The saga might “supposed to be over” it has ripped the guts out of this club. Mental fragility.
Worsfold is saying that he’s seen no evidence of the playing group being mentally fragile from the evidence over the last 6 months.
The supporters and media have seen the evidence of mental fragility over 15 years.
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Every year 17 clubs supporters probably complain their team has mental fragility.
I think many of us are not seeing the forest for the trees.
We mostly agree that there’s been a fragility around the playing group for a number of years.
Worsfold is encouraging, perhaps demanding players work through situations to find the answers when we’re up against it.
He’s copping a fair bit of criticism for this but perhaps it’s exactly the approach we need to break the cycle.
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I think Worsfold is the perfect coach to deal with this issue. I agree that he wants to test the players so they learn how to deal with hotly contested situations.
I’m just saying that, we are getting a pretty good idea who can’t and will never be able to deal with it.
We need to get rid of them. I said the same thing after the elimination final loss to north melbourne in 2014. It’s Time to move them on. Some of these guys have had 3 finals opportunities to show something and they haven’t.
Today he mentioned he tore strips off the players after Sunday’s game.
Do people feel better now?
Blockbusteritis.
We get ‘up’ for so many big games that the games we should win mean nothing. We are supposed to approach each game the same way and win the four points available. The sooner we play for the four points every week and we stop the circus around ‘big games’ and ‘important matches’ the better we’ll all be. The big clash, big crowd, important game, have to smash them this week bs has to go.
That’s not just for the players and coaches, but all the media and the supporters as well.
Last time I checked the four points defeating Brisbane is the same four points beating Port Adelaide.
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The problem with all of that assumption is, you assume, well maybe not zerrett cos he does seem self driven, but you seem to assume the other players and new ones will merely just adopt all the positive habits, and just not take on any of the negative ones.
As plently of people have said, the loss on sunday is not a new thing, this sorta loss goes back a decade at least, across different coaches and different players.
As an example, donno if he is like it or not, but just take parish as an example.
If his self drive isn’t high, what insentive does he have to bust his ■■■■ even on game day.
What incentive does he have to turn up each and every week ready to play his upmost best ?
esp when he looks around a room, and see’s how many players who have contiunally done it for how many years now ?
all those players you mentioned are enormous talents, but what makes them any more likely to not follow the same patterns the previous talented group of kids coming through did ?
All of those players you mentioned, have played in the
carlton game
Collingwood game (despite it being a win, they didn’t turn up to play at their best)
Melbourne game
Richmond game
and now the brissy game.
So what makes you think they will just magically change this process as of next year or the year after ?
When they are being Conditioned now to follow the same mistakes as their predecessors ?
The preseason games.
Yeah but how long did it take for the players to be offended by it and get an apology?
So I understand that to be something like, “Gee fellas, that wasn’t too good.” Hard stare. Some players staring at the floor, shuffling their feet. “There, there. Cheer up!” Cheerful smile. “Let’s do better next week. See you Monday.”
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I think for players that can easily self motivate it is a great way to go about it. We only seem to have a handful at best who are capable of that.
I get the feeling the majority of the group needs their hand held at all times to be told what to do
As I’ve said previously.
Some players are just happy to be on an AFL list, living the life style of an AFL footballer, and hanging out with their mates every day.
While others, are so driven to win a premiership that they are going to consider their life a failure if they don’t hold a premiership cup. In fact they will walk across hot coals to achieve the success.
You need to balance your team out so you have more of the later in your side. Every player will say they want to win a premiership. But it’s what they’re prepared to give to win one, which is the important question.
If Richmond can turn around there poor finishes to games we can as well.
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That’s precisely my point. This is what he’s working to overcome. Will it happen in a week? Of course not. But it will happen and we will be all the better for it
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I hope you dont think im having a go at you because im not. My worry is do we have the the players who are capable of changing their thinking.
And if they arent capable of that does Worsfold have the stomach to drop those players( especially if they are experienced players)
A lot of the younger guys seem capable of it, the majority of the older guys dont.
I do accept it will take time, i just want to see some progress in terms of turning up against the lesser teams.
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Of course you do… we all do. I can’t think of one Essendon supporter from the Board down who wasn’t gutted by Sunday’s game. And for exactly the same reasons you are. It does seem to repeat itself.
So we can do what we’ve always done, coach how we’ve always coached, or we can try something different that may be a little left field, and may take time to pay off.
I know which one I’d choose and I’m happy to acknowledge that it will take time.
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Me too.
Few will though.
Having already been gutted by the Sydney loss 9 days before, I could only reflect that the prophets of doom on Blitz in the lead up to Sunday were right.
There inlies the issue that alot of us just don’t see or aren’t seeing. Yes we don’t have insight into what goes on behind plently of closed doors.
But what was left field about sundays game ? it was supposedly close to our best 22 on paper and supposed form.
You look at the response to the richmond game, what was it ? bring in howlett and stanton. That’s not left field.
So far, If they are trying to rectify poor performances against perceived lesser sides, then what they have done and tried is failing cos it’s not working.