Analysis What happened after the Adelaide game?

[owen87]

Football seasons always have this, happens every year. The high flying team in the front half hits a wall and drops off.
The teams that start slow "catch fire" (see Carlton).
The good teams still hit that same wall, but they have established fitness loads over a number of seasons and you can manage it, they don't redline themselves every week so recovery is easier.

Think about it this way.
You have to do 300 squats, 300 push ups and 300 crunches. You work your way through them in sequential order, you try and break up how many you can do into sets.
The inexperienced and not as fit person tries to do as many squats as they can in one go, they burn out, take a break and try and go again, they can't get near the amount they did, they have to recover longer, and it snowballs. They may not be able to get the work done.
The experienced person knows their level and only gives an 80% effort, they could do blocks of 40, instead they do blocks of 30. They recover closer to their max, they can work for longer.

We have a young team, we have a team that does not know how to win, does not know how to play within their limits. We redline every week because this team overall isnt at the level required, it takes everything we have.

Remember that Adelaide game? We went absolutely ballistic, some of the highest pressure we have had. The port game? Same standard.
Both games we dropped right off, total witches hats in the final quarter. By the time we got to Geelong we were cooked, they thumped us and we have never gotten back to those levels. Every week we get worse and worse.
The fact that the senior guys are struggling is evidence that the club has never been good enough.

It's why I give Scott an out with selection. He knows we aren't "fit" enough. They keep doing the development work during the week, he keeps the same players in the squad having to back up every single week.
This is what he means when he talks about not sacrificing the long term for the short term.
This group needs to learn the standard you need to be at, in recovery, in your overall fitness capacity and how you use it in games.

When you're not a very good football side no wins are easy wins, every week is hard, and that will have a cumulative effect over the course of a 24 week season.

We're asking a lot from a handful of senior players (e.g. Merrett and Parish carry a huge load each week) and a bunch of inexperienced blokes who simply haven't had enough time in the system to get up week after week. Better sides have more good players to help distribute that load, and more mature players that won't fall away as easily.

Even someone like Nick Daicos who came in to the system as physically ready as any player I've seen has slowed down at the tail end of the season, it takes time to build the resilience up to do it every week for a full season.

 

[citizen-erased]

Tony Shaw makes a couple of good points on RoCos podcast

We keep talking about learning. At some point you need to show that you've learnt something

And maybe the leaders aren't that bad at leading, but the examples they set aren't the right ones because how would they know any different

Is this self perpetuating?

The test came post bye, and we really failed quite miserably. I look at our list. Who would know how to prep and handle the challenge thrown down

 

[Mercurial89]

When you're not a very good football side no wins are easy wins, every week is hard, and that will have a cumulative effect over the course of a 24 week season.

We're asking a lot from a handful of senior players (e.g. Merrett and Parish carry a huge load each week) and a bunch of inexperienced blokes who simply haven't had enough time in the system to get up week after week. Better sides have more good players to help distribute that load, and more mature players that won't fall away as easily.

Even someone like Nick Daicos who came in to the system as physically ready as any player I've seen has slowed down at the tail end of the season, it takes time to build the resilience up to do it every week for a full season.

I don't think the AFL community is mature enough to actually discuss the physical loads in this sport.

I don't necessarily blame fans, how would they know?
Especially when the "experts" boil their analysis down to "they aren't trying hard enough".

Many fans have never pushed themselves to absolute exhaustion. When your brain can scream at your legs to go and you can't lift them.
Then doing everything you can to recover and trying to go and you just can't.

And no, just because you played reserves footy 10 years ago doesn't mean you get it.

That's not "not caring" that's just simply not being able to perform.

 

[Keystone agony]

Why don’t you just give us the answer ?

Because im not the one making those claims?

 

[ant555]

Because im not the one making those claims?

You seem to have all the answers so what are they ?

 

[CBombers17]

The fact that most of the team look flat would suggest either they've taken a Don Pyke outback cultural tour over the bye or its training loads.

 

[Keystone agony]

You seem to have all the answers so what are they ?

Im asking the questions

Honestly just dont think were that good right now

Maybe the 4th worst side in the comp

Has nothing to do with this tiring, that tiring. Thats just a throw away line instead of saying were just not that good, which he even touched on in his post match aswell.

I expected a belting from GWS

Were young, weve played super inexperienced sides

The Bulldogs and GWS games say alot and i think the group knew they were defeated before the GWS game

 

[boncer34]

When you're not a very good football side no wins are easy wins, every week is hard, and that will have a cumulative effect over the course of a 24 week season.

We're asking a lot from a handful of senior players (e.g. Merrett and Parish carry a huge load each week) and a bunch of inexperienced blokes who simply haven't had enough time in the system to get up week after week. Better sides have more good players to help distribute that load, and more mature players that won't fall away as easily.

Even someone like Nick Daicos who came in to the system as physically ready as any player I've seen has slowed down at the tail end of the season, it takes time to build the resilience up to do it every week for a full season.

Knee injury does that to a bloke.

 

[FlyingV]

Im asking the questions

Honestly just dont think were that good right now

Maybe the 4th worst side in the comp

Has nothing to do with this tiring, that tiring. Thats just a throw away line instead of saying were just not that good, which he even touched on in his post match aswell.

I expected a belting from GWS

Were young, weve played super inexperienced sides

The Bulldogs and GWS games say alot and i think the group knew they were defeated before the GWS game

So saying we are tiring is a ‘throw away line’ but you saying ‘we are just not that good’ is not a throw away line?… riiigghhht.

 

[Keystone agony]

So saying we are tiring is a ‘throw away line’ but you saying ‘we are just not that good’ is not a throw away line?… riiigghhht.

I say alot more than that

The first is from the coach

 

[MiguelM]

I don't think the AFL community is mature enough to actually discuss the physical loads in this sport.

I don't necessarily blame fans, how would they know?
Especially when the "experts" boil their analysis down to "they aren't trying hard enough".

Many fans have never pushed themselves to absolute exhaustion. When your brain can scream at your legs to go and you can't lift them.
Then doing everything you can to recover and trying to go and you just can't.

And no, just because you played reserves footy 10 years ago doesn't mean you get it.

That's not "not caring" that's just simply not being able to perform.

AFL is certainly up there in terms of a hard physical sport but we are miles behind in our fitness levels.

Doesn't help we recruit soft skinny kids.

 

[Zephyr Effekt]

This is what Merrett had to say after the win against Adelaide.

"It was an extremely powerful first half the way we played.

"There's certainly been areas of our game ... that we haven't been up to scratch with, even though we've been winning a few games.

"Our defence and our ability to play, on our terms, was probably the best I've ever seen.

"You could feel the energy in the stadium, with all our fans getting right behind the way we were playing.
"Out there watching all the teammates – it felt like there was 15 or 16 guys playing their best footy at once – was extremely powerful."

Then came that mighty wall which smacked them straight down the middle for six and slapped the taste of any remaining bathwater out of their mouths.

 

[Yoda_]

We still have a player on the list who was involved, so we haven’t had true generational change yet. We don’t get there until Heppell retires and we get true closure on that chapter.

Anyone back of house bar Dodoro is still there? Board level? S&C?

I would believe a true generational change until EVERYONE is gone from those dark days

 

[jmoo wan]

Anyone back of house bar Dodoro is still there? Board level? S&C?

I would believe a true generational change until EVERYONE is gone from those dark days

 

[Zach Package]

Anyone back of house bar Dodoro is still there? Board level? S&C?

I would believe a true generational change until EVERYONE is gone from those dark days

Execute the boot studder

 

[Milanista28]

This is what Merrett had to say after the win against Adelaide.



Then came that mighty wall which smacked them straight down the middle for six and slapped the taste of any remaining bathwater out of their mouths.

Crows played s**t like they always do interstate and Essendon decided we were awesome and the best.

Our players are stupid

 

[Don_Gia]

I dunno about anyone else but my expectations will be rock bottom for the next year after this past few weeks…might be a good thing thinking we aren’t actually that good for a while, whatever the reason…fitness, talent, development etc

2017 was peak high hopes…got all our players back plus a no. 1 draft pick, decent spine with Bellchambers, Hooker, Hurley, Merrett, Joey D and Oraaazziioooo…

Joey D takes a pack mark in the goalsquare in the first few minutes in the EF v Sydney and I’m like “oh here we go lads”…

Who would have thought from that point on would be utter madness rollercoaster-type emotions and still not convinced we have sorted sh*t out…still in no man’s land essentially.

Still love ‘em but what a mess lol

Just like this weeks jumper…gotta strap in for more reasons than one…peak Essendon if we roll the pies on Friday night though true?

 

[Vander18]

What on Earth is going on?

We are into the realms of the bizarre now…..we might lose this by 150 points!

 

[ghostdog]

The week following the Adelaide game was when the group finally agreed which Greek island they'll party at this year, and which music festivals they'll go to. It can't come quickly enough! How exciting!

 

[frodos gardener]

My opinion is that they lost belief as they began to realise they’re not good enough yet; I.e. reality hit.

To me what this shows is they need to work out what they want to play for between now and the time when they are good enough, because the true, sustained belief in themselves won’t come first.

Compounding injuries certainly harmed the team as the season progressed, although I still reckon the same thing would’ve happened albeit to a less extreme extent.

When they lost belief, the effort fell away. Some may say our short kicking game got worked out but I’d contend the boys stopped working the short leads we saw in the earlier rounds not as a result of fatigue but because the spark had faded. Old habits crept in that forced long kicks to contests and in turn exposed our lack of marking ability. Wright’s return have an easy out to play that game going inside 50, too.

When we lost the ability to control the ball and maintain possession, our ground defence was exposed to what it was before.

I personally think the confidence was lost prior to the Adelaide game - would place it at the Freo & Port losses respectively.

We have a long road ahead. I am not expecting a big turnaround next year although I’m wanting to see improvement and some genuine list turnover. We still have some scar tissue from the saga that needs to be excised.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

We were told, by everyone with an opinion, that it would take 10 years to recover from the 'saga' and here we are.

Personally don't go along with that line of thinking. It feels a bit like when Carlton people were blaming their salary cap penalties 15 years after it happened. And they'd been in the finals since.

The re-signing of a clearly inept Worsfold in 2018, the stupid Worsfold-Rutten transition, the booting of Rutten after just two seasons to chase Clarkson, who wasn't attainable, then the signing of Scott who doesn't - at this stage - seem to have really improved us.

Own goal after own goal after own goal

The immediate response and management from the drug saga was actually good. We took what we had to on the chin and tried to make strong decisions. I maintain Paul Little was a hugely underrated, pragmatic leader of this club and said at the time we would miss him when he left. Since 2017/18 we've been poorly managed.

Tanner, Brasher and Barham and their boards have not been good leaders of our club. You have a senile ******* in Sheedy running around being kingmaker. I think we'd have issues with these people in charge, saga or not. It all starts at the top.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Personally don't go along with that line of thinking. It feels a bit like when Carlton people were blaming their salary cap penalties 15 years after it happened. And they'd been in the finals since.

The re-signing of a clearly inept Worsfold in 2018, the stupid Worsfold-Rutten transition, the booting of Rutten after just two seasons to chase Clarkson, who wasn't attainable, then the signing of Scott who doesn't - at this stage - seem to have really improved us.

Own goal after own goal after own goal

The immediate response and management from the drug saga was actually good. We took what we had to on the chin and tried to make strong decisions. I maintain Paul Little was a hugely underrated, pragmatic leader of this club and said at the time we would miss him when he left. Since 2017/18 we've been poorly managed.

Tanner, Brasher and Barham and their boards have not been good leaders of our club. You have a senile ******* in Sheedy running around being kingmaker. I think we'd have issues with these people in charge, saga or not. It all starts at the top.

I see a lot of that stuff as resulting from the trauma and damage to the club's culture in the wake of the drugs stuff. Every part of the club went into damage control and once the dust settled it looks like there's nothing left who remembers what success looks and feels like.

 

[owen87]

Personally don't go along with that line of thinking. It feels a bit like when Carlton people were blaming their salary cap penalties 15 years after it happened. And they'd been in the finals since.

The re-signing of a clearly inept Worsfold in 2018, the stupid Worsfold-Rutten transition, the booting of Rutten after just two seasons to chase Clarkson, who wasn't attainable, then the signing of Scott who doesn't - at this stage - seem to have really improved us.

Own goal after own goal after own goal

The immediate response and management from the drug saga was actually good. We took what we had to on the chin and tried to make strong decisions. I maintain Paul Little was a hugely underrated, pragmatic leader of this club and said at the time we would miss him when he left. Since 2017/18 we've been poorly managed.

Tanner, Brasher and Barham and their boards have not been good leaders of our club. You have a senile ******* in Sheedy running around being kingmaker. I think we'd have issues with these people in charge, saga or not. It all starts at the top.

I think some of those poor decisions are off the back of ‘not having won a final in 20 years’ that quite possibly wouldn’t have had happened the saga not occurred.

Supporters want things fixed - now - so short term decisions keep getting made.