All week, we've heard Woosha and Heppell say that we do not stand for last week's performance. Woosha and our leadership group questioned the whole playing group to ask what we stand for as a team. Fast forward to the second quarter of the following game and we're getting thrashed by a team who barely beat the supposed "worst team in the competition". So I ask you the question bigfooty. What do we stand for?
I think we're that partner who keeps messing around telling you they will change but never do.
All off-season, the players and coaches have been telling us that they've prepared well to avoid starting like we did last year. They've branded the year as "no excuses".
Let's see how that went.
Here are some of the quotes coming from the club in the past 4 months:
Skipworth before JLT
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Ben Rutten on our website before JLT:
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After JLT loss vs Geelong
Zach Merrett:
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Xavier Campbell in the lead up to the season (after the two JLT losses):
Heppell in the lead up to the season opener:
GWS 16.16 - 112
ESS 5.10 - 40
John Worsfold:
Let's see how you as a leader respond Woosha.
In: Parish
Out: Ridley
I wonder how proud you were of Ridley. Wait hang on. I think Woosha will tell us why Ridley was dropped.
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This is a direct quote from the article on our website after losing to St Kilda:
Sorry. Continue Woosha. That was rude of me.
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I could keep going on and on about it, but the point is very clear. This club needs an investigation.
I think we're that partner who keeps messing around telling you they will change but never do.
All off-season, the players and coaches have been telling us that they've prepared well to avoid starting like we did last year. They've branded the year as "no excuses".
Let's see how that went.
Here are some of the quotes coming from the club in the past 4 months:
Skipworth before JLT
You mean we've finally learned from our mistakes?“We take every game seriously,” Skipworth told RSN 927.
“We want to get our game plan rolling and our guys in form early … We know we don’t have that third game (of pre-season anymore).”
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Ben Rutten on our website before JLT:
Oh no way. Wow. Defensive and offensive at the same time? Is this even Essendon?Essendon performance coach Ben Rutten says the team’s new defensive tactics will not inhibit the side’s natural flair.
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After JLT loss vs Geelong
Zach Merrett:
But didn't your m8 Skipworth say that we take every game seriously? Ah. You're holding your cards close to your chest. Smart.“That’s what JLT games are for, to learn as much as you can against opposition,” Merrett said post-match.
“I thought we played most of the game the way we wanted to play, but obviously you want to win as well.
“I didn’t really look at the scoreboard much throughout the night to be absolutely honest, it was more about playing the way we want to play and building towards round one.
“The scoreboard’s pretty irrelevant.”
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Xavier Campbell in the lead up to the season (after the two JLT losses):
[IMG='width:406px;']https://thumbs.gfycat.com/LikelyThirstyCutworm-max-1mb.gif[/IMG]“Our supporter base wants to see improvement, they want to see consistency and they want to see a team that competes hard for four quarters every week in an increasingly competitive competition,” Campbell said on SEN on Tuesday.
“We’ve got a competition that is more even than it’s ever been and it’s a good thing, we want to see that.
“We’ve got great talent on our list, and we’ve spoken about that on a number of occasions, with good coaching staff.
“They want to see improvement year on year and I think they’ll see that.”
Heppell in the lead up to the season opener:
[IMG='width:410px;']https://media1.giphy.com/media/3oKIPbNb1vWdftiVLq/giphy.gif[/IMG]Captain Dyson Heppell says fans should expect a more vicious Essendon outfit in round one as the side looks to recapture its ‘identity’ from the second half of the 2018 season.
So did everyone buy into it? After all, JLT is about learning from your opposition right? I'm pumped now! Let's go!“Coming off the back of last year our real identity was our heat, our pressure and intensity around the ball, we really found that in the back half of the year,” Heppell said on SEN on Tuesday.
“In those first couple of (pre-season) games we really didn’t bring that to the table.
“We know we can do it and we know how damaging it can be when we bring it, so it’s just a matter of everyone buying into that and putting it on the park.”
GWS 16.16 - 112
ESS 5.10 - 40
John Worsfold:
I know right?"You don't expect to step out like that in round one and be so far off the mark, so we were very disappointed by that,"
Please tell me what it's about.“I’m really proud of the young group we’ve got in our leadership group, they’re all going to be outstanding leaders at this footy club,” Worsfold said on Tuesday.
“They set a great example in terms of work ethic and what we want to stand for.
“Some individuals had average games on the weekend, but leadership is not just around having a great game and being the best player every week.
Oh so it's about how you respond. Okay. After all, we do start favourites this time around right?“They definitely learnt some lessons around that on the weekend.
“It’s how they respond, what they do during the week, how they get around their teammates, how they lead the way in terms of the response (that) is a big part of it.”
"I don't think we started favourites, so we lost a game that most people didn't expect us to win.
Let's see how you as a leader respond Woosha.
In: Parish
Out: Ridley
I wonder how proud you were of Ridley. Wait hang on. I think Woosha will tell us why Ridley was dropped.
How was our best line-up?“(I expect him to respond) exactly like what I spoke about with Darcy Parish last week, just understand it’s about the team, it’s about what the team needs for this week, and continue to build on his game.
“He’s been so diligent, he’s had a great pre-season and he’s ready for a really strong year.
“He’s not out of the side for any other reason than getting our best line-up for this week.”
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This is a direct quote from the article on our website after losing to St Kilda:
For the second consecutive season, Essendon finds itself with its backs against the wall.
But after a heavy defeat to Greater Western Sydney in round one and a narrow loss to St Kilda on Saturday, senior coach John Worsfold is backing his side to respond.
They've got a lot of character, this group, and I believe they're going to take on the challenge of fighting through it," Worsfold said in the aftermath of the match.
"They responded pretty well tonight off last week's disappointment around the contest.
Sorry. Continue Woosha. That was rude of me.
(We have to) believe in what we're trying to do and keep challenging ourselves to get better."
"We asked the players to back themselves in today. They really played a bit inhibited last week and it was frustrating for parts of that, but I was pleased they were still backing themselves in," Worsfold said.
"Coming off last week's game, there's no doubt they had heightened nervousness maybe, and maybe a lack of confidence, but they really tried to take the game on and made some brave decisions.
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I could keep going on and on about it, but the point is very clear. This club needs an investigation.
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