Review 2020 Season/Club Review

[Jobe Watson]

I've thought for a few years now that this list doesn't have what it takes mentally to achieve success and nothing I've heard this off-season has changed that. We have a guy who got pissy that the coaches told him to play defensive and left the club because of it (and I'm sure there were other reasons). We have leaders upset that one of their spud mates didn't get a farewell game. We have players who can't handle direct criticism and feedback from the coaches. We have a group of players who enjoy having a laugh after embarrassing defeats. It really just does seem like a list that is content to skate by doing the bare minimum without pushing for the next level.

Trade anyone who doesn't want to be here and start again. Either the culture is cooked or we have a list of snowflakes. Either way, not good.

 

[cobra land]

Basically posted a bit of this in the coaches thread just now (I hadn't read this) and pretty much all of it for the last 12 months - as have many others. Maybe we all have no idea

These problems are so common in general business you could spot them from the moon when it comes to a football club full of itself like we are at the moment (and have been for a very long time).

Quite a few on here are of the opinion that most of our problems are gone now along with Saad, Daniher and possibly a few more departing....I said last season that somethings not right at the club and got wacked for saying it..
We all love our club and as the saying goes "love is blind" because people just aren't seeing it... if we are honest and it's not about bashing the club, something is seriously wrong when you have so many players disgruntled and wanting out ?.
The sooner we take our heads out of the sand and find out what's causing these issues the sooner we can get on with getting the club back where we belong.

 

[Registered User]

RoCo with another long-winded burn

Wake up, Essendon, your culture needs fixing first | Footyology

footyology.com.au

The audio version is probably longer. He starts his rant 52m26s into his podcast

Footyology Podcast - October 8th 2020

Join Roco and Finey as they talk the latest trade news and AFLW draft, preview the two semi-finals, and bring back the rant in emphatic style! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/footyology. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/footyology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

play.acast.com

 

[CBombers17]

Quite a few on here are of the opinion that most of our problems are gone now along with Saad, Daniher and possibly a few more departing....I said last season that somethings not right at the club and got wacked for saying it..
We all love our club and as the saying goes "love is blind" because people just aren't seeing it... if we are honest and it's not about bashing the club, something is seriously wrong when you have so many players disgruntled and wanting out ?.
The sooner we take our heads out of the sand and find out what's causing these issues the sooner we can get on with getting the club back where we belong.

It helps our supporters be of the opinion our problems are gone with Saad etc when that's more or less what the GM of football says is the case

I think we are getting to the bottom of the blame game barrell when we start putting it on players we've put huge offers in front of to stay. When the person doing that is a key player in the culture you are in trouble I reckon. I think it's just more smokescreening from the club.

I agree 100% about wanting the club back in the real fight for a flag Personally I miss being proud of what we represent as a club (used to truly be innovation and professionalism- now we just talk about it). I haven't felt anything positive about our team unity since 2018. That group could play for each other and put in and I'm not buying that all of a sudden that the place needs to be gutted.

 

[andleanback]

It helps our supporters be of the opinion our problems are gone with Saad etc when that's more or less what the GM of football says is the case

I think we are getting to the bottom of the blame game barrell when we start putting it on players we've put huge offers in front of to stay. When the person doing that is a key player in the culture you are in trouble I reckon. I think it's just more smokescreening from the club.

I agree 100% about wanting the club back in the real fight for a flag Personally I miss being proud of what we represent as a club (used to truly be innovation and professionalism- now we just talk about it). I haven't felt anything positive about our team unity since 2018. That group could play for each other and put in and I'm not buying that all of a sudden that the place needs to be gutted.

Problems in the football department run a lot deeper than Daniher, Fantasia and the discrediting of saad - let’s remember what ever is being saad about him, he rarely played a bad game
for the club

 

[Old Campaigner]

RoCo with another long-winded burn

Wake up, Essendon, your culture needs fixing first | Footyology

footyology.com.au

all of that seems to ring true, I just wonder if the club and it's current leadership have finally decided to pull their finger out and hold themselves to account

The lack of independent review of the club suggests no

 

[Old Campaigner]

Problems in the football department run a lot deeper than Daniher, Fantasia and the discrediting of saad - let’s remember what ever is being saad about him, he rarely played a bad game
for the club

That bit about discrediting Saad was really disappointing to read. I hadn't twigged when I read that article that the 'Essendon side' of the story would had to have deliberately been leaked to that journalist.

What an unprofessional way to conduct yourself, * me

If player managers aren't looking at that and telling their clients to stay the * away then they're not doing their job

 

[Lore]

Respectable enough journo imo.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Respectable enough journo imo.

I would 100% believe that even if it wasn't from a respected journo.

Footy clubs are high pressure environments in normal times, taking players away from their support networks and denying any chance to remove themselves to give themselves a bit of space was bound to cause problems.

 

[Lore]

I would 100% believe that even if it wasn't from a respected journo.

Footy clubs are high pressure environments in normal times, taking players away from their support networks and denying any chance to remove themselves to give themselves a bit of space was bound to cause problems.

Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong for us this year. And we weren't in a good enough position to overcome really any of it.

 

[ant555]

RoCo with another long-winded burn

Wake up, Essendon, your culture needs fixing first | Footyology

footyology.com.au

I must have been reading his notes as this is pretty much 90% of what I have been saying .

 

[ant555]

I would 100% believe that even if it wasn't from a respected journo.

Footy clubs are high pressure environments in normal times, taking players away from their support networks and denying any chance to remove themselves to give themselves a bit of space was bound to cause problems.

The fact that the coach can not even say to the players take two days off and I will see you on Wednesday is a factor when you are going bad. Everyone stuck with each other 24/7 and under restrictions as well. Not ideal.

 

[ant555]

I find Lloyd a bit of a conundrum . I like most of his analysis on footy and on us but he does like to fire the cannon but rarely puts down a plan of what he feels is the way forward. He has also never owned the fact that a lot of our issues started under his watch. I loved the guy when he was playing and when I was doing rehab at the WH fitness center I would walk laps of the WH oval on a Tuesday and he would have a chat after he finished doing his goal kicking. Really good bloke, good footy brain. I just wish he would sit down and do a decent spread on how he sees us moving forward.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I find Lloyd a bit of a conundrum . I like most of his analysis on footy and on us but he does like to fire the cannon but rarely puts down a plan of what he feels is the way forward. He has also never owned the fact that a lot of our issues started under his watch. I loved the guy when he was playing and when I was doing rehab at the WH fitness center I would walk laps of the WH oval on a Tuesday and he would have a chat after he finished doing his goal kicking. Really good bloke, good footy brain. I just wish he would sit down and do a decent spread on how he sees us moving forward.

I'd noticed the same thing. I guess it's one thing to point out the flaws but the good analysts know what the solution is.

Or maybe there's not enough clicks in articles about solutions for it to be worth writing one.

 

[7zark7]

Respectable enough journo imo.

On the hub...the only player on our list with kids is Stringer. I have noticed the teams that have done well have had large family units up there. I wonder if kids is the great leveller. Are the players busy peacocking their way around the joint.

just a thought

 

[Lore]

On the hub...the only player on our list with kids is Stringer. I have noticed the teams that have done well have had large family units up there. I wonder if kids is the great leveller. Are the players busy peacocking their way around the joint.

just a thought

Or simply having the ability to bring their primary support network with them. Don't think too many singletons were bringing their parents and siblings.

 

[Vander18]

I find Lloyd a bit of a conundrum . I like most of his analysis on footy and on us but he does like to fire the cannon but rarely puts down a plan of what he feels is the way forward. He has also never owned the fact that a lot of our issues started under his watch. I loved the guy when he was playing and when I was doing rehab at the WH fitness center I would walk laps of the WH oval on a Tuesday and he would have a chat after he finished doing his goal kicking. Really good bloke, good footy brain. I just wish he would sit down and do a decent spread on how he sees us moving forward.

I find him a bit lightweight at times - love the guy as a Bomber legend but he’s just ok as an analyst.

He’s been big on the “what’s their brand” angle but not having a brand is a symptom, not the disease. He hasn’t really probed the why. Yes it all starts at the top etc etc....we know this.

I can see how much it all hurts him - he loves the club. TBH I’d love him to give media away and get involved with the club. The guy was a master craftsman, so much to offer. Based on the improvement Joe showed when working with him he seems able to impart.

 

[Chief Hopper]

I find Lloyd a bit of a conundrum . I like most of his analysis on footy and on us but he does like to fire the cannon but rarely puts down a plan of what he feels is the way forward. He has also never owned the fact that a lot of our issues started under his watch. I loved the guy when he was playing and when I was doing rehab at the WH fitness center I would walk laps of the WH oval on a Tuesday and he would have a chat after he finished doing his goal kicking. Really good bloke, good footy brain. I just wish he would sit down and do a decent spread on how he sees us moving forward.

I like Lloyd too, he reminds me when Essendon was flying on top.
But as with anything, it's very easy to criticise, it's much harder to put a plan together and see it to fruition.

 

[jordanl]

There’s an interview floating around of Franga from about 2 years ago when he wanted to leave the club (trying to get it)

Franga refers to the older players giving the younger players a hard time and making it harder for them to fit in. He said one of the main reasons he stayed was Darcy parish.

Explains a lot tbh why the younger core want to stick together and the older ones are getting ****ed off.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

What a muddled article....

Bombers lost their soul with their move from Windy Hill

Essendon's decision to abandon their spiritual home at Windy Hill hasn't worked.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Mikevk123]

Former bomber trainer and masseur, Craig Yorston who was with Essendon from 1989-2019 speaks out about the clubs culture.

 

[ant555]

What a muddled article....

Bombers lost their soul with their move from Windy Hill

Essendon's decision to abandon their spiritual home at Windy Hill hasn't worked.

www.theage.com.au

In my experience I would say despite being a bit run down Windy Hill has the history and the feel of home about it. Tulla is a great center but as people say it lacks warmth . It lacks a feel of something special even though for the players it is state of the art. Like Roco has said you drive in and there is no real branding . There is nothing for those who may wander in to have a look at training on the outer side. It is BYO everything.

 

[DallasCrane316]

Former bomber trainer and masseur, Craig Yorston who was with Essendon from 1989-2019 speaks out about the clubs culture.

Thanks for posting that. Geez, it sounds bleak for us right now.

 

[The Dustbin]

Former bomber trainer and masseur, Craig Yorston who was with Essendon from 1989-2019 speaks out about the clubs culture.

What did he say?

 

[The Dustbin]

There’s an interview floating around of Franga from about 2 years ago when he wanted to leave the club (trying to get it)

Franga refers to the older players giving the younger players a hard time and making it harder for them to fit in. He said one of the main reasons he stayed was Darcy parish.

Explains a lot tbh why the younger core want to stick together and the older ones are getting f’ed off.

Who are the older players? Is that Hurley, hooker, T-Bell?? Back then they weren’t that old.