If only we’d ever do a review, instead of an endless series of “reviews”, perhaps we’d actually get to the bottom to the mountain of issues at the club.
1 Like
We can do 1000 reviews, and probably have. What’s important is what happens after the review. What’s accepted and implemented. Thats the information I’d like the club to share with supporters.
11 Likes
I’m not sure. I would have assumed that the recruiting department were best placed to identify the talent required for the VFL program coordinating it with a longer term eye on the potential for a pathway to the senior list. We have a department with the resources to find and retain senior listed players so I can’t see why we’d need another individual or group to do the dame role for the VFL players. Sounds like a disconnect that should be easily fixed.
It boggles my mind that the club cannot see that one of the key factors in a successful AFL team is a competitive VFL team.
We ask our most prized assets to develop in the VFL (including forwards who need the ball kicked to them) but then don’t prioritise giving them a system/teammates that are going to help them get better.
It’s utter farking negligence.
19 Likes
Yet this isn’t an issue with the Women’s program.
They are the same organisation. They have most of the same development coaches.
They have delivered a VFLW premiership in just 3 years, and showed improvement each year of the AFLW program.
Good Lists rise above the culture.
The simple fact is that Georgia Harvey is the best List Manager and recruiter at the club. What she has done in such a short time has been nothing short of phenomenal.
8 Likes
We also recruit and prepare for need in the AFLW side.
Prespakis is very good at what she does, but they have seen we may be a bit too reliant on her. We’ve now got Mia Busch playing on ball in the VFLW, and traded in Maddi Gay. One is an instant fix. The other might take a year or two, but early signs are she’s definitely good enough.
1 Like
Honestly, if it weren’t for my 7 yo daughter showing huge love for the dons, I would’ve checked out a few years ago.
It’s all a bit sad really.
6 Likes
How can the womens team be so good , i dont get it
My 11 y/old has shown no love for Essendon at all. This is directly attributable to me having lost interest. I could barely muster enthusiasm in going to games myself over the last 5 or 6 years, so I sure as hell wasn’t putting her through it as well. The fact that she’s uninterested in football (as opposed to supporting FCFC or The Filth) is reward enough.
Just one of many in the lost generation of supporters that this club has caused through it’s prolonged incompetence.
2 Likes
Same, I’ve even told her she’s still young enough to pick another team and she gets angry with me.
She will be running out with the team v eagles here in Perth, more to come.
10 Likes
I have often said on here I want to know the progress of the review. There were 90 recommendations. What progress has been made. How are changes tracking? That important follow up is often ‘who cares’ to most, to Essendon it’s important to ensure accountability but more importantly, ensuring right changes being made and if not, what next?
5 Likes
The AFLW side is still a fair bit off Melbourne, North Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Geelong. Heck, even lost a game to West Coast at Windy Hill, so prone to some absolute stinkers still.
But it’s clear they are building a system which will work. The high picks from the initial draft all look like being stars (especially Steph Wales, she looks like being a genuine superstar of the AFLW). The players brought in from other clubs are done to fill clear gaps.
4 Likes
I don’t agree in some ways. The clubs external review only 12 months ago made clear development was not anywhere near up to expectation with a lack of resources and focus. There have been a few changes, additional coaches. But there’s much more to development than just hiring a couple of coaches. Fixing injuries to clear way for development a case in point. It’s pretty difficult to get better if unable to train or play!
Fixing VFL system another. It’s not about talent as such. Even if Essendon selected Bont, JHF or Jeremy Cameron, what makes you be confident they’d be any good at Essendon if they arrived as 18 yo’s? They’d be injured and playing in an amateur VFL nursery. It’s about what happens when they arrive at Essendon. And their review (Club), and outside view is Essendon talent simply doesn’t develop and improve in its system. Its pretty loud and clear.
1 Like
And this is not the first time we’ve made this error.
We had a reasonably successful program not so long ago. A lot of afl level talent came out of our program, we were making finals and prelims with reasonable consistency despite very average afl senior teams.
I can’t remember what year it was but i think it was during COVID, key personnel left or were let go and X ended up holding the reigns and we lost a huge number of players, ahepp included if I’m not mistaken.
You’ll no doubt recall the specifics of that better than I but I feel like that’s when it went south in a big way and we haven’t recovered.
some of the big name pre-season VFL signings were really encouraging but evidently hid the big picture, that we’d badly mismanaged the whole squad, again.
4 Likes
That’s why I would prefer the young kids in the seniors than wallowing away in our joke of a VFL program.
They will develop quicker playing AFL than VFL
2 Likes
Good luck with that Darli
2 Likes
Edge of a cliff 
It’s especially concerning that the VFL program can’t survive the removal of one staff member without being decimated to such a level
@Paul_Cousins Could you share any insights from contributions the VFL guys gave to the VFL review? Understand if you aren’t able to… would just find it interesting.