Tough week.

Tough couple of weeks really. I obviously had a bad feeling going into the Essendon game - it just felt like "the club" thought we won the Geelong game even though Geelong were in charge for at least 80% of the contest...and sure, we were coming at the end but was that just because it was 'the end'...

There is no doubt (to me) that the club is in need of a serious circuit breaker in order to break out of this rut of dispirited performances. It's not losing. I could actually care less about losing. But it's losing to WCE and Hawthorn late last year with a finals spot on the line. And yep, it's losing to the Bombers on a Friday night at Marvel with the chance to really grab the season by the neck. When you have games 'like this' (the one vs Essendon on Friday) you understand as a player that it's super important to be successful in order to set up the season...when you play in the way that we did, something is 'up'/'awry'/'insert swear word here' and needs to be addressed. Don't get me wrong, losing to Melbourne in Round 1 was bad. But most independent followers would have said Melbourne were better than us...Essendon though? That's a different story.

Over the past few weeks the MC have done some stuff that *SHOULD* have sent a pretty strong message to the group. Macrae out. Daniel out. Dale sub. 3x 'core' members of the group. Decisions like that are not so much 'heard' but "FELT" by the playing group...and can't help but have an impact. Except when they don't. So what does that mean?

It means either the players:

1/. Don't understand why those players were left out of the side. As in, they know they are out (everyone can read a team-sheet), but based on what they have seen (at training/games) and heard (expectations, metrics) they don't know WHY they are out.

2/. They don't care why and will continue to do what they do.

I would never say 'sack the coach' - it's just not in me. But by their actions in the past 8-10 games in particular the players have sent a clear message that they are not listening...or if they are listening, that they basically do not care what is being said...I actually have no idea what else the club can do right now. The assistants have been changed around and the footy department re-structured. New voices have been added in (Egan, Geary) and given new roles. There have been changes to the leadership group. But nothing is different...and whilst I'm happy to say that I still don't think we are QUITE as good or that many of our players have the 'elite' attributes that a lot of other supporters seem too, well, we are a lot better than losses to Essendon, West Coast and Hawthorn within (I think) 7-games would indicate...

If things are to remain 'as is' at the top, then things need to change significantly on the field. Make some UNCHARACTERISTIC moves:

1/. Move Naughton back. It sends a message.
2/. Put Richards into the mids. It sends a message.
3/. Play Cleary. He can do no more. It sends a message.
4/. Play Garcia. He can do no more. It sends a message.
5/. Work out WHO the players think should be in...and PLAY THEM!!!
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Most of all - and I'm sure they're doing 'some' of this, but get the players to agree on some simple stuff relating to the game-plan...'cos surely to goodness they aren't buying in right now.
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I am at the point where I don't think this can be fixed without some kind of circuit breaker type change. It needs to be either FACILITATED by the coach or it needs to BE the coach.