I notice the expected change in the Coaches Box.
Wooshas “Right Hand Man” ( actually sitting on his left) is now Opposition Analyst, Rob Harding.
Some quotes from an AFL article earlier in the year.
“Teams can get caught chasing last year’s premiers – and this has been an issue for years,” Harding said.
"But there’s more and more a feeling that you don’t have to play a certain way to win a premiership.
"There are things that are fundamentally ingrained: you have to be a good defence and a good contested-ball team, and you have to be able to score.
“But, how you achieve that is up to you … there’s no right or wrong way to play.”
“A minute of game time is a lifetime in the coaches’ box on game day,”
"You’ve got to be sure (about what you’re seeing), because you don’t want to send multiple messages down, but you also understand the quicker you get the right message out, the better it is for the team.
“You might make a little adjustment around that,…”
I just watched the whole 7+ mins of the press conference, very different kettle of fish to the edited version splashed across the media, no surprises there.
I have a bit of theory about where worsfold may have been coming from with his messaging that the players need to work out what they stand for etc etc.
Reading the leaked bomber email - bomber states that the players hate the club. Which given what they have been through that wouldn’t be surprising. Now I don’t think that is accurate, but it may be there is an element of residual resentment or bitterness remaining. Perhaps that is what worsfold wanted the players to address. Ie to think about what they wanted from themselves, what they wanted to stand for. In the end putting in sub standard performances reflects on themselves as much if not more than the club. So playing well, while it benefits the club is in the end, benefits the individuals more. I guess Worsfold can’t really convince players to over come these feelings they need to do it themselves. Perhaps they have based on Saturday’s game. Only time will tell.
Obviously it’s not all the players affected, but it is many of the senior players and that sort of issue would permeate through the rest of the side.
The win was nice, and probably did reflect that getting rid of Neeld was the right move (no surprises there) but I don’t think it ‘solves’ our head coach problem BUT many on here have been adamant that if we surround Woosh with the right assistance it should be ok. Time will tell.
I always look to the playing group and it looked like they were not ‘playing’ for the coach, it will be interesting to see if this is a PA game fluke or if things really have changed. It was nice to see our Head Coach actually on the phone and actually engaging with the players more… perhaps the message has come through?
Either way, winning is a good feeling and hopefully losing to Carlton can once again turn into our ‘watershed’ moment for a flag (99-00) and we don’t look back.
I think he would of been in a better mood if we destroyed them in the second half. 3 goals to 5 for the last 75 minutes wouldn’t have been too pleasing. The same crap was happening in the second half.
We were lucky that Geelong didn’t capitalise early and a few umpire decisions went our way.
Early on in the season John was asked about poor disposal and said it wasn’t a focus but I think everything else is starting to click yet this hasn’t improved. I think it’s our biggest issue right now.
We should have been two or three more goals up at half time but we were wasteful. Tippa and tbell missed brake set shots. Fanta got greedy, ran to 50 and kicked out on the full with lav unmarked in the goal square. We repeated the dose in the third with smack missing one a set shot snap that she be bread and butter and there were 3 other set shot misses that were tougher. We should have been 12 goals up going into the last.
I don’t think Worsfold had this attitude. When opposition players started slicing us up, he has been reluctant and very slow to make changes, if at all during games.
I don’t think the sacking of Neeld is the positive thing . The really positive thing might be that Rob Harding as a well respected game analyst will see whats happening in terms of structures, patterns of play, and now being the direct advisor to Worsfold during games, surely will at least suggest reactive measures .
Of course we cannot come to this conclusion on the basis of one game, but lets watch as things unfold.
Harding is now looking at how the Eagles beat Richmond and planning has started for that game. Now with more input in the coaches box, it will be very interesting if Worsfold is prepared to react faster and whether those decisions are successful.
Yes, well… I confirm what he’s confirmed about confirmation.
However, the top post is a true statement of the VFL game played on the weekend against Geelong. Not that I was there; but going by radio DJR, they were screaming out to blow the siren as the lead was being whittled away and Geelong were coming at us hard.
Did we fold? Were they just better? They did have the wind behind them in the last.
I’m only pointing this out as the VFL side is the nursery for the AFL side and there are a lot of habits learned in nurseries.
Anyways; what about that Worsfold? Any good or what?
I was going to say the same thing, we diddn’t fold, or back off {last 5 minutes excepted), … we just missed about 9 goal scoring chances in the 2nd half.