Mis-management of players: Why is this still happening?

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
1

-Hocking injures groin late 2014. Decide to go for a ‘bubble experiment’. FAIL. Then onto a slow recovery with light drills for a few weeks. FAIL. Finally realize he needs surgey and won’t be back till AFTER the bye. Instead, they could’ve done the surgery immediately after the finals loss and would’ve been playing now.

-Exhibit B: Bellchambers farks his ankle throughout the whole 2014. Has a ‘great’ pre-season. Cracks a bone in rd 1 game. Then plays the remaining games injured. Coaches finally concede he’s playing ■■■■ because of the crack. Other obvious options: give him up to a months rest so he comes back 100% and give Giles or McKernan a go!

-Zaharakis: Injures knee before ANZAC day. Tim Watson admits he needs a month out due to the severity. Doctors and medics disgaree. Plays like crap on the day and game after. Docs and coaches finally realize he’s not good. Then go on and blame a different injury.

-Finally, blind Freddy could see Jobe had been playing injured for up to a month now. He concedes that on ‘Game Day’ show this morning. And now is in doubt for the massive Geelong game. So, why not rest before? Why not treat him before? Do the coaches know the Gee and WCE are good sides? Do they know that BL aren’t and it was the perfect day to exclude him from that match??

Why is this still happening?

2
-Hocking injures groin late 2014. Decide to go for a 'bubble experiment'. FAIL. Then onto a slow recovery with light drills for a few weeks. FAIL. Finally realize he needs surgey and won't be back till AFTER the bye. Instead, they could've done the surgery immediately after the finals loss and would've been playing now.

-Exhibit B: Bellchambers farks his ankle throughout the whole 2014. Has a ‘great’ pre-season. Cracks a bone in rd 1 game. Then plays the remaining games injured. Coaches finally concede he’s playing ■■■■ because of the crack. Other obvious options: give him up to a months rest so he comes back 100% and give Giles or McKernan a go!

-Zaharakis: Injures knee before ANZAC day. Tim Watson admits he needs a month out due to the severity. Doctors and medics disgaree. Plays like crap on the day and game after. Docs and coaches finally realize he’s not good. Then go on and blame a different injury.

-Finally, blind Freddy could see Jobe had been playing injured for up to a month now. He concedes that on ‘Game Day’ show this morning. And now is in doubt for the massive Geelong game. So, why not rest before? Why not treat him before? Do the coaches know the Gee and WCE are good sides? Do they know that BL aren’t and it was the perfect day to exclude him from that match??

Why is this still happening?

All valid points in simple terms. TBC and Hocking have not gone to plan. We have missed Hocking enormously.

Zacka and Watson: Zacka was injured in the Carlton game and without Myers, Cooney, Hocking and even Winders running through the middle we just don’t have the depth there to afford to give Zacka and subsequently Watson the rests they ideally would have liked to have given them during a period where we had to win some pivotal games.

Simply they thought 70% Zacka and Watson (can still rest forward and kick goals) would be better than Kav, Ashby, Hams etc.

On balance they probably still made the right call sadly. Our midfield has been smashed with injury and our lack of depth has proved to be one of our major weaknesses. The midfield issue is going to become more apparent in the next couple of years.

not suprisingly however it didn’t work anyway and we gained nothing out of it, other than to learn yet again injured players can’t be carried in todays game.
and we still lost, so the ultimate thing that they were worried about, happened anyway.

and we have no depth in the midfield spots because they refuse to actually try and develop players in that spot, and as you admit continue to play injured players believing this false logic that they are better injured than their replacements.

zaka, hocking and myers have been injured for a few or more weeks now, who exactly new has gone into the midfield ?
not for a 20 second spell, but who had taken on more gametime in the midfield than normal, let alone from the ressies ?

you can’t have it both ways. you can’t not develop players, then bemoan the fact you don’t have any quality depth players who can fill in while others are injured.

the kicker is within a couple of years at best, most of watson, goddard, chappy hocking stanton may well be gone due to age, and who the ■■■■ do we have on our list that looks remotely capable of taking over from them ? not because they aren’t good enough, just because they haven’t actually been given a decent go at afl level to see if they actually can play at that level.

so not only does that stupid logic of playing injured players cos “they are still better at 70%, than the alternative” screw us short term, it screws us medium to long term as well.

3
Free Spirit I'm definitely in the camp that most/all Blitzers don't know more about strategy/tactics/footy than the club and its footy department in general, and that their incredible inside info of which we collectively have about 1% at most definitely means in a lot of ways it's hard to criticize the coaches and staff. But your incessant shooting down of everyone to ever question anything on here is just ridiculous. It seems like it's only started in the last month or so for some reason. Is everything alright? You're more angry than usual.

And without discussion and differing opinions Blitz might as well not exist. That’s why we come here, to talk footy. Particularly someone like me who is from WA and regularly talks Dons with only one other EFC supporter.

You can imagine given the way we are travelling ATM there would be a few people searching for an answer(s) to the question of why are we where we are?

I think this thread is pretty well justified. We’ve known since forever Zaka cannot carry any sort of injury. Jobe either can, or has never had to before as I haven’t noticed him ever hampered in the past but he’s carrying something and it’s of such severity that it’s seriously impacting his ability to play to his lofty standards (and for some patches to even a plodder’s standards). That much has been evident for a few weeks. The Hocking thing baffled many even before/as it was happening. Probably the Bellchambers point is the only one that is a bit rough on the club IMO.

You make good points, but it gets so effin frustrating listening to people harping on and on about how ■■■■ everything Essendon is.

to be fair, Essendon is giving lots of reasons for fans to be so angry with them at the moment.

4

People in other threads keep talking another dropping players to give the VFL players a chance. Well IMHO this is when it should be done. Jobe is clearly injured, should have been out a month ago and give some one else a chance. Same with Bellchambers, could have had McKernan or Giles. Zaka’s has been crap for a long time IMHO more than likely injured. If they are not right why are they being played?
This is when the VFL players should get their chance.
It’s not fair to the rest of the team, it’s not fair to the VFL players and it’s not fair to the supporters. We all deserve to see a fully fit team giving their best.

5
Free Spirit I'm definitely in the camp that most/all Blitzers don't know more about strategy/tactics/footy than the club and its footy department in general, and that their incredible inside info of which we collectively have about 1% at most definitely means in a lot of ways it's hard to criticize the coaches and staff. But your incessant shooting down of everyone to ever question anything on here is just ridiculous. It seems like it's only started in the last month or so for some reason. Is everything alright? You're more angry than usual.

And without discussion and differing opinions Blitz might as well not exist. That’s why we come here, to talk footy. Particularly someone like me who is from WA and regularly talks Dons with only one other EFC supporter.

You can imagine given the way we are travelling ATM there would be a few people searching for an answer(s) to the question of why are we where we are?

I think this thread is pretty well justified. We’ve known since forever Zaka cannot carry any sort of injury. Jobe either can, or has never had to before as I haven’t noticed him ever hampered in the past but he’s carrying something and it’s of such severity that it’s seriously impacting his ability to play to his lofty standards (and for some patches to even a plodder’s standards). That much has been evident for a few weeks. The Hocking thing baffled many even before/as it was happening. Probably the Bellchambers point is the only one that is a bit rough on the club IMO.

You make good points, but it gets so effin frustrating listening to people harping on and on about how ■■■■ everything Essendon is.

6

Free Spirit I’m definitely in the camp that most/all Blitzers don’t know more about strategy/tactics/footy than the club and its footy department in general, and that their incredible inside info of which we collectively have about 1% at most definitely means in a lot of ways it’s hard to criticize the coaches and staff. But your incessant shooting down of everyone to ever question anything on here is just ridiculous. It seems like it’s only started in the last month or so for some reason. Is everything alright? You’re more angry than usual.

And without discussion and differing opinions Blitz might as well not exist. That’s why we come here, to talk footy. Particularly someone like me who is from WA and regularly talks Dons with only one other EFC supporter.

You can imagine given the way we are travelling ATM there would be a few people searching for an answer(s) to the question of why are we where we are?

I think this thread is pretty well justified. We’ve known since forever Zaka cannot carry any sort of injury. Jobe either can, or has never had to before as I haven’t noticed him ever hampered in the past but he’s carrying something and it’s of such severity that it’s seriously impacting his ability to play to his lofty standards (and for some patches to even a plodder’s standards). That much has been evident for a few weeks. The Hocking thing baffled many even before/as it was happening. Probably the Bellchambers point is the only one that is a bit rough on the club IMO.

7
AFL players play carrying injuries. All of them do it in all teams.

Any rant/question that ignores that basic fact is just silly whinging.


Clubs might risk a player if it’s a BIG game like a final or a game that determines whether the team will make the finals. Clubs might even risk a player that’s 80%+ fit.

Not us. Zaka wasn’t even close to 50% fit. Couldn’t run, couldn’t turn, couldn’t tackle. Was a complete liability in games we shouldn’t have risked him.

And I think you’re missing my MAIN point which is how the docs/medics at our club always take the stupid option for a player to recover from an injury. Instead of putting the player off completely, they try these fancy approaches which ultimatly fail (Hocking) OR risk him in a game which further damages the injury (Zaka/Jobe).

oh well if your main point was that you know zaka was much less than 50% and our doctors are always stupid than I apologise for calling it a silly whinge.
8
AFL players play carrying injuries. All of them do it in all teams.

Any rant/question that ignores that basic fact is just silly whinging.


Clubs might risk a player if it’s a BIG game like a final or a game that determines whether the team will make the finals. Clubs might even risk a player that’s 80%+ fit.

Not us. Zaka wasn’t even close to 50% fit. Couldn’t run, couldn’t turn, couldn’t tackle. Was a complete liability in games we shouldn’t have risked him.

And I think you’re missing my MAIN point which is how the docs/medics at our club always take the stupid option for a player to recover from an injury. Instead of putting the player off completely, they try these fancy approaches which ultimatly fail (Hocking) OR risk him in a game which further damages the injury (Zaka/Jobe).

9

AFL players play carrying injuries. All of them do it in all teams.

Any rant/question that ignores that basic fact is just silly whinging.

10
-Hocking injures groin late 2014. Decide to go for a 'bubble experiment'. FAIL. Then onto a slow recovery with light drills for a few weeks. FAIL. Finally realize he needs surgey and won't be back till AFTER the bye. Instead, they could've done the surgery immediately after the finals loss and would've been playing now.

-Exhibit B: Bellchambers farks his ankle throughout the whole 2014. Has a ‘great’ pre-season. Cracks a bone in rd 1 game. Then plays the remaining games injured. Coaches finally concede he’s playing ■■■■ because of the crack. Other obvious options: give him up to a months rest so he comes back 100% and give Giles or McKernan a go!

-Zaharakis: Injures knee before ANZAC day. Tim Watson admits he needs a month out due to the severity. Doctors and medics disgaree. Plays like crap on the day and game after. Docs and coaches finally realize he’s not good. Then go on and blame a different injury.

-Finally, blind Freddy could see Jobe had been playing injured for up to a month now. He concedes that on ‘Game Day’ show this morning. And now is in doubt for the massive Geelong game. So, why not rest before? Why not treat him before? Do the coaches know the Gee and WCE are good sides? Do they know that BL aren’t and it was the perfect day to exclude him from that match??

Why is this still happening?

All valid points in simple terms. TBC and Hocking have not gone to plan. We have missed Hocking enormously.

Zacka and Watson: Zacka was injured in the Carlton game and without Myers, Cooney, Hocking and even Winders running through the middle we just don’t have the depth there to afford to give Zacka and subsequently Watson the rests they ideally would have liked to have given them during a period where we had to win some pivotal games.

Simply they thought 70% Zacka and Watson (can still rest forward and kick goals) would be better than Kav, Ashby, Hams etc.

On balance they probably still made the right call sadly. Our midfield has been smashed with injury and our lack of depth has proved to be one of our major weaknesses. The midfield issue is going to become more apparent in the next couple of years.

11

Is it true that watson said hes been playing injured? Because i think hirdy said in the presser that hes been fine. What is going on? Just blow the joint apart and start again, is there any communication at essington.

12

Evil Hird!
Down with the Tyrant!

13

Anyone can accept that players will miss games thru injury & this will impact on our team.

We can even accept that some players should be played even if they are not at 100%.

What we must NEVER accept as a Club is that players are not selected or dropped on the basis of form.

Unfortunately this is becoming a trait of Hird’s reign.

14

Don’t care about the other two since it’s pretty complex but the Zaka one is ■■■■■■. Bellcho is fine, just can’t ■■■■■■■ tap to advantage is his problem.

With Zaka you can tell he’s slow as bat ■■■■ and playing injured yet his still getting games. Its during that time when we needed speed too. Ever wonder about how good the kids are? Well we will never know since Hird don’t ■■■■■■■ play them. Bomber plays them since he realise how to build from within.

15
Free Spirit I'm definitely in the camp that most/all Blitzers don't know more about strategy/tactics/footy than the club and its footy department in general, and that their incredible inside info of which we collectively have about 1% at most definitely means in a lot of ways it's hard to criticize the coaches and staff. But your incessant shooting down of everyone to ever question anything on here is just ridiculous. It seems like it's only started in the last month or so for some reason. Is everything alright? You're more angry than usual.

And without discussion and differing opinions Blitz might as well not exist. That’s why we come here, to talk footy. Particularly someone like me who is from WA and regularly talks Dons with only one other EFC supporter.

You can imagine given the way we are travelling ATM there would be a few people searching for an answer(s) to the question of why are we where we are?

I think this thread is pretty well justified. We’ve known since forever Zaka cannot carry any sort of injury. Jobe either can, or has never had to before as I haven’t noticed him ever hampered in the past but he’s carrying something and it’s of such severity that it’s seriously impacting his ability to play to his lofty standards (and for some patches to even a plodder’s standards). That much has been evident for a few weeks. The Hocking thing baffled many even before/as it was happening. Probably the Bellchambers point is the only one that is a bit rough on the club IMO.

You make good points, but it gets so effin frustrating listening to people harping on and on about how ■■■■ everything Essendon is.

Are they wrong?

I’m verrrryyy much glass half full and made it through the Sorry Saga (is it over?) without waivering even 1% with my optimism and support of EFC. But these losses to Richmond and North seem to have taken their toll, I was optimistic about our list currently I’m very very lid on.

16

players get injured and ■■■■.

17

Not all teams carry injury. Some teams allow better players, all players, to carry ‘niggles’. There is a difference between a niggle and an injury. Our medical team currently don’t seem to the know the difference.

A niggle might affect your input by 5%, an injury makes you a liability in the modern game.

The blokes we have carried into games haven’t had niggles, they have had injuries and it has killed us time and time again. OP is spot on. Zaka has proven every year just how ineffectual he is when not 100%, Carlisle in the same boat. Hocking was nursed but hence struggled in the second half of last year and was all but ineffectual for the last month.

Fletch has been carrying this ‘groin’ for a while. Perhaps should have been given the week off so that he could actually play out his 400th. I was downright embarrassed to see him in the red vest in such a historical moment. Disgusting especially as it was an existing injury.

18

A player who has a niggle but can still give a good output is different to a player carrying an injury and is hindered which compromises their ability. In many cases its a fine line, both Zaka and Jobe were given a chance, didn’t work so they are now rested. This seems an ok method. I personally would have preferred them to be rested earlier and TBC much earlier. With hindsight as an advantage if the kids had of played and we lost I’m sure less of us would have been as annoyed as we collectively appear to be. I do hope the policy changes and we have a good look at the list, we need to know who has what it takes to develop into an AFL player.

19

Hird played injured in the 2001 GF and was poor, he vowed to never play injured again. He then played injured in the 2002 final against Port and was poor. He vowed to never ever play injured again.

I’m surprised Bellchambers was allowed to play this year with a fractured knee, especially seeing as he’s been stinking it up.

20

‘David has a slight knock’ - Paul Hamilton circa 2011.

That was our moment