Analysis Why are we s**t?

[ant555]

Hard to blame anyone other than the players for lack of defensive efforts. I’d question motivation or fitness (not that there are not lots of issues with the list otherwise).

Fitness is another can of worms. We have had as many fitness staff as we have had coaches. One thing I do know is a number of them have recently had the flew and in general around the league some who have had covid have been pretty flat for a period after it. Not an excuse for the whole team but it does not help.

 

[Zach Package]

Problem with footy clubs is it not. They are always looking for a nice fluffy angle and rarely step into another lane. On the odd time they do the players get offended or they get bashed in the media so they all stay on happy fluffy street. That is why I only ever have a quick glance at the after match presser. Allt he other stuff that hits my inbox generally gets deleted.

I certainly think that’s true for us in particular but I’m surprised in general at the reaction to our performance, this is about where I thought we’d be and I think you’re deluding yourself if you thought it’d be much different.

With our injuries the Freo game went from a bit of a coin flip to a game where we were firm underdogs and the result went accordingly.

 

[Bjchan13]

To me it looks like we had a lazy, soft preseason. Also looks like we thought natural progression would see us improve, rather than working hard for improvement. A lot of talk and not enough action. Also, not saying there a divisions amongst the playing group but to me they look far from united. They look frustrated and confused and like none of them are on the same page.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

The club keeps playing absolute cooked units like heppell.

We set he standard for the club at selection and that is that we reward players who either don't deserve it or just are over the hill.

I thought that shit was over under Rutten when he told TBC to gagf but yet again here we are.

There is ZERO competition for game day spots so why should anyone care.

 

[westking]

Message to members | From the President - Paul Brasher

At the 4:50 minute mark to the 5:20 minute marks. I actually believed what this guy said. lol

 

[Lore]

The club keeps playing absolute cooked units like heppell.

We set he standard for the club at selection and that is that we reward players who either don't deserve it or just are over the hill.

I thought that shit was over under Rutten when he told TBC to gagf but yet again here we are.

There is ZERO competition for game day spots so why should anyone care.

To have competition for spots you have to have healthy players in the 2s.

 

[Bombermania]

Taking into account that they are in entirely different competitions however, I can see this club's problems when I watch the women's side due to them doing the basics which the men's side has been unable or unwilling to do for years.

This says to me that the problem is internal, from the drafting which I will leave to people more knowledgeable about drafting, and the coaching and game plan.

The women's gameplan is pretty basic with the defenders defending, the mids keep the ball moving forward and the forwards lead. Most of the time they move the ball through the corridor or just outside the corridor but what are the guys doing, someone in the match thread mentioned they are always going along the boundary and I've noticed over the years that Essendon looks to go wide as it comes out of the backline.

There has been countless discussions here about Essendon players being played out of position and that could be leading to the gameplan being overly defensive. But in saying that, I am not saying we should simply attack for the sake of attacking but if we were a confidence side both in their skills and workrate then Essendon should be looking to control the corridor.

 

[CBombers17]

Message to members | From the President - Paul Brasher

At the 4:50 minute mark to the 5:20 minute marks. I actually believed what this guy said. lol

Next video that wanted to play was Dyson from last night. Quite the contrast.

 

[ant555]

The club keeps playing absolute cooked units like heppell.

We set he standard for the club at selection and that is that we reward players who either don't deserve it or just are over the hill.

I thought that shit was over under Rutten when he told TBC to gagf but yet again here we are.

There is ZERO competition for game day spots so why should anyone care.

You would be happy to see us losing by 70 to 100 every week and play a few that are not remotely close to ready. That will work well.
Heppell has his flaws and the game is passing him by at a quick rate but I suggest you watch how hard he worked yesterday. Really watch the game. He was our best player in the first half. He was one of only a few that kept working up and back. Trying to give an option while others like McGrath simply walked through the middle of the ground. Sure lets bring someone in who is not close to the level or can only go for 5 minutes a quarter.

 

[Foxx]

When was the last tough coach we had?

 

[Lore]

When was the last tough coach we had?

Define tough

 

[foj1]

You would be happy to see us losing by 70 to 100 every week and play a few that are not remotely close to ready. That will work well.
Heppell has his flaws and the game is passing him by at a quick rate but I suggest you watch how hard he worked yesterday. Really watch the game. He was our best player in the first half. He was one of only a few that kept working up and back. Trying to give an option while others like McGrath simply walked through the middle of the ground. Sure lets bring someone in who is not close to the level or can only go for 5 minutes a quarter.

Dyson was in our best 6 players purely because his care is higher than most
problem is we are treacle slow and structurally hep is a disaster
the litmus test will be how much players like McGrath, Cox and perkins seriously ask for
essendon need to make a stand - I reckon McGrath can be a very good small defender at afl level- he is delusional if he thinks he is a midfielder
a small defender at afl level commands 450-500 tops
perkins and Cox are not tearing up their second year of footy which is to be expected however they should not be overpaid
dodoro has not been savvy in many decisions he has made and it has cost the club immeasurably

 

[ghostdog]

Problem with footy clubs is it not. They are always looking for a nice fluffy angle and rarely step into another lane. On the odd time they do the players get offended or they get bashed in the media so they all stay on happy fluffy street. That is why I only ever have a quick glance at the after match presser. Allt he other stuff that hits my inbox generally gets deleted.

I hate happy fluffy street.

 

[ant555]

Dyson was in our best 6 players purely because his care is higher than most
problem is we are treacle slow and structurally hep is a disaster
the litmus test will be how much players like McGrath, Cox and perkins seriously ask for
essendon need to make a stand - I reckon McGrath can be a very good small defender at afl level- he is delusional if he thinks he is a midfielder
a small defender at afl level commands 450-500 tops
perkins and Cox are not tearing up their second year of footy which is to be expected however they should not be overpaid
dodoro has not been savvy in many decisions he has made and it has cost the club immeasurably

I do not deny Heppell is an issue. My view is he plays his 200 games and at the end of the year he is done.
Adrian should be gone. I agree with that.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

You would be happy to see us losing by 70 to 100 every week and play a few that are not remotely close to ready. That will work well.
Heppell has his flaws and the game is passing him by at a quick rate but I suggest you watch how hard he worked yesterday. Really watch the game. He was our best player in the first half. He was one of only a few that kept working up and back. Trying to give an option while others like McGrath simply walked through the middle of the ground. Sure lets bring someone in who is not close to the level or can only go for 5 minutes a quarter.

For everything heppell does good he does something also quite bad.

he is Slow and has poor disposal by foot and hand. I don't question his work ethic. But he is a liability on the backline.

 

[Foxx]

Define tough

Not Barrassi tough. Not quite Sheedy 1981 tough.
More like Damian Hardwick, Luke Beverage, or Michael Voss.

 

[CBombers17]

When was the last tough coach we had?

80's Sheedy would have been a nightmare. A mate did the 93 preseason and said it was hard (but awesome) - but wasn't brutal.

Tough like that was stupid and not always well received to say the least. Another mate played under Buckenara at Sydney and hated his guts so much for making them crawl around the SCG on the hands and knees at training (till they bled) after a loss he left the club.

It wouldn't surprise me if Hirdy was uncompromising but when it makes sense in terms of football (not punishments and ego rubbish) think the players can respect that.

As for Knights and Bomba I have no idea.

 

[Foxx]

80's Sheedy would have been a nightmare. A mate did the 93 preseason and said it was hard (but awesome) - but wasn't brutal.

Tough like that was stupid and not always well received to say the least. Another mate played under Buckenara at Sydney and hated his guts so much for making them crawl around the SCG on the hands and knees at training after a loss he left the club.

It wouldn't surprise me if Hirdy was uncompromising but when it makes sense in terms of football (not punishments and ego rubbish) think the players can respect that.

As for Knights and Bomba I have no idea.

Yes I agree. A coach that respects the individuals, but is uncompromising as well.
Luke Beverage sounds like that.

 

[EnolaGay]

Yes I agree. A coach that respects the individuals, but is uncompromising as well.
Luke Beverage sounds like that.

Bevo is crazy, and arguably isn't getting the results he should with the stacked midfield he's had.

 

[pazza]

I would have had them all on the track crawling laps like Tuddy did in 1974!

The game plan is mentally rooted. Slow and wide every time. And as for zone defence - get rid of it. NOW.

 

[spotthedot]

Sorry to intrude but I thought Guelfi's efforts were hard and physical all day. May not blessed with the skills of others but never gives in. Could he be an inside mid to toughen you up a bit in there?

 

[JT_the_Man]

What I want to know is why and how has everything related to defense gone so far backwards this year?

We’ve pretty much given up 100+ points every week. The opposition looks like scoring every time they go forward. It doesn’t help that our small forwards are non-existent (we already knew this would be an issue) and could probably do a slightly better job locking it in, along with the majority of our midfield seeming to only be interested in running forward lately, but our backline was nowhere near this bad last year.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

 

[Dave]

Has been for 2 decades, just can’t put my finger on it. Drug thing still hangs in the air. Just can’t get it right.

The competition changed and we didnt move with it.

 

[Bjchan13]

Sums it up nicely. Thats the stuff that Melbourne does as second nature. Its simple things that should be fixed up very easily but we seem too dumb to be able to comprehend something as simple as sheparding a player once you've given the handball. Slipped tackles cost us countless times a game. And the 'chase' from Parish cherry on top. Would love to be a fly on the wall during a review of the game.