Analysis Why are we s**t?

[Old Campaigner]

Are we:

• Still very much in a development phase?
• Badly coached?
• Coached well enough but still learning the gameplan?
• Recruiting badly?
• Still clinging to a culture of mediocrity?

Personally I think we're most likely still in more of a development phase than the club is publicly admitting, and there's probably some big question marks over the other points.

However it does look like we might have gone backwards from last year. Adelaide were trash last year, yet we barely squeaked over the line in a home game. Freo weren't amazing last year but they've given us a proper fisting, again in our home game.

It's one thing to be in a development phase because every club needs to do that from time to time but is it just me or have a number of sides bottomed out after us and gone past us on the rebound?

 

[Burzum]

Recruiting badly?

Yes.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Personally I blame Neagle for playing on.

 

[ghostdog]

Personally I blame Neagle for playing on.

It was a pretty clear turning point.

 

[Kakkle]

In need of another Ziggy Switkowski report.

 

[Shanghaistu]

We made a secret deal with the AFL in 2013 to be sh*t for the next 15 years as punishment for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’?

 

[nipst@r]

We made a secret deal with the AFL in 2013 to be sh*t for the next 15 years as punishment for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’?

Surely we had already knocked off 2003 to 2013 as timed served for being shit though.

 

[Yoda_]

Are we:

• Still very much in a development phase?
• Badly coached?
• Coached well enough but still learning the gameplan?
• Recruiting badly?
• Still clinging to a culture of mediocrity?

Personally I think we're most likely still in more of a development phase than the club is publicly admitting, and there's probably some big question marks over the other points.

However it does look like we might have gone backwards from last year. Adelaide were trash last year, yet we barely squeaked over the line in a home game. Freo weren't amazing last year but they've given us a proper fisting, again in our home game.

It's one thing to be in a development phase because every club needs to do that from time to time but is it just me or have a number of sides bottomed out after us and gone past us on the rebound?

Our development has been shit for years. How many almost players can one side carry in it's best 22?

Recruiting is shit.

 

[eth-dog]

Are we:

• Still very much in a development phase?
• Badly coached?
• Coached well enough but still learning the gameplan?
• Recruiting badly?
• Still clinging to a culture of mediocrity?

Personally I think we're most likely still in more of a development phase than the club is publicly admitting, and there's probably some big question marks over the other points.

However it does look like we might have gone backwards from last year. Adelaide were trash last year, yet we barely squeaked over the line in a home game. Freo weren't amazing last year but they've given us a proper fisting, again in our home game.

It's one thing to be in a development phase because every club needs to do that from time to time but is it just me or have a number of sides bottomed out after us and gone past us on the rebound?

Probably a mix of A, C, D and E.

We had the second youngest side in the league today and quite comfortably the least experienced side. Freo are 4-1 and are 2nd as things stand. They're a strong side and I think they'll probably finish between 3 and 6. Their young midfield is very strong.

Today was bad but it shouldn't be cause for panic.

 

[Mootsy]

strength and fitness seems down as well.

 

[Inspecta Gadget]

Apparently we started our preseason before everyone else. Reckon we should get a head start on next year now, sack the rest of this year off

 

[TheGrizz]

Are we:

• Still very much in a development phase?
• Badly coached?
• Coached well enough but still learning the gameplan?
• Recruiting badly?
• Still clinging to a culture of mediocrity?

Personally I think we're most likely still in more of a development phase than the club is publicly admitting, and there's probably some big question marks over the other points.

However it does look like we might have gone backwards from last year. Adelaide were trash last year, yet we barely squeaked over the line in a home game. Freo weren't amazing last year but they've given us a proper fisting, again in our home game.

It's one thing to be in a development phase because every club needs to do that from time to time but is it just me or have a number of sides bottomed out after us and gone past us on the rebound?

I dont think we actually leaned into bottoming out until 2020, when Daniher and Saad left it signalled the end of that premiership 'tilt'with Hooker, Hurley and Bellchambers on their last legs and Heppell not too far behind.

The reality is from 2017-19 we thought we were close but we weren't. In 2021 we had a super soft draw and somehow made the finals with a 11-11 record and a percentage just over 100 - the literal definition of mediocrity.

We are closer to the bottom than the top. And the reality is we have another 2 years of solid drafting to get the talent base required.

Stewart, Smith, Guelfi, Zerk-Thatcher et al are placeholders until we fill their list spots with high picks, and we have a couple more years of being a bottom 6 side to go.

This isn't doomsday this is just reality. Carlton drafted their spine (Weitering, McKay, Curnow, De Koning) 6-7 years ago and are just seeing the fruits of that now, for example.

 

[Mr Brown]

Probably a mix of A, C, D and E.

We had the second youngest side in the league today and quite comfortably the least experienced side. Freo are 4-1 and are 2nd as things stand. They're a strong side and I think they'll probably finish between 3 and 6. Their young midfield is very strong.

Today was bad but it shouldn't be cause for panic.

What about B is going right out of interest?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[silk]

We are cursed. Need to undertake a magical quest to remove it.

 

[Yoda_]

Stewart, Smith, Guelfi, Zerk-Thatcher et al are placeholders until we fill their list spots with high picks, and we have a couple more years of being a bottom 6 side to go.

The disappointing thing with some of these placeholders is we are replacing them with more placeholders.

 

[TheGrizz]

The disappointing thing with some of these placeholders is we are replacing them with more placeholders.

Like whom?

 

[doug85]

Aren’t we 1 season and 5 matches into a rebuild?

 

[Bombermania]

Premierships are won in November.

What are we not doing in November that other clubs are doing?

Answering that question could answer the OP's question.

 

[Booplaz]

1. We don’t have any AFL ready key defenders. Laverde is undersized, BZT lacks strength and speed whilst Stewart is probably the best of the lot but needs someone else to take the #1 key forward. The sooner Cox and Reid are able to take key positions the better.

2. We lack run out of defence. Hind hasn’t been able to recapture last years form. Heppell does nothing with his 20/30 touches each week. I think Redman’s future lies further up the field. McGrath to half back would help. Can Lord come on quicker than expected?

3. The midfield is undersized. Part of the reason Stringer looks so effective in our midfield is that he can break tackles and draw more than one opponent to him. We need more midfielders his size to release other into space. Conversely, we struggle to contain other sides bigger mids. It’s simply a lot easier to wear/break the contact and effectively dispose of the ball when the guy tackling you is 10cm shorter and 10kg lighter.

4. The running capacity + speed of our midfielders and small forwards. I don’t think enough heat get put on our forwards for how easily the ball comes out of our fwd 50. No wonder it looks like our midfield is always trailing in defence. The ball comes out of that area far too quickly and cleanly, which really isn’t surprising when Dev Smith is our closest thing to a small forward at the moment. You can see why we chased after Hill and Rosas. In saying this, our midfield switches off far too often when we lose the ball. With the size + defensive effort of Shiel, Parish, Merrett and McGrath all similar something has to give. As previously mentioned McGrath can go down back. I’d look to move Shiel on, 800k for barely a B grader with speed is ugly reading. More Hobbs and Caldwell along with adding a guy in the Hewett vein will help.

5. No really a specific point, but we need less injuries to key players.

Could probably think of more, but these stand out immediately as the most pressing.

 

[BrunoV]

The truth is in here somewhere.

The numbers don't lie.

 

[Yoda_]

Like whom?

With our current injury predicament, we see Guelfi (small marking forward) playing in the same side as Waterman (small marking forward).

We have Cutler and McDonagh on the list. Why? We have Ham and Smith. Why? Laverde is a placeholder for a genuine KPD imho. why the three years?

 

[Yoda_]

Our small forward group is PATHETIC.

 

[Duckworth]

What are we not doing in November that other clubs are doing?

Winning

 

[TheGrizz]

With our current injury predicament, we see Guelfi (small marking forward) playing in the same side as Waterman (small marking forward).

We have Cutler and McDonagh on the list. Why? We have Ham and Smith. Why? Laverde is a placeholder for a genuine KPD imho. why the three years?

Read my comment again.

I didn't say the positions they are holding are for people on the list currently.

The reality is the positions being held by Guelfi and Smith are to be held by people not on our list yet. We went after Hill and Rosas last year, does that not indicate the club agrees with you? We have 2 Davey twins coming and maybe we go after Hill again.

Stewart and Zerk Thatcher likely holding the spot of Reid and Brand/McBride

The reality is the majority of our next successful list aren't drafted yet. The sooner Essendon fans realise this the better.

 

[Yoda_]

Read my comment again.

I didn't say the positions they are holding are for people on the list currently.

The reality is the positions being held by Guelfi and Smith are to be held by people not on our list yet. We went after Hill and Rosas last year, does that not indicate the club agrees with you? We have 2 Davey twins coming and maybe we go after Hill again.

Stewart and Zerk Thatcher likely holding the spot of Reid and Brand/McBride

The reality is the majority of our next successful list aren't drafted yet. The sooner Essendon fans realise this the better.

I understand that, my gripe is we already have the next placeholder ready when we really should be looking to develop that next AFL player.