High Ryder
Premiership Player
TWO Essendon warriors, Jason Johnson and Damien Peverill, appear finished at senior level.
Coach Matthew Knights last night said he had told the two premiership players they faced "limited opportunities", but he had not ruled a line through their names.
Chairman Ray Horsburgh, however, was more blunt.
"My understanding is they have been told," Horsburgh said yesterday.
"It's a very hard decision. They are wonderful club boys, Jason is a twice best-and-fairest and premiership player, both are warriors, but you've got to win the flag and they're not going to win us one.
"What Knightsy has told them is they're going to play some games this year, they're not going to be never heard of again, but we're going to play the kids."
At 2-5 and with the worst injury list in the competition, Knights hasn't been able to find a spot for Johnson since Round 2.
The popular midfielder, 30, has played the past five matches in the VFL, while Peverill, 28, has played two senior and two VFL games this year before suffering a cracked jawbone.
"I catch up with both men regularly and have told them opportunities at times won't be there and the reason is we'll be looking to give young players opportunity," Knights said.
"I've been honest with them, but by no means does it mean they won't be selected down the track.
"They were both disappointed, but both were reasonably comfortable when I sat down and explained to them the reasons why."
In a wide-ranging interview yesterday, Horsburgh revealed:
KNIGHTS had the total support of the board on his much-talked about offensive game plan;
THE Bombers would be aggressive in trading at the end of the season;
HE expected the club to challenge for the finals in 2010;
THE club yesterday passed 40,000 members for the first time in the club's history.
The chairman said the club would adopt Hawthorn's philosophy to recruiting, which would include aggressive trading of under-performing and middle-aged players for draft picks.
"They had all their picks and no one had heard of "Buddy" Franklin or (Jarryd) Roughead," Horsburgh said.
"We've just got to be patient and expect the same.
"Knightsy is not playing Jason Johnson and Damien Peverill and we cleared Mark Johnson, Bradley, retired Camporeale and Chris Heffernan. He might've have won a couple more games with those players, but we'd never win a flag," Horsburgh said.
Asked if ruthless trading can be expected at year's end, Horsburgh said: "Yes. That's Matthew's recommendation to the board.
"It's too early to say who, but we've got to sit down and look at it all, and say, 'We've got to get us the players that can win us a flag'. We've got to build the bodies up of the players we've got."
He said the board supported Knights' style of attacking football, but added the coach was aware defensive aspects would have to be implemented.
"He knows that, but he's saying he'll do that when they are ready for it, but at the moment they've still got a lot of learning with the offensive game plan," Horsburgh said.
"We're are getting overrun, but he's not going to flood, he's going to continue to run and attack. And if we get beaten by 50 or 60 points, it's part of the learning process.
"I accept it because I know where he's coming from, but it's hard for the fans.
"When we appointed Matthew, we said recruit accordingly and develop a game plan and play players who can win us a flag."
Horsburgh was pleased to announce the 40,000 membership target, considering the team's form in the past month.
"We are rapt, particularly with all of the events last year and everyone was saying they were going to tear up their memberships and they had the extraordinary general meeting to throw Peter Jackson and I out of the club," Horsburgh said.
"We've gone from 37,000 to 40,000 in the past month and we haven't won a game, so it's good faith."
The Dons expect Mark McVeigh and Dustin Fletcher to return this week and Kyle Reimers, Sam Lonergan and Jason Winderlich to be available.
Coach Matthew Knights last night said he had told the two premiership players they faced "limited opportunities", but he had not ruled a line through their names.
Chairman Ray Horsburgh, however, was more blunt.
"My understanding is they have been told," Horsburgh said yesterday.
"It's a very hard decision. They are wonderful club boys, Jason is a twice best-and-fairest and premiership player, both are warriors, but you've got to win the flag and they're not going to win us one.
"What Knightsy has told them is they're going to play some games this year, they're not going to be never heard of again, but we're going to play the kids."
At 2-5 and with the worst injury list in the competition, Knights hasn't been able to find a spot for Johnson since Round 2.
The popular midfielder, 30, has played the past five matches in the VFL, while Peverill, 28, has played two senior and two VFL games this year before suffering a cracked jawbone.
"I catch up with both men regularly and have told them opportunities at times won't be there and the reason is we'll be looking to give young players opportunity," Knights said.
"I've been honest with them, but by no means does it mean they won't be selected down the track.
"They were both disappointed, but both were reasonably comfortable when I sat down and explained to them the reasons why."
In a wide-ranging interview yesterday, Horsburgh revealed:
KNIGHTS had the total support of the board on his much-talked about offensive game plan;
THE Bombers would be aggressive in trading at the end of the season;
HE expected the club to challenge for the finals in 2010;
THE club yesterday passed 40,000 members for the first time in the club's history.
The chairman said the club would adopt Hawthorn's philosophy to recruiting, which would include aggressive trading of under-performing and middle-aged players for draft picks.
"They had all their picks and no one had heard of "Buddy" Franklin or (Jarryd) Roughead," Horsburgh said.
"We've just got to be patient and expect the same.
"Knightsy is not playing Jason Johnson and Damien Peverill and we cleared Mark Johnson, Bradley, retired Camporeale and Chris Heffernan. He might've have won a couple more games with those players, but we'd never win a flag," Horsburgh said.
Asked if ruthless trading can be expected at year's end, Horsburgh said: "Yes. That's Matthew's recommendation to the board.
"It's too early to say who, but we've got to sit down and look at it all, and say, 'We've got to get us the players that can win us a flag'. We've got to build the bodies up of the players we've got."
He said the board supported Knights' style of attacking football, but added the coach was aware defensive aspects would have to be implemented.
"He knows that, but he's saying he'll do that when they are ready for it, but at the moment they've still got a lot of learning with the offensive game plan," Horsburgh said.
"We're are getting overrun, but he's not going to flood, he's going to continue to run and attack. And if we get beaten by 50 or 60 points, it's part of the learning process.
"I accept it because I know where he's coming from, but it's hard for the fans.
"When we appointed Matthew, we said recruit accordingly and develop a game plan and play players who can win us a flag."
Horsburgh was pleased to announce the 40,000 membership target, considering the team's form in the past month.
"We are rapt, particularly with all of the events last year and everyone was saying they were going to tear up their memberships and they had the extraordinary general meeting to throw Peter Jackson and I out of the club," Horsburgh said.
"We've gone from 37,000 to 40,000 in the past month and we haven't won a game, so it's good faith."
The Dons expect Mark McVeigh and Dustin Fletcher to return this week and Kyle Reimers, Sam Lonergan and Jason Winderlich to be available.
