I wish I had inside intel, but no, just a fair idea of who based on recent history. I’m sure we have the same names in our head.
Thanks. I wish that corner was this year … but again it is one of disappointment.
The club has major issues. I get that. The triggering thing for me on this forum is the fairly small faction of people who would rather be right at continually predicting doom and gloom at the club and taking some great delight when it comes to fruition… “Told ya!!! LOL 
” than actually supporting the club. I truly believe they would rather be right than actually the club (maybe one day?) going places.
Doesn’t sit well with me and I have called it out but just need to bite my tongue/keyboard from this point.
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and for all that, ross lyons team is 15th on the table, its all mental with our guys unfortunately
Nah I’m sorry for being a ■■■■ earlier in the season to you, light hearted banter or not. Sometimes we forget there’s actual humans behind these profiles.
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Its got to the point where I prefer to watch other footy games so I dont get my ■■■■■■■ heart ripped out
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Sat with Saints fans in the cauldron of Aisle 30.
A lot of this performance comes down to systemic issues with leadership and culture. There’s no resilience and demanding culture built into the club. I think Brad has a system that works and only takes you so far before clubs go 1v1 on us. Every club that does that has some superior and tougher players on the list both physically and mentally. Apart from Zac (who was barking at our VC Andy) there’s no one leading the charge on field. So they are disorganised and lose focus when it gets too hard and have no fight in them. Body language was awful from many players yesterday and I’m at a loss as to why with finals on the line. Sick of seeing the same ■■■■ year in year out. It can’t be the coach. When will the players take control. The problem is the senior guys (Heppell, Shiel, Stringer etc) come from a time at our club that was saga and we were nice guys then and everything was relaxed with Woosha/Truck. Then you have the next band of guys on big deals which is the part concerning me most (McGrath, Ridley, Parish, Redman, McKay, Gresham, Langford, Wright etc). They are getting paid serious cash and it is all a laugh to them. My only positive is that the kids are trying their best (Caldwell, Durham, Cox, Duursma, Martin, Jones, Caddy). Not sure what Perkins is doing - maybe trade bait? Seems like there’s some player divide - it’s all a bit strange and unexplainable. I’m at a loss that we are back here - so frustrating and annoying. Had Saints fans in my ear all night - the embarrassment is the worst part.
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Well if it helps you can just laugh at the yappers, they think their the main character but it’s purely a story of Essendon vs itself, their still as irrelevant as they always have been
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I wonder about this. Shiel comes back in and our effort and intensity around the ball drops away?
Not the first time this has happened.
Hind is best mates with Jake?
Is there a rift between the senior group?
Balancing ego’s is a big part of coaching success.
I’m back. 
Smile 
You know none of that will happen. It will be wiped over and eventually forgotten.
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Last week after the loss to the Crows, I listed what I called List Cloggers.
Many agreed, some made alterations, some criticized me for making such a list, others were confused that I wanted all the list cloggers gone by year’s end, Not true, how could we replace half the team in one year? My list was to point out that Essendon has many players who have lost form or are just old and slow, or are not up to AFL level as a player. Last night my list was vindicated. The cloggers were there in numbers. The very good players that have carried the side for most of the year are nearly burnt out - Merrett, Duursma, Martin, Caldwell and Durham. The remaining list of players last night regularly let the team down and many are List Cloggers. If the coaches and selectors drop players like Goldstein and Kelly and bring in Heppell and Wright, what has the team gained? Why did Parish get a game when he hasn’t played because of injury for many weeks? He looked completely out of touch and should have been running around in the VFL this afternoon. Does he get a game because Parish is Parish and is getting paid big dollars? The same could be said of Stringer, and Wright to name a few. Last night was a dismal and very disappointing display of football and we have four more games to endure to finish the season in the doldrums. Except for Richmond, the remaining 16 sides in the AFL would all beat Essendon. Ross Lyon and the Saints knew they were a great chance to beat Essendon as last week’s loss would under mind their confidence, and he was 100% correct. Can we expect changes for next week? Let us see what the young guys in the VFL can show us what they are made of if they get the chance to play. Scott, don’t be so conservative, drop the cloggers and give the young guys a chance to prove themselves. They can’t do any worse than many running (walking) around last night.
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Group dynamics are tricky, and it’s pretty clear they’ve gone awry. We spend half our time in this joint complaining about selection, game plan, and effort, and who’s to say the players aren’t just as confused, unhappy, or divided because of it?
Most of us have worked in an office where a plodder is promoted to a position they don’t deserve. Or have seen workers who don’t pull their weight praised because the manager likes them. We’ve had to do the extra work because others haven’t, and then when bonuses are handed out, the wrong people are rewarded while the worthy miss out.
How does it make you feel? P1ssed off probably, disappointed, etc. If it keeps happening, you start to wonder what’s going on. You question the competence and credibility of management and lose respect for it. You begin to wonder why you bother in such an environment. If you’re smart, you start looking for another job.
That’s how things go sour. I’m only speculating, but in a footy team experiencing erratic team selection, there must be some scratching their head, wondering why x gets a go over y when x doesn’t merit it. Worse when you have to cover for x because you know he doesn’t deserve his spot. And even worse when you’re y.
I don’t know what happens behind closed doors, but you’d have to hope the players get the honesty and transparency we aren’t. If not, it might be no wonder if the players start to drift, and it’s about time there was before it goes completely off the rails.
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AS a club, contract wise we’re pretty stuffed with only Heppell, Jones, Hunter, Kelly, Stringer, JDavey, Caldwell, Baldwin, Guelfi, El Hawli, Hind, Weideman, Wanganeen, Setterfield out of contract 2024
2025 Shiel, Goldstein, Menzie, Laverde, Reid, Draper
2026 Perkins, Gresham, Cox,
2028 Parish
2030 McGrath
Looks like we’re stuck with a few duds for a few more years.
I really want to know who picks the team?
I thought it was a selection committee, which included the coach, not 100% on the coach.
There seems to be a lot of hammering on scott for problems that have plagued the club for much of the first part of this century and scott has only been in the position not even 2 years.
Scott deserves some hammering, last time he selected well we beat the pies.
since then it has been in Heppell/ Goldy /Heppell / Menzies/ Wright/ underdone Parish
like Drop Goldy, Wright Heppell due to poor performance but dont make them earn a call up in the VFL.
Drop Hind when done nothing wrong.
Keep Perkins in the side when underwhelming for weeks.
Don’t address structural issues - too tall lineup, no crumbing small forwards with pace etc
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Have these two been confirmed?
Because both are a disgrace if true.
I understand all that perfect and agree scott has made some absolute howlers and has gone against pretty much everything he said when he got the job.
My question still stands though, how much say does he have in team selection week to week?
Who is onbthe commitee?
What percentage of a say does the coach have?
Etc.
It’s pretty bad when you have a committee of people selecting a team it just makes it convoluted and harder to pinpoint where the problem is.
Poor little didums. What will happen after this - probably nothing at all.
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7 news has McGrath - he said they understand the fans frustration but they need to understand that the players are doing everything to address the situation.
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“This is not us”
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