For memory the salary cap did go up.
But at one stage, particular payments were not included within the salary cap (Hird had some payments for doing something on our website and Lloyd had something else as well) so we set our contracts up to suit. Then when the salary cap was settled, those particular payments had to be included in the salary cap.
Twasn’t that. The AFL was projecting an 8-9% increase, but a number of clubs cried poor (the usual suspects) and it only went up 1-2%. We’d already committed to new contracts and the Hird-Lloyd things came later in an attempt to dodge the TPP.
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Was there also something to do with the Veterans list? I seem to remember we were expecting the age to be lowered offering us some extra cap relief.
Something…I don’t remember exactly what. Not sure it was the age…maybe the number on the vets list, or games played, or something. But I felt that was a little later.
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The cult of Walla or Tippa is growing and footy supporters no matter who they follow love his tenacity.
P Jackson (the man with the purse strings) set Essendon back years. Not only did he negotiate contracts on a (unkept) promise (resulting in the loss of key personnel + morale), he refused to invest in facility upgrades (apparently, EFC had the worse in the comp) and stymied attempts to recruit big names.
Additionally, Jackson stuffed up a promising start to 2007 (7:4 at the half way mark) and reduced the team to a rabble (3:8) by declaring mid season that Sheeds was gone. It was a miracle Sheeds achieved what he did under the bloke and hardly surprising it progressively fell apart after years of being undermined. Yes, Jackson more than anyone else was a key element responsible for the decline of Essendon’s fortunes.
(I know I was one of those who called for change but with the advantage of hindsight who’s to say the master of reinvention couldn’t have gone to the well one last time. I guess with Jackson at the helm that wasn’t going to happen. Shame he wasn’t given the flick and Sheeds provided with the appropriate resources/support).
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Fair points to begin with, but that 7:4 start was about as convincing as North’s flyer in 2016. We were going nowhere and Sheeds had fallen miles behind tactically.
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I’d have to disagree with your assumption re: 2007. Started the season with a 31 point win over Adelaide IN Adelaide + beat Sydney IN Sydney). The 4 losses (by 3, 16, 35, 22 points) were nothing compared to embarrassment from round 14 onwards. Sheeds was coaching well and the team were building momentum then whooska, they fell into a hole courtesy of Jackson’s announcement mid season (let the circus/distractions begin). I always felt the bloke needed Sheeds to fail to justify his earlier recommendation to the board that Sheeds must go.
Correct. We won 7 games that year by 2 goals or less, with a number of those solely due to Hird - who won the B&F that year despite playing only 17 games - dragging the team over the line with his individual brilliance. The season went to hell because Hird pinged his calf early in round 14 against Geelong, and we went 1-5 in rounds 14-19 in the games in which Hird was either injured or missed completely.
The whole “Sheedy’s sacking cost us finals” is wishful revisionism.
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Last two times we’ve played the crows round 1 we’ve won. Just sayin’.
My feeling was he announced it earlier so Sheedy couldn’t save his skin with a strong September campaign
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It was announced earlier because there was already Carlton, Fremantle and Melbourne looking for coaches at the time. Teams were trying to get Voss who was the main guy being talked up. Shortly after we told Sheedy he wouldn’t be coaching the following season, Voss took his name out of the coaching race.
We knew Sheedy wasn’t getting much from the younger group. Players like Welsh, MJ and Peverill were getting games all whilst we’d been looking for that ‘midfield jet’ for five years. Jobe wasn’t getting heavy midfield time, Hille wasn’t playing well and Paddy Ryder had stagnated as a key defender.
We needed a change. Sheedy was lucky not to be sacked at least a year earlier.
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I agree and thought it was the right call at the time.
I don’t blame Jackson for it becoming known that Sheedy was out. That was the Board’s decision and they are all responsible, but particularly the President, Graeme McMahon. It’s always been completely incomprehensible to me that a Board could be so utterly idiot as to decide at the beginning of a season that the coach would go at the end of it.
As you say, it completely ■■■■■■ the season, when we were actually playing some very good football. And as you also say, Sheedy was a master of reinvention. He was much better at building a team than at keeping it on top. He took a half-built team in 1981 and with it knocked a dominant Hawthorn off its perch to win the 1984 and 1985 flags, and then we fell away. We were down and out in 1991, he cleaned out the Club and built the 1993 team. That team never lived up to its promise, but then he built 2000. And frittered it away. But he pulled himself together from about 2005 and in 2007 the team was coming together. And the Board pulled the rug out from under him.
Eight years later we’re full of potential, but we’re still only on the fringe of the 8. It’s Worsfold’s challenge to turn potential into reality.
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Training Friday confirmed?
Was gonna bring the little fella down for a look.
And probably my 6 year old son as well.
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Boom boom …
Disagree mate. Reckon it’s an ideal time to play the Crows, round one on our home deck with what should be a preparation advantage, think it’s our only meeting for the year too. I think those players they lost will hurt their structure a bit too. Lever won’t be easily replaced, you could argue that Cameron is replaced by Milera but their biggest loss will be Smith.
If we’re ever going to beat them, round one is the time and it can catapult the season if we do ala Port when they beat Sydney in Sydney round one last year.
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Agree,
And we will win it too, I’ve already penciled it in.
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I’ve pencilled them all in!
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I’m sold