Review 2020 Season/Club Review

[mike14]

It all sounds incredibly messy.
Was the change from Woosha to Rutten the catalyst for the disconnect in the playing group, or was it already there and something (Rutten's arrival?) made the playing group say "enough is enough" and find their voice to call it out

 

[rumply]

He also posted a screenshot in the replies:

What choice do players leave any coach if they wont buy into his vision for success? I don't care what their names are, just move them on Truck.

 

[jmoo wan]

He also posted a screenshot in the replies:

is this the same story?

‘Give us our club back’: Furious Dons demand change

Is the coach too hard on the players? Has the club allowed selfishness to fester in its ranks? Has the move from Windy Hill caused a disconnect? We analyse the issues engulfing Essendon as ex-Dons demand change.

www.thefootycorner.com

 

[Lore]

is this the same story?

‘Give us our club back’: Furious Dons demand change

Is the coach too hard on the players? Has the club allowed selfishness to fester in its ranks? Has the move from Windy Hill caused a disconnect? We analyse the issues engulfing Essendon as ex-Dons demand change.

www.thefootycorner.com

Looks like it. There's a section that matches the screenshot word for word

 

[Lore]

‘Give us our club back’: Furious Dons demand change

Is the coach too hard on the players? Has the club allowed selfishness to fester in its ranks? Has the move from Windy Hill caused a disconnect? We analyse the issues engulfing Essendon as ex-Dons demand change.

www.thefootycorner.com

It looks a bit like a connect the dots article. So it references a bunch of stuff we've had posted here over the last couple of weeks/months.

• Truck read a book called 'The Courage to be Disliked' and is fully prepared to makeover the club in his image: https://www.afl.com.au/news/440904/...-rutten-s-rise-as-essendon-s-coach-in-waiting
• Richardson on 3AW saying they'll "put a few noses out of joint", cultural shifts, and that it reminds him a little of Richmond in late 2016: https://www.3aw.com.au/essendons-footy-boss-says-the-club-is-feeling-genuinely-optimistic/
• Brendan McCartney on the Sacked podcast about how he lost the players at the Dogs: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/brendan-mccartney-in-the-doghouse/id1470557961?i=1000471064179
• Quotes from David King on approximately the same topic, via Fox Footy.
• Quotes Ross Lyon on Footy Classified about dynamics and mechanics, and getting the dynamics right (team spirit, commitment) before you worry about the mechanics of the game plan: https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/essend...eparture/33afe9d5-9ee1-4804-8fe0-3663412936ba
• Peter Jackson on the Sacked podcast drawing a parallel between the salary cap exodus in 2000 and the saga exodus in 2013-2016: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/peter-jackson-calling-the-shots/id1470557961?i=1000493152165
• Caro article citing Essendon stalwarts: "We left our soul at Windy Hill": https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...eir-move-from-windy-hill-20201008-p563e6.html
• Chris Yorsten (former club trainer/masseuse of 30 years) on Facebook talking about the culture of the club: link
• Mick Warner calls for a 'warts and all' review of the club: https://www.3aw.com.au/mick-warner-says-theres-only-one-move-that-will-save-essendon/

In between all that however there's some new/interesting bits. Firstly, we have something that has been paraphrased from a "young Essendon player":

Last season as a young Essendon player attempted to establish himself as a regular in John Worsfold’s side a senior player sidled up to him with a conspiracy theory.

As the veteran explained to the naive youngster, the players who had served 2016 drug bans under Essendon’s peptides regime had “contracts” which guaranteed they would never be dropped.

The conspiracy theory was exactly that [...]

Yet the reality that it made so much sense to this young player speaks volumes of the crisis now engulfing Essendon.

And then a few bits quoting from or leaked by one or more player managers:

One player manager this week threw up this question: if every Essendon player was out of contract, how many of them would be charging for the door?

<snip>

Saad’s problem wasn’t with Rutten, who spent more time on the defensive back six in the last month of 2020, an investment appreciated by the defensive unit.

Saad made clear to Richardson in his discussions in the past few weeks a handful of extremely specific issues he had with the club that didn’t relate to his role in defence.

<snip>

As one player manager with disgruntled players said recently of Rutten, his brusque manner would be fine if he had taken the time to cuddle the players.

He is not by his very nature the kind of warm personality prepared to stop and chat to players in the corridors, and if Worsfold wasn’t either, his past successes gave him that aura of respect.

Are these all the same person, or different people? Saad's player manager perchance? Is the young player perhaps a defender that appreciated Rutten's time and effort with them towards the end of the year? At any rate I think Worsfold was a bit of a cuddler.

A very strong statement in support of Heppell's leadership, though not exactly a new critique regarding the lack of consistent leaders among the playing group:

The one certainty is that they have the right man as captain, with Dyson Heppell drawing respect across the playing group for his inclusiveness and determination to listen to players across all levels of the list.

But Heppell cannot do it on his own, and with the club’s shifting player leadership group, he has not had a senior core to reinforce the message with him.

Ideally Heppell would have a core of a few confidantes relentlessly driving the message with him at every turn.

Instead he isn’t sure who his leaders are – and by extension neither do the players given it is a player-driven vote – in any given season.

Wonder if that has come from "one player manager" as well, or perhaps the "young Essendon player"? Bit of creative license there too unless he's been speaking directly to Heppell (otherwise how would the author know whether Heppell is sure on who his leaders are?)

And then they finish with a little bit of hope, straight from the President's video speech/3AW interview:

Brasher has promised the club will be more aggressive than it has in recent years.

“Rightly or wrongly, we were seen as a bit of an outcast in the AFL community (after the supplements scandal),” Brasher said.

“Is it possible that caused us to feel as if we didn’t have the right to have a loud voice within the community and that therefore we were perhaps a bit passive in what we said externally?

There is so much uncertainty about the Bombers heading into 2021, but Brasher is on a fact-finding mission to get to the bottom of what is wrong.

What that means for an ailing Essendon, only time will tell.

 

[The Donners]

Pretty hard to argue with any of this. I particularly like the point about developing a game style to suit the list.
View attachment 982531https://www.afl.com.au/news/515829

Not if that game plan doesn’t win premierships.

 

[BrunoV]

I also recall McGrath referring to a divide between age brackets in 2017 or 2018.

He gave a very interesting interview to Crunch Time the morning of the game against Geelong in 2018.

If it could be dug out of the archives...

 

[The Donners]

What choice do players leave any coach if they wont buy into his vision for success? I don't care what their names are, just move them on Truck.

Is it why Bellchambers wasn’t given a farewell in essentially a scratch match? I assume Bellchambers was a part of the senior clique.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Meh. No one wants to hear it, but within reason culture gets easy when you are winning. Take away half the injuries, give the side some success and watch how the side is "just like the tightest bunch of guys you know?". But yeah * it, lets clean the house out and start again. That'll work.

 

[yodellinhank]

Meh. No one wants to hear it, but within reason culture gets easy when you are winning. Take away half the injuries, give the side some success and watch how the side is "just like the tightest bunch of guys you know?". But yeah fu** it, lets clean the house out and start again. That'll work.

For sure about culture. 2006 eagles, 2010 collingwood brat pack. But the anger essendon fans have is with what they see as underperformance. How can so many talented All-Australian players be so far from consistently challenging top sides, winning a final etc

 

[Danger Zone]

Pretty hard to argue with any of this. I particularly like the point about developing a game style to suit the list.
View attachment 982531https://www.afl.com.au/news/515829

Pardon the intrusion, I was curious to see if this had been posted over here. Seems like you guys are having some of the same issues that we have had in recent years. Thought that this article made sense at least, but the AFL media sure love to sink the boot in when a club is having issues. Has happened with us for the last few years and suspect (hopefully I'm wrong) that you are next. Not sure how Melbourne has dodged all the criticism.

Anyway, you have some talented youth so it's not all doom and gloom. Fingers crossed things turn around. Would far rather you lot up and about than Geelong and Richmond.

 

[The Donners]

Pardon the intrusion, I was curious to see if this had been posted over here. Seems like you guys are having some of the same issues that we have had in recent years. Thought that this article made sense at least, but the AFL media sure love to sink the boot in when a club is having issues. Has happened with us for the last few years and suspect (hopefully I'm wrong) that you are next. Not sure how Melbourne has dodged all the criticism.

Anyway, you have some talented youth so it's not all doom and gloom. Fingers crossed things turn around. Would far rather you lot up and about than Geelong and Richmond.

These are quiet times and the actual football is underwhelming. You find “journalists” writing opinion pieces and then a “journalist” from the same media outlet writes an article about the article their colleague wrote.

 

[BomberTime]

Through a combination of reasons, the core group of Hurley, Heppell, Hooker, Zaharakis, Bellchambers haven’t been able to take us to where we wanted to be and haven’t driven any club standards.

I’d keep Heppell as captain for another year and promote McGrath to vice captain with the view of him taking over in 2022. Time to turn over a new leaf at Essendon. It’s the young guys’ club now. Let’s empower the likes of Ridley, Parish, Langford, McGrath and Draper to set the expectations and drive the standards. Hooker, Hurley and Zaka (if they are still there) can get on board and support them or leave.

As much as the Caroline Wilson article was mostly rubbish, she has a good point about the Hangar. It’s a sterile place and needs to be warmer. ‘Essendon’ it up more, when you drive in it should scream Essendon. Not just a painted red and black roof and a Longy statue plonked out the front.

Time for an independent review of the place. It’s terribly embarrassing but has to be done.

 

[84859300]

"For a team to acomplish their goals, everybody has got to give up a little of their individuality" - Bill Bellichick, New England Patriots

Speaks volumes re the current details of EFC players own little #metoo movement.

 

[Big Fresh]

They said Cutler was a good kick

Not really, they said he was a long kick but the consensus was never that he was a good kick. Witherden has shortcomings but he's a good kick.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Well let’s hope it’s all the players fault and pray like all **** that we haven’t got another Mark Neeld on our hands. He came in all tough on veterans and never won the players.

As for the saga players never being dropped, well first off don’t think Hurley and Hooker ever deserved to be, not like others were knocking on the door to take their place. Didn’t Penrith undergo drug saga at same time? They’re in the Prelim next week. I think the saga thing is just an excuse.

 

[jordanl]

You ll find the player is actually Dylan Shiel. Don’t really have any issues with the article and I commend Dylan for speaking up about the s**t direction the club was heading.

Truck hasn’t even had a full preseason with the team yet. If you look back at this year notice the younger players trying to implement his forward handball style. While some others didn’t even try. I am pretty sure has a good gauge on the who’s willing to buy into his style.

If you need an example look at Tom cutler. Regarded as a great kick but handball to kick ratio this year is so high compared to prior. Clearly trying Implement ruttens instructions

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

You ll find the player is actually Dylan Shiel.

???? It refers to young player trying to establish himself in team and then refers to naive youngster. Not sure how that fits Shiel.

 

[Lore]

???? It refers to young player trying to establish himself in team and then refers to naive youngster. Not sure how that fits Shiel.

A senior player told the young player about the conspiracy... maybe that’s who he means

 

[Maxabillions]

Not if that game plan doesn’t win premierships.

I don’t think the point of as that the game plan didn’t need to change, just that a sustainable game plan that suits the list should be developed, rather than just copying one wholesale from Richmond (which was developed in part to compensate for deficiencies in their list)

 

[jordanl]

???? It refers to young player trying to establish himself in team and then refers to naive youngster. Not sure how that fits Shiel.

Pretty easy to divert traffic with that line

 

[Dave]

Is it why Bellchambers wasn’t given a farewell in essentially a scratch match? I assume Bellchambers was a part of the senior clique.

He was cooked.

 

[Yoda_]

It's so stupidly common-sense that it's almost embarrassing it had to be written at all

whats sadder that let's revisit this in 6 months time to see we have can cross off, 1, maybe 2 of the 8. That is how dumb our management is.

 

[citizen-erased]

Is it why Bellchambers wasn’t given a farewell in essentially a scratch match? I assume Bellchambers was a part of the senior clique.

that dead rubber afforded Draper a game against one of the games best rucks in Gawn.

 

[eth-dog]

that dead rubber afforded Draper a game against one of the games best rucks in Gawn.

So stick him in the goalsquare instead of Michael Hurley