- Aug 22, 2014
- 13,686
- 49,708
- AFL Club
- Carlton
I think context matters though… we’re in the middle of the season and if sayers wanted answers then he should have asked them before the season had begun. Not taking players aside in the middle of the season and questioning their coach. What kind of message does that send? When things are going badly you can really see the worst in people and that’s what we’re seeing. A coach in Teague who wants everyone to stick fat and figure it out together versus a board that slithers around creating more division and uncertainty. It’s night and day. Leppa is completely right on this one.
Before the season everyone thought we were making finals, and you want the questions to have been asked then?
Halfway through the year we're a mess, and the soon-to-be President (who hasn't even officially taken over) has stepped in to ask for some honest feedback. He's obviously concerned by what he's heard.
Leppa can go jump - if players have concerns and that's manifesting on-field, then we need to get to the bottom of it ASAP. That doesn't mean the players are right, but asking questions is the starting point. Player A reckons so and so has been shafted at the selection table, Player B says the gameplan encourages attacking play but leaves us exposed defensively and the players are copping the blame...take those comments and dig deeper (through a review, perhaps...?) to establish how we fix those problems ASAP.
Maybe digging deeper identifies that the players are partly/wholly at fault.
Or that the coaches are, but they were unaware and just need support.
Or that they were aware and refused to adapt, and need a strong hand.
Or that a strong hand still won't help and they need to go.
None of that comes to light unless questions are asked. And the time to ask them is "as soon as you know you need to" not "6 months ago when everyone thought things were awesome".