re going to do.”
Hopefully Barham gets a clue and shuts up.

Well it certainly worked out for him.

Notable ex-Essendon players in the last 10 years:

Houli - 3x premiership player - Richmond
Hibberd - Premiership player - Melbourne
McKenna - Grand final - Brisbane
Daniher - Grand final - Brisbane
Melksham - PF and two top 4 finishes, but could have been a premiership player if not for injury
Saad - Prelim - Carlton
Fantasia - Prelim - Port
Ryder - Won an EF - St Kilda
Carlisle - nothing - St Kilda

Players to watch: BZT (Port) and Francis (Syd)

It makes sense why Essendon wouldn't be a team he'd go back to. With that type of record, is there any incentive to stay at Essendon? I don't know how Essendon retain so many players.

 

[justlookingaround]

Just listened all the way through his interview with Cal Twomey, he said Baldwin was an absolute pro and prepared like a 30 year old. Good to hear cos I remember last year some people speculating he wasn't getting a game cos he wasn't aligning with the elusive 'elite AFL lifestyle' or whatever

 

[andleanback]

Well it certainly worked out for him.

Notable ex-Essendon players in the last 10 years:

Houli - 3x premiership player - Richmond
Hibberd - Premiership player - Melbourne
McKenna - Grand final - Brisbane
Daniher - Grand final - Brisbane
Saad - Prelim - Carlton
Fantasia - Prelim - Port
Ryder - Prelim - Port
Melksham - two top 4 finishes, but could have been a premiership player if not for injury
Carlisle - nothing - St Kilda

Players to watch: BZT (Port) and Francis (Syd)

It makes sense why Essendon wouldn't be a team he'd go back to. With that type of record, is there any incentive to stay at Essendon? I don't know how Essendon retain so many players.

Get paid big money to play in front of decent sized crowds all season and get September’s off?

Not a bad deal

 

[yodellinhank]

It makes sense why Essendon wouldn't be a team he'd go back to. With that type of record, is there any incentive to stay at Essendon? I don't know how Essendon retain so many players.

Some players wouldn't feel an inch of sadness not to achieve team success.

 

[andleanback]

Some players wouldn't feel an inch of sadness not to achieve team success.

And a high percentage of them play for essendon, literally got heppell saying he won’t feel empty to winning finals / a flag. No wonder we’ve had a mediocre club for so many years.

 

[ghostdog]

Some players wouldn't feel an inch of sadness not to achieve team success.

I mean, it doesn't leave an empty hole or anything, so...

 

[ghostdog]

And a high percentage of them play for essendon, literally got heppell saying he won’t feel empty to winning finals / a flag. No wonder we’ve had a mediocre club for so many years.

*scrolls up, snap.

 

[JayJ20]

And a high percentage of them play for essendon, literally got heppell saying he won’t feel empty to winning finals / a flag. No wonder we’ve had a mediocre club for so many years.

Yeah it's very telling and an indictment on the leadership over the past two decades. Too happy with mediocrity.

 

[Squeaky]

I don't know how Essendon retain so many players.

Easy money...
Just read the other posts and this is a popular view.

 

[Shanghaistu]

Yeah it's very telling and an indictment on the leadership over the past two decades. Too happy with mediocrity.

Would love to have Goddard’s unfiltered opinion about this….!

 

[ant555]

So you're expecting big list turnover at the end of the season? I hope Brad is sticking to his word about having an "elite AFL lifestyle" and that he is setting some type of standards

He will and right now the players are but the next step is finding players who can actually play the roles. Elite AFL lifestyle only allows you to maximize the potential you have. If it is not in certain players to pick up the aspects of team defense or be in their nature or physical make up to be better contested players or to be great leaders then it is not there.

We will see what we get. The AFL lifestyle is the first standard you set to get the most out what they have. Then you have to start looking at who can and can not perform the game you are looking for.

I know he has stuck to the elite AFL lifestyle phase as all the players have come back as fit as I have seen them but that is step 1. I do expect that if they do not show an improvement in team defense then some players should be going out the door but there are a few more long term issues that will make it a longer refit IMO.

 

[faible]

He will and right now the players are but the next step is finding players who can actually play the roles. Elite AFL lifestyle only allows you to maximize the potential you have. If it is not in certain players to pick up the aspects of team defense or be in their nature or physical make up to be better contested players or to be great leaders then it is not there.

We will see what we get. The AFL lifestyle is the first standard you set to get the most out what they have. Then you have to start looking at who can and can not perform the game you are looking for.

I know he has stuck to the elite AFL lifestyle phase as all the players have come back as fit as I have seen them but that is step 1. I do expect that if they do not show an improvement in team defense then some players should be going out the door but there are a few more long term issues that will make it a longer refit IMO.

We have quite a few players that probably need 1 - 2 seasons to really know if they're going to go anywhere or not.

On the OOC list on Footywire we've got guys like;
Heppell
Jones
Hunter
J Davey
Menzie
Baldwin
Guelfi
Hind
Cox
Weideman
Wanganeen
Goldstein
Setterfield

There's a fair chance at least half that list could go (via trade, retirement or delisting)

We've also got McGrath, Perkins, Shiel, Kelly, Stringer, Caldwell, Durham and Visentini but I don't think any of them are likely to go.

 

[P Money]

Setup a flag and false dawn dynasty that comes crashing down as we shoot ourselves in the foot with embarrassing misstep after misstep?

Kinda like the last 25 years

I'll take it

 

[P Money]

Two things can be true….McKenna could be right about the club and still be a bit of a dick.

It's just football supporter nature to have a dig at any good player who wants to leave the club. Every club's supporter's do it. They're either they're a mercenary/just after money (Saad), or they're ungrateful/a 'w***er' (Carlisle, Ryder, Daniher, McKenna, Fantasia, also probably Saad). I'd say every single one of those players had a legitimate gripe against our shambles of a club that was totally unprofessional and had no idea how to run a competitive outfit from the CEO/President down (not to mention obvious saga implications). And as has been outlined above, all (apart from Carlisle) achieved greater success at their new club than any Ess team has achieved since. That speaks volumes. I don't begrudge anyone who left the club over the last 15 years. I'd prefer we took on board the criticisms levelled at us by those players and built a better, stronger club and culture that has a proper chance at success, rather than explaining away those criticisms by discrediting the departing players.