Coaching Staff Past Coach: Matthew Knights - Finally gets his second shot - 5/5

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benny_furs said:
Hey guys, I was a little confused when Knighter was given the role and a little annoyed because I wanted him back at Richmond. There is a sense of history repeating itself here and you'd hope it happens ;)

I came to your board because something said on the footy show last night would have really worried me if I were an Essendon supporter. Maybe since I can't find a thread on it then you don't mind. But basically they said it was Hardwick's job to lose and then apparently he said Essendon needed to go down a Hawthorn-like rebuild for a couple of years if they want to be successful again.

Obviously Knights said he expected some form of success next year.

As a Richmond supporter who has seen his share of short-term plans bypassing the proper longer term plans I'm wondering what your opinion is. Do you need a rebuild while the youngsters develop or can you do a Port Adelaide style resurgence? I believe the appointment of Knighter says the Essendon board chose a coach planning for a Port style resurgence.
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We debuted 6 or 7 players this season, how is that not rebuilding? If Hardwick thinks Essendon needed to pillage the draft a few more times then he doesn't know much about our list and I'm glad he didn't get the job.
 
On SEN this morning Ray Horsborough said that Mark Thompson would not speak to anyone until after the Geelong B&F. Peter Jackson was sending text messages to Thompson's manager to gauge his feelings but they "wouldn't return his calls". Seriously, what sort of message (pardon the pun) does it send out when you are trying to hire a coach by SMS. Thompson would have just laughed at you.
I'd also like to know why you announce the story during GF week ? You are replacing Sheedy. It's not like you are replacing Peter Rohde at Footscray. This should be a big deal.
Governments "bury" stories during big events so they don't get the scrutiny they should. Is Essendon doing the same thing ?
 
Another thing which would worry me is how would Gary Lyon know this ?

We won 6 more games in 2007, debuted 6 youngsters and had 3 picks inside the top 25 last season to go with 2 picks inside the top 20 from the year before.

The good thing is all 5 of those players can all play football.

If you look at teams like Richmond and Hawthorn who have had similar amount of top 20 picks they have had their share of spectacular failures ranging from Oakley-Nicholls, Meyer, Little, Murphy and Dowler looks questionable.

The reality is most of the media experts have no idea at all. Most of them would have picked the Kangaroos, Port Adelaide and Collingwood to finish near the bottom this season and they surprised everyone.

Hardwick is entitled to his opinion (if true) but that doesn't mean he's right and Knights is wrong.
 

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Having heard why Knights was chosen over Hardwick does have me a little concerned...? I mean obviously you go to a job interview with a 'can do' attitude, but if Hardwick was penalised for honesty then I am worried.

Is the fact that Knights told the board what they wanted to hear the reason he was chosen?
 
Valley Spy said:
As with the Sheedy announcement the timing seems to be a little strange. Why not wait a week, even if it wouldnt make a difference to the outcome. At least the supporters would believe the club has made the best effort to poach Thompson.

Your only as good as your last game. A loss in a VFL final from a near unlose-able position. Not ready for a senior gig yet.
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Thompson has a long record of underachievement. 06, basically the same list - fails to make the 8. How do you think he'd go with our list? I'd take Knighter over him in a flash.
 
im am pretyt happy with Matthew Knights...i think him or Harwick would have both been good. I think poeple are a little too hung up with Mark Thompson due to the amazing year they have had this year with an amazing list....far from guarenteed he could do that with many other lists.

I just think a young coach was a good decision....i think they can identify talents better as well as have a better relationship with the playing group.....something sheeds definately did not have.

I like the fact he was a quality midfielder as a player,,,,hopefully he can develop our midfield quickly.

good luck Knighta
 
originally i was annoyed that knights got the job over hardwick, especially cause i kinda agreed that success would be a second priority to development and knights statement about success put me off. But then i started to think he knows our youngsters better than anyone he will know extactly who will be ready for the big game and promote them accordingly i just hope he brings some fight with him cause i know hardwick would have inspired the boys.
 
I'm even happier with the appointment if this is true.

I don't like the low-end of the ladder re-building just for the sake of it and there's absolutely no proof that it leads to success, when you look at it Geelong, Port Adelaide, Sydney and West Coast never had multiple seasons down the bottom, they just drafted solidly in all rounds, not just the first couple.

Our list has been turned over more than any over the last few years and the worst thing we can do is continue losing more than we win.

No harm at all in trying to win 100% every single week, young players will be getting a game regardless, and with Knights you know he'll liosten to them, he'll know where they're preferred to be played and he should be able to get across to them better than Sheeds in his latter years.
 
pozzo said:
There has to be something unencouraging about the fact he only played in 4 finals games in his career doesn't there?
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I'm guessing because his teammates weren't all that flash maybe Einstein.

He's never had great lists to work with at both Port and Bendigo but he has a tonne of knowledge of the great game, knows our youth inside out and has respect of the whole list, I know I'm right behind him, prove them wrong Knighter
 
CyberKev said:
Coached Centrals to a SANFL premiership.
Assistant Coach of an AFL premiership side while at Port.
Coach of Werribee in the VFL.
Assitant Coach at St Kilda.

Yes, Knights comes in with far better credentials. :rolleyes:
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I was to referring to Knights playing career. ;)
 
I thought the way the Footy Show and especially Garry Lyon treated the appointment was very ordinary, they hardly talked about it and Garry pretty much had pots shots at Essendon about the process.

What he said about Knights getting the job over Hardwick was very reminiscent of a certain person who usually sprouts that crap.
 
Incorrect.

Hardwick thought that we need a full re-build. Take 5-6 years

While Knights thought we could re-build in about 2-3 years and that was perfect for the board since they have that plan of the 2010 thing.
 

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~RFM~ said:
Having heard why Knights was chosen over Hardwick does have me a little concerned...? I mean obviously you go to a job interview with a 'can do' attitude, but if Hardwick was penalised for honesty then I am worried.

Is the fact that Knights told the board what they wanted to hear the reason he was chosen?
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Well said, sounds like we have a board puppet coach, lets hope we are wrong otherwise we will be in deep s*ht :mad:
 
Lloyd: Knights will deliver wake up call

Friday, 28 September 2007
Essendon captain, Matthew Lloyd, has given new coach, Matthew Knights, his full backing saying the former Richmond midfielder has the support of the entire playing group.

"He has just got a massive amount of respect from the senior and younger players," Lloyd said.

"The advantage for him is he has been the person that has developed players over the past three years when we have had a massive turn-over of players.

"What I have noticed about Matthew is that he is hard but he is fair so the boys are in for a bit of a wake-up, a bit of a shock when we get back on November five, the way he approaches things."

Lloyd said he feels he has to prove himself to the new coach and hopes the appointment adds a few years to his career.

"I think the appointment the club has made will fast track players development ten-fold and I think it will give us the best chance for success next year because he knows who the players are," he said.

"I think it (the appointment) might be the difference to whether we play finals or not next year.

"He knows who is lazy, who are hard trainers, what players best suit positions, who needs to work on their endurance.

"It's exciting for me, someone who hasn't got a lot of time left, and it gives us the best opportunity to go somewhere in the next two to three years."

Lloyd said he can see a strong comparison between when he replaced James Hird as captain and Knights replacing Kevin Sheedy as coach.

"I was stepping into the shoes of one of the great captains of all time and people said 'how do you feel about it?'. I had my own thoughts and theories and was completely different to James Hird and Matthew will be exactly the same," he said.

"Things will change around the place and he will do it his way. He wants to meet with the players and staff over the next few days .. it will be a nice week for the club to get things settled and look forward to next year."

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=5396
 
strategy said:
U serious ?
Knights coaching record with the Bendigo Bombers

2005 3rd
2006 12th
2007 8th

and at Port Adelaide Magpies 7 wins and 13 losses .
I hope the Board made a right decision .I dont believe they did BUT i will apologise if Knights proves me wrong .
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Essendon

2005 13th
2006 15th
2007 12th

When you look at it like that it seems to me that he has done better or at least broken even for how the senior squad has done in those corresponding years. It would be difficult to coach a team to success when your star player kepler bradley has been called up to permanent senior duty (2006).
 
~RFM~ said:
Having heard why Knights was chosen over Hardwick does have me a little concerned...? I mean obviously you go to a job interview with a 'can do' attitude, but if Hardwick was penalised for honesty then I am worried.

Is the fact that Knights told the board what they wanted to hear the reason he was chosen?
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A reason given to me was that Hardwick and Knights were even until the assessment session dealing with media handling. Hardwick stuffed up in the area of selling the club, very badly.
 
~RFM~ said:
Having heard why Knights was chosen over Hardwick does have me a little concerned...? I mean obviously you go to a job interview with a 'can do' attitude, but if Hardwick was penalised for honesty then I am worried.

Is the fact that Knights told the board what they wanted to hear the reason he was chosen?
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Knights said we can be in contention in 3 years. Hardwick said 5. Knights is the one who has worked with the kids that will once again make us a force no one is better placed to make a decision on when they will be ready- absolutley no one.
 
The Dustbin said:
I was to referring to Knights playing career. ;)
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For Richmond........ good background to have?

That's more tongue in cheek than anything, but still something to be considered.

You normally look at what systems a coach has been through, like if they had played under great or premiership coaches with (pagan, sheedy, williams, kennedy, parkin), and what systems they had been through, and way it up with their career.

Clarkson looked good as he had played under Pagan, coached under Williams, coached his own side in a tough comp successfully etc. Hardwick had played under sheedy and williams, in VERY successful sides and cultures, and has been brought up in Hawthorn's new rebuild which has been looked upon favourably. I'd probably recommend Hardwick doing some coaching of a team by himself first in a regional league, but for what was on offer his credentials seemed better than Knights, coaching and playing in terms of the culture they had been through. Does Knights know much about winning cultures?

Not sure why I'm arguing this so much because
1. I'm stoked Hardwick might be staying with us and;
2. Knights might be a fantastic coach and I didn't see his review of Essendon,

I'm just very surprised I guess you didn't go with Hardwick. Time will tell cause some were more than surprised, they were bagging the hawks no end when we 'missed out' on Wallace and Eade, but our process turned out well so far.
 
SOT4 said:
Knights said we can be in contention in 3 years. Hardwick said 5. Knights is the one who has worked with the kids that will once again make us a force no one is better placed to make a decision on when they will be ready- absolutley no one.
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Working with Essendon reserves and coaching the seniors and scouting opposition and comparing against the best is quite different. I don't argue the fact Knights has good inside knowledge of his teams youngsters, but just because he says its three years before they are ready to compete against the best doesn't make it so.

Essendon need to build up a midfield worthy of taking on Geelong, Port, Hawks, etc over the next few years, and IMO they are still a fair way off getting there. Just my opinion though.
 
DaSawx said:
I'm even happier with the appointment if this is true.

I don't like the low-end of the ladder re-building just for the sake of it and there's absolutely no proof that it leads to success, when you look at it Geelong, Port Adelaide, Sydney and West Coast never had multiple seasons down the bottom, they just drafted solidly in all rounds, not just the first couple.
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Spot on.... no team has won a flag after bottoming out for several years in a row and getting several high picks.

Low picks is no guarantee of quality players, so we need to be looking at progressing and developing players, not trying to start from scratch!

In 2-3 years we will have a good core of players that will be approaching their peak, and that will be the backbone of our next successful side.
 
Damien odviously wanted to take the same approach on what Clarkson did at Hawthorn when he was appointed as coach. We dont need a complete rebuild, more of a renovation. I really do hope Knights can get the best out of the players cos IMO Sheeds couldnt the last couple of seasons.
 
cschreuder61 said:
Working with Essendon reserves and coaching the seniors and scouting opposition and comparing against the best is quite different. I don't argue the fact Knights has good inside knowledge of his teams youngsters, but just because he says its three years before they are ready to compete against the best doesn't make it so..
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That is so stupid. What does that have to do with anything? Of course it may not be three years, but why would Hardwick know better than Knights, who has worked closely with the team? Do you honestly think he doesn't realise that there is a difference between VFL and AFL teams?

cschreuder61 said:
Essendon need to build up a midfield worthy of taking on Geelong, Port, Hawks, etc over the next few years, and IMO they are still a fair way off getting there. Just my opinion though.
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Essendon have Lonergan, Hocking, Stanton, Winderlich, Watson, Houli, Jetta, Hislop, Reimers, Davey, Demspey, Lovett

All are young and inexperienced. It will take time for the midfield to develo, but there is loads of talent there. 3 years time and Stants, Winderlich, Watson, Lovett are all senoir players. Hislop, Houli, Jetta, Demspey, Lonergan are all in their third year and will probably be capable of holding down midfield positions. Our midifeld will be about 5 times better than it is now, and Lloyd, Lucas will still be around as well as a more developed Ryder, Gumby, Neagle, Bradley (hopefully), and Laycock and Hille. ANyone writing Essendon off as a premiership threat in 2010 is an idiot.
 

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Coaching Staff Past Coach: Matthew Knights - Finally gets his second shot - 5/5

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