Coaching Staff Senior Coach: John Worsfold - Thank you John

[BrunoV]

Why are journos trying to get Worsfold to admit that it was a 'wasted' season.

I doubt that there is any point at which Worsfold thinks that the season was a waste. Even at his most vulnerable the words are not going to come out of his mouth.

We've made substantial changes to game style, attitudes of senior players finally seem to have shifted and we've found between 4 and 7 extra players who were not guaranteed AFL performers at the start of the year. Age of key players is certainly not an issue.

Questing him about whether we underachieved and whether that has been disappointing might at least draw him into an interesting conversation and may even draw out a concession or two.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

yodellinhank theres a perfectly s**t MCG record for you to have a whinge about.

...and clouds, lots of clouds.

 

[jmoo wan]

My man B4L summed it up perfectly - it was a failure of a season but not a waste.

We set objectives to win a final and didn’t even make finals. So we’ve failed the s**t out of that and there is no getting around it.

But failing can be a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow, and to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes in the future.

And, as mentioned above - we’ve learnt about game style, players, attitude etc, and changed some things to definitely improve in the last part of the year.

if we can ensure we continue this into next year, failing this year will not be a waste. An abject disappointing failure yes. But not a waste.

 

[Mercurial89]

We played young players.
We will be retiring or delisting a few others who arent up to it this year, after the season is done.
We lost games we shouldnt have, sydney lost to gold coast, hawks lost to brisbane,port lost to freo and a whole host of others lost games they "shouldnt have". Proving once again that when you look at the entire league, its even and teams that arent absolutely on top of the ladder will drop games.

The team has gone forward in defence whilst still maintaining an offence without our best key forward and Raz missing or underdone most of the year.

So we didnt make finals? Who cares? We arent trying to make finals we are trying to win premierships. The club is now better placed right now than we were last year.

This grass is greener s**t is so frustrating. We dont need a new coach we need supporters with some bloody paitience.

 

[Mercurial89]

My man B4L summed it up perfectly - it was a failure of a season but not a waste.

We set objectives to win a final and didn’t even make finals. So we’ve failed the s**t out of that and there is no getting around it.

But failing can be a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow, and to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes in the future.

And, as mentioned above - we’ve learnt about game style, players, attitude etc, and changed some things to definitely improve in the last part of the year.

if we can ensure we continue this into next year, failing this year will not be a waste. An abject disappointing failure yes. But not a waste.

Did we set a goal to win a final?
Or was that a fan and supporter goal?

We have failed this season as so much that 17 clubs will fail this season. Nothing more nothing less.

 

[Shanghaistu]

yodellinhank theres a perfectly s**t MCG record for you to have a whinge about.

“The Dons at the ‘G “ - the fixture that has all oppo fans squealing with delight

 

[jmoo wan]

Did we set a goal to win a final?
Or was that a fan and supporter goal?

We have failed this season as so much that 17 clubs will fail this season. Nothing more nothing less.

winning a final was what I understood to be the goal this year. It should’ve been at any rate.

it’s nuts for every club to realistically think they are a chance to win the flag every year- maybe a years-long plan which requires incremental improvement year on year, so some clubs may well have not failed or failed as badly as we have

 

[Zach Package]

Even though we probably make finals if we don’t lose to Carlton I suspect we’re probably better off this way.

Would have likely ended up a situation identical to last year where we snuck in but were manifestly ill equipped to cope with it and would have gone out in week one yet again.

As far as our draw goes, you have to count us a little stiff, we’ve played 3 of the top 4 twice at their home ground.

 

[Mercurial89]

winning a final was what I understood to be the goal this year. It should’ve been at any rate.

it’s nuts for every club to realistically think they are a chance to win the flag every year- maybe a years-long plan which requires incremental improvement year on year, so some clubs may well have not failed or failed as badly as we have

Yeah i understand.

For me personally it was be better. Where that has us ending up is irrelevant.

I worried that without a midfield we would struggle, i was also concerned about this talk of focusing on defence our ball movement would mean we no longer would score (we had only just got it back).

First 8 rounds was incredibly concerning though we werent alone in that period,giants and stkilda two teams tipped to do well were struggling.
Gws due to injuries gritted the teeth and started playing team footy, instead of a bunch of individual brilliance,they couldnt rely on it because it just wasnt there consistently. They have grown as a group, they improved- where that places them is yet to be seen but they are already better than last year with less stars because of what they have gained as a group.

Stkilda didnt halt the rot, and they sank further into it and imploded as a footy club. They are worse off than they were a year ago,their improvement now has to come from the off season and could go either way.

We had the start to the year this group had to have to realise that hard work is what will make us a good team and it wont just happen. We are now playing consistent, replicatable defensively sound offensively exciting football for the first time in years. The mind set now matches the talent on paper. To get to this point for me is an improvement and we are closer to a flag. That is a success.

I guess it all comes to our own subjective expectations but i would have thought measuring success or failure on ladder position was a little too narrow focused.

 

[yodellinhank]

You can wriggle around all you like on this, but your own numbers show it's not a 'total lie' at all.

You can wiggle around all you like. We topped up and finished 11th. Another failed season to add to Worsfold's tenure.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

You can wiggle around all you like. We topped up and finished 11th. Another failed season to add to Worsfold's tenure.

Wait wait wait. Are you saying 2016 was a failure - 3 wins with half the team suspended? Are you saying 2017 was a failure with everyone coming back and still making finals?!

 

[I Remember Bluey]

You can wiggle around all you like. We topped up and finished 11th. Another failed season to add to Worsfold's tenure.

I just worked out what your problem is, your about to be delisted and are not happy with John

 

[Doss]

You can wiggle around all you like. We topped up and finished 11th. Another failed season to add to Worsfold's tenure.

Well done on changing the parameters of the argument, again.

 

[yodellinhank]

Wait wait wait. Are you saying 2016 was a failure - 3 wins with half the team suspended? Are you saying 2017 was a failure with everyone coming back and still making finals?!

That we keep finding reasons to pump up the team's performance into something it is not is why our supporter base is the laughing stock of the AFL.

 

[Doss]

Yeah, you’re just embarrassing yourself now.

 

[Beerfish]

That we keep finding reasons to pump up the team's performance into something it is not is why our supporter base is the laughing stock of the AFL.

It is? Is there a ladder for this or something?

 

[Blind Turn]

Who needs Kelvin when you’ve got Hank?

 

[yodellinhank]

...and clouds, lots of clouds.

You'll all be thanking me when it's a clear sky against Carlton

 

[BrunoV]

I have sympathy for Hank's view.

We should be pushing for week three of the finals next year but I'm not going to be expecting it.

The list looks good and has improved again this year but I don't trust us, not at all.

It's a different season when the pressure comes off, as it does when it becomes virtually impossible to make the finals due to a poor start, so I don't believe that we can just assume that the Essendon post-Geelong is the "real side".

The senior players have tended towards being self satisfied. Let's see how they start next year and whether we have improved again.

 

[vast]

I can totally see that afl giving us a favourable fixture to help us on our way.
They would love a finals series featuring
5 of the 6 big melb clubs.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

I have sympathy for Hank's view.

We should be pushing for week three of the finals next year but I'm not going to be expecting it.

The list looks good and has improved again this year but I don't trust us, not at all.

It's a different season when the pressure comes off, as it does when it becomes virtually impossible to make the finals due to a poor start, so I don't believe that we can just assume that the Essendon post-Geelong is the "real side".

The senior players have tended towards being self satisfied. Let's see how they start next year and whether we have improved again.

As Lloyd said last night we will know by round 5 or 6 next year if the club continues to go up

 

[Eleven 38]

I have sympathy for Hank's view.

We should be pushing for week three of the finals next year but I'm not going to be expecting it.

The list looks good and has improved again this year but I don't trust us, not at all.

It's a different season when the pressure comes off, as it does when it becomes virtually impossible to make the finals due to a poor start, so I don't believe that we can just assume that the Essendon post-Geelong is the "real side".

The senior players have tended towards being self satisfied. Let's see how they start next year and whether we have improved again.

I agree with you on the senior players. I've kinda moved on from them being the ones that are going to take us further. Its the younger players I hope will drive it next year. That's where our stars are in the younger brigade.

 

[Jade]

I don't necessarily disagree with yodellinhank - third year now effectively completed, a list that is absolutely stacked; and still nothing more than a 12 win finals appearance and subsequent arse-kicking.

We have certainly under-performed in 2018, and that should bring with it an associated criticism.

 

[Lore]

Season 2018 is to Season 2019 as the Carlton game has been to every game since. Very disappointing, but we're stronger for it.

 

[Kakkle]

If Hank had his way he'd have Hurley delisted after his first year, and Michael Long would still be playing.