Senior Coach: John Worsfold - 350 games as coach! Most experienced in the league - 30/3

Status
Not open for further replies.

(Log in to remove this ad.)

yodellinhank

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Posts
10,199
Likes
10,743
Location
Geelong
AFL Club
Essendon
People are either just way too emotional about everything, done a hell of a lot of kool aid drinking or are just flat out misreading the situation if they think that Worsfold is anything resembling a problem.

The harsh reality of the situation is that he's essentially coaching an expansion team, and I think he's made a fine fist of getting them to gel and play together despite the list's obvious deficiencies and problems. In fact I'd argue that the fact that he's managed to make 'plan A' work so well (when it was such a departure from what many of them were so used to) is a bigger success than our inability to implement 'plan B' is a failure.

Now Watson is finished and I think we all unfortunately know that, but Worsfold would be the bravest coach in the league to go 'ok, we're getting absolutely smashed in the contested stuff, let's drop our best clearance player'. He's also flirted with decent form at times too, so he's probably built up a few credits. That and the lack of a clear replacement has saved him in my eyes and I'm guessing Worsfold's too.

Now if he continues to not address it and attempt to fix the broken parts of our game by this time next year I'll begin to get a little suss but I consider this year an overwhelming success, we're 7th FFS.
 

Doss

Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Posts
70,964
Likes
96,373
AFL Club
Essendon
Admin #4,079
Normally people call for someone's head after a game. Now they're doing it during a game, that we ended up winning. Sure it was an unimpressive performance, but a win is a win.

Oy vey.
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2016
Posts
1,834
Likes
1,615
AFL Club
Essendon
Worsfold and the coaching staff going to have to really do something special for this week now with Merrett & Fantasia out and Watson cooked.
Time to see what the side is really capable off and bold selection decisions made.
 

DapperDon

Waiting for Essendon to arrive
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Posts
29,569
Likes
43,643
AFL Club
Essendon
Normally people call for someone's head after a game. Now they're doing it during a game, that we ended up winning. Sure it was an unimpressive performance, but a win is a win.

Oy vey.
It's more of a same story no response that has me turning.

He seems to rely on 1 plan, if it fails we fail. It's not a good sign for an ever evolving game to be stuck with 1 game plan, even moreso refusing to make in match changes where players aren't performing or getting beaten.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

EnolaGay

Premiership Player
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Posts
3,974
Likes
6,022
Location
Adelaide
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Miami Dolphins
Posted in another thread that pre-season I had us/hoped for 8-10 wins for the year, so Woosha gets a 'B' grade at this stage with a 'B+' to 'A' hopefully coming with another couple of wins and possible finals.

Wins and losses aside, we have really developed our forward line to compete with the best - tick. Plan A is finals competitive. Negatives/work in progress are defence, plan B and junior development. In some ways our very light injury list throughout the year has limited our young guys' senior exposure.
 
Last edited:

Killer_Mike

Premiership Player
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Posts
3,693
Likes
3,992
Location
Ghetto Extraordinary
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Arsenal,Knicks,Victory
Woosha has done an excellent job.

Ignore the keyboard warriors who think they somehow could get a group of 40 footballers to do a better job.
Team is in as good a shape as I can remember and the gameplan has real excitement about it.

Lot's of potential in both going forward.
 

Whispering_Jack

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Posts
9,528
Likes
11,947
Location
Essington
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Crystal Palace FC, Tomato Atheism
People are just impatient. I had us finishing anywhere from 6th to 12th this year as it was largely unknown how we'd go.

Yes, we can all see the talent but how fast that talent comes together and starts winning games is another thing entirely.

I think Woosha has done an incredible job with the difficult hands he has been dealt.
 

Skipper_

Club Legend
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Posts
2,914
Likes
2,241
AFL Club
Essendon
I think we'll finish where we were expected to but it's been a much better year than our 7-10 H/A finish might suggest. We've seen Daniher blossom into an elite player, Merrett continue on from where he left off, Parish now showing signs that he is becoming the player we know he can be and McGrath slotting into the side very nicely. Most of the returning boys are still building towards their peak which shows there is still a lot of room for improvement. Overall Woosha and co. have done a great job with the list so far and we are in a very exciting position at the moment.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
May 5, 2009
Posts
14,884
Likes
18,235
AFL Club
Essendon
Did enjoy his press conference.

I look at the team we selected, carrying 4 to 5 players, in a weekend in which Geelong beat Richmond with 5 first year players/rookies and without 2 of their top 3 best and most important players, and wonder why we couldn't be carrying Langford, Begley, Mutch and maybe even Redman given that we never really threatened Adelaide.

I would have thought that we need to know how many midfielders we have for 2018. If I was Dodoro I would love to know how many viable midfield options are on the list for 2018 before trying to work out how to use picks.

If we don't make the finals this year it will become a 5.5/10 season. Virtually no injury problems all year, continued reliance on under-performing senior players and minimal exposure of kids does not make for a good year as far as I'm concerned.

I know it will be different next year and I am happy to have Worsfold as the coach but too many fans have bought into the media taking down our season (because of the returning players) which has reduced expectations to unrealistically low levels.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Posts
47,084
Likes
26,117
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Did enjoy his press conference.

I look at the team we selected, carrying 4 to 5 players, in a weekend in which Geelong beat Richmond with 5 first year players/rookies and without 2 of their top 3 best and most important players, and wonder why we couldn't be carrying Langford, Begley, Mutch and maybe even Redman given that we never really threatened Adelaide.

I would have thought that we need to know how many midfielders we have for 2018. If I was Dodoro I would love to know how many viable midfield options are on the list for 2018 before trying to work out how to use picks.

If we don't make the finals this year it will become a 5.5/10 season. Virtually no injury problems all year, continued reliance on under-performing senior players and minimal exposure of kids does not make for a good year as far as I'm concerned.

I know it will be different next year and I am happy to have Worsfold as the coach but too many fans have bought into the media taking down our season (because of the returning players) which has reduced expectations to unrealistically low levels.
Defanitly under performed this year also we could go backwards next season if we are not careful with a tougher draw.
 
Joined
May 21, 2017
Posts
1,551
Likes
1,095
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Liverpool, Flint Tropics
Defanitly under performed this year also we could go backwards next season if we are not careful with a tougher draw.
I think a better draw with more marquee games will do us good.

Sunday arvo games against out of form teams were our downfall.

I'd prefer to play against sides that "play their own way" not sides that play just to stop our way.

With young midfield additions and a decent KPD that isn't Hartley or Dea, we will run smoother
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Posts
47,084
Likes
26,117
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
I think a better draw with more marquee games will do us good.

Sunday arvo games against out of form teams were our downfall.

I'd prefer to play against sides that "play their own way" not sides that play just to stop our way.

With young midfield additions and a decent KPD that isn't Hartley or Dea, we will run smoother
I'm hoping for a Richmond like turn around next season but if we don't see any improvement I will have concerns.
 

lamaros

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Posts
7,229
Likes
2,984
Location
Sydney
AFL Club
Essendon
Eh, it's not like Woosh has been playing Stanton and Hocking or the like. Watson and Myers and Howlett have been getting a go because we've been playing to win and they're considered best 22.

It's only the past few weeks that Watson has really dropped off hard.

Will be interesting to see what change we make this week though. I think best 22 would say that Colyer and Watson deserve to be dropped now.
 
Joined
May 21, 2017
Posts
1,551
Likes
1,095
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Liverpool, Flint Tropics
I'm hoping for a Richmond like turn around next season but if we don't see any improvement I will have concerns.
That was after 7 years of dimma B4L, we are going to have a huge turnover of senior guys this offseason so don't expect it to click instantaneously next year. Although it might
 

Lore

Moderator
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Posts
12,857
Likes
15,270
AFL Club
Essendon
Moderator #4,098
Eh, it's not like Woosh has been playing Stanton and Hocking or the like. Watson and Myers and Howlett have been getting a go because we've been playing to win and they're considered best 22.

It's only the past few weeks that Watson has really dropped off hard.

Will be interesting to see what change we make this week though. I think best 22 would say that Colyer and Watson deserve to be dropped now.
Wouldn't be surprised if they get farewell games, depending on what else happens. We might go the Dempsey route and retire them after the end of the season too, and so long as we're still in the hunt for finals they won't get games, because they're too far off the pace. If that changes all bets are off though.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see Francis, Begley or Langford before the end of the season, particularly Francis has been mentioned by Mark Harvey a few weeks ago as probably getting a senior game before the end of the year.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Posts
47,084
Likes
26,117
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
That was after 7 years of dimma B4L, we are going to have a huge turnover of senior guys this offseason so don't expect it to click instantaneously next year. Although it might
I don't think it took them 7 years people wanted Dimma sacked last season they changed it all round on 1 pre season if they can do it so can we imo.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom