Hot Topic Heppell calls for patience

[Beerfish]

Lol.

Did nothing of the sort, asked for thoughts on a news article. Are you a mods alias?

No he's not but I feel a mild sense of vindication.

 

[PressureCooker]

Reading too much into any player's answers these days is pointless IMO, barring a few exceptions that actually speak their mind. Listening to player interviews is like listening to a politician being interviewed, stumbling from one cliche and non-answer to the next until the interviewer asks another question.

It doesn't help that during an interview, most journo's in the footy media are more focused on working out what they're going to ask for their next question, rather than actually listening to the answer and then following up by going deeper into their points. When back at the office and hearing/reading the interview back, they realise that there is nothing of any real substance to work with, so they have to start picking apart the cliches and focusing on a single line, blowing it up to be more than the player intended.

The players that go on 360 regularly, or have regular radio spots actually speak their opinions (generally), rather than just regurgitating the club spin or narrative. These comments are far more interesting to me than a 5 minute interview.

 

[freddy mercury]

i don’t think he was ever quoted as actually calling for patience but you’re right- he is making excuses for a slow start to the season... again. it’s pretty piss poor.

he’s not a great captain. a “bonza bloke” sure, but he shouldn’t be captain.

Who should, we lack leadership. Not one other candidate stands out.

 

[boncer34]

Who should, we lack leadership. Not one other candidate stands out.

Heppell was always picked as the next leader after Watson from memory. Don't think anyone else was ever seriously considered, bizarre if you now consider how unsuited to the role he seems at times.

Though he strikes me as a bloke that'd be good onfield and behind closed doors with the players. Just comes across poorly in interviews because he overthinks his responses. Tries to hard to sound "captainishy."

 

[jmoo wan]

Who should, we lack leadership. Not one other candidate stands out.

you're right, there is a massive, massive void.

 

[fairbump_playon]

yeah you’re right- i was kind of hedging my bets until i had heard the interview, which i have done. man, he is difficult to listen to - he’s a caricature who talks in cliches.

on one hand he says(referring to the defensive structure), it’s all new and will take time to gel, but then in the same response he says it’s pretty much what they’ve been doing with just minor tweaks.

so in conclusion, he is preparing excuses for a disappointing start to the season, asking us to be patient, and is a simpleton.

Yes! This is what annoyed me! Big changes, it’s all new, will take time, quite a bit of time, but it’s very minor, not too different at all.

In other words, “I really have no idea why we got pumped in JLT, what’s gonna happen next or why”

 

[Marobenic]

Our zone needs to be toight. Toight like a toiger.

Depends on what you expect from the mickey mouse games.Some clubs need to show their wares for club membership
numbers . Essendon is not in that situation, due to its longtime LOYAL members. That being said , their overall intensity
the last few weeks has been poor. They need to address the amount of inside 50s they concede . They have the ability
to reach the top, afterall, they smashed the Eagles away . The Eagles may have been without Kennedy and Co. but
the ball never went into the Eagles 50m much. At present Essendon have too many "Cameo" players and need to adopt
the "TAKE NO PRISONERS" intensity. GO BOMBERS>

 

[citizen-erased]

Who should, we lack leadership. Not one other candidate stands out.

Smith, McGrath, Shiel and Merrett spring to mind. As a leadership group & any one of them as Captain and VC.

 

[Lore]

interesting.

When I read the article i got pretty pissed off honestly. We have shown a lot of patience and we did look ******* awful over the preseason. In fact, I wrote out a whole post that was fairly scorching in tone.

But then I thought I really should listen to the actual source first before I hit that reply button, and make a genuine assessment of what he said and the context he said it in.

And I have to say, after having listened to it, I now know it's a big old load of meh.

Firstly, the context. At first I got sucked in by the article, which reads as though the club has wheeled Hepp out to dampen down expectations that let's face it, they themselves have set furiously over summer. That his message was "be patient guys". And now they are panicking and trying to lower the heat. This pissed me off enormously.

But then when I listed to the article, it turns out it's nothing like that whatsoever. It's actually an interview with the captain of the club they are featuring for their "Membership Day". So, first and foremost, this is he reason they interviewed him. Stock standard.

And as for the content: naturally, the first thing he's asked about is the JLT performance. IMO he just didn't sugar coat it, and he did say what I'd expect any player would say. That it wasn't ideal; that they are working on new stuff; it's not all going to click from day 1 (but it's pretty close anyway); and that it was preseason - practice games, and they practiced.

In fact, I thought i must be listening to the wrong interview at first, as he was actually far more positive than he was negative. it was only when a few of the verbatim quotes came through that confirmed it was in fact the source material.

This is a classic case of the media building a narrative out of an interview, and selectively taking certain quotes from it, paraphrasing them into dubious headlines. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, necessarily, I get why they do it. But as with most things, it isn't the whole story and as an Essendon fan I'm glad I actually listened to the article rather than relying on the newspaper article.

I'm still concerned that what we turned out in JLT could lead to another shitshow of an early season - but I a still leery of putting too much emphasis on practice games, and at least I now don't believe the club are trying to appease us with this interview.

Pretty much this.

Also why would he be raining on the parade on Membership Day? Seems counterproductive and a mite expensive.

 

[BrunoV]

Following the Tigers template? Implementing their system? However you want to think of it, it doesn't count for s**t if there is no pressure and we are getting pounded in the middle.

It's one of the few useful observations Hird made about the game in 2015 (it's not like media was interested in his thoughts on footy by that time).

Pressure is the foundation of any game plan. The game plan, and our attempts to adapt it, cannot have anything to do with JLT performances in which we put no pressure on the ball.

If Heppell wants to throw out some bullshit about structure or a game plan, it would be nice if someone who was there had the knowledge to call him out.

I dont even understand how you're supposed to learn a defensive system without pressure. Positioning will change for mids and defenders when there is pressure compared to when there is none. Everyone can be proactive knowing the opposition ball movement is restricted by pressure. Everything is linked.

Maybe Rutten has forgotten to coach pressure?

 

[Bombermania]

Its easy to bash Hepp for the comment but lets take a step back for a second, he says they have identified a few things they will be working on and most sides take a few rounds into the season to settle their gameplans so if we are 2-2 by round four then that comment would make sense but if that comment is followed by ten goal losses to the Giants and the Saints then Hepp and the side need to be challenged on what the heck are they doing.

 

[Howard Moon]

It's nothing if not attached to a 5 year plan..

Outside of that, time is a figament of our imaginations, a human construct - ergo patience dosent actually exist if time dosent , vis e vis, fake news.

 

[bombre-boy]

Warning....warning......Essington clause invoked!!!

 

[Bombermania]

Warning....warning......Essington clause invoked!!!

View attachment 634987

There is an Essington House in Hawthorn East.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Whatever the intent of the article/interview the coaching staff have no excuses now. We've had enviable success with bringing in players over the last two years and our drafting seems to have been pretty effective.

Failure to win a final in 2019 needs to result in a full review of our football operations, high performance and coaching.

 

[JayJ20]

I agree with the OP, but also agree with Lance's assessment.

Initially, I was annoyed because the same thing was said this time last year. What hope do we have if we're already making excuses? I did however recognise that this is likely just a throw away comment in response to our performance. Basically, I took it as "relax. We won't perform this way in the real season" hinting at trying things in preseason games.

Article didn't really do Heppell any favours though.

If it was a direct quote, I'd be furious. After the last 15 years + saga, it's time to deliver and live to expectations.
Whatever they say, there's no hiding behind anything this year.

 

[maskmcgee]

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

I think it's a stock standard response after a slow pre-season.

Fixed.

 

[windyhill]

I'm worried, something lacking, can't put my finger on it. Watching last years GF, we are miles away from that standard/intensity.

 

[FlyingV]

idk I feel like Heppel is conditioning us.

If only he would condition his hair

 

[blitzer]

I do think a few on here could afford to be patient until we've played a couple of real games though and not judge everything on the signs in the JLT. "Oh the signs were just like the signs last year".

Lets face it, even if the naysayers are right, its not like its going to make you anymore happy. Might as well be optimistic at this stage of the year.

Maybe I'm just a sucker but I'm still betting that a fit Shiel and a returning Daniher is going to make a big difference to our side, not to mention some of the talented kids we have coming through including McGrath.

 

[yaco55]

My belief is the club is too often in the media - Yes, give interviews for the EFC website and mandated AFL interviews - Otherwise we shouldn't hear a thing.

 

[Lore]

My belief is the club is too often in the media - Yes, give interviews for the EFC website and mandated AFL interviews - Otherwise we shouldn't hear a thing.

Swimming against the tide there yaco..

 

[Howard Moon]

My belief is the club is too often in the media - Yes, give interviews for the EFC website and mandated AFL interviews - Otherwise we shouldn't hear a thing.

Im with you to an extent, but not so much the endorsed media, its social media that bugs me...

They all have a team of marketing/digital media people who earn a living trying to interact with people and gain clicks and likes and that elusive viral post - to me it makes them far to overzealous, they just post stuff for laughs, they go over the top, they are making mini serials and all this rubbish - even worse when they start interacting with other teams social media departments - its cringe worthy.

less it more.

Just be informative.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

Im with you to an extent, but not so much the endorsed media, its social media that bugs me...

They all have a team of marketing/digital media people who earn a living trying to interact with people and gain clicks and likes and that elusive viral post - to me it makes them far to overzealous, they just post stuff for laughs, they go over the top, they are making mini serials and all this rubbish - even worse when they start interacting with other teams social media departments - its cringe worthy.

less it more.

Just be informative.

Except for the huge flow on effects of keeping our sponsor's logos in front of people's eyes...