The most insipid performance v Richmond since the Sheeds and Hird farewell game
Essendon need to deal with some harsh home truths Date May 31, 2015 - 8:27PM 23 reading nowRead later Rohan ConnollyMistakes in AFL football are damaging enough when they happen on the field. When they involve decisions taken off it, the results are more far-reaching. And when the impact of not one but several of those calls run concurrently, the consequences can be grave indeed.
Essendon made probably the biggest mistake the game has ever seen when they pushed the boundaries of sports science too far in 2012, the impact of which may be felt for several years yet.
But there are a couple of direct spin-offs of the supplements saga that have the potential to do just as much damage, and they’re becoming clearer with every game the Bombers play.
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Essendon’s meek offering against a steadfast Richmond in Dustin Fletcher’s 400th game would have been disappointing enough in isolation. But it’s more evidence that the Bombers should immediately ask themselves a couple of tough questions.
One is whether the travails their players have been through these past three seasons have created a disproportionate sense of loyalty to them, both on a week-to-week basis and in the longer term, from Essendon’s coaching staff.
The other is whether some of the Bombers’ emotion-fuelled victories over the past three seasons have teased those same coaches and those who run into the club into believing that the list at their disposal is better than it actually is.
The round-two victory over Hawthorn was another such moment, coming just a week-and-a-bit after the AFL Tribunal had found the “Essendon 34” not guilty, and after the Dons had raced to a seven-goal lead over the other grand finalist of last season.
Essendon’s most memorable victories since the saga began have come after similar flashpoints. They’ve been enormous highs. But perhaps they’ve too easily been allowed to mask some equally significant lows, and more often still, some pretty uninspired football sometimes just enough to get the job done, sometimes not.
Essendon’s structural issues remain profound, a lack of pace across the board save speedster Travis Colyer, a lack of midfield depth and variety, and a hotch-potch forward set-up lacking any decent crumbers and two problematic key forwards, one in Joe Daniher still learning, another in Jake Carlisle whose kicking issues came home to roost again on Saturday night.
The Bombers are a long way from premiership material, and successive years of topping up with some veteran stars haven’t taken them a lot closer and created some issues of their own for future seasons, Essendon in 2015 with the third-oldest list in the AFL.
Brendon Goddard and Paul Chapman have given value, and Adam Cooney still might, but Chapman’s lack of mobility is taking a toll, and Goddard has this season accumulated plenty of touches that haven’t necessarily had a lot of impact.
While their experience remains important in one sense, it also denies younger players on the list their own. And Hird and co. already appear conservative enough on the selection front.
The ruck provides a good example. Tom Bellchambers is having a very ordinary second season in a row, smashed again on Saturday night, this time by Richmond’s Ivan Maric, who did far more around the ground and provided far more meaningful service at critical centre bounces.
Essendon brought in Shaun McKernan to offer the struggling Bellchambers some support two games ago against North Melbourne. He acquitted himself well, too, but was immediately dropped. Former GWS ruckman Jonathan Giles hasn’t even been tried yet.
The Bombers have too many of their supposed best 22 whose strengths are more than matched by their weaknesses, and too many who are unable to string enough good performances together.
Carlisle is a magnificent mark but a dodgy kick, which makes his value as a forward questionable. Patrick Ambrose has been the go-to man for forward line defensive pressure, but simply doesn’t win enough of the ball. Others like Jake Melksham and Ben Howlett turn in good games then poor ones alternately.
And the time given to alternatives remains limited. Why hasn’t Shaun Edwards been tried up forward when his VFL form has been encouraging? Lauchlan Dalgleish has genuine pace, something the Dons desperately lack, but has played only three senior games, all two years ago.
Martin Gleeson started as a sub on Saturday night. Jason Ashby had to go back to the VFL because he’d started as a sub too often to have meaningful game time. All the while the likes of Nick O’Brien and Elliott Kavanagh, each in their fourth season on the list, plug away at reserves level with few chances, unable to have an impact when they do get one.
Nobody at Essendon has been through the wringer more these past three seasons than their players. But perhaps that’s provided a crutch of sorts for under-performance, and perhaps it’s made Hird too unwilling to crack the whip.
More ominously, the power of emotion might have conspired to give an entire club a blinkered view of just where it stands in the AFL pecking order.
That’s middling at best. And in danger of falling further even before there’s a resolution to matters with WADA unless some uncomfortable truths are confronted a lot closer to home.
What a bullshit article, by a light weight reporter.
This is a team who came off a 10 goal win last week. Many so called experts tipped a close encounter because Brisbane had found form.
What motivation would the coaching panel have to make multiple changes for the following game.
His first shot is to take aim at our key forwards. a 21 yr old and a 22yr old. One coming off a 6 goal game, and the other - yes he missed many gettable shots, but took10 marks and put himself in the action coming off a severe neck injury and illness over the past couple of weeks. The first part of the battle is to get the footy, and Carlisle did that over the week end. Remember this guy had his best season as our CHB, but is now our CHF, because Hurley cannot get through enough games as a forward with out killing himself.
The reality is that we have a weakened forward set up, after Ryder decided to chase the cash at Port.
Paddy Ambrose has been fantastic for a relatively inexperienced player as well. But these 3 guys have the makings of a very good forward line.
I am pretty sure it took Lloyd/Lucas a few years to become great forwards. Pretty sure buddy/Rough had a few years at the bottom of the ladder.
People just want overnight success, and have no idea of what reality is. I’m Sure most people on here have won the premiership on their PS3 several times. Surely its that easy??
When the club is raped, and gets smashed with draft pick penalties, and no compensation for Ryder, there is absolutely no real chance to build the list in the draft. I think the club have done well, in getting Merretts, and Cooney, and Langford, in the current climate.
Rohan wants us to blood players, that is exactly what Hird is doing.
Ashby, Gleeson, Langford, Merret, Mckernan, and Hams have all been given game time this year. Under the current ■■■■ rule of the sub, someone has to be the sub. Every team in the comp makes the new kid the sub or subs him.
Rohan is such an avid Essendon fan that he doesnt know why Dalgleish has only played 3 games - all 2 yrs ago. Surely he should have played last year, and earlier this year - when he was injured. Surprised he hasnt called for winderlich and Kommer to come in. What are they doing - lazy bastards.
We have some issues, but it has nothing to do with this morons article.
Decision making and taking the right option sit front and centre of our issues. The coaching panel know it, Hird said it in his press conference - handballing when the option should be to kick, it cost plenty of turnovers the other night.
We have a couple of reliables that have lost form - Hooker, Hibberd, Watson, BJ, need to re-discover form in a hurry to help improve our issues.
Losing Zaka now for 6 weeks, Myers, Hocking and winders doesnt help our cause.
Next 2 weeks makes or breaks us. losing both games means we are chasing the comp for the rest of the season, and that just places too much pressure on everyone.
Carlisle’s kicking problems are in his head. No player consistently shanks the ball so abysmally because he doesn’t know the correct technique.
… Nobody expects him to get the one from 60 metres out on the boundary; but 40 metres out on anything up to a 45 degree angle, it ought to go straight through with no fuss.
I don’t think he had a difficult shot for the whole night. They were all relatively easy, some very easy.
No-one has mentioned it in here yet, but it was obvious to me that he was just popping the ball up and hoping it went straight. Not once did he kick hard through the ball. I don’t recall him doing that before. If it is something he is trying at training, it sucks. If not, maybe it was just a lack of confidence thing - when he missed that first shot, he seemed to get more and more tentative, and that became little pop up kicks in hope. It was pathetic. Surely someone from the coaching staff could see it and tell me to sink his foot into the ball. Aim for a banner on the front of the stand behind the goal and just spear a pass at it, something, anything…just to change his mindset. He clearly is a pyscho when it comes to confidence and kicking.
This has to be close to the biggest collective hissy fit I've seen Blitz produce since I've been posting here.I’m a negative c*nt and even I’m a bit shocked at all the negativity.
We’ve been producing performances like that for years. Why all the shock?
Personally the disappointment comes from the belief that the list right now should be performing better than it is. I still 100% believe the list we have at a minimum should be playing & winning a final this year. Not only should we be close to a peak with the age of the list but I believe & said it 2 years ago that there would be a small window of opportunity right now to pinch a flag with a decline in some of the more recent contenders. If we can’t even make finals with Goddard, Watson, Stanton, Chappy & Cooney then there simply is NO short term hope of anything bar disaster. There is no reason at all to believe our list will be better next year or the year after, than it is right now. That’s whats depressing.
Fair enough, but it seems that you’re judging the current list on what it should be doing, rather than what it has actually done ; which is sfa.
then the question needs to be, why were cooney, giles and gwilt recruited ? Giles well it’s obv why he was recruited, but then they are unwilling ot play him so it sorta ties back in.
But to answer your original question, i think it dawned on more people after the richmond game that we just aren’t that good. i’d say more than 50 % still coulnd’t see what we are. the richmond game broke a few more and i’d say we are prolly now running at 60 + of supporters realising we are just not good enough.
so while you aren’t surprised by the richmond game, and well neither am i, others who were more optimistic broke, hence more vocal criticism of what’s going on.
I think the problem is that he just asked them to kick straight, he didn't demand it.And when they miss, he doesn’t get upset enough.
Yep. They should be dragged for missing a goal & then dropped the next week so we can gift games to a 2’s player who hasn’t really earnt it yet, because a bunch of Blitz nuffies who have no clue on VFL form say so.
What they need is chastising, berating & humiliation for a stuff up. All this continuity & encouragement to get some form & have the game plan gel & build thier confidence is just stupid.
See, now you’re talking!
Just like the good old days. Make the ■■■■■■■ suffer. If they don’t want to kick straight and play with effort, sack em!
I think the problem is that he just asked them to kick straight, he didn't demand it.And when they miss, he doesn’t get upset enough.
Yep. They should be dragged for missing a goal & then dropped the next week so we can gift games to a 2’s player who hasn’t really earnt it yet, because a bunch of Blitz nuffies who have no clue on VFL form say so.
What they need is chastising, berating & humiliation for a stuff up. All this continuity & encouragement to get some form & have the game plan gel & build thier confidence is just stupid.
Yep, three very disappointing games now this year.
ANZAC day, where we’ve now won 2 of the last 10. You think they’d fire up for that…
Kangaroos, the team that knocked us out of the finals last year. Surely we’ll take it up to them…
Richmond, Dreamtime at the G and Fletch’s 400th. Not a whimper…
This has to be close to the biggest collective hissy fit I've seen Blitz produce since I've been posting here.I’m a negative c*nt and even I’m a bit shocked at all the negativity.
We’ve been producing performances like that for years. Why all the shock?
Personally the disappointment comes from the belief that the list right now should be performing better than it is. I still 100% believe the list we have at a minimum should be playing & winning a final this year. Not only should we be close to a peak with the age of the list but I believe & said it 2 years ago that there would be a small window of opportunity right now to pinch a flag with a decline in some of the more recent contenders. If we can’t even make finals with Goddard, Watson, Stanton, Chappy & Cooney then there simply is NO short term hope of anything bar disaster. There is no reason at all to believe our list will be better next year or the year after, than it is right now. That’s whats depressing.
Fair enough, but it seems that you’re judging the current list on what it should be doing, rather than what it has actually done ; which is sfa.
Last year, the exact same team plus Cooney and minus Ryder was not good enough to beat a pretty average finals opponent. despite leading by 5 goals at half time, and despite all the sh*t the players and club had been through, and of course how long our finals drought was… Nup, still not good enough.
Look, I agree that we’re better than a 12-16th placed side, which is how we look at the moment, but at best, we scrape a finals win against an ordinary opponent. And that’s still possible at this stage.
I dunno, nothing about losing an important game against Richmond surprised me in the slightest.
It didn’t surprise me either. But watching it happen is another thing altogether.
We don't have any players who can crumb the footy in our forward line FFS!!! If Buckets or Joe can't mark, the ball gets swept away painlessly. Happened numerous times on Saturday night. It was embarrassing!
Did you watch the game at all?
Buckets marked everything.
This has to be close to the biggest collective hissy fit I've seen Blitz produce since I've been posting here.I’m a negative c*nt and even I’m a bit shocked at all the negativity.
We’ve been producing performances like that for years. Why all the shock?
Personally the disappointment comes from the belief that the list right now should be performing better than it is. I still 100% believe the list we have at a minimum should be playing & winning a final this year. Not only should we be close to a peak with the age of the list but I believe & said it 2 years ago that there would be a small window of opportunity right now to pinch a flag with a decline in some of the more recent contenders. If we can’t even make finals with Goddard, Watson, Stanton, Chappy & Cooney then there simply is NO short term hope of anything bar disaster. There is no reason at all to believe our list will be better next year or the year after, than it is right now. That’s whats depressing.
Fair enough, but it seems that you’re judging the current list on what it should be doing, rather than what it has actually done ; which is sfa.
Last year, the exact same team plus Cooney and minus Ryder was not good enough to beat a pretty average finals opponent. despite leading by 5 goals at half time, and despite all the sh*t the players and club had been through, and of course how long our finals drought was… Nup, still not good enough.
Look, I agree that we’re better than a 12-16th placed side, which is how we look at the moment, but at best, we scrape a finals win against an ordinary opponent. And that’s still possible at this stage.
I dunno, nothing about losing an important game against Richmond surprised me in the slightest.
I wonder if the club is upset.Like, at all.
Why wouldn’t they be?
I mean like proper, wake up call upset. Or are they all “oh if we just kick straight we’re on track for a top 4 finish”.
Reckon they’d be pretty disappointed. I don’t for a minute think we are top 4 material, but they’d know they are letting themselves down.
Also if they wanted Hird to stay as coach, I don’t think they should be upset if he lays it on the line: time to pull your ■■■■■■’ finger out guys, the season is slipping away.
We kicked poorly. Move on.
We need more than one sorry saga thread
Lloydy will tell us.really appreciate Lloyds review.
I think it makes sense for him to work with Carlisles kicking as well. As Skipworth Suggested may happen. I would also have Edwards and fantasia there as well if we see them as forwards in the near future.
Geez i hope EFC are adventurous at selection meeting this week.
Carlisle’s kicking problems are in his head. No player consistently shanks the ball so abysmally because he doesn’t know the correct technique.
Against Richmond Carlisle did half of what he has to do as a forward, in the first half of the game anyway. He set about imposing himself on the game, leading, running, leading again, and taking good solid marks.
Then he let himself and the entire team down by butchering the kick.
This week he needs to do the other half. He’s played 76 games and spent a year and a half in the forward line. It’s now well and truly time for him to act like a mature player and kick the gettable goals. Nobody expects him to get the one from 60 metres out on the boundary; but 40 metres out on anything up to a 45 degree angle, it ought to go straight through with no fuss.
I wonder if the club is upset.Like, at all.
Why wouldn’t they be?
I mean like proper, wake up call upset. Or are they all “oh if we just kick straight we’re on track for a top 4 finish”.
With the clubs in general needing to spin their position so much (every club has to do it, i’m not saying we are the only ones) it’s always hard to read whether they are really hurting, and really getting it.
Honesty will always buy you more respect and more understanding, than spin IMO. rating our year as a b is prime example, again i know they have paint a positive glowing picture to keep the faith of the drones, but gee whiz it doesn’t paint a great picture for those who can see through it as spin.
Just an acknowledgement of ■■■■ we are struggling and we need to find a way to get out of it would be a good start.
but you can only go on what you’re presented with, and the spin that they are presenting is well as above, they are presenting our season as a b grade, that’s just mindblowingly ignorant.
This has to be close to the biggest collective hissy fit I've seen Blitz produce since I've been posting here.I’m a negative c*nt and even I’m a bit shocked at all the negativity.
We’ve been producing performances like that for years. Why all the shock?
Personally the disappointment comes from the belief that the list right now should be performing better than it is. I still 100% believe the list we have at a minimum should be playing & winning a final this year. Not only should we be close to a peak with the age of the list but I believe & said it 2 years ago that there would be a small window of opportunity right now to pinch a flag with a decline in some of the more recent contenders. If we can’t even make finals with Goddard, Watson, Stanton, Chappy & Cooney then there simply is NO short term hope of anything bar disaster. There is no reason at all to believe our list will be better next year or the year after, than it is right now. That’s whats depressing.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Peformances during the year both in our wins and losses, have shown that we are short on the quality to be a true finals contender - which is what our list appears to be primed for. True, we may end up scraping in for a 7-8th spot, but we’re well short on being top 4 and the list going forward simply isn’t going to improve unless we do take the time to develop the younger talent.
I liked the fact that we got Goddard, Chappy, Cooney and co. in to give the finals a red hot go and do believe a few of them should be kept on, but at the same time, we just need to be mindful of the fact that where we are now, is not where we need to be,
Hirdy should give Bassett the full Essendon list.
And ask him which 6 players he wants in the forward six.
They may be in the current 22 they may not.
Bring in Edwards & Fantasia or Laverde & langford if he thinks thats the answer.
we need the forwardline to click.
I dont care if they swap the forward and defence
HF Hurley Carlisle Edwards
F Baguley Daniher Fantasia
Hirdys forwardline isnt working.
I wonder if the club is upset.Like, at all.
Why wouldn’t they be?
I mean like proper, wake up call upset. Or are they all “oh if we just kick straight we’re on track for a top 4 finish”.
I wonder this too.
I wonder if the club is upset.Like, at all.
Why wouldn’t they be?
I mean like proper, wake up call upset. Or are they all “oh if we just kick straight we’re on track for a top 4 finish”.
It really did feel like a lost opportunity. There was also a bit of déjà vu with Saturday night. I know it was a Richmond home game, but sitting up in the heights of the Ponsford stand, you could see dignificant gaps in the Richmond members sections and it felt for me at least that the red and black faithful had turned up to both pay our respects and witness a memorable victory. On half a dozen occasions you just felt, if we can get the next goal the crowd will erupt and carry the side home.
Alas, it never came to pass. I’m sure I’ve been in this unpleasant place before.
I wonder if the club is upset.Like, at all.
Why wouldn’t they be?