Analysis Why are we s**t?

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Feel that the change of the midfield mix is changing and the next wave of guys are showing up the older guys who have taken note and stepped up there defensive efforts themselves in the last 6 weeks.

Caldwell been arguably the best addition in recent years to both the role (defensively) and the mix we have in the midfield mix. Durham, Martin, Caldwell, Hobbs now all adding extra strings to the Essendon midfield. Size getting bigger, tackling prowess growing, marking power added.
 
Paper over the cracks.

Easier to look better when you effectively have your best 22 out there and almost no injuries.

Less holes, better team defence.

Reality is we are still a middle of the road side. We can't let a few good weeks change where we are as we'll be doomed repeating the same mistakes again.
 
kelvin_sheedy said:
Paper over the cracks.

Easier to look better when you effectively have your best 22 out there and almost no injuries.

Less holes, better team defence.

Reality is we are still a middle of the road side. We can't let a few good weeks change where we are as we'll be doomed repeating the same mistakes again.
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This is why going back to the draft should be our priority. Unless we are being funky and trying to get ahead of a Davey bid with our second, go in as is imho
 

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Have the guys who are better at read the game (looking at you ant555) noticed much of a change in our overall gameplan over the last few months or has our improvement mostly stemmed from individual effort instead?

A common refrain early in the season was that we couldn't (or wouldn't) implement Rutten's improved team defense gameplan. Would you say that we have finally got the hang of what the coaches were asking for or have they stripped it back to something the players can do (or are willing to buy into)?
 
Old Campaigner said:
Have the guys who are better at read the game (looking at you ant555) noticed much of a change in our overall gameplan over the last few months or has our improvement mostly stemmed from individual effort instead?

A common refrain early in the season was that we couldn't (or wouldn't) implement Rutten's improved team defense gameplan. Would you say that we have finally got the hang of what the coaches were asking for or have they stripped it back to something the players can do (or are willing to buy into)?
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Two things they have changed.
Gone from positional zone where everyone guard’s an area to man in zone where they go to their area of the zone and then man the player in their area.
The second change has been not just trying to go corridor at all cost. They are now taking forward ground up the wings.

There is also the fact the players are simply picking things up the more they play.
 
ant555 said:
Two things they have changed.
Gone from positional zone where everyone guard’s an area to man in zone where they go to their area of the zone and then man the player in their area.
The second change has been not just trying to go corridor at all cost. They are now taking forward ground up the wings.

There is also the fact the players are simply picking things up the more they play.
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The change in zoning - do you think that can be a sustainable brand of football or is there a ceiling on how far that style of defending can take you?
 
Old Campaigner said:
The change in zoning - do you think that can be a sustainable brand of football or is there a ceiling on how far that style of defending can take you?
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Short term it works but they will need to learn how to expand it into a more complex system that they can use at various stages.
Man in zone has its place but you need to be adjusting in and out of it.
The starting point is similar but it is what happens next that changes. The better they get the more you can go away from just finding the first player.
 
Vindicater said:
Another soft tissue iniury...
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Shiel has been playing so well, that another soft tissue injury is very disappointing.
With three games to go it could be hard for him to get back. With the history of our medical/conditioning staff he will be back next week and tear the hammy right off the bone.
 
ant555 said:
Short term it works but they will need to learn how to expand it into a more complex system that they can use at various stages.
Man in zone has its place but you need to be adjusting in and out of it.
The starting point is similar but it is what happens next that changes. The better they get the more you can go away from just finding the first player.
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Do you think we tried to make the step up from man-in-zone to a positional zone too soon in the list's development?
 
Old Campaigner said:
Do you think we tried to make the step up from man-in-zone to a positional zone too soon in the list's development?
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We actually did not use it before. We just used bad zone and have done for 10 years.
It was a deliberate change to get us defending better.
Been saying for years we have a lot of low IQ players.
 
I will say that zone has been a bit problematic for a lot of sides in the last two seasons.
Teams have been going all out attack and running forwards a lot. They are basically backing themselves to win the footy and charging forwards on the back of it .
It is why we are seeing a lot of 5 or 6 goal runs even against the best defensive teams.
The most important stat at the moment is efficiency inside 50.

Of course the best sides still have a defensive system that can stand up for long periods but the manic forward running is really pushing it to its limits.

Confidence is also proving a factor with those sides confident in backing themselves to play hard attack doing well .
 
Dan26 said:
I agree the issue is cultural more than personnel. We know the list can produce better results because saw it last season. Part of the problem is that we have never been bad enough to feel the need to address systemic issues. Think about it? When was the last bad year we had without an excuse? The drug thing was an excuse. Covid was an excuse. So ignore any bad season in those years for a moment. When was the last bad year? You have to go back sixteen years ago to 2006.

Since then, we have always been middle of the road, and the mindset has always been, "well, we were okay last season, we have the building blocks. Just need to see some natural development and we will rise up the ladder"..... that's the bullshit mindset. I know that's the way some people were feeling 8 weeks ago, and it's how we have felt most years after a normal Essendon 8th-10th season the year before.

We need a bad year. Like a REALLY bad year. Like a 2006 bad year. We need a bad year almost like no club has needed a bad year ever before.

Richmond is a good example. The Tigers were basically like us. Middle-of-the road, couldn't win a final, mired in mediocrity. The lost elimination finals in 2013-14-15, and I'm sure their bullshit mindset at the time was much the same as ours. "We are okay we're in the finals, just need a bit of natural development and we will rise up the ladder"

Then it all fell apart for them in 2016. They slumped to 13th and finished that season with a 20 goal loss to the Sydney Swans. They had finally had a bad year - a really bad year, and it took that bad year to do the necessary soul searching to mire out the cultural mediocrity that had infested them and they won the premiership the next year.

I'm not saying we will do that, obviously, but by God we need to be bad this year. Not for draft picks, or anything like that. I don't believe in that. But we need a bad year to reset everyone's mindset. What's the point finishing 8th again?
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First of all, this has been a terrible year for Essendon. You're 15th with a percentage of 85.4%, internal strife and have a coach dangling by the breeze. If this isn't a bad season then your standards are too low.

Richmond isn't a good example. They played a style of football which didn't stack up in finals. But instead of resetting, they built on the building blocks they had, made some clever trades (Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis) and built a team around pressure. They didn't rebuild, they didn't sack the coach, they didn't trade Martin. They committed to the slow, long rebuild established by Hardwick 6 years prior. I remember at the time, people thought it was crazy for Richmond not to keep their high picks and instead trade for players. Richmond isn't ready, they still need to rebuild as they're not good enough.

I agree that this was the recession Essendon had to have, but to me, this year proves that you need to give Rutten a chance. It's not that you have the building blocks, but that you need to develop a gameplan around a coach and a list and let it mature for a few years. There's a lot of developing players but it's hard to develop a team around churn.
 

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Richo83 said:
First of all, this has been a terrible year for Essendon. You're 15th with a percentage of 85.4%, internal strife and have a coach dangling by the breeze. If this isn't a bad season then your standards are too low.

Richmond isn't a good example. They played a style of football which didn't stack up in finals. But instead of resetting, they built on the building blocks they had, made some clever trades (Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis) and built a team around pressure. They didn't rebuild, they didn't sack the coach, they didn't trade Martin. They committed to the slow, long rebuild established by Hardwick 6 years prior. I remember at the time, people thought it was crazy for Richmond not to keep their high picks and instead trade for players. Richmond isn't ready, they still need to rebuild as they're not good enough.

I agree that this was the recession Essendon had to have, but to me, this year proves that you need to give Rutten a chance. It's not that you have the building blocks, but that you need to develop a gameplan around a coach and a list and let it mature for a few years. There's a lot of developing players but it's hard to develop a team around churn.
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I agree we need to keep the coach. If anything because it alleviates the mindset of "get a messiah coach and everything will be okay." It focuses the problems on all the other things which hopefully the external review will uncover.

I actually think our drafting has been good over the last three years, FWIW. What we need is stability.
 
Yoda's 10 point plan to get our shit together

(1) External review -

we simply cannot continue as an organisation drinking our own bathwater carrying on the way we have in two decades. Culminating in the last 7 days, it is embarrassing. The sooner we accept and actually take stock with what people from outside the club are suggesting is wrong the better prepared we will be.

(2) The board -

Easy to go after Dodoro, or Rutten, the fitness staff but it sounds like the board, all 7, 8, 9, 10 of them are mostly to blame for our on:eek:ff field crappiness. The head hunting we have acted upon in two decades HAS NOT WORKED. Knights, Hird, Thompson, Worsfold, Rutten. Go through a proper process to get the best person in for the job. Stop marauding who you want and do due dilligece. The board sets the club up from the top down and Brasher, as his predecessors before him were abysmal at actually making the tough, yet right calls. Something needs to happen because from what it sounds like, these same board members will do the same dumb shit we've done for 15 years and we will have the same dumb results and question why we haven't improved on field.

(3) Development -

Something that has been brought up recently is the lack of stars in our side. Yes we have Merrett, yes we have Parish, yeah Stringer was good but for the most part of the last 15 years, how many will be looked back upon in 50 years and go, they were out and out stars. Very few. Our development has not seen us turn so many top end talents continue on there early career trajectory only to peter out into mediocrity and continue that theme as Essington only can. I fear this will be the case for the next wave of 2nd year onward kids like Durham, Marin, Perkins, Cox, Reid. WE NEED TO DO BETTER IN THIS SPACE.

(4) Drafting & list management -

ant555 has mentioned a few times that Dodoro is not the main man anymore, this is correct but the stench that he carries simply cannot be ignored. Yes, he "wins trade week", that is his job, but to put together lists capable of competing in September is not his foray. I enjoy throwing around he has got us to the finals almost 50% of his tenure, truth be told, it has never been better than 7th (2017 & 2014). A sad indictment that he still holds so much power in this space at the club. Apparently we have floundered in the drafting space in comparison to other clubs with how lacklustre we have put into this area. It shows by our unwillingness to take punts on kids, instead we take punts on "mature" guys like Dylan Van Unen, Corey Dell'Ollio, Nick Kommer, Kyle Hardingham etc. It's sad. The actual management of the list is another story altogether. The contracts underserving of performance in the last 2 decades, the unwillingness to cut our losses and make tough decisions (see Hawthorn re Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis) and the general accusations brought to unbalance the list further is a shit show right now.

We have begun to see a real shift in this area since the reigns of Dodoro have been pulled back (circa 2019?), but that stench of the big red fire engine needs to go permanently for the wider AFL to take us seriously imho.

(5) Fitness -

Some will defend this to the hilt, others may agree and I haven't looked up stats to back these up but it feels like we always seem to have 2+ guys out with soft tissue injuries. Something isn't right. Often this year a player returned early and lo and behold, reinsured themselves. An indictment on Sean Murphy and the entire fitness team imho. Murphy may have done well under whoever at Hawthorn but it may not be the right fit for us. Get this right and watch our kids prosper.

(6) Coaching & game plan -

Rutten was head hunted as a defensive master, we have not improved on that year on year since his arrival. One makes you wonder if he is the right man to take us forward. Whether or not that is correct, he should be getting the group to put in 100% effort. His highly paid and fancied assistants don't seem to be living up to the pay packet (have heard rumours they are on more than Rutten which staggers me) whilst the development coaches at VFL level feel quite poor.

(7) Leadership -

Had to add this as an issue, get the first 5 points right and this one will take care of itself. People will be better prepared to hold others accountable. Right now it feels like people at all levels and departments are doing what they want.

Brasher (President) was doing what he wanted before being what feels like pushed out.
Dodoro (list management) feels like he has done what he wants for years
Playing group (senior players anyways) not taking to the game plan as directed.

The lack of accountability at all levels is stark and feels like a big reason why we are where we are. We need someone to come in and say it how it is. Then be up to us to accept these findings and do what is needed to do to move back up the ladder.

(8) The list -

I don't think we have a bad list, yes we have holes in it like every meddling team but the core group could be as good as any. Merret (26), Shiel (29), Parish (24), Ridley (23), Redman(24), Draper (23). The next wave of kids are as good any we have had in recent years (7 rising star nominations in past 2 years) and that is not including the guys without rising star nominations as well.

The list has holes, being 4th last says so. 2 good off seasons could shoot us up the ladder quickly. We just need the group to come together and buy into what is being sold to them.

(9) VFL program -

We went through a period when I first got into watching the VFL we were a powerhouse in the reserves. Made 2 prelims, constant finals appearances, this year has staggered me how poor our VFL list is. Mid season accusations of Brad Bernacki, Stefan Rasinac and Cootee have appeared over the cracks somewhat but with Joe Atley the only notable VFL player, we were always behind the 8 ball with how unbalanced our AFL list was. I would like this looked at properly because we once again had flankers (at AFL level) playing midfield minutes (at VFL level) rather than develop the role they will play at the higher level.

(10) Fan engagement -

I could not care less about the 18% off for Hurley at the bombershoop, or the 3 games for 1. Get back to what made us great. Winning. Once you get that right, the fans will flock back to the club.



End rant /
 
Yoda_ said:
Yoda's 10 point plan to get our s**t together

(1) External review -

we simply cannot continue as an organisation drinking our own bathwater carrying on the way we have in two decades. Culminating in the last 7 days, it is embarrassing. The sooner we accept and actually take stock with what people from outside the club are suggesting is wrong the better prepared we will be.

(2) The board -

Easy to go after Dodoro, or Rutten, the fitness staff but it sounds like the board, all 7, 8, 9, 10 of them are mostly to blame for our on:eek:ff field crappiness. The head hunting we have acted upon in two decades HAS NOT WORKED. Knights, Hird, Thompson, Worsfold, Rutten. Go through a proper process to get the best person in for the job. Stop marauding who you want and do due dilligece. The board sets the club up from the top down and Brasher, as his predecessors before him were abysmal at actually making the tough, yet right calls. Something needs to happen because from what it sounds like, these same board members will do the same dumb s**t we've done for 15 years and we will have the same dumb results and question why we haven't improved on field.

(3) Development -

Something that has been brought up recently is the lack of stars in our side. Yes we have Merrett, yes we have Parish, yeah Stringer was good but for the most part of the last 15 years, how many will be looked back upon in 50 years and go, they were out and out stars. Very few. Our development has not seen us turn so many top end talents continue on there early career trajectory only to peter out into mediocrity and continue that theme as Essington only can. I fear this will be the case for the next wave of 2nd year onward kids like Durham, Marin, Perkins, Cox, Reid. WE NEED TO DO BETTER IN THIS SPACE.

(4) Drafting & list management -

ant555 has mentioned a few times that Dodoro is not the main man anymore, this is correct but the stench that he carries simply cannot be ignored. Yes, he "wins trade week", that is his job, but to put together lists capable of competing in September is not his foray. I enjoy throwing around he has got us to the finals almost 50% of his tenure, truth be told, it has never been better than 7th (2017 & 2014). A sad indictment that he still holds so much power in this space at the club. Apparently we have floundered in the drafting space in comparison to other clubs with how lacklustre we have put into this area. It shows by our unwillingness to take punts on kids, instead we take punts on "mature" guys like Dylan Van Unen, Corey Dell'Ollio, Nick Kommer, Kyle Hardingham etc. It's sad. The actual management of the list is another story altogether. The contracts underserving of performance in the last 2 decades, the unwillingness to cut our losses and make tough decisions (see Hawthorn re Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis) and the general accusations brought to unbalance the list further is a s**t show right now.

We have begun to see a real shift in this area since the reigns of Dodoro have been pulled back (circa 2019?), but that stench of the big red fire engine needs to go permanently for the wider AFL to take us seriously imho.

(5) Fitness -

Some will defend this to the hilt, others may agree and I haven't looked up stats to back these up but it feels like we always seem to have 2+ guys out with soft tissue injuries. Something isn't right. Often this year a player returned early and lo and behold, reinsured themselves. An indictment on Sean Murphy and the entire fitness team imho. Murphy may have done well under whoever at Hawthorn but it may not be the right fit for us. Get this right and watch our kids prosper.

(6) Coaching & game plan -

Rutten was head hunted as a defensive master, we have not improved on that year on year since his arrival. One makes you wonder if he is the right man to take us forward. Whether or not that is correct, he should be getting the group to put in 100% effort. His highly paid and fancied assistants don't seem to be living up to the pay packet (have heard rumours they are on more than Rutten which staggers me) whilst the development coaches at VFL level feel quite poor.

(7) Leadership -

Had to add this as an issue, get the first 5 points right and this one will take care of itself. People will be better prepared to hold others accountable. Right now it feels like people at all levels and departments are doing what they want.

Brasher (President) was doing what he wanted before being what feels like pushed out.
Dodoro (list management) feels like he has done what he wants for years
Playing group (senior players anyways) not taking to the game plan as directed.

The lack of accountability at all levels is stark and feels like a big reason why we are where we are. We need someone to come in and say it how it is. Then be up to us to accept these findings and do what is needed to do to move back up the ladder.

(8) The list -

I don't think we have a bad list, yes we have holes in it like every meddling team but the core group could be as good as any. Merret (26), Shiel (29), Parish (24), Ridley (23), Redman(24), Draper (23). The next wave of kids are as good any we have had in recent years (7 rising star nominations in past 2 years) and that is not including the guys without rising star nominations as well.

The list has holes, being 4th last says so. 2 good off seasons could shoot us up the ladder quickly. We just need the group to come together and buy into what is being sold to them.

(9) VFL program -

We went through a period when I first got into watching the VFL we were a powerhouse in the reserves. Made 2 prelims, constant finals appearances, this year has staggered me how poor our VFL list is. Mid season accusations of Brad Bernacki, Stefan Rasinac and Cootee have appeared over the cracks somewhat but with Joe Atley the only notable VFL player, we were always behind the 8 ball with how unbalanced our AFL list was. I would like this looked at properly because we once again had flankers (at AFL level) playing midfield minutes (at VFL level) rather than develop the role they will play at the higher level.

(10) Fan engagement -

I could not care less about the 18% off for Hurley at the bombershoop, or the 3 games for 1. Get back to what made us great. Winning. Once you get that right, the fans will flock back to the club.



End rant /
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Could not argue with most of this. :thumbsu:

I will throw in Xavier Campbell being allowed to focus more on rebuilding all the off field issues at the expense of some football issues has not helped.
X has done an A grade job on getting us back from almost disaster off field after the saga but his football department decisions have mainly been poor including pretty much parking the VFL program .

I will also add that Brasher had the right plan. He was the first to admit the club had gone soft and we needed to close the saga era and move onto to changing the culture of the club. The two issues he had make mistakes on IMO have been extending Campbells contract on the quiet with no explanation and putting a short time line on the playing performance improvement which was never going to happen.

Dodoro is an interesting case. Liked by pretty much anyone who meets him but is also a master operator behind the scenes as far as aligning himself with those who have the political power. Something he learnt from Sheedy. The fact is he has survived because the saga killed off his first proper build. He was given the keys to list manager in 2007 and despite my questioning of some areas he was on track to have a decent side before we crash landed with the saga issues. We are now at the point to evaluate what we have done since then and the simple fact is we spent the post 2016 trying to top up and hang on and now we are where we are. Adrian has been an okay recruiter but he has never nailed a bunch of drafts in a short period , he still has the Sheedy style of not taking the obvious and gambling on trying to make someone into something else. He has also been old school for too long. While other clubs where tracking leadership profiles and competitors we where basically just looking for good players and presuming we could make them cover the rest. His time has come. He has to go.

I will also throw in the much maligned review was actually about development and recruiting. It was never a review of coaching for whatever reason. It was a review on where we can spend more money in development and recruiting so that side of things has already been looked at and they where prepared to bolster both departments which also included VFL.
Development is an interesting subject. I have not been as critical as some but maybe that is because I rarely attach myself to any single player. Sure we have had some players who have disappointed but in general development coaches we have let go are currently in the system with other clubs. Skipworth , Corrigan etc Personally I think 80% of our development issues have been a result of recruting the wrong players to do the wrong jobs or injury.

Fitness. I have no answers other than I think not drafting endurance players to play endurance roles hurts. Other than that we have had multiple heads of fitness and strength in the last 15 years yet always had the same issues. We have hired blokes from good programs yet no change for us. I really do not know what the answer is .

I will say this. People do not want to hear it but the saga is still a factor in what is happening now. I said a few times back then that it would likely take 10 to 15 years to recover and I have not been wrong. It just caused too many knock on effects in many areas. This weeks is a knock on effect and how we have not changed. It is the desperation move. We did the same after Knights. Under Knights we gave him **** all budget and a bunch of rookie coaches. He fails so we are so desperate to get back to where we where we bring in the dream team with no budget limits and no checks and balances. We get so desperate for that hit of success we will do the most stupid things to try and get it.

Right now we just have to run an external review. Act on the internal review of development and recruiting and my view is run the process for a new coach who has some clear air despite the fact I think we screwed Truck by appointing a rookie coach who has already had two years selling the defensive message. Truck and Brasher where not wrong about what we needed to do. The method had just not worked.
 
ant555 said:
Could not argue with most of this. :thumbsu:

I will throw in Xavier Campbell being allowed to focus more on rebuilding all the off field issues at the expense of some football issues has not helped.
X has done an A grade job on getting us back from almost disaster off field after the saga but his football department decisions have mainly been poor including pretty much parking the VFL program .

I will also add that Brasher had the right plan. He was the first to admit the club had gone soft and we needed to close the saga era and move onto to changing the culture of the club. The two issues he had make mistakes on IMO have been extending Campbells contract on the quiet with no explanation and putting a short time line on the playing performance improvement which was never going to happen.
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His problem is he didn’t sell it and he didn’t take people with him. Backing in Campbell was a mistake. Refusing to have an external review was a mistake.
ant555 said:
Dodoro is an interesting case. Liked by pretty much anyone who meets him but is also a master operator behind the scenes as far as aligning himself with those who have the political power. Something he learnt from Sheedy. The fact is he has survived because the saga killed off his first proper build. He was given the keys to list manager in 2007 and despite my questioning of some areas he was on track to have a decent side before we crash landed with the saga issues. We are now at the point to evaluate what we have done since then and the simple fact is we spent the post 2016 trying to top up and hang on and now we are where we are. Adrian has been an okay recruiter but he has never nailed a bunch of drafts in a short period , he still has the Sheedy style of not taking the obvious and gambling on trying to make someone into something else. He has also been old school for too long. While other clubs where tracking leadership profiles and competitors we where basically just looking for good players and presuming we could make them cover the rest. His time has come. He has to go
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I’m at the point now where I couldn’t care less if he can build a list or not. He appears to be instrumental in the political problems that prevent the list from ever being fully developed. He’s a one man show and he doesn’t belong to the future.
ant555 said:
I will also throw in the much maligned review was actually about development and recruiting. It was never a review of coaching for whatever reason. It was a review on where we can spend more money in development and recruiting so that side of things has already been looked at and they where prepared to bolster both departments which also included VFL.
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Not a bad thing but the scope is too narrow, Mahoney shouldn’t have been running it or you might as well call it business as usual, and after the last internal review in 2020 the way findings are presented to the membership and actioned, doesn’t leave me with much faith on that score.
ant555 said:
Development is an interesting subject. I have not been as critical as some but maybe that is because I rarely attach myself to any single player. Sure we have had some players who have disappointed but in general development coaches we have let go are currently in the system with other clubs. Skipworth , Corrigan etc Personally I think 80% of our development issues have been a result of recruting the wrong players to do the wrong jobs or injury.
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It’s more than just people, it’s the right people in the right places at the right time. They’re not much good to us if they’re not working for us, and if their expertise is forwards and you don’t give them any forwards to work with… whether that’s putting them in charge of defence or giving them forwards but not recruiting any, like 🤡
ant555 said:
Fitness. I have no answers other than I think not drafting endurance players to play endurance roles hurts. Other than that we have had multiple heads of fitness and strength in the last 15 years yet always had the same issues. We have hired blokes from good programs yet no change for us. I really do not know what the answer is .
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Which goes back to the recruitment problem and the one man band with the tin ear that is running that side of things.
ant555 said:
I will say this. People do not want to hear it but the saga is still a factor in what is happening now. I said a few times back then that it would likely take 10 to 15 years to recover and I have not been wrong. It just caused too many knock on effects in many areas. This weeks is a knock on effect and how we have not changed. It is the desperation move. We did the same after Knights. Under Knights we gave him * all budget and a bunch of rookie coaches. He fails so we are so desperate to get back to where we where we bring in the dream team with no budget limits and no checks and balances. We get so desperate for that hit of success we will do the most stupid things to try and get it.
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Agree with this but it goes back a decade earlier than that.

On top of that, if you’re fishing around for qualified and capable Essendon people that could be coaches, you’ve got Hardwick and Caracella floating around the league as former Essendon players that have runs on the board, I guess Spike McVeigh and Dean Solomon are the outside chance that haven’t been at a successful club.

No one since them seems to be following that career path, least of all the saga players, until you get right down to Fletcher and Hurley. Whether that’s recruitment or saga or both, it makes the pool of candidates all rather foreign, lacking in clout and unable to bring together the entire club behind them.
ant555 said:
Right now we just have to run an external review. Act on the internal review of development and recruiting and my view is run the process for a new coach who has some clear air despite the fact I think we screwed Truck by appointing a rookie coach who has already had two years selling the defensive message. Truck and Brasher where not wrong about what we needed to do. The method had just not worked.
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My biggest worry is how we go about breaking the hold the coteries have over club operations.

I think until that happens we're going to struggle to make any headway.

Is it feasible to just kick out any oldschool Essendon people (Harvey, Sheedy, Dodoro etc) so these idiots have no contacts within the club to get their claws into?

But if the board consists of the large number of people backed by the coteries then it really is a case of the fox being in charge of the chook house.
 
Old Campaigner said:
My biggest worry is how we go about breaking the hold the coteries have over club operations.
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This is my biggest fear of why things will never change..

Sounds to me like no matter who is on the board, the same old bull shit will happen over and over again. Internal review happened, nothing changed. External review with the same people in charge gives me very little hope things will change.

I really want to like Xavier Campbell and from people with more knowledge than I are big on his business dealings and how assured we are off field, I don't want to be seduced by that any longer. On field is why we support a football club and right now it is not achieving anything we aim for.
 
ant555 said:
Could not argue with most of this. :thumbsu:

I will throw in Xavier Campbell being allowed to focus more on rebuilding all the off field issues at the expense of some football issues has not helped.
X has done an A grade job on getting us back from almost disaster off field after the saga but his football department decisions have mainly been poor including pretty much parking the VFL program .

I will also add that Brasher had the right plan. He was the first to admit the club had gone soft and we needed to close the saga era and move onto to changing the culture of the club. The two issues he had make mistakes on IMO have been extending Campbells contract on the quiet with no explanation and putting a short time line on the playing performance improvement which was never going to happen.

Dodoro is an interesting case. Liked by pretty much anyone who meets him but is also a master operator behind the scenes as far as aligning himself with those who have the political power. Something he learnt from Sheedy. The fact is he has survived because the saga killed off his first proper build. He was given the keys to list manager in 2007 and despite my questioning of some areas he was on track to have a decent side before we crash landed with the saga issues. We are now at the point to evaluate what we have done since then and the simple fact is we spent the post 2016 trying to top up and hang on and now we are where we are. Adrian has been an okay recruiter but he has never nailed a bunch of drafts in a short period , he still has the Sheedy style of not taking the obvious and gambling on trying to make someone into something else. He has also been old school for too long. While other clubs where tracking leadership profiles and competitors we where basically just looking for good players and presuming we could make them cover the rest. His time has come. He has to go.

I will also throw in the much maligned review was actually about development and recruiting. It was never a review of coaching for whatever reason. It was a review on where we can spend more money in development and recruiting so that side of things has already been looked at and they where prepared to bolster both departments which also included VFL.
Development is an interesting subject. I have not been as critical as some but maybe that is because I rarely attach myself to any single player. Sure we have had some players who have disappointed but in general development coaches we have let go are currently in the system with other clubs. Skipworth , Corrigan etc Personally I think 80% of our development issues have been a result of recruting the wrong players to do the wrong jobs or injury.

Fitness. I have no answers other than I think not drafting endurance players to play endurance roles hurts. Other than that we have had multiple heads of fitness and strength in the last 15 years yet always had the same issues. We have hired blokes from good programs yet no change for us. I really do not know what the answer is .

I will say this. People do not want to hear it but the saga is still a factor in what is happening now. I said a few times back then that it would likely take 10 to 15 years to recover and I have not been wrong. It just caused too many knock on effects in many areas. This weeks is a knock on effect and how we have not changed. It is the desperation move. We did the same after Knights. Under Knights we gave him * all budget and a bunch of rookie coaches. He fails so we are so desperate to get back to where we where we bring in the dream team with no budget limits and no checks and balances. We get so desperate for that hit of success we will do the most stupid things to try and get it.

Right now we just have to run an external review. Act on the internal review of development and recruiting and my view is run the process for a new coach who has some clear air despite the fact I think we screwed Truck by appointing a rookie coach who has already had two years selling the defensive message. Truck and Brasher where not wrong about what we needed to do. The method had just not worked.
Click to expand...
Don't think we moved on Skippy or Corrigan, didn't they move on from us?
 
yodellinhank said:
Don't think we moved on Skippy or Corrigan, didn't they move on from us?
Click to expand...

Have watched a fair bit of VFL football, even dabbled in the journalism space and had contact first hand with Skipworth.

Was the least inspiring coach we’ve employed. Genuine no tone when talking


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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