DozzyBombed out - Essendon in free fall
May 4th 2008 22:42
Some have speculated that Matthew Knights got the Essendon coaching job based on an overly-enthusiastic interpretation of where the Bombers' list was at. While others thought they were some years away from making a significant impact on the top eight, or a tilt at a premiership, Knights saw more, and relayed these thoughts to the hierarchy at Windy Hill.
They liked what they were hearing.
However, those words are ringing hollow at the moment. Losing your best, most consistent forward to injury, and a club legend in Lucas and Hird respectively certainly didn't aid Knights' quest to turn the team around, but he knew Hird was leaving when he took the job on. The Lucas blow was unfortunate, but a part of footy.
Essendon now finds itself in a precarious position. They have a good crop of youngsters and some solid veterans, but there is a huge gap in between. Their middle tier of leadership is virtually non-existant. After Lloyd, McPhee, Fletcher and Michael, where are their leaders? Guys like Stanton, Monfries and Dyson hardly compel teammates to raise their game. A guy like Alwyn Davey does, but he has a hard road back from injury. The only others left who do show any signs of leadership are David Hille, who drifts in and out of games too often, and Adam Ramanauskas, who, sadly, isn't the same player he once was.
The Bombers are up the proverbial creek and the paddle is slipping from their grips.
So where to now for the Bombers? Their fans are feverish, and are not accustomed to sustained periods devoid of success, but it is a reality they may be forced to deal with. Like it or not, Matthew Lloyd is nowhere near the player he was a few years back. They cannot rely on him to take games by the scruff of the neck, and he doesn't get the ball delivered to him in a way that would allow him to anyway. Fletcher and Michael are entering the twilight of their careers, though both are still very handy. They ran into a Port Adelaide team yesterday who needed to solidify their position and reclaim some of its swagger. The Bombers were just what Port needed - a team unsure of itself, and one that Port could re-establish itself over.
They did that quite easily, and one has to wonder whether Matthew Knights' assessment of the Essendon list might have been just a little too optimistic.
They liked what they were hearing.
However, those words are ringing hollow at the moment. Losing your best, most consistent forward to injury, and a club legend in Lucas and Hird respectively certainly didn't aid Knights' quest to turn the team around, but he knew Hird was leaving when he took the job on. The Lucas blow was unfortunate, but a part of footy.
Essendon now finds itself in a precarious position. They have a good crop of youngsters and some solid veterans, but there is a huge gap in between. Their middle tier of leadership is virtually non-existant. After Lloyd, McPhee, Fletcher and Michael, where are their leaders? Guys like Stanton, Monfries and Dyson hardly compel teammates to raise their game. A guy like Alwyn Davey does, but he has a hard road back from injury. The only others left who do show any signs of leadership are David Hille, who drifts in and out of games too often, and Adam Ramanauskas, who, sadly, isn't the same player he once was.
The Bombers are up the proverbial creek and the paddle is slipping from their grips.
So where to now for the Bombers? Their fans are feverish, and are not accustomed to sustained periods devoid of success, but it is a reality they may be forced to deal with. Like it or not, Matthew Lloyd is nowhere near the player he was a few years back. They cannot rely on him to take games by the scruff of the neck, and he doesn't get the ball delivered to him in a way that would allow him to anyway. Fletcher and Michael are entering the twilight of their careers, though both are still very handy. They ran into a Port Adelaide team yesterday who needed to solidify their position and reclaim some of its swagger. The Bombers were just what Port needed - a team unsure of itself, and one that Port could re-establish itself over.
They did that quite easily, and one has to wonder whether Matthew Knights' assessment of the Essendon list might have been just a little too optimistic.
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