Coach Men's Senior Coach: Brad Scott

[ant555]

Well it was a train wreak and looked horrible. Doesn’t help when we’ve got defenders who are only capable of slow 30m dinky passes.

Does not help that when we have the ball in the back half there is 12 stationary targets in front of them and none can take a contested mark.

 

[wichidi]

#bringbackhird

LOL was wondering how long it would take for this

 

[ant555]

There is some real crap in this thread.

The fact is we have improved on last year. We will finish with 4 or 5 more wins.

Scott has not had a chance to do a lot with the list. It was a look and see year.

He can not just turn blokes into good contested marks so we have option B.

Selection has had a few interesting turns but the VFL has actually been about developing the young blokes.

Some are getting way in front of themselves . I am not sure what you expected. I thought we would win 10 or 11 games and my expectation was signs of an improved team defense and a more even effort over the season. So far they have produced that. We where always going to lose 10 plus games and there was always going to be periods in the season where we looked bad. Anyone who has watched the last 10 years should be able to see that.

Who knows if Scott is really the right coach but the simple fact is he said himself that he would not take on the job if the club thought it was close to being the finished product. We are not close to being the finished product.

 

[ghostdog]

this is the gibberish I managed to take down while he was talking:



pressure good

ability to nail a tackle to win a HTB FK not good

not a direct correlation but it does line up a fair bit, we end up down 30 in CP, 30 in GB. 30 inside 50s a piece

Been pretty efficient going forward most of the year, weren't tonight.

structure didn't change after quarter time, but Bont, Treloar lifted and our young mids looked a bit tired and a bit flat. have to look at that and get some spark.

beaten in clearance, cp, groundball. i50 differential pretty good considering those numbers.

across the course of the year those mids have done a terrific job, relished the challenge. as a collective badly beaten, not just in the midfield.

i50 stoppages, inability to build pressure disappointing

strike a better balance between working hard throughout the week, game to game. want every player to improve, strong development focus across our list. gotta have a good think about that and how to make sure the players are fresh for games. coz it looked like that tonight.

weren't direct enough, slow out of the back half, ball movement out of the back half has been pretty good this year but bulldogs credit they stifled that tonight. changes there didn't really translate into forward half pressure.

Ridley looks like a quad strain, will get it scanned and find out the details. did it kicking so it wasn't a cork.

Naughton v Ridley was great tonight. JUH, they've got some really good capability forward of the ball. wasn't just our defenders.

what's changed since Port, Adelaide? looked flat, last week we were comprehensively outplayed by a better team right at this stage, Geelong are where we wanna be and we're striving to close that gap.

Is Stringer fit? well he's playing, so he's fit. every player is carrying something at this time of the year and Jake's no different. Jake wouldn't make excuses and wouldn't want me to make them either.

Everyone expects him to be a match winner but he's not the only one up there.

In a challenging position because we do have selection pressure every week, but we need to get better as a team and we need to see what that looks like whether that's forward structure, ruck structure. whole lot of things that go into it. against Adelaide it looked fantastic and it wasn't a whole lot different tonight.


8 day break helps, we'll go to work on that. balance on trying to get work into players to improve and if you really want to improve each individual players' development plan then you've gotta do some training, but we've got to balance that to make sure they're ready to go next week.

The last two paragraphs speak to the learning; the need to get the team balance and structure right. Well, omitting your hardest pressure small forward doesn't support that well, unless you're trying to find out about that mix and you're not as interested in the win.

Cox in proved a good move for the first 10 minutes. He'll improve with time. I don't think he'll be happy with his game. Needs kms in the legs.

 

[ghostdog]

#bringbackhird

#Don'tpostwhiledrunk

 

[ghostdog]

We have two guys (Ridley, Redman) who can move the ball to a very high standard across our back 7. One (McGrath) who, to put it kindly, is average in this regard. And then four (Zerk, Kelly, Laverde, Heppell) who can't really be trusted to do much with the ball once they win it and have to use it very conservatively.

This is absolutely something we need to turn around asap though realistically the offseason. As suggested elsewhere, ADJ to half back is such an easy call, as would be someone like Cox. A great way to build up the confidence of a young player and keep them involved in the game (as Pies did with Daicos and North did with Sheezel), while teaching them about defending and team acts.

This is where I'm torn on bringing in a player like McKay. It's obvious to all that we need a big key back. On one hand, McKay will nullify a key forward. On the other, he can't be trusted to distrubute either. The best we can say at the moment is that he would free up Ridley to distribute.

Cox in rather than Zerk would allow better distribution, which is a pity for Zerk as he's an honest toiler - his one on one tackle of JUH last night should have been a team lifter. But Cox is still a rake. He won't have a solid body until 2026.

I disagree about ADJ though. He's a small forward who can go up the ground and help through the middle. I wouldn't mind seeing him have stints going as far as half back to do this but he's primarily a forward. Sadly, I don't think Snelling is the answer down there and Walla's gone. Guelfi's spot will be ADJ's to take.

We do need a couple of small defenders who take the game on, though. In hindsight, maybe we should have moved Shiel last year and chased Liam Baker.

 

[MiguelM]

Does not help that when we have the ball in the back half there is 12 stationary targets in front of them and none can take a contested mark.

Agree, contested marking is woeful, esp down the line but when we are going well we run the ball through the middle and rarely kick to contests on the flanks.

Basically zero run through the middle last night until Hind came on. Perkins, guelfi, Durham & Snelling providing nothing plus our only running defender in McGrath continually takes the wrong option or turns the ball over.

Add the fact that Kelly musk be one of the slowest backmen in the AFL doesn't help.

Speed at the ball is severely lacking, esp from the back.

I get there is not much movement forward, but a genuine line breaker is sorely needed.

 

[ant555]

Agree, contested marking is woeful, esp down the line but when we are going well we run the ball through the middle and rarely kick to contests on the flanks.

Basically zero run through the middle last night until Hind came on. Perkins, guelfi, Durham & Snelling providing nothing plus our only running defender in McGrath continually takes the wrong option or turns the ball over.

Add the fact that Kelly musk be one of the slowest backmen in the AFL doesn't help.

Speed at the ball is severely lacking, esp from the back.

I get there is not much movement forward, but a genuine line breaker is sorely needed.

I agree we need someone to break the lines but the issue is still nothing to go to forward of the footy. It was just so obvious at the ground. We had nothing in front of the footy and when we did play on and try and make something happen we had to just kick it long an turn the footy over. Kelly is not the issue. If you give him an option he will take it. People need to start looking at the field to work out what the issue is.
Scott is clearly about us not turning the footy over if we can help it which is why they play the short kicking game. Problem is when they do not work in front of the footy then the defenders look slow.

 

[MiguelM]

I agree we need someone to break the lines but the issue is still nothing to go to forward of the footy. It was just so obvious at the ground. We had nothing in front of the footy and when we did play on and try and make something happen we had to just kick it long an turn the footy over. Kelly is not the issue. If you give him an option he will take it. People need to start looking at the field to work out what the issue is.
Scott is clearly about us not turning the footy over if we can help it which is why they play the short kicking game. Problem is when they do not work in front of the footy then the defenders look slow.

Fair call, you don't get that perspective on TV. Don't get me wrong, I like Kelly but he needs options going past as you say. We can't carry Kelly and Heppell in the same side IMO.

We seem to stop and prop at the expense of dare. I get you need to slow down at times but the best sides like Pies & Port just run the ball all day. The only player willing to run was Hind, and it was all over by then. Doesn't help that McGrath is putrid with disposal.

Perkins, Guelfi, Durham & Snelling just go missing too much and are becoming a real issue.

How Menzie was dropped was also mindboggling.

 

[bommer16]

I have faith in Brad and he will get essendon and however that team looks like back to winning; back in to real contention again. Currently, he has inherited a group that seems to have forgotten what success looks like and can only do so much.

The players need a lot of work and it starts within. Their idea or version of what an A game is seems to be misaligned with what it really should be at an elite level. They look beaten, lost and easily lose focus. And they can’t be happy with the output. While i may question certain selection decisions it continues to expose the real weaknesses and that is what this year was about. Sure the wins have been great and showed some promise under certain conditions but tbh I don’t think some of the current list are the makings of a premiership winning team. If brad wants Essendon to be A grade like Geelong then some of the most biggest and toughest decisions need to be made.

 

[ant555]

Fair call, you don't get that perspective on TV. Don't get me wrong, I like Kelly but he needs options going past as you say. We can't carry Kelly and Heppell in the same side IMO.

We seem to stop and prop at the expense of dare. I get you need to slow down at times but the best sides like Pies & Port just run the ball all day. The only player willing to run was Hind, and it was all over by then. Doesn't help that McGrath is putrid with disposal.

Perkins, Guelfi, Durham & Snelling just go missing too much and are becoming a real issue.

How Menzie was dropped was also mindboggling.

I agree 100% as far as Heppell and Kelly go in the same side. I am not really saying we do not need to upgrade Kelly either but I think people read way too much into it as far as Kelly goes to the point that they just see Kelly not moving the footy. I can tell you know Ridley was just as slow moving the footy last night and the few times he did play on he kicked 50 meter intercepts.

The reason Collingwood have dare is they are a side that had a solid defensive system for over 10 years. They know how to defend. The evolution for them was take more risks and they have the players to do it. They have to confidence to defend the mistakes they make but they also have players that use the footy through the middle of the ground. They are simply a better side anyway. They still have a core group of senior players that have played in and won finals and they have the best young player in the game who just keeps getting better.

As you say we have a lot of players with question marks.

 

[MiguelM]

I agree 100% as far as Heppell and Kelly go in the same side. I am not really saying we do not need to upgrade Kelly either but I think people read way too much into it as far as Kelly goes to the point that they just see Kelly not moving the footy. I can tell you know Ridley was just as slow moving the footy last night and the few times he did play on he kicked 50 meter intercepts.

The reason Collingwood have dare is they are a side that had a solid defensive system for over 10 years. They know how to defend. The evolution for them was take more risks and they have the players to do it. They have to confidence to defend the mistakes they make but they also have players that use the footy through the middle of the ground. They are simply a better side anyway. They still have a core group of senior players that have played in and won finals and they have the best young player in the game who just keeps getting better.

As you say we have a lot of players with question marks.

Yeah, comparing to Pies is a bit harsh! lol, I shouldn't post after defeats, breathe!

What to do though to see the year out? Do we make minimal changes again to chase a final or do we bite the bullet and bring in some kids? Not too many in the VFL really pushing with conviction.

 

[ant555]

Yeah, comparing to Pies is a bit harsh! lol, I shouldn't post after defeats, breathe!

What to do though to see the year out? Do we make minimal changes again to chase a final or do we bite the bullet and bring in some kids? Not too many in the VFL really pushing with conviction.

I still want to see the young blokes earning selection but also I do not want to see their development hindered. it is a fine line. I also want to see them picking the side that has the scope to play the style they want to going forward and not just giving up at this point. The senior players deserve to have the coach look at them just as much as the young blokes. If we win 11 or 12 games and just miss the coach has an idea on them as well.

Tsatas has missed a lot of footy in the last 3 years . I do not see any point playing him at AFL level if he is not physically ready. Now he could get to a level where they may have a look but I am more than happy to see him finished the year in the VFL and set himself up for next season. We do not need to see him at AFL level if we are looking at the long game.

Probably the same for Alwyn Davey. We have seen enough of him at AFL level to know he has something to work with. He can play out the year in the VFL and come back a better player next year.

I could cop Wanganeen getting a look in as his form has built.

Maybe Voss for Stringer.

I am not making wholesale changes just to play the young blokes no matter where the season is at.

 

[MiguelM]

I still want to see the young blokes earning selection but also I do not want to see their development hindered. it is a fine line. I also want to see them picking the side that has the scope to play the style they want to going forward and not just giving up at this point. The senior players deserve to have the coach look at them just as much as the young blokes. If we win 11 or 12 games and just miss the coach has an idea on them as well.

Tsatas has missed a lot of footy in the last 3 years . I do not see any point playing him at AFL level if he is not physically ready. Now he could get to a level where they may have a look but I am more than happy to see him finished the year in the VFL and set himself up for next season. We do not need to see him at AFL level if we are looking at the long game.

Probably the same for Alwyn Davey. We have seen enough of him at AFL level to know he has something to work with. He can play out the year in the VFL and come back a better player next year.

I could cop Wanganeen getting a look in as his form has built.

Maybe Voss for Stringer.

I am not making wholesale changes just to play the young blokes no matter where the season is at.

I wouldn't mind they try Monty for Heppell at some stage too.

 

[ant555]

I wouldn't mind they try Monty for Heppell at some stage too.

I would too although I have my doubts it will happen. I have defended Kelly but for the bigger picture I would not be against playing Monty for Kelly just for a look given Monty has had a decent VFL season.

 

[BomberFan355]

LOL was wondering how long it would take for this

Surprised I got in first

 

[citizen-erased]

There is some real crap in this thread.

The fact is we have improved on last year. We will finish with 4 or 5 more wins.

Scott has not had a chance to do a lot with the list. It was a look and see year.

He can not just turn blokes into good contested marks so we have option B.

Selection has had a few interesting turns but the VFL has actually been about developing the young blokes.

Some are getting way in front of themselves . I am not sure what you expected. I thought we would win 10 or 11 games and my expectation was signs of an improved team defense and a more even effort over the season. So far they have produced that. We where always going to lose 10 plus games and there was always going to be periods in the season where we looked bad. Anyone who has watched the last 10 years should be able to see that.

Who knows if Scott is really the right coach but the simple fact is he said himself that he would not take on the job if the club thought it was close to being the finished product. We are not close to being the finished product.

nice post. Bold are my thoughts exactly.

We suspected we'd be bottom 5 this year, and we may land close but with twice the amount of wins i thought we'd get (i was not so optimistic we'd get to 10)
He had a backseat off-season and short notice pre-season.
Gets a better opportunity now to turn the dial some more

Something that dawned on me of late too
When was the last time we heard off-field rumblings. Scott and Vozzo look to have put everyone in their corner, and it's been all about the footy when we're mentioned, and mostly in a positive light.

3 bad losses (so far) for a season is a good step in the right direction

 

[TheUnicorn]

 

[MiguelM]

nice post. Bold are my thoughts exactly.

We suspected we'd be bottom 5 this year, and we may land close but with twice the amount of wins i thought we'd get (i was not so optimistic we'd get to 10)
He had a backseat off-season and short notice pre-season.
Gets a better opportunity now to turn the dial some more

Something that dawned on me of late too
When was the last time we heard off-field rumblings. Scott and Vozzo look to have put everyone in their corner, and it's been all about the footy when we're mentioned, and mostly in a positive light.

3 bad losses (so far) for a season is a good step in the right direction

Yeah, when was the last Sheedy comment?

I remember when Scott first took over and he was on Footy Classified. They were trying to get a headline re Sheeds & Scott supposed fall out. Scott stopped them in their tracks saying that Sheedy an important part of the club and he has had many conversations with him & backed him in.

Would love to hear from Sheeds, but I suspect he is completely onboard.

Has been an incredible turnaround in such a short time.

 

[windyhill]

Yeah, when was the last Sheedy comment?

I remember when Scott first took over and he was on Footy Classified. They were trying to get a headline re Sheeds & Scott supposed fall out. Scott stopped them in their tracks saying that Sheedy an important part of the club and he has had many conversations with him & backed him in.

Would love to hear from Sheeds, but I suspect he is completely onboard.

Has been an incredible turnaround in such a short time.

Dry July has worked well for him.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Dry July has worked well for him.

I just hope I earn the right to be the old drunk I know I could be.

You kind of need enough life achievements in the bag that people just leave you alone.

 

[windyhill]

I just hope I earn the right to be the old drunk I know I could be.

You kind of need enough life achievements in the bag that people just leave you alone.

Agreed. I feel sick bagging the silly bastard. I worshipped him in the early 80’s, me and Dad. He’s a club icon, I mean , obviously. I’m talking as a young bloke watching his team getting smashed on a regular basis. Copping so much shit at school and then in walks sheedy, turns the joint completely on its head. Happy days.
And then it went to his head.

 

[ydc55]

I am a bit disappointed in our selection this week.
Scott said in his presser that he thought the bombers looked flat and then made one change.
i know there was a fair break but still surprised.
I thought this was the perfect game to bring Elijah in.
home crowd against an interstate club- Sydney only have parker and rowbottom who play with above average physicality.
the knock on Scott is he does not play kids.
I reckon tsatsas and voss could consider themselves a little unlucky.

 

[MiguelM]

I am a bit disappointed in our selection this week.
Scott said in his presser that he thought the bombers looked flat and then made one change.
i know there was a fair break but still surprised.
I thought this was the perfect game to bring Elijah in.
home crowd against an interstate club- Sydney only have parker and rowbottom who play with above average physicality.
the knock on Scott is he does not play kids.
I reckon tsatsas and voss could consider themselves a little unlucky.

Scott intimated the training loads may have been a reason we were looking flat (I think we were still shellshocked from the Cats game too). Suspect a lighter week on the track, will be interesting to see.

For me, Syd is not the game to bring in Elijah, I just don't think he is physically ready, add the fact we have lost Stringer as well. Voss hasn't been setting the world on fire IMO and needs to show more. I was more surprised we didn't bring Baldwin in.

One thing lacking has been speed at the ball so Hind and Menzie are good in's. Sub will be interesting. We need run through the middle instead of kicking to the flanks where we can't take a contested mark to save ourselves.

I think we can win but any early ascendancy must have some scoreboard pressure. Also, turnovers hopefully not too bad, being fresh will help, lots of kicks falling short. (Cats scored over 100 points on turnovers).

 

[bombreys]

You know what selection pressure is yeh?
Performing consistently in the vfl. That’s what all 3 have done.

FYI this weeks selection is what I mean by it being more perceived pressure than actual selection pressure.

VFL side and players performing well and AFL side thrashed by 118 over past two weeks - no players rewarded for form.