Overall, much much better than expected. Really only been 3 poor games (Hawks, port and Lions) and the lions one we were just dumb from the start (players and coaches) but we learnt from that and used it against the Eagles.
Kids are playing extended stretch of matches and in proper positions, older players being moved out of key area to let the kids develop as well.
Coaching has been good, Rutten not afraid to make moves to try and get us back into the game (played Hind on Wong/HFF last night to give us more speed)
Hope we continue, need to smash the Hawks and really bury Essington.
We’ve started to show we can bury the average sides such as St Kilda and North but we’re still alittle while off competing with the likes of Brisbane, Port and Richmond.
Essington only really showing up for the 2md half of the hawks game is also very pleasing. Its slowing being weeded out
Strong effort in all but 2 games. Definite signs of improvement, a style of footy that appears to be one that’s sustainable and will hold up in big games. We have played honest footy this year. Our 3 heaviest defeats against teams people have tipped as premiership fancies, outside of that we have been more than a match for the rest of our opponents. A bit more composure and luck and we’d have 1-2 more wins on the board given the close games we have lost. Can’t complain. 8/10 given we are in a rebuild and the doom and gloom predictions pre-season.
It’s probably a 3 or 4 based on our actual results but probably looking more like a 7 or 8 when we factor in the toll that injuries have played and when looking at the quality of the 4 wins. Overall I’m pretty happy that our mini rebuild is on track. Probably need to draft a biggish midfielder (Brisbane’s small brigade was reamed by the bigger Demon bodies) and another quality small forward to help out Walla (I don’t think Mozzie will make it - hope I’m proven to be wrong). The rest of the list short comings should ideally be be covered by the development off our first and second year recruits like Reid and Brand and Jones and Eyre. Cox and Perkins looks like 200 game players already.
Expectations exceeded, we look like a midtable team with plenty of upside instead of languishing in the bottom 4 with no hope
Everyone is playing for the guernsey and buying into the game plan
Scoring is no longer an issue.
Culture and mindset issues look to have been addressed. We’re showing enormous resolve and fight to continually come back from big deficits and not capitulate
Individual improvement from some players (Laverde, Parish) has been exceptional
Blooding youth and & good team selections - not playing plodders & cooked or unfit veterans unless there is no other choice.
Visible brand is on display - hard working with a lot of pressure. Making the team enjoyable to watch, I no longer have a sense of dread when watching Essendon
Players look extremely fit and Sean Murphy’s program is bearing fruits.
Negatives
Lot of injuries and our depth, which is poor, is being tested
Some poor performances against good sides, shows we’re still a long way off competing with the best
Losing to Fark Carlton and blowing a huge lead against Hawks
The defense, while inexperienced and will improve, is still a work in progress and a lot of sloppy errors are really hurting us
Allowing opposition to get a run on and score quickly
This might sound funny, but I am sort of glad it is being tested. I want the coaches to have a good look at some of the players we carry and maybe continue with the clean up of the list.
Vs what we hoped to achieve with this season it’s an 8. Obviously we’re not going to win the flag (although it’s still possible we win a final), but there has been enough positives to be worthy of an 8.
We expected to be complete rubbish, with no forward line, a midfield that was undersized and uncompetitive and a defence that was inexperienced, and lacked run.
There have been positives in every part of the ground, and the players have been playing for each other.
Of course I know that seeing positives when we’re not 11-0 on top of the ladder might invoke “happy clapper”, but realistically going into this season we were expecting to be in year 1 of a complete rebuild. We’ve shown that even if we are rebuilding, there is still plenty to make us competitive in the meantime…
Yeah I know, 1/10, not getting Horne, we had one job etc etc
