What now for Essendon?

[Stevi_Tigers]

I've lost interest in the whole story, could someone tell me why Hird keeps going overseas? Is it football related or just a personal trip?

needs his fix

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Is there a chance that the players have given up on Hird and are not wanting to play for him anymore? Haven't watched them recently but that would be my first guess on their recent ****house performances.

No i dont think so the players want him there and are backing him to the helm.

 

[JackOutback]

Just utterly bizarre.

Only thing i can think of is there is no point in sacking him now as a new coach will be burdened by the ongoing WADA appeal.

I think he will survive the year and then walk.

Pushed...he won't walk.

 

[gavaniacono]

Am I not the only one who thinks Hird is doing just fine? This is the 'recession' they have to have under the tutelage of James, with support from Tanya, whilst club leaders sit on hands.

 

[SunshineBoy]

Seriously can anyone name just ONE coach that wouldn't have been sacked the moment the off field issues came to light? Then instead of not sacking him they give him a paid holiday in France for 12 months. Then it gets even better after being flogged by Hawthorn and Geelong....the club allows the head coach to go overseas during the bye....seriously. Any other club he would have been sacked, Essendon's board is ordinary who don't have the you know whats to make a decision.

you forgot the contract extension

 

[galindez]

No i dont think so the players want him there and are backing him to the helm.

Players will always publicly back their coach though. All the Carlton players loved Mick and wanted him to stay, but look how they've played since he's been sacked.

 

[teknodeejay]

The club don't have an issue with Hird. Good to know.

I hope they told him he's doing a great job and there's another year extension on the table!!

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

Essendon need to be patient here. They should let James see out his contract, and then give him a 3 year extension so he can have a proper crack at it without the wada stuff.

only 3? deserves at least 5 and on big money

 

[LukeParkerno1]

you forgot the contract extension

I was being nice, but yes that too. Then you add the fact that you have a 3 time premiership coach in Thompson coaching...so instead of just saying to Hird 'thanks but no thanks'...they get rid of the premiership winning coach. Defies logic.

 

[benneth]

fact is, players arent playing for Hirdy no more, its not about the SAGA, stop using that as an excuse.

Same thing innit?

 

[Mat Mann]

Should be a thread about the Saints also. They are brilliant.

Watson and Goddard should be ashamed of themselves for the sh*t they are dishing up today.

All saints threads are overrun by the dogs fanatics.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Teams that need total rebuilds don't beat teams like Hawthorn and nearly Sydney.
Essendon need to cull a few and need a fresh coaching structure, but not a total rebuild.

At seasons end, you could easily be looking at 13 retirements and delistings (not including trades), and that's without going nuts

That is nearly a third of your list gone in one year, and thanks to the likely retirements a massive chunk of your experience

Like it or not, no matter how many times you say "we are Essington and we don't bottom out", when you move on a third of your list in one off season in what is supposed the be the crappiest draft in years, you're bottoming out

 

[sammm]

i think it's going to be tough times until the WADA issue is decided and the club has a fresh start..

I personally can't see the club even making finals for 4-5+ years and that's if everything goes well. If recruiting goes the right way and the team gets a bit of a luck on their side and skill level increases.

I think Essendon may go through a dissapointing stagnation period of 20+ years and beyond since the 2000 season.

Hope I'm wrong. But it's been ground hog year since 2005.

Who knows how long this saga will linger on for.

It's been a horrible time for Essendon fans.

The AFL goes through peaks and trots of teams winning and losing over decades, but just the fact Essendon can't even be competitive to make finals, that's what's been most dissapointing. Over a long period.

Poor Goddard came to a team so he could play finals and of course the added money and the 4th year on a contract.

 

[hoianbulldog]

I think he will survive the year and then walk.

I think you are half right. He won't walk......it would cost him a million.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

The club don't have an issue with Hird. Good to know.

The club will be waiting for the WADA hammer blow to do their dirty work now. The season is well and truly written off.

 

[Tassieboy]

I don't think Hird will walk, but I think he should at the end of the season. It'd be the logical and selfless thing to do. I don't think he has it in him.

If the instability of the WADA appeal wasn't happening I'd be confident he'd be sacked at the end of this season. But there's a possbiility that we wouldn't be able to recruit the best replacement possible due to trepidation about the WADA cloud. There's a genuine split among Essendon supporters due to the WADA appeal but I hope he's sacked at season's end. There's close to no chance he'll get another contract.

 

[Spook]

Did Goddard cry after yesterday's game?

 

[Tassieboy]

don't underestimate the players response to Hird clearing off OS during the break while the club was in crisis.

Regardless of the circumstances, especially after yesterday, it was a dreadful look.

 

[Tassieboy]

If Hird had just manned up in the beginning and stood down as coach this may have been all over, his arrogance has caused most of the perception of him to be bad, who would want too work with someone that has thrown so many under the bus to save himself, maybe this is starting to sink into the players as well?

Whether Hird stood down or not it would never alter the realities of the cowboy 2011-12.

 

[sammm]

Setting himself up for life after football, business studies so they say.

who is going to want to employ him, when he cannot be an honorable leader of the club. He should've quit 3 years ago and now he would be 'smelling like roses'

 

[Tassieboy]

At seasons end, you could easily be looking at 13 retirements and delistings (not including trades), and that's without going nuts

That is nearly a third of your list gone in one year, and thanks to the likely retirements a massive chunk of your experience

Like it or not, no matter how many times you say "we are Essington and we don't bottom out", when you move on a third of your list in one off season in what is supposed the be the crappiest draft in years, you're bottoming out

We need to 'bottom out' to some extent, clearly. Yet we have a coach who constantly talks about it being near impossible to win games playing more than 7 players without 50 games (despite St Kilda having 8 yesterday). He reckons 'experienced' inclusions such as Winderlich will help us going forward and keeps telling us that he believes in his structures and his team. I doubt anything will change; he's completely deluded.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

It's WADA's fault, it's Hirds fault. How about a simple look at the team? No ruck, no key forwards, using Hooker as a rebounder???. A midfield where only one guy can run out of the square. It is a poor list. It really is that simple.

 

[Jesse Custer]

At seasons end, you could easily be looking at 13 retirements and delistings (not including trades), and that's without going nuts

That is nearly a third of your list gone in one year, and thanks to the likely retirements a massive chunk of your experience

Like it or not, no matter how many times you say "we are Essington and we don't bottom out", when you move on a third of your list in one off season in what is supposed the be the crappiest draft in years, you're bottoming out

And I think we need a couple of years around the bottom in order to rejuvenate the list. But it's a fine line.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Essendon averaging 71.5 points per game - their lowest since 1927.

 

[OniAu]

Did Goddard cry after yesterday's game?

More a point of did he not cry, guys a chronic whinge on and off the field