he was good at belching during a press conference
Imagine if X put this on a PowerPoint presentation. Place would be in shambles.
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Iâm all in on Scott, he is a hardarse behind closed doors and I think standards will definitely improve. I disagree with him on us having only Zach as A Grader , would include Rids as an A Grader also. After that its daylight but Martin/Redman rising fast
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We now have a well resourced football department to propel this along. Rutten wasnât a great coach but he was leading an under-resourced operation.
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No doubt in my mind internal expectation is to win a final at the least this year. Scott is smart to keep hosing this down in the media.
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No team is full of A+'s you also need some B+ as well.
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For sure, those strategic instances will occasionally crop up.
As per many work environments, success is âeasierâ if everyone is working together to do their best to achieve the outcomes.
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Whilst that is true, as a club, we have had a dearth of A+ talent for a number of years.
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In all my years of following this club, this incident to me was one of the most embarrassing and why we have been a laughing stock. to think that a C Grade player at best would disrespect the Coach and the Jumper in such a manner was disgraceful. If it was me I would have dropped him the next week and then delisted him. This is the point of difference that I hope Scott brings to the club. The players we all know have had it far too easy . The Boys Club is over (I hope) - over to you B.Scott
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How many times have coaches played an injured player, when they tell you they wouldnât⌠and yet they do because they hope itâll work out⌠this time, plus they wonât play favourites (like Weid).
I agree, hope this season is different!
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I enjoy these platitudes as much as the next person, but like many of you here, I just want to see tangible results. Weâve addressed some offield issues, and it seems as though players are embracing the coaches mantra. But when itâs deep in the fourth quarter of a close final or on Anzac Day, then weâll truly know whether our club has actually changed.
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The big boy pants have been presented, neatly hanging in the lockers ready to be worn. Wether they put them on gameday, we shall see.
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time will tell if BDB is the real deal or just ben rutten but articulate.
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Should have been the end of Hind. You donât disrespect the coach like that.
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Is that ai of Nick malcheski and Rodney eade?
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Feels like preseason is officially over with the injury to Baldwin. This time next week weâll all be in melt down after the saints give us a touch upâŚ
The painful defeat that inspired rising Bomberâs role change
Essendon coach Brad Scott explains how Collingwoodâs comeback win in last yearâs Anzac Day match proved the catalyst for a summer of change
By Callum Twomey
4 hrs ago
Nic Martin (left) and his Essendon teammates after the R6 loss to Collingwood at the MCG on April 25, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos
COLLINGWOODâS come-from-behind win over Essendon in last yearâs Anzac Day clash has served as a critical factor in the Bombersâ plans for 2024, including emerging star Nic Martinâs shift as a half-back.
The Bombers led the eventual premiers by 28 points at three-quarter time of the clash but that wasnât enough as the Nick Daicos-charged Pies overran Essendon to win by 13 points with seven last-quarter goals.
But the game has been a constant in the mind of Essendon coach Brad Scott, who saw his side get overwhelmed as injury struck the Bombers and left them plugging holes with players in unfamiliar positions.
Part of Essendonâs focus over summer ahead of Scottâs second season at the helm has been to build his playersâ skills â ânot only in their primary role but also some secondary and tertiary roles as wellâ â with Martin, who has become a key member of Essendonâs midfield, training regularly as a half-back over summer.
In some match simulations, the smooth-moving Martin has been deployed to take Essendonâs kick-outs and be the set-up player from defence. Scott said last yearâs Magpies loss had been the origins of their search for positional flexibility.
âA lot of people have asked me âWhat happened at three-quarter time on Anzac Day?â We put ourselves in a winnable position, I think 28 points up but Jayden Laverde had been crunched, he was off the ground. I was told he couldnât come back on,â Scott told AFL.com.au.
"We were limited with players that we could move to half-back and so we had to put a player at half-back who really hadnât trained there and wasnât prepared to play there. Weâve been pretty diligent in making sure that weâve got a lot of bases covered and that means making sure the players are prepared to play those roles.
âThat [could be] Nic playing half-back, Nick Hind playing forward and back, our rucks spending a fair bit of time forward so that they can go and play there if we choose to play two rucks. But Nic Martin, I think heâd look comfortable no matter where he was on the ground. Heâs just a really smart player and a terrific ball user.â
Daicosâ free-wheeling smarts against Essendon from half-back then the midfield saw him clinch the best-afield Anzac Day Medal last year, with Scott saying the value of the defensive user was critical.
âThe game always evolves and sometimes it evolves full circle and it comes back to where it was. I think back to as an example, you know, the Sydney Swans side of (Nick) Malceski, Tadhg Kennelly, Rhyce Shaw running off half-back. Those players were really important back in that era and I think theyâre equally as important in the modern era,â he said.
âWeâve got (Mason) Redman, (Andrew) McGrath, Nick Hind ⌠weâve got a lot of players who can do that but with one or two injuries and a couple of positional shifts, we want to make sure weâve got enough depth to be able to do that. And âMartoâsâ certainly capable of it.â
Essendonâs improved depth on the wing, where Martin has played the majority of his first two seasons at AFL level, has also allowed for more things to be trialled across pre-season. Ex-Port Adelaide midfielder Xavier Duursma and 2022 top-five draft pick Elijah Tsatas have trained as wingmen over summer, while Sam Durham has been a pre-season standout.
L-R: Elijah Tsatas, Zach Merrett, Nick Hind and Xavier Duursma looks on during Essendonâs official team photo day at the Hangar on February 13, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
On Duursma, Scott said the Bombers had identified the need for his running attributes.
âWe probably felt we were a little bit short at different stages with some outside run so we value Xavier really highly and heâs had a terrific last month,â he said.
Tsatasâ first season at Essendon was curtailed by knee surgery that ruled him out for the first half of the 2023 campaign. He debuted in round 21 and played the last four games of the season, with Scott excited by what he can add to their mix.
âElijahâs always had a lot of raw power but heâs had raw power for a 17, 18-year-old and heâs really developed physically [over pre-season]. Heâs starting to display those elite attributes that we saw as a junior. Heâs now transferring that through to the training track,â he said.
âThat comes with a bit of maturity, but a bit of size and strength as well. Heâs still got a long way to go and heâs going well. Heâs performing at a high level. The scope for his improvement is significant.â
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