AFL Autopsy R2: Crows eviscerate us

[TheWamba]

I remember the heart shown by the Bombers in our 77 point loss to South Melbourne in round 2 of 1977 like it was yesterday. inspiring stuff

Haha was st that game. Teasdale and TD tore us apart

As for the current side they never present ripped at the start of the year. Sign of a club that doesn't work hard and accept average standards. This is then reinforced by average players getting selected each week.

 

[BomberManU]

Some heat needs to go on Nick Martin. Great offensive player but his efforts to defend where bloody horrible. Just ran in front of the footy all day and put limited effort into working back the other way.

He's also a serial offender for hack kicks out of the back line.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Our centre clearance work was very meh. They basically maned us up and neutralised us into nothing clearances that went nowhere.

The other issue is we all get sucked into contest and leave players on the outside. This is a football smarts issue but also players an issue with players thinking that putting effort in means always going hard into the contest. It has annoyed me for years and it is generally a result of trying to convert players into other positions or players who have had limited defensive mind sets who over cook things.

Also a result of recruiting athletes and not footballers?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Needs the Yakety Sax music.

 

[Nicholas61]

Needs the Yakety Sax music.

It's in the realms he could have concussed them both with a head clash.

Then look at the way Andy drops the ball on his boot.

 

[Pweter]

Needs the Yakety Sax music.

What's most disappointing is how easy Tsatas went down

 

[Pweter]

I just watched WCE take it right up to Brisbane.

Effort matters. I'd love to see us put in unconditional effort for 4 quarters like that.

Should we start with that, game plan 2nd? I say that because I'm again not sure what our game plan is.

 

[Pweter]

Oh, and North Melbourne are going to leave us in their wake across 2025 and 2026.

 

[Donakebab]

I think this is the earliest in a season I've ever been completely checked out. I mean I was already checked out before the season started, but there's no risk of being drawn back in with some early promise just to have my hopes dashed again.

My gold AFL membership renewal is a great example of the sunk cost fallacy.

 

[Nifft]

I just watched WCE take it right up to Brisbane.

Effort matters. I'd love to see us put in unconditional effort for 4 quarters like that.

Should we start with that, game plan 2nd? I say that because I'm again not sure what our game plan is.

Maybe our players aren't smart enough to follow a game plan unless it's really simple. I think it was ant555 that said last year that our footy IQ is really low across the board, and that the coaches were having trouble introducing more complicated stuff.

 

[katana]

It's this arse backward approach to Essendon a la Brad Scott. If he was genuinely in the game he would have known not to let this weakness fester.

what specifically do you think this weakness is that he 'has allowed to fester' and what ought to have been done to combat it, in your opinion?

 

[Lore]

Oh, and North Melbourne are going to leave us in their wake across 2025 and 2026.

With Tassie snapping at their heels commercially speaking, they need something to fill the coffers.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Are we at a point where we don't play the "G" very well.

Don't know the stats but it seems we don't win many there now.

Oval-shaped ovals seem to be our Achilles heel.

 

[Squeaky]

Maybe our players aren't smart enough to follow a game plan unless it's really simple. I think it was ant555 that said last year that our footy IQ is really low across the board, and that the coaches were having trouble introducing more complicated stuff.

Surely these player would be coachable at other clubs. There has been this collective shitness that is evident at our club more than any other.
I reckon it is just an EFC thing...

 

[Nicholas61]

Maybe our players aren't smart enough to follow a game plan unless it's really simple. I think it was ant555 that said last year that our footy IQ is really low across the board, and that the coaches were having trouble introducing more complicated stuff.

Was wondering this. Soon as the coaches introduce nuances for particular opposition the whole lot falls apart. The most obvious where you see lack of smarts is most being drawn to the ball. Saying that Scott makes obvious selection and tactical errors too - from the coaches to the players there seems to be IQ issues.

 

[thebigboy]

Oh, and North Melbourne are going to leave us in their wake across 2025 and 2026.

You’re comparing a club at year 5 of a rebuild compared to one who’s just in the process of tearing the list down

 

[blitzer]

I just watched WCE take it right up to Brisbane.

Effort matters. I'd love to see us put in unconditional effort for 4 quarters like that.

Should we start with that, game plan 2nd? I say that because I'm again not sure what our game plan is.

In fairness did you see WCE last week? Living in Perth I spoke to coworkers that were so devastated by how bad they were that they were convinced they wouldn't win a single game this year. So yeah that's a quick change in the space of a week.

I agree our effort was shit, I'm just not convinced its beyond fixing.
I'd expect us to respond this Thursday against Port and to play with some genuine intent.

 

[Pweter]

You’re comparing a club at year 5 of a rebuild compared to one who’s just in the process of tearing the list down

And? At least they bottomed out, we're still working out how to do that. All I said is they're going to fly past us, just like Hawthorn and Adelaide have.

 

[Pweter]

In fairness did you see WCE last week? Living in Perth I spoke to coworkers that were so devastated by how bad they were that they were convinced they wouldn't win a single game this year. So yeah that's a quick change in the space of a week.

I agree our effort was shit, I'm just not convinced its beyond fixing.
I'd expect us to respond this Thursday against Port and to play with some genuine intent.

One can only hope.

 

[EnolaGay]

I went to the game and then watched the replay. Completely outclassed, everywhere. But I will say that Kako knows how to football. You try to be patient, but Perkins looks a dud. And while Reid was monstered, he just needs more games. Edwards will be really good, but not as the focal point in the forward line. Caddy, understandably, looked frustrated at his teammates continually ignoring his leads.

They weren't ignoring his leads, they were actually trying to kick it him, just that the kicks were 20m+ wide of him

 

[MiguelM]

Turnovers are still a huge problem. Not sure the exact score from them but it was huge.

Lots of handballs into trouble, missed kicks etc. All while our players are running forward of the ball. One mistake leaves us stranded with free Crows players everywhere.

Not sure why we are fumbling so much at the moment.

 

[thebigboy]

And? At least they bottomed out, we're still working out how to do that. All I said is they're going to fly past us, just like Hawthorn and Adelaide have.

Are we not bottoming out right now?

I’d expect them all to right now. They’re all at vastly different stages of their development compared to where we are at

 

[BrunoV]

what specifically do you think this weakness is that he 'has allowed to fester' and what ought to have been done to combat it, in your opinion?

When he started we were a bottom 4 side in:

1. hard ball strength / inside strength;

2. two-way ground defence and work ethic (which has been a problem for 22 or the last 24 seasons);

3. forward pressure (which has also been a problem for at least 20 of the last 24 seasons);

4. foot skills.

In reality we are the bottom of the serious sides in categories 1-3, our status being undermined only by the sides who collapse in scorched earth rebuilds.

The first system he set up protected Essendon from all of these failings. He's never used the selection table to change any of this. Like Rutten and Worsfold before him, the first the players heard from Scott was that we would be playing a system that would not challenge them. Like his predecessors he's now trying to get the players to buy-in to the things they never do. That won't work because it never does.

Even just look at the list management and turn over of all of the rookies and kids (that accounts for the 40% list turnover stat):

• Wangneen and Davey, quick small forwards with skill;
• Voss, one of the 3 or 4 physical players we had. He's got strength and massive natural endurance;
• Massimo who was always one of the best kicks in the game over 40m (someone can challenge me on revisionism if they want to).

Scott coaches this team like he spent all of this time out of the game listening to David King. If he believed that any of the problems identified above were present prior to August 2024 he failed to do anything about it and we are suffering for it. He failed at a time when the only real reason to talk him into coaching was because of the GM-like experience he got from North.

 

[Runk]

Managed to convince my youngest to come to his first game in 2 years (he’s 13). He’d lost interest with our cliff falls each year, Tippa’s retirement, Joe leaving, and nothing nostalgic to cling onto. He’s always maintained a modicum of Essendon loyalty though. To look across at him during the second qtr and see the boredom on his face and the reaching for his phone to play games on it really cut deep and makes me almost despise my own club. It gives us nothing but disappointment year upon year. campaigners!

I think this is one of the things people have been talking about for a few years now too, in that we'll start to see a real drop off in membership and attendances due to the club continually falling over itself. There's no getting away from the fact there's a generation of young people that haven't seen any success from the club and the impact of that is going to be rather substantial.

 

[Dave]

Young or not effort is still a non-negotiable. It appeared as though there were 5-6 prepared to have a crack. Not nearly good enough.