Passion

[Mr Mojo Risin]

With all the talk about game plan etc etc it just gets on my nerves that everyone at Windy Hill seems a little too ok about things.

Sure, they say the right things, but no one really gives the air of caring to the point I believe they should being at Essendon.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-seeks-answers-through-honesty/story-e6frf9jf-1225888225372

Asked again, Stanton said: " 'Team' and 'sacrifice' have been used, but I wouldn't say 'redemption' or anything like that.
"We'll be more aggressive and we'll come out and try to do our best."
He said the players had been honest at yesterday's meeting.
"There has to be honesty in the playing group to get the best of each other," he said.
"If it needs some honesty, that's what the team is willing to do and the players know that.
The 84-point loss to the Crows at the weekend, following the Bombers' 96-point finals capitulation to Adelaide last season, continued a woeful interstate record, with Stanton admitting the team had "struggled a little bit".
The Bombers have won just six of 26 matches at AAMI Stadium - two of the past 16.
"It might be the maturity of the group. We haven't really worked it out," Stanton said.
"We just have to mature as a side, build a group that will take us forward."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-seeks-answers-through-honesty/story-e6frf9jf-1225888225372

To me, all that sounds like excuses and the right things to say rather than honesty. You do not need to be mature to be team oriented or passionate.

Try to do their best. Ok, I'm not saying that you can do more than your best but where is the confidence that you WILL do your best, that it is in your control? Try to do your best? You can do your best if you really wanted to, you shouldn't need to try to do that. Seems rather resigned to things for me.

Sure there are a couple of players at the club seriously passionate about Essendon, but what about the team? Where is the pride in the jumper and the deep desire to play for each other that Richmond have?

Am I wrong in thinking we do not have this?

[Ludwig van Bertstare]

A bit funny that Stanton talks about teamwork and sacrifice when he's one of the biggest offenders.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

A bit funny that Stanton talks about teamwork and sacrifice when he's one of the biggest offenders.

I guess that's part of my point. It comes across like he is saying things because it's the right thing to say rather than he believes in what he is saying. I think that kind of mentality is ramped around the club at the moment.

I'm not saying any one in particular is to blame. I've been getting the feeling for awhile now that there is a belief it will just happen in time, rather than them making it happen as a collective.

[Longy413]

A bit funny that Stanton talks about teamwork and sacrifice when he's one of the biggest offenders.

Please...

The bloke runs himself into the ground every week.
He's not perfect, but don't ever question his effort.

He offends the least.

[The House]

i'd like to think as a team we should be discusted, embarrassed and extreemely angry in what was the possibly the least acceptable performance in an essendon game i can remember.....

....often in a thrashing the margin is made to look worse due to a run on in junk time or a shocking quarter, however as hard as it is to say, i actually think the 84 point margin to the 14th ranked side was very flattering for us....based on performance i thought it wouldn't have been unjust had we gone down by 130 points.

They should all be bleeding about that one and bloody well call it how it is....:mad::mad:

[Ludwig van Bertstare]

Please...

The bloke runs himself into the ground every week.
He's not perfect, but don't ever question his effort.

He offends the least.

I never questioned his effort.

[OB1]

Please...

The bloke runs himself into the ground every week.
He's not perfect, but don't ever question his effort.

He offends the least.

I'm a Stanton fan but he has 2 speeds - running to attack = fast & running to defend = slow. His effort when we don't have the ball is endemic of greater problems in the group. Unfortunately because Jobe is a defensive liability & guys like Prismal & Winders are rarely sighted defending so Stants's weaknesses get highlighted.

Recently he's been quite poor so he's either injured or maybe lost interest. I hope the GC rumours aren't true because the last thing this club can afford is to lose a mid.

[stander]

I never questioned his effort.

Effort from Stanton is unquestionable but is misdirected. When will he stop chasing kicks by wandering behind a team mate on the backline, demanding the ball, propping and then kicking to a contest. Its reprehensible.

[Pweter]

I reckon their session would have had some home truths spoken and a few players egos would've been pricked. There's only so much that can be said to the media, I have no doubt much more gets said behind closed doors.

[stander]

Recently he's been quite poor so he's either injured or maybe lost interest. I hope the GC rumours aren't true because the last thing this club can afford is to lose a mid.

I don't think the EFC would lose anything by attempting a trade with Stanton.

[daffo]

I'm a Stanton fan but I don't see why he would come out and say what he said. We all heard that same thing after the Collingwood game.
Boys - Actions speak louder then words.

[Brent Prismall#9]

I can't believe Stanton is copping it for what he said, at least he had the balls to come out and apologise to fans for the dismal display on the weekend unlike 21 other players that played. Accusing this bloke of not working hard enough for the team is a joke, this bloke is one of the hardest workers at the club.

[OB1]

I don't think the EFC would lose anything by attempting a trade with Stanton.

He's our second best midfielder. Like it, hate it or try to ignore it thats the reality. Sure we could be better off if we trade Stanton for a better mid BUT simply taking him out of the side for "potential" in the form of an unpproven player or draft pick does not automatically make us a better side. This side needs to improve by finding better mids so that Stanton becomes our 4/5th best midfielder. When we have a midfield group where Stanton isn't the 1st tagged & isn't expected to be inside, outside & everything in between then some of our supporters may get a better appreciation of his value. Stanton is NOT a superstar but he is a good midfielder who has very little support around him. We need to have a midfield group that comprises at least 6 quality mids. Its the guys like NLM, Welsh, Dyson & Hocking who ultimately need to be forced out of the midfield rotation. Imagine if we could afford to play Stanton & Winders off half back with bursts through the middle. Imagine those guys had class mids around them to feed the ball out & provide space for their run. I can't understand how some people think the way to get better is to replace your best.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I can't believe Stanton is copping it for what he said, at least he had the balls to come out and apologise to fans for the dismal display on the weekend unlike 21 other players that played. Accusing this bloke of not working hard enough for the team is a joke, this bloke is one of the hardest workers at the club.

By starting this thread I was not trying to single out Stanton.

My original point was that there seems to be an air on inevitability about the EFC at the moment. A feeling like it will happen, just wait, rather than putting destiny in your own hands.

A mentality that this week we will try to do our best.

The article quoting Stanton was just an example.

It's small difference in mindset, but trying to do your best and knowing that you will do your best can make enormous differences. Using the excuse of maturity when there is a distinct lack of effort and passion does not make sense. Those things do not require maturity, simply the right mindset.

Stanton simply said the words this time that points out to me that there is that mentality that concerns me.

I think it's a small mental shift but it needs to be pointed out at the club and they need to change the way they think and their game day attitude will follow a more consistent path.

Just my thoughts.

[Ben the Gooner]

Please...

The bloke runs himself into the ground every week.
He's not perfect, but don't ever question his effort.

He offends the least.

I'm a huge Stanton fan to the point where my next jumper will have a number 5 on it, but it is true that he runs for the handball rather than the shepherd when the latter seems a better option. Maybe it's his instructions, I don't know, but from an outsider's POV, it's a little selfish.

[yaco55]

some over-reaction to the loss against Adelaide.

Surely the result against the WC was a worse performance - We couldn't get our hands on the ball for a half.

[Longy413]

I never questioned his effort.

Effort and sacrifice are closely linked I would have thought.

I'm a Stanton fan but he has 2 speeds - running to attack = fast & running to defend = slow. His effort when we don't have the ball is endemic of greater problems in the group. Unfortunately because Jobe is a defensive liability & guys like Prismal & Winders are rarely sighted defending so Stants's weaknesses get highlighted..

Yet he spends more time in our back half than any other midfielder.
In fact Prismall is a close second.

I agree that on the surface he runs hard to attack than he does to defend, but often in the same play. There is only a limited amount of energy to expend.

I'm a Stanton fan but I don't see why he would come out and say what he said. We all heard that same thing after the Collingwood game.
Boys - Actions speak louder then words.

Agree, but media agreements mean someone had to say something. The media only listen to losing sides. We have a player front the media every week.

I'm a huge Stanton fan to the point where my next jumper will have a number 5 on it, but it is true that he runs for the handball rather than the shepherd when the latter seems a better option. Maybe it's his instructions, I don't know, but from an outsider's POV, it's a little selfish.

Of course it is instructions.
Our whole game plan is based on run and carry, run to receive and overlap handball.

Our game plan isn't a far stretch from that of Geelong's, watch the number of run to receive handballs Geelong give from players running behind the mark, compared to Essendon.

I wish we had more players doing more of it, we might turn it over more often as a result, but at least we'd turn it over further down the ground and our forwards would have some sort of chance.

[The Dice Man]

Really sorry to intrude and mean no offence to the passionate Essendon supporters, but have any of you seen VANDA in this appropriately titled thread... or seen him at all lately?

Many apologies, carry on but if you see him tell him I called in.

[Ben the Gooner]

Of course it is instructions.
Our whole game plan is based on run and carry, run to receive and overlap handball.

Our game plan isn't a far stretch from that of Geelong's, watch the number of run to receive handballs Geelong give from players running behind the mark, compared to Essendon.

I wish we had more players doing more of it, we might turn it over more often as a result, but at least we'd turn it over further down the ground and our forwards would have some sort of chance.

In the situation below, I have to question the instructions. Obviously Stanton is one of our better ball carriers, and I have no problem with him tending towards running for the receive rather than the shepherd, but I can't understand why we'd want the top situation rather than the bottom.

Essendon in black, Stanton the 5, and attacking to the left.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc285/bengooner4/stanton.jpg

[Skeeta Olly]

Doesn't it really depend who has the ball?

Say it's Welsh, I'd rather Stanton run along side and receive the ball and kick it and Welsh can lay a shepherd.

[Longy413]

In the situation below, I have to question the instructions. Obviously Stanton is one of our better ball carriers, and I have no problem with him tending towards running for the receive rather than the shepherd, but I can't understand why we'd want the top situation rather than the bottom.

Essendon in black, Stanton the 5, and attacking to the left.


The situation is dependent on whether the opposition have a man on the mark.

Remember Stanton does most of his running around the mark when there is a man on the mark, to get the ball moving.

It's the man on the mark that we need to block, not the man running from behind. It should be the person giving the handball that blocks.

[Ben the Gooner]

Sorry, that's when we're running in general play. It tends to happen on the wing of the interchange side of the ground.