Mental Strength and Season defining moments.

[Doctor Fish]

This is the happiest I have ever been losing by less than a goal. It was the oddest feeling after the game. After being on the edge of my seat, we didn't get over the line and after a second I relaxed and thought "Oh well they gave it a red hot go and that is all we can ask".

I think that is extremely important, what are we asking of this team? I'd like to direct people back to Saladin's excellent post of a couple of weeks ago. http://bombertalk4.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... in#p153282 We are in a similar development position to Richmond, North and Melbourne and yet for some reason we expect more out of this team. Last year we lost a lot, i daresay more than any other team in the comp and the only gains were Williams who has only fired one salvo.

We were unlucky, we were wasteful and we made mistakes it end up costing us a game. In close games it is experience and keeping your head that counts, Port did it better than us, because they had more experience than us. But really how much is four points going to matter to us this year? I think we are on track to win 8-10 with the toughest draw in the AFL. If we do that we have moved forward in development.

After ANZAC day i was in a pretty dark place, i felt we had gone backwards and there didn't seem to be a way forward. But the last 2 weeks they have gone out and given their all. We are tackling as well as any team in comp AND we are winning hardball. This is a massive improvment on past years, it is an area we have clearly worked on. Add that to our attacking game and I am starting to see where we are going. Knights has improved the team every year and clearly has a goal we are building towards. I am once again excited about the future of this team.

NLM, as mentioned in another thread this guy has really come on. His influence in the midfeild has been incredible. That period in the third quarter he took the game on and won. I cannot wait to see more of him in this role.

Gumby, not only a freakish mark but is showing the awareness around goal which separates the good forwards from the great. He just gets better every game.

Hooker, massive heart on this guy. I was blown away by his endurance last week ror someone his size and strength. He is pure KPP, not overly blessed in skills but the work ethic and determination to get the job done. Never stops going after the pill.

Zaharakis, showing more class every week. Needs to finish better but the way he presents and creates opportunities he will kick a lot of goals.

Hurley, still effective on one leg, this guy will be star.

McVeigh, an important player for us if he can get back in the game. Started to show his class again on the weekend.

Slattery, Ive watched this guy get battered pillar to post on this site. He does one of the toughest jobs in the team and gets no respect for it. Unfortunately we only notice it when he is gone like was in this game.

Wato, the captain who shows them how it is done. He is the rock we are building around and a strong foundation it will be.

People knock the gameplan, the more i see of it the more i like it. We are not going to become another zone clone team, we are creating something new. The same way the Hawks did to steal a flag. We need patience, tough for a club with such massive expectations, but the other road leads to punt road.

Time is all this group is lacking.

=D>

Nice one Sis.

...And now to the naysayers.

[little_ripper]

I'm never happy when i see the bombers go down by a goal.

i was bloody angry! still angry. damn bombers gave the game away on the weekend, and it was such an important match.

go on with it FFS.

Also our game plan is nothing new, its basically what geelong do(except they do it a lot better). high possession footy, plenty of movement by hand.

[j-mac31]

I think he over-rated the list, but in his defence, his drafting has been a hell of a lot better than Sheeds in the past 10 years.

Aside from not getting Barlow.

[robbie67]

Imagine if the aforementioned "senior players" had pulled their finger out this year and used whatever brains they've got? We wouldn't be 2-5.

But why would you expect they would? They havent shown through out their "careers" any different to what they are giving us this year.

[pevfan]

You know, I have this uneasy feeling that we are seeing this club gradually slipping back into it's pre-Sheedy days of ultra-conservatism; of not wanting to spend a quid. Being more concerned with how much money we have in the coffers than how much on- field success we'ree having .You old timers out there will know what I'm talking about...you know the old one about Essendon still having war bonds stashed away.

I keep thinking of the statement the club made when we finally bit the bullit and got rid of Sheeds. The club came out and said we were going to get THE BEST COACH. Not the best coach available but THE best. Who did we end up getting... Our reserves coach, no doubt at a bargain basement price (I believe he amongst the lowest paid coaches in the AFL) Well ,we all know the old saying that you get what you pay for. WE have a lamentable record of being able to keep our best players. Filthy has referred in the past to how we were Merretted, then Wanganeened and Dimma'd. I'll go back even further to another tragic loss... Graeme Moss...won his Brownlow and that was the last we ever saw of him. That's just to name of few. Certainly I'm delving back into the past but that's the point I'm making cos I reckon that's where this club's thinking is now heading.

To further illustrate how conservative this club has been and is now shaping to be again. Allow me the small indulgence of recounting something that I witnessed that has always stuck in my mind. It was back in the days when John Birt was coach and I was in the rooms at half time (yes they used to let a limited number of fans in the rooms back in those days) Birty was in the middle of giving his half time address to the players and sitting just behind him with an old fob watch in his hand...timing him mindyou, was none other than Dick Reynolds. Well Birty as about half way through his address when King Richard leans across, gives him a tap on the backside, totally distracting him to show him that time was up. Reynolds was obviously more concerned about the penalty the club might incur over being late onto the ground than he was about interrupting the coach's half time address.... Lets not go back to the bad old days again Bombers.

[swoodley]

You know, I have this uneasy feeling that we are seeing this club gradually slipping back into it's pre-Sheedy days of ultra-conservatism; of not wanting to spend a quid. Being more concerned with how much money we have in the coffers than how much on- field success we'ree having .You old timers out there will know what I'm talking about...you know the old one about Essendon still having war bonds stashed away.

Improvements to Windy Hill and it's facilities as well as growth in the football department under Knights suggests that the club has been digging into the coffers to try and improve it's overall performance. The club did the right thing in getting rid of Sheeds but the way it was done will not be remebered as one of it's prodest moments. The club advertised widely for a coach but apart from a few recycled products, the cupboard was bare.

I keep thinking of the statement the club made when we finally bit the bullit and got rid of Sheeds. The club came out and said we were going to get THE BEST COACH. Not the best coach available but THE best. Who did we end up getting... Our reserves coach, no doubt at a bargain basement price (I believe he amongst the lowest paid coaches in the AFL) Well ,we all know the old saying that you get what you pay for. WE have a lamentable record of being able to keep our best players. Filthy has referred in the past to how we were Merretted, then Wanganeened and Dimma'd. I'll go back even further to another tragic loss... Graeme Moss...won his Brownlow and that was the last we ever saw of him. That's just to name of few. Certainly I'm delving back into the past but that's the point I'm making cos I reckon that's where this club's thinking is now heading.

Merrett left of his accord after a dispute over his contract (I believe), Wanganeen went home to be the inaugral captain of a brand new club...he had won a premiership and Brownlow and lookedd to a new challenge, Dimma was told by the club that they would only be offering him a 1 year deal (due to salary cap restrictions beyond the club's control) and was given the opportunity to take up a 3 year deal with Port, Moss went home to WA as he had said he would.

For those that we lost, why not name some we kept....Hird, Lloyd, Lucas, Watson, Madden, Harvey, T Daniher to name a few (of which most if not all would have been approached by other clubs

To further illustrate how conservative this club has been and is now shaping to be again. Allow me the small indulgence of recounting something that I witnessed that has always stuck in my mind. It was back in the days when John Birt was coach and I was in the rooms at half time (yes they used to let a limited number of fans in the rooms back in those days) Birty was in the middle of giving his half time address to the players and sitting just behind him with an old fob watch in his hand...timing him mindyou, was none other than Dick Reynolds. Well Birty as about half way through his address when King Richard leans across, gives him a tap on the backside, totally distracting him to show him that time was up. Reynolds was obviously more concerned about the penalty the club might incur over being late onto the ground than he was about interrupting the coach's half time address.... Lets not go back to the bad old days again Bombers.

I fail to see the relevance of that anecdote...if there is any, please let us know

[pevfan]

Re the King Richard anecdote Swoods. I mentioned it because it harks back to our ultra conservative days, which is what my article is all about and how I hope that we are not returning to that kind of thinking. I'd wager that there are those in positions of power still at the club that still think that way. Even looking back on Sheeds career there, even in his halcyon days there were still those who wanted him gone largely IMO because he didn't fit into the traditional Essendon mould.

And now the appointment of Knights, to me, smacks just a little of a return to the clubs stingy old ways and as I've said, as in everything in life, you get what you pay for,