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AFLW 2024 - Round 2 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
To be fair Scott might just be the more polished media performer. I don’t have a great deal of faith that what is said in the press conferences mirrors what is said to the players behind closed doorsThe difference is Brad reels off a spiel every week about how the numbers tell him a story. It could all be bullshit (and most likely it is) but it sounds like he is working hard on areas of improvement. He sounds ahead of the game in analysing where it went wrong and what needs a fix.
Rutten was dumbfounded and couldn't even pretend to explain what in the world was going on.
I would've loved Rutten to work out. He was young so could've coached us well into the future, he tried to make the place proud again, and his strut that time was second to none. He felt like an "Essendon person" very quickly.
Unfortunately the guy didn't know what to do, and couldn't fake it until he maked it.
I understand your point but Scott wasn't the reason Rutten was removed.If the whole thing is a matter of ‘you get tested, you fail, you get back up and go again until it works’ and that is actually the club’s stance there is no jumping off Rutten and onto Scott in the first place, the whole point of Scott was because we thought we could short circuit that, play a bit of snakes and ladders and skip a few steps.
It’s all well and good for Scott to say that and he’s not wrong, but he’s almost kiboshing what the exec said about Rutten, which is trying and failing until it works is not good enough in our book, we think someone else can do better.
I understand your point but Scott wasn't the reason Rutten was removed.
I think the big issue we have here is that for a long time, the tail wagged the dog.
I knew this club was rotten as soon as the players spat the dummy back in 2017 when Xavier made a comment that losing to spooners Brisbane at home as finals contenders was not good enough. They made him, the CEO, apologise publicly for his comments when it's the players that lost a supposed unlosable game at home.
At Essendon, the players decide who coaches and who doesn't. They decide when the season ends (like the last couple of games last year). They just need to stop trying, get thrashed and the coach is removed. Happened to Knights, Hird, Woosha, Rutten. Just look at the last couple of games before each of those coaches were removed.
Rutten was allegedly removed because the players thought he was too soft. Now we have reports of players losing it over Scott's hard stance over a last minute choke vs Adelaide? Then the following week, we get thrashed? For how long do we look after the player's feelings instead of making this club one with high standards?
I think it's time we back the coach and play players that are willing to be here. Scott's fault is not making the changes to reflect a harder stance, but our standards have been so poor for so long.
The club needs to give Brad licence to go as hard & deep as he wants this offseason.
Yep. Get rid of those who continuously spit the dummy and keep the ones dedicated to putting in effort week in week out. I'm sure Brad has an idea of who those players are by now and I suspect he established his core group of players who meet that criteria. Enough of the players dictating when they want a vacation and keep those willing to sacrifice for a premiership like the best clubs do.The club needs to give Brad licence to go as hard & deep as he wants this offseason.
Yep. Get rid of those who continuously spit the dummy and keep the ones dedicated to putting in effort week in week out. I'm sure Brad has an idea of who those players are by now and I suspect he established his core group of players who meet that criteria. Enough of the players dictating when they want a vacation and keep those willing to sacrifice for a premiership like the best clubs do.
Our percentage is indicative of players that are selective of when they want to play. 14 teams have a percentage above 100 and we're one of the 4 that don't despite our win-loss record. Embarrassing. We need to build a squad that can be bothered thrashing teams, playing for a whole season, playing 4 quarters a game and minimising thrashings received. Otherwise we're never building a premiership list no matter how many Dustys we have on our list (just look at Gold Coast).
i think based on team selections... that's not very deep.The club needs to give Brad licence to go as hard & deep as he wants this offseason.
Now we have reports of players losing it over Scott's hard stance over a last minute choke vs Adelaide? Then the following week, we get thrashed? For how long do we look after the player's feelings instead of making this club one with high standards?
I feel a lot would've hinged on what was said to the board behind closed doors. He would've been asked similar questions to that of the press.To be fair Scott might just be the more polished media performer. I don’t have a great deal of faith that what is said in the press conferences mirrors what is said to the players behind closed doors
Is it tactical errors or is it an error in player execution and application? Coaches are criticised for tactical errors far too often which shifts blame away from the true culprits. The players. It's such an Essendon thing to blame a coach straight away. We never have coaches survive beyond 2-4 years because the first person that is blamed for anything is the coach. Not list management, not on-field leaders, not senior players, not developmental coaches, not a trash reserves system, not fitness and injury management. It's always the head coach. That's the one thing that has been consistent since Sheedy. All of our top 8 finishes probably happened with a new coach boost.Essendon hierarchy need to get rid of him.
A country footy reserves coach wouldn't make the amount of tactical errors he's making.
NoIs this confirmed to be true?
yeah that’s great but how good is his chocolate game?tough guy Brad! no more Zen Brad
Doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would stop smiling just because he had a bad day at work.Am I wrong to think that maybe Heppell is the “sook” behind the scenes?
unless he is hunting cacao i’m not interestedyeah that’s great but how good is his chocolate game?
Bard Scott is hunting the cacaunless he is hunting cacao i’m not interested
As much as I don't want him selected anymore, I'd be staggered if that was the case.Am I wrong to think that maybe Heppell is the “sook” behind the scenes?
No change in structure and gameplan?Is it tactical errors or is it an error in player execution and application? Coaches are criticised for tactical errors far too often which shifts blame away from the true culprits. The players. It's such an Essendon thing to blame a coach straight away. We never have coaches survive beyond 2-4 years because the first person that is blamed for anything is the coach. Not list management, not on-field leaders, not senior players, not developmental coaches, not a trash reserves system, not fitness and injury management. It's always the head coach. That's the one thing that has been consistent since Sheedy. All of our top 8 finishes probably happened with a new coach boost.
The players have fallen away in the second half of the season for no reason at all. No significant injuries, no suspensions, no significant changes in gameplan, tactics or personnel, nothing. We have players like Redman, Ridley, Wright, Langford and even Walla and Fantasia a couple of years back who are excellent and almost in AA form (and some have reached AA), and then they suddenly for no reason at all drop off completely. They just stop performing completely. This is a consistent trend over the years. The Zaharakis effect.
This is not gameday tactical errors nor is it even an issue of team selection. This is a cultural issue that far precedes Scott.
No change in structure and gameplan?
The coach is playing 2 key position players on the wings.
That effectively puts us 2 midfielders short of the opposition midfield every week.
Whats worse is he's playing a forward press, with those taller wings, and lack of ground level support. Plus no defensive smaller forwards, ie Davey.
Whats stopping transition with that setup? Our best mid/forward whos playing in defence?
He's playing tall sides in the wet.
He's got no idea. His selections, set up and gameplan doesn't match, and it's little wonder the players have lost faith. They're coach has them up against it before the first bounce.
You were telling us how some coaches are given too long because most are bad and you gave an example of a coach who wasn’t given a lot of time.
It’s roles/functions but it’s also belief & entrenched values2007: It's the coach. Sheedy sacked.
2010: It's the coach. Knights sacked.
2015: It's the coach. Hird. So many things.
2020: It's the coach. Worsfold sacked.
2022: It's the coach. Rutten sacked.
2024?: It's the coach.
I mean, maybe it is the coach. But also maybe it's not.
Add in a season of Thompson. That's a lot of 'it's the coach'.
The whole club has been varying levels of bad, there's a lot of entrenched shitness for any coach to resolve.