That is by far my biggest dissapointment from this season.
I feel like we know less about Langford this year than we did last year. Lav had an injury so he was always going to struggle to make a solid impact.
I also expected to see Francis at least a couple of more times as well.Though I’m not nearly as worried about him as some others. If he is in the same sort of position next year then it will be full on panic mode
It depends on what part of preseason.
My understanding is the gameplan and tactics side of things isn’t worked on until after the Xmas break.
isn’t it usually weights, running and general skills sessions up to Xmas?
The obviously do separate players into forward, midfield and backline groups.
Langford I’ll agree with, we still haven’t seen him backed in for an extended run in the midfield in the ones and his form in the VFL has been solid, but the rest I’d say we know plenty more about.
We know Francis still can’t run out a game at AFL level, and that he struggles to impact consistently as a forward even at VFL level. He either gets fit and plays as a defender or he is probably going to be the most disappointing top 10 pick we’ve had since Kepler Bradley.
Mutch we know is a really consistent VFL footballer who will be highly likely to play a lot of senior footy in 2018.
Morgan we know would be lucky not to be delisted given continuing injury problems and looking lost at VFL level.
Redman we know is still unable to dominate a game at VFL level.
We learnt PLENTY this year, just most Blitzers aren’t willing to accept that and cling to the, let’s call it optimistic, belief that guys who struggle to perform at VFL level will discover something magical within when gifted a game of senior footy.
We know they want Langford to be a midfielder, and that they think he still has a bit to learn to be that.
I don’t get this “waste of a year of development” around these guys. Inside mids take time, and that time is often best spent at a lower level building skills and strength against guys at the same level.
You all love Josh Kennedy so much. If Langford followed Kennedy’s development path he’d be traded to Sydney at the end of next year.
Have just clarified the story. The comment was that kick ins aren’t a priority for training given that statistically, very few goals result from kick ins. What wasn’t factored in was how many turnovers result in opposition goals from kick ins. Or how many smothered kick ins lead to a boundary throw in which costs us a game.
Wow, if that is the logic, then we are in big trouble. Idiotic.
…sigh
Awful logic, absolutely awful
What I don’t understand from the numbers is how we’re half decent at centre square clearances, and truly horrible at overall clearances. Are out stoppage setup organisers not getting to around the ground stoppages? Are we just terrible at boundary throw ins, or is it just that every time there’s a stoppage in our defensive 50 we concede a goal?
This analysis was spot on, i actually picked in the nab cup that not much had changed and unfortunately this became clearer and clearer as the season progressed. I actually think if not given the easiest draw in the comp we would have finished about 12th, i expected improvement due to the games into the young guys and few gun players we found last year, so for mine its under expectation despite the flattering ladder position. 4 or 5 out of 10.
Isn’t true, the one training session i went to before the season started they were practicing kick outs for over an hour.
Most of what I think about our 2017 season has been put out there by people who know a lot more about the game than I do. I thought Shaw’s review was balanced and fair and a score of 5.5 to 6.5 is fair.
Forward line was a tick and the great Hooker experiment worked a treat.
The backline is hard to evaluate. The ball went in there so many times often with repeat entries. Look at the Sydney, North, Footscray and Adelaide games. The ball carriers were under such little pressure that they could delivery perfectly in their forward 50. No-one is going to stop that. Hartley has got a bit of bad press here. He is not mobile and gets into trouble when opposed to quick agile forwards i.e Hipwood from Brisbane. He does tend to panic and give away free kicks for scragging. But he is also being exposed by forwards who are getting good supply. Even Rance would be exposed.
Zac is the star midfield performer. Dyson is good but I suspect (and hope) he is still finding touch after 12 months out of the game. I was interested in Worsfolds comments about the need to manage Heppels training program.
The team seemed to tire in the second half and I would be tempted to Jobe and others wilting under the duress of the season.
I would predict that Howlett and Hocking will not be offered contracts for next year. I think they will keep Myers and Colyer. Hopefully, like Dyson, they will rediscover their mojo next year.
I remain pretty positive about the future for one main reason, most of this years stand out players were the players developed last year. So its our youth who are the brightest prospects. Joe D, Tippa, McGrath, Zerret, Conner, Fanta, Parish. To have such a core of youth and quality should see us progress up the ladder in the future.
I can understand where you’re coming from. Long term, your view is the way to go with playing the kids and getting games into them sooner rather than later.
Coming into the year, no one knew what was going to happen and as we found ourselves in the hunt for finals in the second half of the year, I don’t think the coaches were keen to start messing with the structure and chemistry of the team by blooding young kids and giving them a few games to get up to speed.
It’s a results driven environment at the end of the day and making finals will no doubt affect financial gain in a positive way. Maybe the board had an influence in telling the team to play the best they can and strive greatly to make finals. Maybe there was a plan that we promised to play most of the returning 12 in order to satisfy them.
The overall picture is we made finals and that would put a very positive spin on our club coming out of the dark 4 years and sends a good message to the supporters (ones who have yet to sign up as members, sponsors who focus on results, other player with the intentions of switching clubs and other groups who may have a vested interest in the club.
Interesting article written by an Essendon supporter i was reading.
Accepting mediocrity – The story of the Essendon Football Club
September 14, 2017
Before you embark on reading this article you should know that it is written by a lifelong passionate Essendon fan from a passionate Essendon family. Just because the content is negative (and believe me it is), it doesn’t make me or anyone else with similar views any less passionate than the ‘glass half full’ Essendon Football CIub fans. It doesn’t make me any less of a supporter or some sort of traitor or turncoat, nor is it a direct attack at any individual in particular. It’s an honest and frank assessment of the recent history of the Essendon Football Club – and it ain’t pretty.
So, if you are an Essendon Football Club apologist, then this article probably won’t be to your liking. But, if you want to face facts and perhaps challenge your own opinions, or even try to understand the negative opinions of others (and make no mistake that portion of the fan base is growing) then spare a few minutes to have a read and by all means feel free to share your thoughts whether good or bad.
And yes, I do acknowledge events surrounding the ‘supplements saga’ have no doubt impacted on-field performance, but this tale of woe extends far beyond the past five years and was prompted following yet another insipid performance in a final by the Essendon Football Club on the weekend. Ok, with that preamble out the way – strap yourselves in!
Let’s start with the weekend. Whilst the majority of the tens of thousands of Essendon fans who spent their hard earned to flock to Sydney wouldn’t have expected a win, they expected and deserved a decent effort. They got neither. Instead, they watched their side became just the second side in over 20 years and the first in 17 to concede ten goals in one quarter in a final. That is deplorable in any game let alone a final and the biggest match in Essendon’s past three years.
It is simply unacceptable from both those on the field and those in the coaches box (who seemed incapable or unwilling to stop the onslaught). It is a stat and an effort that nobody, from supporters to executives should tolerate. But in the aftermath, the majority of what we’ve heard, both from club officials and from many a supporter is about the ‘brave effort’ and ‘great year’ Essendon had. It’s all about the positivity and where the club has come from. ‘From wooden spooners to finals’ they shout. ‘Nobody expected us to make finals so I’m just happy we did’ they proudly exclaim. Only a passing comment from the club about the performance and the ‘need to get better’ by ‘learning from that’.
Away from the weekend though and it’s an all too familiar response from a club that in the past decade and a bit, appears to be content with mediocrity and happy to accept that near enough is good enough on the field. It’s a sentiment that has transcended the club and now echoed by many supporters who seem to view and accept a meek finals exit as a win.
With Richmond winning their Qualifying Final, it leaves Essendon (excluding Gold Coast) as the club with the ‘honour’ of the longest drought without a finals win.
The last time Essendon won a final was in 2004. In the 13 years since, the Bombers have made the finals just four times, losing all four Elimination Finals they contested by an average margin of just under ten goals. Take out the 2014 nightmare choke against Nth Melbourne and the average losing margin from the other three finals is a shade under 75 points. That’s 13 seasons in succession without a finish inside the top six – the worst performed side in the competition in that time. It gets worse. 1968 was the last time an Essendon side not coached by Kevin Sheedy won a final.
That’s an embarrassing state of affairs no matter where you sit on the positivity scale. I’m not here to tell you how to support your side, but if you’re content with those facts and figures then you are a part of the problem. Particularly if you partake in the social media backslapping of the club informing them how ‘proud’ you are of their efforts and how ‘we are on the right track’ and ‘the future is bright’. Of course, you’re only regurgitating the perception the club puts out there anyway when they tell you ‘we’re building to something special’ with a great and talented list.
But are we? Is the list that talented? Nobody over values their own stock like the Essendon hierarchy and the fans tend to follow suit. Joe Daniher, Zac Merrett, Darcy Parish, Orazio Fantasia and Andrew McGrath aside, none of the other youngsters who are touted as being ‘the future’ have given any indication that they’ll actually deliver on the extraordinary amount of unwarranted high praise and acclamation they continually receive, especially from the fan boys and cheerleaders.
Aaron Francis is chief amongst them. On Twitter in particular, he is spoken about in glowing terms. Why has he managed just five games in two seasons when Parish, who arrived in the same draft, has managed 40? What gives us any definitive indication that he’ll actually make it? I sincerely hope he does, but right now all we have is a kid who goes alright at VFL level, but who allegedly ‘isn’t fit enough’ to play week in, week out in the AFL. Alarm bells ring in my ears when a 20-year-old kid, who’s now had two years in the system, still isn’t fit enough to get a game.
The jury is well and truly out on Kyle Langford and Jayden Laverde too. They show promise, but unlike younger teammates such as Parish and McGrath have failed to grab opportunities after three full years in the system. The noise surrounding Josh Begley on social media was also deafening. The kid hadn’t even made his debut yet and the fans were imploring his inclusion like it would solve all our problems. I’ll cut him some slack though as he’s a first-year player.
The 26-30-year-old age group, so crucial in mounting serious challenges has to be a significant concern as well. Falling into that bracket from those who played on the weekend are Mark Baguley (30), Tom Bellchambers (28), David Myers (28), Michael Hurley (27), David Zaharakis (27), Patrick Ambrose (26) and Travis Colyer (26). Between them, they have played almost 750 games and combined for just 51 Brownlow Medal votes, with 40 of those provided by Hurley and Zaharakis. Whilst Brownlow voting isn’t always a reliable measure, it certainly does indicate a players ability to win matches and influence contests and I’m afraid those numbers just aren’t good enough. Of those in that age bracket who didn’t play, are Heath Hocking (29), Matthew Leuenberger (29), Craig Bird (28), Ben Howlett (28), Mitch Brown (27) and Shaun McKernan (27). Contractual obligations aside I wouldn’t be surprised if every one of those guys was gone by the start of 2018.
With the retirements of Brent Stanton and Jobe Watson, it also means not a single player on the Essendon list at the start of 2018 will have played in a winning final for the club. Scary.
The state of the list, particularly the group aged 26 and over and the lack of a winning culture are a real concern.
It’s not all the players’ fault though. The misplaced arrogance of the Bombers and their status within the standing of the competition is also exemplified, maybe best exemplified, at the trade table. Notoriously difficult to deal with owing to that over valuation I mentioned earlier, it has led to the Bombers being a ‘top-up’ happy club in the past 17 years since their last premiership, with the biggest name they have managed to attract in that time being Free Agent Brendon Goddard (which didn’t require a deal to be brokered).
The early to mid-2000’s smacked of a club believing they were closer than they actually were, as a string of Carlton rejects walked through the door (from a Blues side who routinely finished last in that period) as well as gems like Ty Zantuck, Richard Cole and Mal Michael. Fast forward a decade and little had changed with the likes of Paul Chapman, Adam Cooney and Jon Giles joining. The Bombers have rarely committed to a full, proper rebuild and the arrogance of thinking they are close has cost them dearly.
The Dons continually spruik themselves as a destination club and with the want and means to land a ‘big fish’. But year after year superstars seem to be looking for a new home and year after year goes by without that big fish landing at Essendon. Why? How? In recent days I’ve even witnessed on social media Essendon fans who don’t believe players like Jake Stringer would improve the on-field performance. A 23-year-old, All-Australian, premiership player I’d suggest fits in at any club, let alone one without a finals win since before social media was even founded. It again speaks to the acceptance of mediocrity that fans have come to expect from the club where ‘Stringer couldn’t fit into the forward line alongside Daniher, Hooker, Stewart and Francis’. Ok then……
Spurred on by former champions of the club, one of our most bitter rivals Hawthorn famously drew a line in the sand halfway through 2004, tired of accepting sub-standard performances and being pushed around by the big boys. At the end of that season they brought in untried coach Alistair Clarkson, committed to a rebuild off the back of youngsters named Hodge, Lewis, Franklin and Roughead, went through some short-term pain but won a premiership four years later. They’d add another three in the next seven years to be the unquestioned powerhouse of the competition.
It is time the Essendon Football Club drew a line of its own.
I’d give us 7 out of 10. We weren’t coming off one year of disaster, we were coming off four years of disaster. Finishing bottom last year with half the team banned was just the culmination of it. Bottoming out.
This year was a complete turnaround from that. I would guess a high proportion of Blitzers were at the opening game. I was one of them and it was unforgettable – the eruption as the team ran onto the ground, and then again when Jobe got his first touch. And we won. We had some sensational wins against the very best sides. We made the finals. It was a very good year.
The disappointing part is that it could have been a whole lot better. Some article I saw this week said that Essendon were generally considered to be a low pressure team, and that is dead accurate. We apply pressure at the beginning of a game, and we sustain it for varying lengths of time; but we very, very rarely sustain it for a whole game. Until our players are physically fit enough (and a number of them aren’t), and until they’re mentally tough enough, we won’t sustain pressure consistently throughout games and we won’t be a serious premiership chance. Sure we lack a few gun players. But teams like Hawthorn and Sydney (okay, they had a bad day yesterday) have built an entire culture around absolute fitness and absolute effort, and that’s what’s got Hawthorn on average a premiership every four years or so for 50 years, and kept Sydney in the top four for over a decade.
That’s what I’d like to see different next year. Jobe Watson turned his career around over one summer by working his guts out and lifting his fitness level from mediocre to AAA+. I’d like to see about half our list do something similar this year, and with a dramatic rise in fitness will come a dramatic rise in confidence and intensity. And with that will come a genuine shot at a flag. If we get a Rockliff or a Stringer, so much the better, so long as they bring the right level of commitment with them. But we can do a whole lot better with the list we’ve got.
#showerthoughts
All the tests we put draftees through.
Do we do that with already listed players?
I imagine the beep test is a regular thing, and I’m sure the whatever k run is.
But, that hit the flashing light test (which imo isn’t ideal, but it’s something)…
Speaking personally (yes, I know…elite athletes, but I imagine the principle is the same), reaction time is the first to go.
Do we do that for existing players?
It feels like the ‘should pensioners take the driving test again’ sort of…thing.
But I do wonder.
Do we check if a player’s statistically tested attributes are better or worse at 23 than 18?
And I know that game experience counts for something.
Just…wondering…
When real life and blitz life become ONE
My issue with the 2017 season was that I saw glimmers of hope and promise only for it to return to mediocrity. It was like the players, coaching staff and club were comfortable knowing that they could play great football and that was enough for them in 2017. Games where we showed a lot of promise included vs. Hawthorn, Geelong, West Coast, Port Adelaide (wow we were good), St Kilda and yes even that game against Sydney were we managed to ■■■■■■ defeat from the jaws of victory.
At the start of the season I thought the saga was over but I now understand that we had to play through 2017 for it to be truly over. Key players needed to be treated with respect and the club managed that very well often to the detriment of the team we put on the field. The players should now be on notice that if we perform like we did in 2017 we will be in the bottom 6 teams in 2018. The Board has to get the message to the coaching staff that the team needs to play like did against West Coast and Port Adelaide on every occasion.
I agree with many comments before me that we didn’t learn alot about some of the younger players and that was disappointing.
I’m glad we made the finals but hated that effort in the 2nd quarter of the final.
6.5 / 10 and the club needs to strive to be better.