Coach Men's Senior Coach: Brad Scott

[P Money]

It's a weird fixation people have on it not being the coach. History shows most coaches are failures. Even the best. You don't just stick with a coach when it isn't working and suddenly it will start working because you stuck with them. Most of them are no good.

Leaving aside the fact that two of those ("no good") coaches are premiership coaches, it's a weird fixation people have on it being the coach. A 20 year pattern of mediocrity that has survived 7 coaching changes and the solution is 'our coach sucks let's try someone else'

 

[Bjchan13]

Because Martin is in his position, Redman needs to get the license back.

Martin could be the best wingman in the competition, a goal kicking wingman. He could make up for our McCluggage/McGrath blunder.

I am fully convinced that Duurma and Martin could be the best wingman duo in the competition

This is exactly why Redman has had such an average season. Martin has gone back to play a nick daicos role but his disposal and decision making has dropped away almost to the point he is a liability back there. Add in that McGrath thinks he's a playmaker and is allowed by our coach to attempt to be one. You then have Redman wasting away as the third option of the 3, when he is actually the best at it. Just bizarre management of players by the coach

 

[BrunoV]

Leaving aside the fact that two of those ("no good") coaches are premiership coaches, it's a weird fixation people have on it being the coach. A 20 year pattern of mediocrity that has survived 7 coaching changes and the solution is 'our coach sucks let's try someone else'

There are a number of things happening at the same time, all of which are true but are not necessarily relevant.

Our cultural change hasn't even started to happen because Brad Scott chose not to do anything real for 2 seasons.

He has made the same mistake everyone else has made. Rather than building a style of football from the footings up, he has built on the foundation with footings floating in highly reactive clay. He's now telling players who he left to be weak front running squibs that they can no longer be weak front running squibs. The players didn't listen to Worsfold, when he tried that, and didn't listen to Truck either. What makes anyone think they will listen to Scott?

Just because we have had too many coaches over a period of time does not mean we should just stick with the last guy appointed. We should stick with the last guy appointed because of what he has achieved. This is the question I would like someone to answer, how has Essendon positively evolved from the side that played finals in 2021? How are we more sustainable? Why are we going to be better than the teams we are already fighting for a place in the bottom of the 8?

What reason should we stick with Scott that is based on the things he has achieved (as opposed to historical factors that are of no relevance to his coaching tenure)?

If I was in control at Adelaide I would stick with Nicks, for example. All indications are that he has the players committed to a cause based on hard-nosed mostly 2-way footy. The problem at Adelaide is that the list stinks and has left him with very few weapons he can use in this period. Maybe if I followed Adelaide week to week I would have a different view.

Contrary to this view that premiership sides such as Geelong under Bomber and Richmond under Hardwick emerge out of the blue, they are actually the end results of positive trends that occur almost immediately and which are linear. They are linear to the point and there is then a bad year which causes the collective consciousness to forget that Bomber won 2 or 3 finals, and qualified a side 4th, in the years prior to 2006 and that Richmond won 15 games a season in the 3 years prior to 2016. Yes, it took these guys 7 years to win a premiership but it didn't taken them more than a few years to produce quality team consistent enough to win a lot of football matches and finals.

 

[faible]

Fun fact: You can paste posts into ChatGPT to summarise them.

 

[Rick Ross]

If this was Brad Scott's first coaching gig it would be excused, but history is literally repeating itself from what happened during his time at North. What makes everyone here think this time it's going to be different?

div12ressie - What might your thoughts be on getting a Hird back to coach?

 

[div12ressie]

div12ressie - What might your thoughts be on getting a Hird back to coach?

a realistic dream come true... seeing Merrett and Hird raising the premiership cup in 2026

 

[ant555]

This is not about results and ladder position. That is a distraction. There are too many variables which are not directly within any side's control for the analysis to start with ladder position, at least in the context of a side that is in the 9 to 12 win no mans land in any given year.

Whether we are on track or not starts with the style of football which is being played. On this question, what has anyone seen in the last 2 seasons that causes them to think that we are a more substantial side by the end of July 2024 than what we were by the end of July 2021? The list should be much more advanced now. Brad's had them for 2 seasons. We're actually now into our fourth season of a rebuild. Caldwell, Perkins, Jones, Cox, Martin, Redman, Durham, Langford is just the start of the list of players who are or should be much more advanced. We haven't lost anyone meaningful due to age. Merrett is playing like a man possessed. Parish is an All Australian!

Some will say that the problem is the list and the players. If the list is the problem and Brad Scott or anyone else in a position of power thinks that is the case, why have we handed out so many long term deals in the last 12 months? Why have we re-signed 3 underwhelming first round picks in the last 6 weeks? Where is the scope to drive change among the uncontracted listed of players?

Look at the current contracts status thread: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/current-contract-status-afl-aflw-updated-in-op.1177710/

Does this read like a footy department that is concerned about its list? I couldn't help but tune in to Robbo last night (for what felt like the first time this year). He was talking about players playing for their careers. Who exactly was he referring to, the VFL players who weren't on that field against St Kilda? Are we going to end the careers of players with 12 to 24 months left on contracts, are we? How can Guelfi be playing for his career? Why would he be playing at all if his career was in doubt? Wouldn't we have replaced him with someone who has the capacity to be a functional small forward? Why are we already committed to a player like Jye Menzie for another season? We are locked into this course for another 12 to 24 months. This is how the every day operation makes it impossible for the culture to change.

What we are seeing, and what has been evident from very early on, is that Brad Scott almost certainly got the job because it was apparent to the decision makers that he had no real intention of challenging the status quo. Professional standards is bullshit as is challenging the players. That's what everyone else does and what everyone else tries to do with Essendon (it's actually much less than what Rutten was trying to do - his problem is that no one listened to him). That is not a challenge to the status quo. In any event, I thought that all worked anyway because players went to Arizona and he had that first year to look at the list and was then really big and bad at the end of 2023?

When you go back and listen to everything Scott has said his appeal to club was very likely that he wasn't going to challenge what had been done by Essendon previously. This is what Essendon is most scared of and which it will not allow. He didn't think any actual change or confrontation with what Essendon had produced was required. He would challenge Worsfold and Rutten and make them look stupid for not being able to have Essendon realise its potential. And here we are...

I get your point on what is actually changing when we are signing all of these players again . It is fair to question what is changing if we are signing up all these blokes . Parish and McGrath long deals. Perkins and Cox signed despite having massive question marks. It is a legitimate question mark on what they are doing.

As far as players being more profesional being bull shit . Well having seen a lot of training over the last 15 years all I can say is it did go up a level this pre season. It was more military like with sharp drills and very little lazy down time in between which was not the case in the past where players would meander over for a drink and have a bit of a **** around. Short sharp breaks where everyone runs over and runs back and bang straight into it again. On top of that none of the blokes who where not on an injury program came back an ounce out of shape. That has been 100% a change. It has been miles in front of anything we have done in the past.

As for the fourth year of a rebuild . Despite the fact we are keeping guys that people have question marks it simply is not the fourth year. You do not change the coach / gm of football / ceo / list manager and board football director and say they are continuing on with the same build even taking into account they are keeping some players you do not rate and should not keep.
You can rebuff it all you want but Scott and Vozzo spent last season running with a basic game plan and working on how they where going to set up the program going forward. You can take that to the Bank every day this week. Last year was a mulligan with some desperation selections late in the year to try and sneak into the finals which they ****ed up.
Year 1 of Scott and the new football program started in November last year. That is simply how it is. Does not matter they have signed blokes from previous builds.

You said the Hawks where second year into their build but they are actually 4 years in. Despite moving Clarkson on early their build started at the end of 2019. The had their coach in waiting . They had their list manager and GM of football already working in the program . Not a lot changed despite Wright and Clarkson going . The next blokes just moved up and continued on. Even with the board biffo going on it was the same crew who where getting on with the build.

 

[Rick Ross]

Fun fact: You can paste posts into ChatGPT to summarise them.

WOW.
Works pretty well.

Any… reason… you… ummm… close to post this now? Here?

 

[div12ressie]

One thing I know for sure is that our players would not have survived the early Call of Duty lobbies on xbox360

 

[div12ressie]

Brad Scott, the coach of the Essendon Football Club, brings a wealth of experience and a strong track record to the team. Having previously coached North Melbourne from 2010 to 2019, Scott is known for his strategic acumen and ability to develop young talent. His appointment at Essendon is seen as a positive move, aiming to bring stability and a renewed focus on performance.

Scott's coaching philosophy emphasizes discipline, hard work, and a strong defensive game, which aligns well with Essendon's goals. Fans and analysts are optimistic about his potential to lead the team to greater success in the AFL.

 

[ghostdog]

This is exactly why Redman has had such an average season. Martin has gone back to play a nick daicos role but his disposal and decision making has dropped away almost to the point he is a liability back there. Add in that McGrath thinks he's a playmaker and is allowed by our coach to attempt to be one. You then have Redman wasting away as the third option of the 3, when he is actually the best at it. Just bizarre management of players by the coach

Been saying the same since half way through the season. Redman's more than capable of delivering lasers by foot and has a bit of pace when he runs. That was sacrificed for Martin, but it also meant Redman was required to play more defensively. Not as many goals from 50 this year (without checking). In that sense, playing Martin back actually caused us to lose two attacking weapons.

 

[Rick Ross]

a realistic dream come true... seeing Merrett and Hird raising the premiership cup in 2026

Fair enough.
I admire that with your aviator being Hird as a coach (not as a player) you’re not stealthing the whole bring back Hird thing.

 

[jmoo wan]

One thing I know for sure is that our players would not have survived the early Call of Duty lobbies on xbox360

why? was hird distributing cheat codes to the players?

 

[Schnitzengruben]

One thing I know for sure is that our players would not have survived the early Call of Duty lobbies on xbox360

They couldn't survive it now which is why they play Fortnite.

 

[div12ressie]

why? was hird distributing cheat codes to the players?

Apparently they cant handle one tiny bit of scrutiny online

 

[yodellinhank]

Leaving aside the fact that two of those ("no good") coaches are premiership coaches, it's a weird fixation people have on it being the coach. A 20 year pattern of mediocrity that has survived 7 coaching changes and the solution is 'our coach sucks let's try someone else'

Should've stuck with Sheedy, won more than those others and so he must've been due.

Of any of those guys, Knights is the only one who tried to change the list.

If you sit there and say it's all fine we're on the right track, and that track continues to be late season fade outs and holidays in September then sorry, you've got to go.

 

[boncer34]

Should've stuck with Sheedy, won more than those others and so he must've been due.

Of any of those guys, Knights is the only one who tried to change the list.

If you sit there and say it's all fine we're on the right track, and that track continues to be late season fade outs and holidays in September then sorry, you've got to go.

Has Brad said that yet Hank?

 

[ant555]

Should've stuck with Sheedy, won more than those others and so he must've been due.

Of any of those guys, Knights is the only one who tried to change the list.

If you sit there and say it's all fine we're on the right track, and that track continues to be late season fade outs and holidays in September then sorry, you've got to go.

Knights also came in with a whole club plan. A lot of people blame Hardwicke's lap top melt down but the info I have is Hardwicke had a list plan and game plan. Knights had a list plan . Game plan and improvements to the VFL alignment , development system and recruiting . Of course the game plan was backwards for the time. Attack first and defend later.
His changes to recruitment saw us go from Dodoro working as head of recruitment and Sheedy's dogs body to actually being list manager with Merve Keane as head of recruiting. The only problem with the plan was the should have outsourced the list manager.

 

[ant555]

You know what. If Scott has not changed since North but gets us into two preliminary finals in the next 5 years he has done more than the other in the last 20 years.

 

[yodellinhank]

Has Brad said that yet Hank?

Well if he thinks we're on the wrong track I'll be keen to see some changes.

He did say

Essendon fans should be really excited that outside of a few veterans this group has the potential to play together for the next eight years, and I include Gresham, Duursma and McKay in that.

The nucleus of what we have got is here. That is where the bulk of improvement is going to come from.

If we don't see any improvement from the group, then it's probably going to be goodbye.

 

[boncer34]

Well if he thinks we're on the wrong track I'll be keen to see some changes.

He did say

If we don't see any improvement from the group, then it's probably going to be goodbye.

Was that the start of the year?

 

[yodellinhank]

Knights also came in with a whole club plan. A lot of people blame Hardwicke's lap top melt down but the info I have is Hardwicke had a list plan and game plan. Knights had a list plan . Game plan and improvements to the VFL alignment , development system and recruiting . Of course the game plan was backwards for the time. Attack first and defend later.
His changes to recruitment saw us go from Dodoro working as head of recruitment and Sheedy's dogs body to actually being list manager with Merve Keane as head of recruiting. The only problem with the plan was the should have outsourced the list manager.

Or the game plan was too forward thinking for the time. As I've posted before it was great against a hard press, which not everyone was doing.

 

[jmoo wan]

You know what. If Scott has not changed since North but gets us into two preliminary finals in the next 5 years he has done more than the other in the last 20 years.

is that locked in? i knew he had connections at AFL house, but didn’t realise that was part of the deal!

 

[yodellinhank]

Was that the start of the year?

Start of this year. So it should be interesting to see what transpires in the off season. I don't think anyone is under the illusion this is not still a build in progress. But there wouldn't be many coaches get a shot at a second or third build without the first being something of substance.

 

[dank420_]

It's a weird fixation people have on it not being the coach. History shows most coaches are failures. Even the best. You don't just stick with a coach when it isn't working and suddenly it will start working because you stuck with them. Most of them are no good.

History also shows sticking with coaches works out. Bomba, Hardwick immediately come to mind.