So after 3 rounds this season there have been 28 players make their AFL Debut. We are just one of 5 clubs not to include a first gamer. I really think our player development would have to be close to the worst in the competition. Rather than throwing money at assessing an NBL licence why the help aren’t we investing in developing these players. Clearly our methods don’t work, so get the best from another club.
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Full strength beer, and the way we are going, will be crowds of 15,000 meaning no lines. Sunday footy has its perks.
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Bearing in mind though three players have debuted for EFC this year.
Not denying this. But thse 28 players have played there first game of AFL. There are plenty of players who have changed clubs or come back to the system to play again this year. My point is we need to start taking more risks on throwing some players in and finding out what they can do. Remove the conservative nature when it comes to selection. Why play Myers over Langford? Why play Dea over Ridley etc.
I am staggered to read this post after a number CRITICISED Worsfold for mentioning McKenna in his post match presser after Round 2.
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Bomber got stuck into the group a couple of times. It got us to a losing final.
Langford got two games, the Freo game was lamentable. Ridley is not ready yet.
The sad part is - and I don’t know if the marketing gurus realise this - people are starting to not give a stuff. If the players just seem to go through the motions why should anyone go cheer them on?
I hope like hell that really was a line in the sand. I have been following Essendon for almost 50 years and rarely if ever have I felt so gutted. Usually by Monday evening I am over it, but tonight I am still seething. Will I see another finals win in my lifetime? I am starting to seriously doubt it
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OK so 1 bad game for Langford sees him out the door. Lets hope the same policy applies for Myers.
How on earth would we know if Ridley is ready or not? We haven’t seen him play a game at AFL level. Get him in. VFL form is irrelevant. My point is kids adapt. Look at the 28 players that have debuted this year - ironically 10 of which have played against Essendon - most probably weren’t ready but they are getting a taste and a feel for it. Of the 10 who have played against us most have done a reasonable job including two who are relatively comparable to Ridley in Doodee and Naughton. Lets not forget a 2nd gamer in Banfield completely negated our 1 All Australian mid in Zac Merrett.
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There’s s couple of kids ahead of Ridley.
Well get them in. Ridley was merely an example. My point is we are too conservative in exposing young players to AFL form unless they are out and out guns. This means they wallow around in the VFL and we don’t know if they can perform at the level we need them to. The result of this is we don’t cut hard enough and end up with blokes like Jackson Merrett and Jake Long on our list after 4 plus seasons. Good clubs aren’t doing this.
correct. dermott brereton summed it up best.
before that game, the average winning margin for essendon against hawks was 60 plus points.
the next game after that, was less than 10, or roughly that.
then pretty much for 10 plus years they have pretty much buried us, bar maybe 4 games (2 in 09, one last year, and another game somewhere along the lines that we’ve won).
they then went on to be one of the most unsociable football teams ever and won 4 flags doing so.
But yeah, that lost the game that specific day, whoopdedo. It’s like carlton people holding onto the 99 prelim, pointless.
we don’t have any mongrel players like you mentioned. people confuse not taking a backward step, as people being arseholes.
they aren’t the only person who has a go at the opposition is devon smith, and he’s 3 games into a new club.
Merrett used to have a bit of lip, but he keeps getting knocked out after he shows a bit of aggression, so can’t blame him for taking a backward step.
Who do we have that honestly people would fear ??
daniher, the man who smiles after a fuckup in the goal square.
cale man bun hooker ?
david butter zaharakis ?
Dys good guy heppell ?
good teams demand the opposition fear them. pretty much everyone bar carlton and the saints atm think we are a joke. a soft, easily pressured soft marshmellow.
If you asked 3/4 of them to draw a line in the sand on sunday, they’d miss the match due to going to a beach and literally drawing a line in the sand.
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Tim English wasn’t ready either.
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Exactly. Get them in. With our injuries especially down back we had the perfect chance to expose some kids but no we choose good ordinary VFL players.
Being beaten two weeks in a row by teams filled with kids, is clear proof that journeyman who haven’t got us anywhere near success, suddenly will.
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Being harder won’t get us anywhere if we don’t also fix our skills
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So a number of people criticise Worsfold and that means that I can’t ask a question about when the last Essendon coach PUBLICLY lambasted players? Take your hand off it mate.
What we need, is another thread to air all this stuff.
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Well at least worsfold can belt cnts.
Being harder at the ball might help us win footy games though.
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