Review thread: ANZAC Day Dumpster fire

Noted, of course, but that’s not much consolation to someone born in '95.
Maybe they remember 2000, maybe not.

The club has gone through many players, coaches and administrators in the 18 years since it was last ‘a contender.’ There is a cultural problem at the club, one that many big clubs suffer from… ‘We’re (insert big traditional club), we’ re too big to fail, to bottom out, to adjust. We do things the (club) way. ’

It’s systemic arrogance, that carries over from one administration to another as they succession plan their replacements to be exactly like them. Read the enablers here…'They built the players a brand new, state of the art facility, they bring in sponsorship dollars, they promise to look after new recruits after their playing days are over. ’ In other words they splash cash around as if this is the be all and end all of running a successful club. Meanwhile the culture at the club, goes to sh1it. This is not a subjective view… theres now 18 yrs of evidence remember, pointing to systemic issues that the current admin have not addressed.

My biggest concern is the club don’t seem overly concerned with our current standing.

“She’ll be right” Is the current attitude, ■■■■ me I got real angry typing that.

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Or how about Woosha “we’re an average or below average but we’re trying really hard to improve that” - the ■■■■?!?

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What do you want them to say publicly? Seriously?

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Trying is not doing. You start doing or you don’t. We are not doing.

We could, but it’s really not necessary.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/club/about/the-board
http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/club/people/the-board
http://www.geelongcats.com.au/club/the-board-and-executive

Consultants, lawyers, marketers, ex-politicians, ex-footballers, doctors. It’s not as simple as “the sports people will know how to sports the best” at an executive level.

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Agree, its not that simple. But it would be nice to have a Brendan Gale (Rich CEO) or a Brian Cook (Geelong CEO)… you know, ex football people, interpreting and implementing the board direction, with a football perspective…

I don’t know exactly what I want to hear, I’d like to see changes though.

For instance Myers was rested(lol) for this week, If he comes back in next week are we really serious about what we want to achieve over the next few years?

Do you get any money back?

You do, if you cancel and stop the deduction.

IMG_2497

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A game plan where we have extra numbers on the ball, leaving spare un-manned opposition defenders in our forward line, relies on fast spreading and skilful disposal both of which Essendon do not possess. Never going to work consistently, just maybe once in a while.

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Why would they be concerned… we have an E-sports team and maybe a basketball team.

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The last 4 weeks of last year showed the 2017 list wasn’t up to that style of footy. Still catching up. Every game we put into Howlett and Myers and watson et al last year was wasted.

We didn’t play the way we want to play, because Collingwood played the way they wanted to play.

So I am still wondering what is “The way we want to play” ? Maybe the players are also wondering.

Well, what does one say about this game! I worked hard, scrimped and saved over a long period, had a bit of luck, and managed to get myself to (and from!) the MCG from country QLD for my first ever ANZAC Day game. The atmosphere was magnificent! The ceremony was moving. The silence gave me goosebumps. The roar after the anthem was alone worth the price of entry. It was a privilege to be there… even if, like 16 other teams, mine didn’t happen to show up on the day.

I don’t get to see too many games live. It was fascinating to compare the Collingwood work-rate to ours beyond the TV window right around the ball. It wasn’t too difficult to recognise they not only had superior belief in their systems and plans, but that more importantly, they worked substantially harder to execute it. They ran us ragged, making space, spreading hard, continuously outnumbering us in every area of the field and they were simply more fierce at ball and man. So many times our players were caught in ‘no man’s land’, looking lost, jogging without an opponent, trailing by 10+ metres, and appearing less desperate in the contest.

Frankly, it is an indictment 1) on the coaches that we refused to adjust anything despite obvious lack of cohesion and a failing system, 2) on the players that played with palpable, distracted confusion, unable to retain a consistent level of effort or performance (especially under pressure), with poor basic skill execution, and worst of all, a seeming lack of desperate passion for the jumper, and 3) on the club that seems more interested in a corporate ‘bottom line’ and 4) on the EFC ‘brand’ that our supposed ‘mercenary’ plays with more heart than anyone else and is then roundly pilloried for doing so.

I think we do need to re-examine our priorities as a club from CEO to boot studder. That we are failing to execute the basics on the field appears emblematic of the club as a whole over this dark period that does not seem to have a foreseeable end date. The supporters remain faithful and are delivering with an unprecedented membership response. I believe that in turn, the club and players are letting its members and supporters down. It’s time THEY stood up to Don the Sash.

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To be fair the club had no problem talking up their top four chances and premiership aspirations before the season started.

I know that helps with selling memberships but we lose this week and we are odds on to not make the 8.

I don’t think that is acceptable.

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Certainly whatever gameplan we are implementing is not working, and it’s possible that our summer program was a failure. This happens. Good coaches (Clarkson, Lyon) have had seasons where they have admitted as such.

What I don’t accept is that the modern swarm style adopted by the Tiges/Dogs is the only way to play footy.

Two years ago I watched a dockers game with a WAFL hall of famer who opined the game had gone past the 'defence first’s mantra of the Ross Lyons of the world. Things change quick.

In Soccer teams play all sorts of systems, that’s fine. What counts is the execution. Last year we were counter punchers, this year I’ve got NFI what we are trying to do. I hope that changes over the next few weeks.

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