This is the absolute backbone of the problem and hence the reason a total club rebuild is required - without it we may never ascertain just how bad our recruiting, development or coaching/strategy is.
For a decaude now, we have had a ‘mafia’ of players who seem to be above performance. A very unfortunate couple per season will be the scapegoat and will face the axe. The majority will be allowed to meander through a career and just turn up when it suits them - and will make a career out of it.
There seems to be some sort of issue behind the obvious which allows this. As a club, we totally overate our own - average players put on higher pedestals - refusing to play enough kids early enough - because we have somehow stated that we have ‘stars’ and they will just be giving games cart blanche.
How many players have been ‘dropped’ this season. Actually listed as ‘omitted’ after our dreadful start? Just how many? How many who arent named Langford?
Until this is fixed, we will continue to be up and down and go nowhere.
For how long are we going to simply accept being the worst in class in the AFL? The longest drought between a finals win. We should all be embarrassed.
Worsfold absolutely can be sacked - there is provisions in the contract. However, the issue goes deeper as executing this has become a political issue (obviously) as this will look extremely unfavorable on the mob who caused this.
The footy department is in utter disbelief. This was obviously unexpected and the reasons for this start to the season are not understood. Question marks on: all coaches, and Richardson, the footy department ‘restructure’ and a long-trending failure to take the tactical side of the game seriously as others are coming home to roost.
Things started early this season - a player who told by the medical team not to play in an intra-club. This was then overruled/ignored and said player got a soft tissue injury in that game. The player and footy department at fault.
The financial fallout this season is already hitting home hard, hence the chances of sacking woosha is a real possibility and absolutely expected if it continues down this path. Crowds are obviously down in the past 2 weeks and significantly under budget, but on top of this the corporate sales are real bad. Freebies being handed out left right and center. The 93 reunion thing has sold incredibly poorly and some at the club are of the thinking this season may be the straw that finally breaks the resolve of the club at large.
Yup, Dodoro has fared better later where the smokeys that hit are worth the risk, but so many of our top 3 picks have been head scratchers, and never of the mid variety. Clearly in identifying harder to find talent and securing SSS he has some value, leading our structural direction and draft day choices shouldn’t be his main ones anymore - input only.
Exactly. There’s a cancer of lack of confidence, no one wants to take a risk, no one is running forward, but it doesn’t look like we need to rebuild. I have a feeling Goddard, being now the most senior voice on the field isn’t helping. Who would want to work with him and his negativity? How do you instil confidence I don’t know, but new voices in the coaching staff would be a start.
Thanks for sharing your info, AG. It is good to see. that the club is getting worried - as they should given this is the worst performing EFC team I have seen in over 50 years of following the club.
It’s bleedingly obvious though, in any and every job you take your boss is invested in your success lest they look stupid - the worry is between the lines of not moving on Worsfold for how it looks means they are saying they are more concerned about themselves than manning up and doing the right thing, which in and of itself is a fireable offence for mine.
‘They’ who made this appointment created all of this, no Essendon supporter in their right mind was hanging for the resigning when it happened. If they did it preseason more defensible, but the timing sucked.
Best course is to say we agreed pre seasson, chose to announce later, and now is we’ve seen what is going on… well we know the rest.
I’d rather sack also the ‘they’ too though to be honest. Incompetence personified across our club.
That’s the problem - even if Worsfold is a big part of the issue (and I don’t know enough either way), how is the same board & CEO that just 6 weeks ago extended him for two years possibly going to reach the conclusion that he needs to be moved on (likely at significant cost)? That’s tantamount to admitting a big error. We obviously did exactly the same thing with Knights in 2010, but that was with Hird and Thompson coming in - two things will likely be different this time: 1) no golden boy saviour to switch in, 2) supporters are weary after nearly a decade of continuing administrative balls-ups.
It is obvious there is a coaching problem because the same problem is occurring each week in the third quarter and no moves are being made. Some possible solutions.
Let one of the newer assistants (not Neeld or Harvey) take over to coach for at least one game and give them licence to make moves.
Sound out new assistant coaches with the possibility of taking over next year.
Sack Worsfold now and give it to a new interim coach.
the only real way is once it all falls off the cliff, they have no choice. Revenue tanking is going to be hard to stomach.
$$$ will be a big driver - they wont want to announce a loss or ordinary financial results, and have started or are about to begin rattling the tins for the flight plan v2. Id be delaying that one.