Neuvo Classicos

[Captain_Jack]

I think a key is how you view that last bit of 2013. Was that us tailing off because of poor preparation and the team was spent? Or did a team who knew they would be penalised and miss finals, who had had a raft of admin resign, who had been in the media's sights all year, whose coach would shortly be banned, put the cue back in the rack?
It's a vital question because until the last bit of the season, we were better than this year. We were being lauded for our disposal efficiency, we had a tight back six, and had dominated many teams in the midfield. The only "soft" game we had lost was one to Brisbane.
Backline
Don't really believe its improved. Hibberd & Fletcher have been worse due to injury, Dempsey missed lots and up & down, Bags improved, Hooker still dominant, and in my view Carlisle and Hurley are a wash. Sure, Hurley's disposal out of defence is better, but Carlisle dominated his man more and had way more intercept marks.
Of course, it all went pear shaped in the last six rounds last year. SplitRound mentioned we had 2 scores of 100 against us this year, 7 last year. Well 5 of those were in the last 6 games. Up until Round 17 only Sydney and Geelong had scored 100 against us. We have conceded 78 points a game this year, last year it was 82 for the first 16 games, 115 for the last 6.
As I said earlier, what you blame those last 6 games on is critical to rating the period. Up until then there was hardly any difference in our performance in the backline.
Midfield
There have been plusses and minuses. Heppell has come on, and we have survived missing Watson. Colyer has appeared, while Stanton has changed from 'elite' to 'good'. Goddard has been less consistent but Chapman going into the middle has been critical at times. Melksham disappeared but Zerret came on. Myers picked up while Howlett dropped off.
Generally the real issue for me is that at times in 2012 and 2013 we were lauded for our delivery. Not many are saying that about us at any time in 2014. We have really missed Stanton's over-lapping run. chris_64 mentioned we were 4th in the league for I50's, I'd have thought up to Rnd 17 we would have been top 4 last year as well. But last year I think we used it a lot better going into the F50.
but have survived Watson being missing. Heppell is going to be elite. Unfortunately our next rung is still untested as Hams/Browne/Kav/Dalgiesh were all injured or disappointing.
On the flip side Zerret is a find, Colyer has come on, Gleeson looks good, and Ashby showed a bit when he was on. Obviously there was rotation to flanks during their stints (either HBF or HFF), but heh, that's modern football. All look like potential contributors to the rotations. Jerrett also showed a lot in a few games and had us all excited before turning off. Would love to know which version of him will be the long term one.
Forwards
Well down on last year. Went from averaging 98 points a game in 2013 (108 to Round 17) to 83 this year. Now, given we lost Crameri, delisted Davey, Belly was injured and Carlisle was learning his gig, this was partly to be expected. On the other hand, we had Chappy and lots of games where Winders was available.
Overall, it is clear that whether it was midfield delivery (some to blame), losing key players (partly to blame), playing key forwards in the ruck (some blame) or playing kids who are still developing (partly to blame), it is abundantly clear the forward line was not as good this year.
Overall
I think I'm disappointed. I thought we'd take the team we saw for the first 17 rounds last year, and push for top 4. The major cog was replacing Davey & Crameri, and I thought Chappy would fill one of those holes. Instead, we've averaged 24 points less a game, dropped a number of gettable games, and got into the finals on the back of a small margin. I saw the last three games of the season, and although we picked up 10 of a possible 12 points, we could have lost all three games. And none of those teams are real challengers (ex Ablett anyway!). Our form line has been poor, while our form line for 17 rounds last year was fantastic. Our percentage after round 17 last year was 131%, it is 106% this year. That really encapsulates the changes.
Overall, I don't particularly like how Hird had behaved as coach with the saga. But if he can get us to perform like we were early last year in 2015, I'll welcome him back with open arms. Although he better keep the open training sessions. Grrr.
On the upside I do think some key players have improved/been found. If Stanton, Belly and Hibberd are injury free next year and in top form, we have a good injury run, and Carlisle/JD/Ambrose all improve, things could be very promising.

 

 

Getting back to the footy for a while, Ants provides good detail in summary of the season that was, in 'End of Round 23, have we improved?' thread in the Hangar. A lengthy post but full of wholesome nourishment and provides plenty of food for thought as well as half your daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals. 

[Captain_Jack]

 

 Brendan Casey @BrendoHeraldSun Â· 2h
The search intensifies for Lewis Jetta, who went missing at 2.30pm Saturday and hasn't been seen since #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/gyiT9psl5C

 

Been a while and things got a bit too serious around here. So it is always good to find when the Blitz hasn't lost its sense of humour. From the grand final - hawks V sydney thread, in the Non Essendon Stuff forum a post that is as accurate as it is funny. 

[Captain_Jack]

Sheesh, even longer between posts in here these days. Not through lack of quality, but through lack of time available to read enough and then post in here. The following 2 posts though were simply too good not yo share. Cheers.

 

 

It's not just height that's changed, it's the way the game is played.  

 

Dunstall and Lockett in particular were brilliant players on the lead and got a lot of their goals that way.  And leading is a strategy that doesn't hurt shorter blokes - as long as you've got the burst speed to get separation and have good hands in front of your face, it's really hard for anyone to get a spoil in from behind.  But they were brilliant on the lead in an era when a pure lead-mark-kick player had life a hell of a lot easier than it is now.  Sure, back then sometimes the opposition coach might choose to drop a man into the hole to cut off leading space, but there was nothing even remotely comparable to the sort of numbers back you see in a modern defensive structure.  Space to lead into is much more compressed now, and the one-dimensional lead-mark-kick guys get picked lower every year (Tim Membrey is your prime example, 188cm, dominated junior footy at TAC and state level, was drafted at 50ish)

 

Sure, if you're good enough you're tall enough, and I'll point at guys like Stringer, Bontempelli, and even Crameri - but I'll also point out that even the Dogs were desperate to get a genuine tall target in Boyd to help these guys out.  And these are guys who've spent a lot of time as running players - Crameri was a hbf at Bendigo before being reinvented as a forward, and both Stringer and Bontempelli played midfield a lot as juniors.  They're bringing ground ball skills to the table as well as marking ability.

 

Where Tom Lamb sits on the scale of which Membrey is 1 and Bontempelli is 10, I'll leave for people who've seen more of him.  But statwise he didn't set the house on fire as either a kpp or a runner at the Champs especially.  And what little I HAVE seen of him has left me profoundly unimpressed.  Bit of icing, no cake.  Really hope we choose someone else, personally.

I am not sold on this trend to ever taller key forwards. I am even less convinced of its implications for key defenders.

 

Statistically, men above (say) 195cm are relatively rare, and the incidence only decreases as the nominal height increases. Without having done the research, I suspect that in this sort of range, height would also be negatively correlated with some or all of: speed, endurance, agility, coordination (esp with respect to kicking and handling a ground ball), and resilience (cf proclivity for injury).

 

So when you set minimum benchmarks for each of these physical criteria, and then add in personality traits like professionalism, dedication, pain tolerance, ability to adhere to a gameplan, and the simple desire to even pursue AFL, you have reduced the eligible population of 18 year olds per draft to a very small number, which just gets smaller with each centimetre that you add to your height target.

 

Then you have to find one that is actually good at football.

 

Certainly it is possible that a small number of players will hit the proverbial jackpot with high scores on each of these traits, and such players will be hard to contain, but it just does not seem plausible that every team will have one or two of them. Sure most teams have attempted to obtain one or two, but I have my doubts that there will ever be even 18 high quality >>195cm forwards at any one time (one per team, on average), let alone 36. Most of the very tall players drafted will either flunk out or will be heavily handicapped in their effectiveness by compromises on some or all of the other traits required to be a very good footballer. In particular, the other current trend towards full-field defense will expose those without the agility, endurance, and willpower to cover the exits.

 

So, if the number of very good and very tall forwards is no more than (and probably much less than) one per side, then the need for more than one very tall defender is much reduced. If the opposition plays one quality tall plus one dud tall, then a reasonable response would be to back your undersized but higher quality defender to either outclass his opponent in direct contests (e.g. Dale Morris) or to offset a few lost marking duels with domination on the ground and the counterattack (e.g. Josh Gibson). (Of course, if any given opponent has two or more quality super-talls, then the capacity for aerial domination might well be the deciding factor in the game, but something similar could be said for any side that had two or three Gary Ablett Jnrs.)

 

I would take it further, and argue that it is far from necessary (though a nice luxury) to have any >195cm defenders. It has always been the case that a defender can give away ~5cm or even more to a high quality opponent and still take the points provided he has the right mix of other traits. For the rare case of an opposition team with a high quality >200cm forward (thus creating a substantial height mismatch), there are three possible (non-mutually-exclusive) responses:

1. The <195cm defender will have to have a good day;
2. The rest of the side will have to help out to reduce supply or go 'third-man up';
3. The rest of the side will have to outscore this exceptional giant at the other end - i.e. rarely does one player determine the outcome of the match.

All of this eventually forces the question: what is the minimum height for a KPF and a KPD? Like HAP, it seems ludicrous to me that there should be a difference between 192cm and 193cm (all else being equal) in terms of capacity to make the grade. But then, what about 191cm compared to 192cm, and 190cm compared to 191cm...?

 

It is clear enough that if you have two KP candidates who rate similarly on everything but one is taller, get the taller one. On the other hand, if you have a tall chump and a star of borderline height, get the star. For the grey area in the middle, personally I would favour most of the other traits above height, especially the trait that HAP has dubbed 'key-positioney-ness', but it is hard to make a strong argument to support this position.

 

Or, more concisely, what you want is:

Tall Star >> Short-ish Star > Tall Dud >> Short-ish Dud

But the incidence rate is:

Short-ish Dud > Tall Dud >> Short-ish Star >>>>>>>>>>>> Tall Star

 

Two excellent posts from the "Who Should We Draft?" thread on the Essendon us Not Appealing Trade & Draft Board. First off is Humble Minion who is consistently one of the best posters in all of BBlitz, followed up by Bender who does not post anywhere nearly often enough, and is a personal favorite. 

[Captain_Jack]

Sometimes it is a single post that makes us sit up and take notice, and sometimes it is a whole thread. Such was the case early this morning when l opened up the Blitz and found this 

 

http://bomberblitz.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2152-bruce-francis/

 

We have been joined in our fight for justice by a very worthy adversary, one who knows his chops and takes no backward step. 

Someone pointed out that Bruce is only preaching to the converted, perhaps this is so, l prefer to think that Bill Jennings might pop into this thread and take the time to get himself an ED-K-A-TION, we all know he could do with one. In the meantime take heed of what Bruce has to say, he has provided a lot of in depth background that paints the AFL in an even worse light than most of us thought possible. Galvanize yourselves and dig in like Bruce's father. There is still a long way to go, and many battles to be fought, before this conflict is resolved, we cannot afford to lose, and we won't. 

[Captain_Jack]

A recent post from the "ASADA thread and Defeatist Article Blog," in the Sorry Sage Forum,. 

 

 

 

 

 

I Facebook messaged a guy I used to work with who is the last of the trolls who have bothered me.

All I sent was this:

 

 

WE'RE GETTING OFF

 

 

 

And he replied just now:

 

get farked

 

he hhhmm .. The PLAYERS .... will be EXONERATED! Or have NO CASE TO ANSWER.

 

 

WE on the other hand.. WILL get off. In every possible way that could mean.
 

 

WE are Essendon.

The players, the staff, the boot studder, the lady who answers the phone part time, the kid who begs his dad for membership for Christmas, the people who go every week, the ones who lives interstate, and even the bloke who lives overseas and watches games downloaded on crappy res video files.

We're the bloke James Hird hugged, the lady who sits near you every week and says Hi, but not much more. We're the bloke you high fived after a great comeback.

 

When they called the players cheats, they called ALL OF US cheats. 

 

Fark them. We stood through it all.

 

 

The post of the year.

 

Nuff said. 

[Captain_Jack]

Nothing for days or even weeks, and then bang, 2 classics in one day. Well played Blitzers. 

 

 

 

AFL SET TO SANCTION BOMBERS AGAIN Author: Caroline Wilson
Date: 01/12/2014
Words: 268
Source: AGE Publication: The Age
Section: Sport
 
The AFL is once again considering sanctions for the Essendon Football Club, this time for conduct prejudicial to the 2014 National Draft.  When interviewed immediately following the draft, Adrian Dodoro conceded they had picked youngsters Kyle Langford and Jayden Laverde in an order reversed from Essendon‘s pre-draft ratings, to thwart what they believed was Carlton‘s recruiting strategy.  It is widely understood the move was endorsed, if not concocted, by coach James Hird.
 
The unexpected selection of Langford clearly caught Carlton‘s recruiting staff off-guard, resulting in the first palpable pause of the evening followed by the somewhat surprising selection of mature-age midfielder Blaine Boekhorst.   Had it not been rattled by Hird‘s brazen directive, sources indicate the Blues would rightfully have selected Laverde.
 
Hird‘s insistence on the nefarious selection of Langford ahead of Laverde (in doing so deliberately ignoring his club‘s own draft intentions) is clearly contrary to the spirit of the draft, and directly imposes its will on the strategy of clubs with subsequent picks.  It is truly mind-boggling that Hird would resort to such underhanded tactics in times where the Essendon Football Club should be seeking to regain the respect and trust of the football community.  Such scheming should not be endorsed, with the AFL quickly stepping in to prevent similar events in the future.
  
The AFL Commission is believed to be strongly considering a move for the 2015 draft onwards whereby all clubs will be required to submit their player ratings beforehand.  AFL Integrity Officer Brett Clothier suggested yesterday that ‘anything deemed to be a “significant deviation” from the pre-draft ratings will be referred to the AFL Commission and penalised accordingly‘.

 
 
You are FARKING kidding me!!
 
I can't believe this farking woman ...

farking lol @bloodstained devils.

 

Fun from the Match Thread: Essendon V Draft Sanctions thread, on the Trade and Draft Board. Sometimes you just have to pause and then laugh, and sometimes you have to laugh and then pause. 

[Captain_Jack]

Meanwhile the search for Hill goes on. There is more chance of finding MH 370 than finding Hill.

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Still looking for Hill…

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Breaking News: Brad Hill has finally emerged from the crater of Popocatéptl volcano in Mexico.

You should have whacked this one up here too Doe… ■■■■■■ classic!

[Captain_Jack]

And in late news from the Caaarlton Rd 3 Preview thread in the Hnagar.

The days of Quoted Post

Breaking news: Hill has been found

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In further news: False alarm, workers just dug up one of Judd's paperbags.

[Captain_Jack]

Another twist in the saga? From the abc app this morning: The Federal Government is planning to axe another 175 agencies in a bid to save more than half a billion dollars over four years. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann is set to make the announcement as part of the Government's budget update on Monday. Among those agencies set to be abolished are the Diabetes Advisory Group, Anzac Centenary Public Fund Board and the Local Government Ministers Forum. Other agencies including the Australian Government Solicitor and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Advisory Group will be merged into Government departments. Senator Cormann said the Government wants to streamline agencies and avoid duplication.

Out of 175 agencies they choose to name ASADA.

Thanks for nothing McDevious you flog.

Now to choose which department to merge them with:

 

Office of the Professional Services Review (PSR)

Who could doubt their professionalism?

 

Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

For all the leaks emanating from head office

 

Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation

For all the bullshit they have spread.

 

Tourism Australia

In honour of all the overseas trips McIdiot took to see WADA.

 

Workplace Gender Equality Agency

For placing Aurora Amnesia into the top job. The most incompetent and forgetful woman ever employed by the federal government.

 

Fair Work Commission

For the attempt to re-classify the players as contractors.

 

Dairy Australia

For the cream they skimmed off the taxpayers for 2 ½ years.

 

Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency

For 2 ½ years of investigation for virtually no result.

Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)

If anyone is keeping their intelligence secret it is ASADA.

Some fun now at the expense of a few official departments, but all in the name of a good cause. From the Sorry Saga Neue Thread, some light relief after almost 2 years of misery. 

[Captain_Jack]

Some little known science theory has crept into BBLitz, curtesy of the Neue Sorry Saga thread. Enjoy.
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Early rumour that parties will be notified to attend tribunal for decision Wednesday 9am next week.

Not very confident it is accurate but would be positive if true. Would give us time to sort things out either way.

I came across this fascinating article maybe worth repeating here until some facts are known?

Nuclear physicists have recently discovered an elementary particle called the Rumouron in the warped area of space time around the AFL tribunal.

Rumourons are characterised by a positive or negative spin and obey Heisenbergs Uncertainty principle in that it is not possible to determine where the Rumourons actually originate. Several theories exist. In one theory it is postulated that the Rumourons emanate from one of 2 sites located near the Southern Cross station.

The Rumouron has a short lifetime whereby each Rumouron decays quickly when subjected to a credibility test field, only to be replaced by another rumouron.

Scientists have predicted that all Rumourons will spontaneously disappear in a Schroedinger collapse of the state probability field when the Tribunal Box is opened to reveal the decision.

[Captain_Jack]

More fun from the Neue Sorry Saga Thread. The thread that keeps on giving, and it isn’t even my birthday.

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">The fact that the AFL are able to conveniently sweep the Crowley story under the rug until after finals just tells me that anyone testing positive from a premiership winning team pretty much has an immunity card as the AFL would never let that information see the light of day for the sake of the brand. Forcibly retired would be the outcome.

Just like Bock and possibly Hunt at the Suns, who the AFL didn’t want stinking up their brand new, golden club.

Or, move them out of the Victorian spot light. You have to say, the AFL are good at keeping secrets of their own favour. So long as the media lap dogs remain well fed and patted. Perhaps this will help.

AFL to completely overhaul its Cover Up Unit
Sources within the AFL say the league has commenced a ‘root and branch’ overhaul of its Cover Up Unit.

The move comes after it was announced Fremantle midfielder Ryan Crowley had tested positive to a banned substance.

A senior AFL executive who spoke on the condition on anonymity said the Crowley story getting out was the final straw.

“The AFL used to have the best Cover Up Unit in Australian sport but now we’re barely on par with the NRL.”

“Just look at the failures; the Essendon saga, Karmichael Hunt’s cocaine charges, the assassination of…no wait, they did stop that one getting out. Are you recording this?”

Former head of the Cover Up Unit and current angry recluse Mick McMickson, said technology had made covering up indiscretions much harder than in the past.

“Everybody’s got a ■■■■■■ camera these days. Gone are the days you could pay off a couple of cops and a few reporters. You can’t bribe every idiot on BigFooty or Twitter; it’s just too expensive.”

“Recently the AFL tried to bribe someone and the guy asked to be paid in Bitcoin! What the hell is a Bitcoin? The world’s stuffed.”

It’s believed recent budget increases for the Integrity Unit have meant the Cover Up Unit is often playing catch up.

“They’ve gone and spent a whole heap of money on a bunch of do-gooders and they’re surprised a bunch of damaging stuff gets out,” said Mr McMickson.

“That’s the problem with integrity, it’s expensive and no one really thanks you for it.

“If it was up to me you’d start by bribing the Integrity Unit. Maybe tell a few of them you know where they live.”

It’s believed the planned overhaul will correct the budget imbalance between the Cover Up Unit and the Integrity Unit, significantly increase the size of bribes and bring back in house several blackmailer roles.

Sign up to Titus O’Reily’s Electronic Mail Newsletter.

[Captain_Jack]

Quoted Post

Tomorrows headline:

GIL A MAN OF HIS WORD ON FOOTY FOOD PRICES-

ASADA JUST BEEN HANDED TWO PIES FOR FREE.

From the FASADA Saga thread, a wry comment on the latest development, one day before our innocent verdict is returned.

[Captain_Jack]

l suspect there are many classic posts that have floated around in the FASADA thread in the last couple of days (l freely admit that l can’t keep up with all of them), so apologies in advance, because l am sure that l am going to miss some gems, l urge others to post here, any that l miss. Anyway among the very best was the following…
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Just managed to catch up on all the days events and this thread. Love your work through all this blitzers.

Never surrender. Never forget. Essendon 2015. Unanimous. Not guilty.

Special thanks to Tomsdons for the original image.

He wasn’t there.

Going back now to look for the Mr. Bean/Hird gif.

[Captain_Jack]

As promised.
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Thank you Blitz.

In particular to whoever put together this gif. It is perfect.

N. Joy.

[Captain_Jack]

One more …
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Nice to see the bomber in question here is an Avro Lancaster, of Dam Busters fame, as these were black with a touch of red. Side note, l built one of these and then put red tape sashes over it, then mounted it on a fire fighter’s helmet. Wore throughout the 1984 finals campaign, even in the car. No problems with clearance, as l drove an MGB, and the Lanc, sat upo above the line of the windscreen, so the propellors turned in the wind as l drove along. The helmet also had a little battery powered siren as well as arotating light, right where the bouncing bomb would have been. l also wore it to the family day at Windy Hill, the day after we won in 1984, where it amused none other than Merv Neagle. l should have donated it to the EFC museum before l left. It is gone now. True story.

Here is hoping l have to make another one at the end of this year!

[barnz]

Got a pic of it CJ?

[Captain_Jack]

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Got a pic of it CJ?

Somewhere back in Oz.

[Captain_Jack]

After all the emotional release from the end of the FASADA saga, it is nice to fond some posts that remind us why we follow the greatest footy club ever. From the James Hird - Survivor thread in the Hangar, a ripper from Rhink - D.

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I've been asked why I continue to support hird as coach when so many want him gone. An interesting question when you try to explain it, especially if you consider how we may have reacted if it was someone else as coach.

I have said because he is someone who has earnt our trust and admiration over 20 yrs. We have disappointment but forgive and home that redemption can be achieved.
A bit like if a trusted family member ■■■■■ up I suppose.

What’s everyone else’s response to this?

My response is I don’t give a flying **** what ‘so many others’ want.

Choosing a club (other than being brainwashed from birth) is a very personal thing. I wasn’t born into a footy following family, but Essendon was the club I chose.

I am just old enough to remember 85 but it wasn’t until I got a little older that I chose and that choice was made off the back of watching Tim Watson. To me he was a superhero, quick and skilful sure but it was more than that. I saw him like Superman. He was the ‘good guy’. He always won and he did it the way that hero’s do. Always smiling, never a bad word to say about anyone or anything and completely unflappable. That’s kind of how I saw Essendon. We were the ‘good guys’. We played fair, we won, and we were admired and respected by all.

As I got older James Hird took over that mantle and if it’s possible he not only emulated all the things that I identified with in Tim but incredibly he took it to a whole new level and by extension that is the club that Essendon became to me. He was absolute silk on the field and absolute and utter class off it. He wasn’t the quickest or the strongest or the biggest but he became one of the best ever off the back off his incredible will.

That’s what I loved about him. Logically he should not have been able to do half the things he did on the field. He was one sided but was hardly caught out. He wasn’t fast and yet the opposition struggled to get hold of him. He didn’t have exquisite disposal and yet the ball did whatever he wanted it to.

He was told he wouldn’t make it and yet after being taken at pick 79 he turned into an outright champion of the game. The Larry Bird of the AFL. He was told that the navicular injury was going to end his career. He was labelled overrated and overpaid. He came back to captain an absolute juggernaut all the way to the flag and a norm smith for himself.

When he shattered his face I was sure it was over. I remember an interview where Tania recounted the pain that she witnessed him in I couldn’t believe that he would ever want to play again after that and yet there he was, a couple of weeks post facial trauma that was likened to being in a severe car crash, diving head first after a contested ball.

Took courage to wear that ‘helmet’ too.

Even still, in the twilight of his career he became even more impressive. Watching Hird the family man, increasingly in the public eye, was inspiring. A self made man who willed himself to success both on and off the field. Respected and admired by all he had on field success, a picture perfect family and the world at his feet.

You would be hard pressed to find a person who had a bad thing to say about James. Those were the days.

There was a speech he gave at club BnF a few years back, and the sincerity and passion and conviction he had when he spoke about the importance of his family to him was something I’ll never forget. He spoke the same way about the club itself that night. He has stronger links than most do to his football club and the passion that he displays when he talks bout those links is as palpable as it is sincere.

This club and James Hird are intertwined. That will never change. And it shouldn’t.

Personally I think that having watched James Hird grow and develop and mature over a period of more than 20 years he has earned not just the benefit of the doubt but the trust that goes along with that.

He’s spoken about and apologised for his part in this. He accepted an incredibly disproportionate punishment he did not deserve under great duress for the good of the players and the club and ultimately he has still decided that he wants to coach this club and it’s players more than he wants to (deservedly) even the score with certain parties.

The smear campaign that was run over the last 2 years was something the likes of which we will not see again in our lifetime. The fact that he not only remained unwavering in his conviction, but stayed true to his character, to the traits that we have come to expect from him in the 2 decades that he’s been in the public eye, is simply staggering.

A lesser man would have crumbled under that pressure. Non-stop. Without mercy. For 2 years.

Yet there he was front and back page of the paper almost every day. On every tv show. On every radio program, on every internet forum. The attacks were absolutely withering, but there he was answering questions not being rude or showing aggression even with parasites at his doorstep, waiting outside while his wife and children slept.

Every day.

2 Years.

A lot of people turned on him. Some you wouldn’t be surprised by, many I imagine you would be, and yet he remained resolute.

Having witnessed this saga unfold with my own eyes, I don’t believe there is a single person throughout the rest of the AFL industry that could have survived what he has just been through.

Sheer force of will. It is what made him a champion on the field, it’s why he is successful off it, and it is why he is still the coach of the Essendon Football Club.

That’s not just a man I think should lead the club, but a man that deserves at the very least a handshake and a beer.

And now we’re here, with ‘so many others’ asking why we support James Hird? As if a few shoddily constructed, repetitive, agenda driven PR ploys are going to outweigh a lifetimes worth achievements and experiences and observations of genuine character.

I’ve shared my true perspective because we need to put this thing to bed now and move on and I think the one thing these events have done is bring the real Essendon family closer together. There is a bond between Essendon supporters that wasn’t there before because we all understand what it’s been like as supporters of this club during this period.

To answer your original question, I’ll paraphrase Robbo (and who would have ever thought that would be a good idea):

When asked the question ‘why (do) I continue to support hird as coach when so many want him gone?’

My answer is 2 simple words. One starts with G, the other with F.

[Captain_Jack]

Two posts garnering lots of critical and popular acclaim, from the Sorry Saga thread. Enjoy.

Never made one of these before but I thought I'd give it a shot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz_NcQG9gjE

Hi Everyone

I have made a video that looks at our journey the last few years and remind people that it was our strength, conviction, character and fabric as a club that came out the other end a more united and stronger club.

Hope you like it.

https://youtu.be/AYjwKUhqI5k

[Captain_Jack]

Another piece of quality fiction from the one and only Rocky IV, from the Michael Hurleu head in the Hangar, more connection grows.

“HURLEY CONTRACT TALKS STALLED AS THEY CONTINUE”

Australian Weekly Times Sun Age
by Rocky IV

After a series of positivity stemming from the Essendon FC, the likes of which they haven’t seen for a number of years due to the supplements sags, the good time gravy train has slowed somewhat with word that All Australian centre Half Forward Michael Hurley is stalling his ongoing contract talks until he decides on his decision.

The All Australian Centre Half Back has openly long been privately critical of the club and its administrators over the past four years and feels that his footballing future may lie elsewhere. If he chooses to resign with Essendon, then his future won’t lie elsewhere, but will lie squarely with the club that was unfortunate enough to be a part of the “experimental environment” provided under the supervision of the then coach James Hird.

[image]crying child in Essendon jersey[/image]

Hurley won’t be rushed on his decision, telling insiders that he won’t be rushing into any decisions in the near future. It’s thought the All Australian full back is weighing up big money from rival clubs including one unnamed club that has offered a package thought to be somewhere in the close vicinity of an approximate amount that may or may not include a monetary dollar value per year salary rumoured to be around the speculated mark of heaps.

“He won’t be rushed” said a person close to the club, “Not on this decision anyway. There are rival clubs circling, and I’ve Hird that the offers are pretty high, which for a guy who was the All Australian full forward he can command that sort of money”.

[image]Close up of Hurley at the airport[/image]

New coach John Worsfold, who picked up the shattered pieces of this once great club destroyed by the drug culture has said that he has spoken to Hurley but won’t be pushing him to rush into any decisions, saying “Look I won’t be pushing him to rush into any decisions”.

There has been talk about a pact made by the 12 players to all come back to Essendon to make this club great again, but with Hurley holding off his decision until he weighs up his future, the decision on his future is still up in the air.