Essendon

[bornadog]

Might be a good bloke off field, but Dev Smith is one of the biggest peanuts on it in the entire league. I'd feel dirty cheering him on.

As a mid, doesn't get enough of the ball, never has.

[Twodogs]

I think that you are spot on and I think this will become an even bigger problem for them moving forward. Instagram culture and trendy cafes mix, the airport does not. All of a sudden Footscray/Yarraville etc is a bit of a selling point.

Fifth coolest suburb in the world!

[jazzadogs]

Maybe nobody likes going out to an extremely windy Tullamarine to train, irrespective of the lovely soft floors they have out there.

I get the WO is windy, but you have the inner city/ suburban amenities around meaning that if you want to take a quick break away from the club to go and get a coffee or lunch you can find a cool place to do so. It's not really like that out near the airport, and I'm wondering if a bit like the 'aints at Seaford, the Essington players don't like the environment.

Given the year that clubs have had, I think the issues with the club have to be more with personnel than environment. They haven't been to the Hangar in months.

When you're stuck with the same group of people (players, coaches, officials) for 3-4 months, you'd form some fairly strong opinions on them. I would suggest that Rutten was unable to develop relationships during that time (which should have been his #1 goal, ahead of anything tactical or structural) and that's why a lot are leaving.

[ledge]

Given the year that clubs have had, I think the issues with the club have to be more with personnel than environment. They haven't been to the Hangar in months.

When you're stuck with the same group of people (players, coaches, officials) for 3-4 months, you'd form some fairly strong opinions on them. I would suggest that Rutten was unable to develop relationships during that time (which should have been his #1 goal, ahead of anything tactical or structural) and that's why a lot are leaving.

It goes back long before Rutten or the hubs , Daniher and Fantasia tried to get out last year .
Saad wanting out to me Says Dodoro is a great salesman of the club but the truth of what he sells isn’t the same.
The club has been in a mess for a long time and I think a few things have tipped it with the players , Merret being dropped off the leadership group last year, (he found out watching tv !) didn’t go down well but the players accepted it in the end.
The final straw I believe would be the disrespect to Bellchambers not getting a farewell game, players finally had enough.
Would have thought if you wanted the players to play for you and your club, respect the ones loved by the players as he was.
I remember a story about whale Roberts being traded from the tigers, the club didn’t realise how much he was respected and the players lost full faith in the upper house and fell apart.
You must recognise players who have done the work at a club or you lose the rest of the players.

[Rocket Science]

Given the year that clubs have had, I think the issues with the club have to be more with personnel than environment. They haven't been to the Hangar in months.

When you're stuck with the same group of people (players, coaches, officials) for 3-4 months, you'd form some fairly strong opinions on them. I would suggest that Rutten was unable to develop relationships during that time (which should have been his #1 goal, ahead of anything tactical or structural) and that's why a lot are leaving.

The shit they pulled with Bellchambers' farewell must've been great for general goodwill within the group.

Truck thought he'd give Joey a farewell game instead.

[jazzadogs]

The shit they pulled with Bellchambers' farewell must've been great for general goodwill within the group.

Truck thought he'd give Joey a farewell game instead.

Bit disrespectful not to give Fantasia one as well.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Did anyone hear Kevin Sheedy's interview on 3AW this afternoon?

He came across as the absolute worst thing Essendon needs right now. (I was fist pumping)

All swagger and arrogance and excuses.

Tried to explain that Essendon somehow, unfairly, compared to the rest of the competition, had lost so many great players over the years....... he even went back to the '60's! (if I remember correctly) he complained about losing Gavan Wanganeen to Port Adelaide for example?!?. And he went on to reel off this list of great players that Essendon lost in an unjust manner.
Yeah.....OK Kevin..... Footscray supporters can't even begin to imagine that kind of injustice...........

He got very aggressive with Caro, got right up in her grill about her article in today's Age re the new Tullamarine complex, and berated her for mentioning Hawthorn and St. Kilda in the same article. (she was comparing the experience of clubs that have shifted their home base)

Said the only good thing about finishing 13th was 'at least we finished above Hawthorn'. Like a petulant 12 year old.

Took a swipe at how pathetic Carlton were for consistently targeting Essendon players. Or stealing potential Essendon players from under their noses. Started sooking about how they do it all the time, and that's why Carlton are crap?!? I mean?!? Try unpacking that?

Mocked how much they were gonna pay Zac Williams, and kind of tried to imply the only way they got him was to pay a ridiculous amount of money or otherwise he would have gone to Essendon.......... maybe I read too much into it but it seemed to me that was his angle.

They asked how they thought he might influence the club as a board member. He said that if he was on the board at the time, there was no way he would have approved the employment of Dank, or 'the weapon'...............then went on to say he would have Hird back at the club any time....... absolutely no problem.

He was rude, overconfident, aggressive, belligerent and had a pocketful of excuses, diversions and stray bullets.

In my opinion. THE PERFECT PERSON TO JOIN THE ESSENDON BOARD.

[Happy Days]

Kevin Sheedy died in 2008 but no one bothered to tell his body.

[soupman]

They asked how they thought he might influence the club as a board member. He said that if he was on the board at the time, there was no way he would have approved the employment of Dank, or 'the weapon'...............then went on to say he would have Hird back at the club any time....... absolutely no problem.

Leigh Matthews gave this big explanation in that interview as to how being an ex coach on the board is very different to being part of a footy department and how you need to find a way to add value without interfering. He particularly made a point of saying that you cannot have a big say over football department matters because you simply don't have the time to be sufficiently informed and having only a little bit of knowledge leads to bad decisions. Sheedy immediately tells him back that "we will make sure the Essendon board is very well informed on football department issues". Sheedy is going to absolutely create havoc in the football department I think and it won't be the kind of havoc that they need to make them better. Imagine being ben Rutten and hearing that, he's going to be undermined the whole way through.

Sheedy also had a few rather interesting thoughts that weren't Essendon specific. He talked about how teams play too defensive and the rules allow teams to play the wrong way, which I'm kind of morbidly curious to see how he plans on fixing. He also informed us (like it was going to be a enlightening moment for listeners) that "what you have to consider is that ratings are good atm due to COVID not allowing people to go to games particularly in Victoria", ending it with this quote (which is the only one that is actually word for word, the rest I have just gone with the gist of it) "what President Trump would call the Chinese disease".

Cannot wait for this dinosaur who has been lucky enough to never live life like a normal person because he's always been caught up in the world of football to absolutely run amok at Essendon and in the process of "performing a purely advisory role" make that place a living hell for anyone actually capable of making it better and reinforcing all the reasons they are shit because he too is infatuated with the idea that they remain a successful club and have been unfairly brought down by external influences.

[Dancin' Douggy]

And I forgot..........he ranted against modern football which is too defensive and dour and not exciting or entertaining enough........ then said Ross Lyon was one of the best modern day coaches who he would welcome to the bombers?!? What a nut job.

[azabob]

Hmmm.
Let’s move on from the drugs scandal and have a fresh start.

Let’s appoint Paul Brasher as the new president - whose been on the board since 2011!

[ledge]

And I forgot..........he ranted against modern football which is too defensive and dour and not exciting or entertaining enough........ then said Ross Lyon was one of the best modern day coaches who he would welcome to the bombers?!? What a nut job.

So he has made it obvious to Rutten he doesn’t want him. Nice to know the biggest name on the board doesn’t want you as coach before you even get the chance to coach.

Rutten must be wondering what he got himself into and Worsfold must be feeling like he has just got out of jail.

[ledge]

This apparently from a recent trainer ..
Essendon’s lack of culture.

I hope this post provides some clarity to Essendon supporters as to why culture is so important at any club and why you can’t expect to walk into a club and stop the culture that’s within and simply start a new one.
It’s a long message, so if it doesn’t interest you, please just move on. I don’t mind.
Feel free to share if you like.
Thanks,


I was a trainer and masseur at Essendon Football Club from the end of 1989 to the end of 2019, yes 30 years. I’m a life member and I’m now embarrassed with the direction our once great club is headed.
Make no mistake, as has been said, it ALL has to do with culture.
It’s been completely destroyed over the last 10 - 12 years. There is no culture inside the club now. If the players are asked to play for the guernsey, what does that mean to them or the staff for that matter? When they are all so new that they don’t even understand that there even needs to be a culture.
It has to be passed from generation to generation, staff member to staff member, player to player. It’s also carried over by staff that are entrenched within the club to the players and even new coaching staff. It’s not a course or a workshop, it’s done over time with absolute passion for the club.
Senior management saw fit to weed out ALL of the long term staff over the last 10 years. Even long term trainers (20 years service) having to do Leading Teams around the board table one Saturday morning. Suffice to say after a couple of hours with us they didn’t bother continuing with that. Lol
They are now all gone. The players who originally would bleed for the jumper are gone. Which = culture eradicated.
Business people can only take a club so far, and definitely play a huge part but without great people under them, that are happy to basically work for free, what do you have left.
A business that for a while makes a profit and looks good on paper, but no real club atmosphere.
No passion. Everyone at a club needs to feel that they are an important part of the club. For a very long time now, that hasn’t happened. There is a huge disconnect between staff and management. Staff are scared to speak out for fear of being replaced. That happens very easily at AFL level. There’s always someone ready to take your place tomorrow and the club know that and hold it over people. Until that is repaired, unfortunately as a passionate Essendon person, I can’t see how we successfully move forward.
I really feel for our loyal supporters that continually get fed lies from a management that don’t seem to answer to their supporters anymore. I think the “club” have completely forgotten that “our club” is built by genuine hardworking people that are happy to put their hand in their pockets and pay for memberships when sometimes they probably can’t afford to. They are the true custodians of our club and now they want answers and action and deserve it.
I love Essendon.
There are so many disappointing events that have occurred over those passed years I mentioned. Way too many to mention here. I’d be here all night writing and you’d never get to the end of it.
It’s the things that are too easily swept under the carpet that have slowly diminished our standing as a great club, to now merely a laughing stock. As trainers we know how privileged we are. We are club supporters that have been lucky enough to become a part of a club that we all grew up barracking for passionately and all of us have sacrificed so much family time to be involved. Which we would never, ever change.
As a member of staff you dare not challenge someone of standing at the club because you will be removed. I’m proof of that. Every time I hear someone laughing about us, it just crushes me a little bit more. It’s to be expected. As supporters of clubs we all do it to each other. It’s part and parcel of barracking and supporting a football team and growing up in Melbourne. Most of the time it’s done in jest but when you’ve spent 2/3’s of your life totally committed to the club, it does really hurt and it’s very hard not to take it personally.
Everything I’ve said is fact, not just my opinion.
Our supporters need to know facts not the garbage that’s been fed to them for years now.
I’ve never publicly voiced my concerns or opinion in relation to anything at EFC but enough is enough.

Anyway that’s my 2 cents worth.

Regards,

[GVGjr]

Ledge, I have removed the name of the person until it is verified by a news service

[ledge]

Ledge, I have removed the name of the person until it is verified by a news service

It was on Facebook , I just copy and pasted.