2018 Season in Review: The Clapper v Gloomer Deathmatch

McKenna started (here) as a forward… after moving from Ireland, playing a substantively different sport. Langford played forward as late as mid 2017. Bags had kicked 1 career goal prior to this year.
All 3 of those are proof that this coaching group can develop guys in new roles. So are guys like McKernan, Dea, Stringer, and on and on.

How it reads to me is you (in hindsight) pointing out all the things that worked immediately were good calls and the ones that didn’t work, or took time, were bad calls.
Maybe you don’t see it that way.

I ‘m glad we ran through a heap of different options, players and setups. Even the ones that didn’t work. We learnt a lot about this list, and what they can do. You learn just as much from failures as successes, sometimes more.
Is how I see it, anyway.

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Agree with you that players can play multiple roles, and that the first few years of a player’s career is the time to test them out. However, I reckon we might have, on occasions, ignored the obvious physical attributes of a player and tried to shoehorn them into roles they were never going to excel at.

Hooker has always been slow and is too slow to play forward fulltime - great late in the game when defenses tire but can’t make the repeat leads or put fwd pressure on. Stringer has never had the tank for mid and is still not fit enough for big mid mins - could change but likely only through preseason. McKernan has always been too short for ruck. Hurley has always been slow and backline pressure is getting more frenetic - Mckenna and Saad can buy themselves more time to nail a pass and are better suited to that playmaker off halfback role. Not saying players can’t develop - saying its rare for players to excel in roles for which they don’t have the physical attributes.

The opinion coming out of the club, is also that the turnaround started before, not after the Carlton game.

None of which stops people repeating ad nauseum, that we turned our season around in a couple of days, post-Carlton, despite it being highly improbable and refuted consistently by people within the club who have nothing to gain by saying so.

Neeld was very highly rated at Collingwood and seen as very good tactically but failed as head coach. Made sense to bring him in.

Most likely Langford wasn’t capable of doing what he did later in the year in the first handful of rounds. He was given the time he needed.

McK has had plenty of chances in the fwd line and has never fully grasped them at two clubs.

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Fair enough… there were reasons for all those guys to be given or not be, given a go. So spectacular was Neeld’s failure at Melb that I don’t think he should have ever been given another senior coaching role - poor comms skills are poor comms skills, regardless of your tactical prowess. Langford had a good year in the 2’s last year, there was form there… and need. McKernan was BOG in preseason, probably could have played a few more early on. Anyway, I take Henry’s point - everyone’s wise in hindsight.

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All good, certainly agree that next year is now looking promising.

Absolutely, from pitchforks in Rd 8 to real optimism for 2019. The club deserves a lot of credit.

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What then, in your opinion, do gloomers expect from 2019?

I can really only speak for myself, but I expected finals this year.
And, as was the case last year, I think with a possible infusion of more talent and definitely more experience of this team playing together, I believe we really, really, really, really should be playing finals next year.

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I consider myself one of the gloomers. But I will say that if the Essendon that showed up from round 9 to 23 shows up from round 1 in 2019 AND we have a full list to choose from I feel we could be a chance to be top 4.

The club really has to set records for a quality pre season and have the right attitude from the start.

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You still running with Worsfold being the worst coach we’ve had since Stephen ?

I’m still going with stop stalking me, I have no interest whatsoever in talking to you.

Cool- just wondering if anyone thinks Worsfold is holding the club back.
Especially when they say “believe they really really really should”…

I’ll say it, again, you sick, fixated, one issue ■■■■.
I have not enjoyed a single one of your replies to me, and I’m asking you to stop.
The mods have asked you to stop.

■■■■■■■.
Stop.

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I never realised you treated it that seriously.

They would also say Worsfold needs to be sacked. If not now, a year ago.

And also would have mentioned how he’s too friendly and not ruthless enough in press conferences. Until the Carlton game at least, when his press conferences were not friendly enough.

People confuse saying this year is a failure with saying they’re not excited for the future and don’t think we can’t do well next year, which is usually the “happy clappers”. You can say this year is a failure but also be excited for the future and think we can do well.

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@barnz check out this boomer sob story.

NO

PICK ONE

■■■■■ the economy after getting a silver spoon.

‘yous are wasting all our hard work’

smh

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