AFL Autopsy Round 15: 8 point loss to Brisbane

[JayJ20]

After digesting 23 pages of the worlds finest emo-esque literature, I will try and kick start the week with some clarity:

What we know and continue to learn:
- The gap between #1 and #18 is arguably the narrowest it's ever been in AFL history
- Essendon is not the first team to lose games they shouldn't. Hell, Geelong have lost at the Gabba numerous times (in career best form fwiw).
- Essendon is not the first team this season to lose narrow games - Richmond lost three in a row.
- Most games this year are coming down to the wire, blow outs are becoming a thing of the past. We will not be the last team this happens to.
- Losses like these present an opportunity to blood players putting their hands up for senior selection

What we should expect from the club:
- Learn from your mistakes:
- Identify key areas of weakness' based on how we lose games, then implement an agreed fix towards closing these gaps.
- If players need extra development, refine their training regime.
- If we need key players, target the draft/trade towards obtaining these guys.
- Xavier Campbell: don't apologise, we know the club doesn't want to lose games. Just give us the confidence that it wont persist.

What we should do as fans:
- Stop eating our own players.
- Stick fat with the club. We've been through worse.

I'm sorry to break it to you, but they said that they'd learn from it last week. Not only did they not address it, but they lost the unthinkable. It was the worst loss since the 2012 Melbourne loss. Had a lot to play for and our senior players let us down badly. They'll get roasted for that.

Sure onto next week and I'm definitely over the loss now, but it won't be roses and flowers on here after a loss like that.

As for the comparison to other teams, we lose to the bottom teams the most consistently out of any team. We do it every year. Richmond losing narrowly to top 4 sides/reigning premiers/top 8 contenders is nothing compared to being overrun at home to the team sitting dead last without their best player after being 27 points up in the last quarter while they were one man down on rotation for most of the game. We were relatively full strength. That doesn't fly.

Geelong have won 16 out of the last 18 games against Brisbane. Once when Brisbane made the semi final in 2009 and the other when Brisbane finished 10th at 10-12. Both at the Gabba. Heck even Richmond have beaten Brisbane 14 out of the last 16 times, with 1 loss and a draw and they haven't been that much better than us in the last 10 years.

 

[Mr_McBoogerBalls]

I'm sorry to break it to you, but they said that they'd learn from it last week. Not only did they not address it, but they lost the unthinkable. It was the worst loss since the 2012 Melbourne loss. Had a lot to play for and our senior players let us down badly. They'll get roasted for that.

Sure onto next week and I'm definitely over the loss now, but it won't be roses and flowers on here after a loss like that.

As for the comparison to other teams, we lose to the bottom teams the most consistently out of any team. We do it every year. Richmond losing narrowly to top 4 sides/reigning premiers/top 8 contenders is nothing compared to being overrun at home to the team sitting dead last without their best player after being 27 points up in the last quarter while they were one man down on rotation for most of the game. We were relatively full strength. That doesn't fly.

Geelong have won 16 out of the last 18 games against Brisbane. Once when Brisbane made the semi final in 2009 and the other when Brisbane finished 10th at 10-12. Both at the Gabba. Heck even Richmond have beaten Brisbane 14 out of the last 16 times, with 1 loss and a draw and they haven't been that much better than us in the last 10 years.

OK.

To tell you the truth mate, I'm not sure why you're lecturing me. So rather than responding with an irrational emotional response, I'm going to leave you with this to think about:

 

[JayJ20]

OK.

To tell you the truth mate, I'm not sure why you're lecturing me. So rather than responding with an irrational emotional response, I'm going to leave you with this to think about:

I didn't see that as a lecture. Unless you really want me to lecture you

 

[ezard15]

pretty much.
will pony up on saturday too. and we might actually win. just to **** me more after the last 2 weeks

Yep. A win wont make me feel any better now.

As you said will just be even more annoying to win although less annoying than a loss.

 

[goal kicking wingman]

I was driving a train back from Frankston and did not know the score. When I got to Southern Cross I just had to look at the forlorn looks on the Essendon faces to know that something horrible had happened. I have come on here and it i am glad to say that I missed the game. What the hell is going on? Shattered and will be deleting the game as soon as I get home. I don't even want to watch the highlights.

It was a trainwreck delete that game asap.

 

[7zark7]

It was a trainwreck delete that game asap.

Pun intended?

 

[Atavistic]

OK.

To tell you the truth mate, I'm not sure why you're lecturing me. So rather than responding with an irrational emotional response, I'm going to leave you with this to think about:

Now I want a banana dolphin.

 

[JayJ20]

Xavier Campbell has contacted each player of the leadership group and apologised for his tweet.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-05/ceos-tweet-may-have-offended-some-dons-woosha

To quote the article on the AFL website "Campbell has since apologised to the playing group via its leaders, and although Worsfold did not appear fussed by the message, he admits it may have left some players disappointed".

"What I love about the world is that we're all different. Some players might get a little bit offended, like, 'Why is the CEO telling us that? We've already had a spray from the coach' [or] 'People are queuing up to get into us'. Everyone's different," Worsfold said on Wednesday.

The tweet in question:


My view? We were overran by likely wooden spooners Brisbane with a man down for most of the match at home with finals on the line, only a week after we lost while being 19 points up with 4 minutes to go. The CEO, like everyone else, was very disappointed by that performance. What could possibly be offensive about that tweet? It's the truth. It was a disappointing loss and it wasn't good enough. Our senior players didn't stand up.

It's not like he said "get ******" or anything else truly offensive. If any player has a problem with that tweet, especially if it is some of our senior players, then we have a problem at our hands. Our players haven't been heavily criticised (on field performance) for a while. There's always some excuse like "the saga has worn us down", "they're tired", "It was hot", "it was wet" and whatever else there is. We've had some awful performances this year that we let slide for whatever reason.

Now that there is no excuse, we'll just have to see how they respond to that loss. If we come out the same and lose this week, then we have a problem.

 

[IggypopsTshirt]

How did the apology go?

"I'm sorry you were s**t and I pointed out that you were s**t".

If anyone should be issuing apologies, it should be the players for being so pathetic on game day.

 

[Milanista28]

I liked it.

 

[Dons4days]

I had no issues with it. Said what all of the supporters were thinking. There have been too many let down losses like over the last 10 years. I'm stoked he's as passionate as his supporters.

 

[Pweter]

Anyone offended by that has been put on a pedestal their entire life. It's the truth, sometimes the truth can be hard to face and even harder to accept.

Deal with it.

 

[Paul_Barnard]

Loved it!
It was reassuring to know that the people at the top also found that performance unacceptable.
I have no issue with a one off emotional flavored statement given Xavier's track record and the professional manner he always conducts himself...

 

[Teflon Dons]

Just said what every other campaigner was thinking. Shouldn't have apologised. Deserved to be called out

 

[ezard15]

He should now apologise for apologising.

 

[Lore]

Eh. I don't really like anything outside of the football department commenting about on-field stuff. If there's friction between the football department and the rest then that should be kept internal to the club. I look at some of the other clubs where this has happened (Koch, Cochrane, even McGuire at times) and to me it's like the club is in conflict with itself. Ditto when the coach comments on stuff outside of the football department, really. In this particular instance I don't think anyone inside the club would have disagreed with him, but it's not a good precedent to set for yourself.

I think Xavier was addressing a specific audience (his twitter following, i.e. Essendon supporters), but perhaps it would be better to have done so via an email to the membership base, if at all?

On the other hand, it's probably better for XC to take the headlines this week than for the media to be putting Worsfold, Heppell or the players in general under the microscope. There's enough s**t to distract them from the next game without a media circus.

I don't really care over-much what the players themselves think of it. They should know better than to pay any attention to what the public face of the club is saying or what the media is reporting about them. All of that stuff is designed to sell memberships, sell newspapers, get people to the game and buying merchandise #cynical. Even what we have to say on here is not particularly relevant and probably way off base.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

If we have players who are honestly offended by what Xavier said than we have serious problems. Was no personal attacks involved.

Xavier said it exactly how it is. They were shithouse, thus he called them out for not being good enough.

If players cannot own their performances whether good or bad than we really are a soft pretender club. Sick of seeing excuses after every loss. Oh it was wet, Oh its In Perth, Oh is 30 degrees etc etc.


Harden up!

 

[Drummer_19]

Xavier back tracking like an Essendon team with a 4th quarter lead.

 

[Burzum]

i don't know whether i'm more embarrassed by their performance or them wanting an apology

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Delist or trade anyone that was offended by that tweet. One of the few things Xavier has done alright.

 

[Doss]

One of the few things!

 

[Eleven 38]

I like it coming from him. You know he has passion for the club.

If players are offended by the truth then we aren't making finals in the near future.

 

[CBombers17]

Eh. I don't really like anything outside of the football department commenting about on-field stuff. If there's friction between the football department and the rest then that should be kept internal to the club. I look at some of the other clubs where this has happened (Koch, Cochrane, even McGuire at times) and to me it's like the club is in conflict with itself. Ditto when the coach comments on stuff outside of the football department, really. In this particular instance I don't think anyone inside the club would have disagreed with him, but it's not a good precedent to set for yourself.

I think Xavier was addressing a specific audience (his twitter following, i.e. Essendon supporters), but perhaps it would be better to have done so via an email to the membership base, if at all?

On the other hand, it's probably better for XC to take the headlines this week than for the media to be putting Worsfold, Heppell or the players in general under the microscope. There's enough s**t to distract them from the next game without a media circus.

I don't really care over-much what the players themselves think of it. They should know better than to pay any attention to what the public face of the club is saying or what the media is reporting about them. All of that stuff is designed to sell memberships, sell newspapers, get people to the game and buying merchandise #cynical. Even what we have to say on here is not particularly relevant and probably way off base.

I agree with a lot of this. Its unprofessional and we don't need it - and I also couldn't give a stuff what the players think.

 

[daffo]

Why on earth were some of the players offended by that tweet. It's the truth.

 

[citizen-erased]

Xavier back tracking like an Essendon team with a 4th quarter lead.

lol.
at least he's re-aligned with the players