Malcolm Blight's Comments - After the Game...

[FAITH]

When speaking to Matt Knights told him to stay true with his game style, and loves the way Essendon play that direct corridor type game plan.

Also had a dig at coaches who play that backwards sideways crap.
Made me think if Malcolm was having a dig at Neil Craig.
Got a feeling he doesnt rate the way the crows play their footy most of the time.

Any one else hear his comments?

 

[ruscy002]

When speaking to Matt Knights told him to stay true with his game style, and loves the way Essendon play that direct corridor type game plan.

Also had a dig at coaches who play that backwards sideways crap.
Made me think if Malcolm was having a dig at Neil Craig.
Got a feeling he doesnt rate the way the crows play their footy most of the time.

Any one else hear his comments?

I don't think it was a personal snipe at Craigy, more a general swipe at all the teams that dabble in crap indirect footy.

Probably valid comments for the last couple of years, but we're definitely turning it around. When gifted the corridor, as was the case in our two best wins of the season against Carlton and especially Collingwood, we play as direct as any team. When we aren't gifted the corridor, we can be forced wide as a lot of our rebound from defence starts with a switch...it can result in ugly, indirect looking footy. We'll sort these issues out as the players get more and more comfortable with the game plan.

Sometimes we revert to "tempo" footy which annoys the shit out of both opposition supporters and our own supporters alike...Blighty hates it too. However, there's something about the way we're using it this year that I'm starting to appreciate. We've always done it better than anyone, but now it's actually being used effectively to create space and attack, as opposed to what we used to do which was heavily geared towards slowing the game down and killing opposition momentum. We did it once against Brisbane which resulted in a goal to Reilly, and I can't remember if we scored from it on the weekend against the Blues but I do remember thinking that the movement up the ground looked promising.

Bottom line is, the ability to play direct and relentlessly attacking footy comes from a perfect marriage between game plan and personnel. We're only half way there on each, but headed in the right direction for sure

 

[Geoffa32]

I vote we bring back Blighty for September. He takes a chance and lets players rely on their instincts. That is how you win finals. Craigy needs to learn this to take the next step. Everything else he does is spot on though.

 

[NikkiNoo]

I vote we bring back Blighty for September. He takes a chance and lets players rely on their instincts. That is how you win finals. Craigy needs to learn this to take the next step. Everything else he does is spot on though.

Ahh how soon people forget that the match winning move in the 1997 Grand Final was a suggestion from Craig. Blight has said before that the decision to start Jarman in the centre and to then drop back to the forward line was a Craig move and not his own. Craig has the ability to think laterally in the coaching box. He just needs to trust his instincts more.

The way his coaching style/ideas has been adopted by almost all the other coaches gives you an idea that he is very well regarded amongst his peers. You don't copy things that don't work.

 

[WALL-e]

I don't give a rats tossbag!

 

[Geoffa32]

Ahh how soon people forget that the match winning move in the 1997 Grand Final was a suggestion from Craig. Blight has said before that the decision to start Jarman in the centre and to then drop back to the forward line was a Craig move and not his own. Craig has the ability to think laterally in the coaching box. He just needs to trust his instincts more.

The way his coaching style/ideas has been adopted by almost all the other coaches gives you an idea that he is very well regarded amongst his peers. You don't copy things that don't work.

That is it. I am not going to bash Craig. Looking at the coaches in the AFL he is up there as one of the best. Get over this hurdle and he could be THE best.

 

[asdfasd]

I heard Malcolm's comments and thought it was not a direct swipe at Neil Craig, but a swipe at all coaches... obviously including Neil Craig.

I don't think Malcolm would be a fan of the Crows game plan..

 

[kulak]

I don't give a rats tossbag!

Pathetic.

 

[Jilly]

To be honest I don't really care about that style of play. If no one presents a lead then I'm fine if a team tries to come in at another angle. I'd rather do that and have the possibility of getting results rather than losing possession. Sure it's frustrating if your team is losing, but pretty much every team has done it.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Pathetic.

What a load of wank.

 

[Crow-mo]

Ahh how soon people forget that the match winning move in the 1997 Grand Final was a suggestion from Craig. Blight has said before that the decision to start Jarman in the centre and to then drop back to the forward line was a Craig move and not his own. Craig has the ability to think laterally in the coaching box. He just needs to trust his instincts more.

Gotta say I have never heard Blight say that or anything remotely to that effect. Whilst I guess it could be true, it's worth remembering that Craig was not even an assistant coach in 1997.

but anyway, the point is people can suggest all sorts of things, but the buck stops with the guy making the decisions. Blight had to think it was a good idea to do it, and that is what being in charge is all about. filtering out wheat from chaff.

oh, and he would absolutely hate the way we play footy these days. for right or wrong.

 

[jenny61_99]

Gotta say I have never heard Blight say that or anything remotely to that effect. Whilst I guess it could be true, it's worth remembering that Craig was not even an assistant coach in 1997.

Wasn't Craig our fitness coach 97/98? He was certainly in the box at the time.