McVeigh article in the hun.

[tom9779]

Stuff calling McVeigh for captain, make him president. Puts horsburgh to shame.

Pity its not really him, its Stanton, Winders, Watson, Mcphee, NLM, Fletcher etc that need to pull their finger out.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

ESSENDON'S Mark McVeigh says it's up to the club's senior players to turn around the team's fortunes. Following the Bombers' sixth straight defeat, McVeigh said he had failed to set an example for younger players in Saturday night's 38-point loss to Richmond and needed to have a "look in the mirror".

He said the senior players had to take responsibility.

"I didn't play well and, as a leader of the group, I have got to have a look at myself," McVeigh said. "I take the majority of the (blame for the) loss, with a lot of other senior guys.

"The young guys had a go.

"I have got to look at myself and play better for the club. I didn't lead the kids at all.

"I'll have to look at it, go home and look in the mirror.

"I'm not happy about it, the young guys are giving everything, Matthew Lloyd is giving everything and the coach is giving everything.

"A few of us, and I am one of them, are not doing the job."

The Bombers were left soul-searching after Saturday night's Dreamtime at the 'G clash in which they were mauled in the first half.

McVeigh launched a spirited defence of captain Lloyd.

Lloyd, whose performances have been under close scrutiny, kicked four goals, three of them after halftime.

"Matthew Lloyd was terrific as a captain," McVeigh said.

"He has probably copped it over the last few weeks, but he is the best man to lead this side, no doubt about that.

"It was always going to happen if the side is not going well, Lloydy is going to be the one who cops it.

"He is a champion and he works hard at his game every week. He is professional and we are right behind him."

Saturday night's loss followed beltings by more than 10 goals in each of the previous three rounds.

Coach Matthew Knights said he was not too perturbed by the club's performances.

"I still wholeheartedly believe it's the best way to go, to bring a young group through together," he said.

"The vision is for down the track so that when we do get good we stay good. I'm not perturbed too much.

"You've got to hang tough, you've got to keep directing players and developing.

"You've got to keep talking to them, giving them feedback honestly. Eventually, they'll come through."

The outlook doesn't look much brighter for the Bombers for the next two weeks when they meet Adelaide at AAMI Stadium and the unbeaten Hawks at Telstra Dome.

Despite the bleak outlook, McVeigh said the players had confidence in Knights and the direction in which the club was heading.

"Matthew Knights has just been absolutely sensational for us," he said.

"He backs his players and we want to play for him and play for our coaching staff.

"It's an old cliche - be patient. Our club knows where it is going and (so does) the coaching staff, we are united behind them."

[jimmyc1985]

McVeigh saying that he's not setting a good example for the younger guys is self-effacing to the point of being facetious. He's clearly been one of our best, if not our best performed player this season even taking into account his hamstring injury. Him, Hille, Fletcher and Lloyd are the last ones who should be carrying the can. The culprits who do need to look at themselves in the mirror are guys like McPhee, Lovett, Lovett-Murray, Laycock, Rama, Welsh and Winderlich - all players who are 23+ who have played 2 or less good games this year.

[Windy_Hill]

Agree - McVeigh is kinda taking the bunsen burner to deflect the heat from the real culrpits.

[MH_Bomber]

Coach Matthew Knights said he was not too perturbed by the club's performances.

Well he might be too perturbed by I certainly am !!!!! If there is any more of that nonsense like the first half EVER from Essendon players then BE PERTURBED and BE VERY WORRIED.

Chances are we will get belted by Adelaide. There is no disgrace in that given the experience difference, etc etc. All I want is competent football - i.e. HIT your target by hand and foot, run at the guy with ball and tackle them like there is no tomorrow and play like your having a red hot go.

The culprits who do need to look at themselves in the mirror are guys like McPhee, Lovett, Lovett-Murray, Laycock, Rama, Welsh and Winderlich - all players who are 23+ who have played 2 or less good games this year.

The culprits who do need to look at themselves in the mirror are guys like McPhee, Lovett, Lovett-Murray, Laycock, Rama, Welsh and Winderlich - all players who are 23+ who have played 2 or less good games this year.

I totally agree.

[Crazyman]

McVeigh saying that he's not setting a good example for the younger guys is self-effacing to the point of being facetious. He's clearly been one of our best, if not our best performed player this season even taking into account his hamstring injury. Him, Hille, Fletcher and Lloyd are the last ones who should be carrying the can. The culprits who do need to look at themselves in the mirror are guys like McPhee, Lovett, Lovett-Murray, Laycock, Rama, Welsh and Winderlich - all players who are 23+ who have played 2 or less good games this year.

Jimmy, I tend to agree with all that except maybe Rama. Rama missed several years with the whole cancer thing and doing his knee in between that, therefore, I put him in a similar position to Johns whereby, having not played for several years, the skills and abilities, whilst naturally there, have not developed and if anything, have gone backwards...the others well no more needs saying...

[jimmyc1985]

Jimmy, I tend to agree with all that except maybe Rama. Rama missed several years with the whole cancer thing and doing his knee in between that, therefore, I put him in a similar position to Johns whereby, having not played for several years, the skills and abilities, whilst naturally there, have not developed and if anything, have gone backwards...the others well no more needs saying...

Yes, fair enough. But if Rama is never going to get that ~10% he's missing post-cancer and knee reco, then sentiment ought to be put to one side and an assessment made as to what his place is on the team. I'm not saying he should be delisted - there are plenty of other players in front of him who deserve that fate more than him - but maybe him and Knights need to have a heart-to-heart.

I put Johns in a very different category to Rama. Rama's a premiership player with lots of credit points in the bank who's very well respected around the club; Johns is a 23 year old who's done nothing of note. Rama's best was very good and quite consistent; Johns' best is just OK and rarely appears.

[Chris]

I put Johns in a very different category to Rama. Rama's a premiership player with lots of credit points in the bank who's very well respected around the club; Johns is a 23 year old who's done nothing of note. Rama's best was very good and quite consistent; Johns' best is just OK and rarely appears.

Just out of interest, cos i can't say I followed his career closely, but where was Fev at the age of 23, despite the fact he didnt have any of the injury concerns that Johns had? I could be wrong but I thought he was struggling to get a game in the magoos at that stage of his career.

I dont think Johns should be completely written off yet, I just think he should be played out of FF in the magoos and brought in only in Lloyds absence or in the name of development move Lloyd up the ground and plant Johns in the goal square. Johns is not and never will be anything but a prospect for FF, we shouldn't see him playing down back where his lack of agility allows his opponants to consistantly turn him inside out.

[jimmyc1985]

I put Johns in a very different category to Rama. Rama's a premiership player with lots of credit points in the bank who's very well respected around the club; Johns is a 23 year old who's done nothing of note. Rama's best was very good and quite consistent; Johns' best is just OK and rarely appears.

Just out of interest, cos i can't say I followed his career closely, but where was Fev at the age of 23, despite the fact he didnt have any of the injury concerns that Johns had? I could be wrong but I thought he was struggling to get a game in the magoos at that stage of his career.

Again, Johns is different to Fev at the same comparable stage.

Fev was born in 1981 and so was 23 throughout the 2004 season. In 2003 (aged 22) he kicked 63 goals, and in 2004 he kicked 66 goals, and remember how bad Carlton were back then. So by the time he was 23 he had clearly established the fact he was very talented. Indeed, if you can remember that mickey mouse centenary game between Collingwood and Carlton on new year's eve 1999, he kicked 12 goals and showed he was not your average player.

Fev's problem when he was young, and which still manifests itself from time to time, is his complete lack of self-control and discipline. Think of the dumbest person you've ever met, then multiply that by a factor of 3 and you're getting close to Fevola's mental capacities. But he's an extremely talented footballer. Johns on the other hand may be the most disciplined player in the world, but i just can't see the talent.

[BenDoolan]

Being at the game, sometimes you just don't see what happens in close, especially at the breaks when the coaches address the players. Watching the game again last night (I'm a deadset masochist), I was delighted to see Knights absolutely ripping into the incompetent bastards. It's about time these defects were told the absolute truth and had their intestines ripped out. I haven't seen anything like that for ages. f***'n good on him. I hope he gets the cat-o-nine tails out at training and whips some damn discipline into the farkers.

Good on McVeigh. He obviously loves this club. He hurts. He plays like his life depends on it. Blokes like him are gold. What a F****** contrast between him and Laycock. You couldn't get such a wider gap in the spectrum than those two when it comes to complete passion and total dedication. A lot of blokes should hang their heads in shame. Knights has put a lot of faith in these pricks and they give nothing in return. Absolutely nothing.

[andrewb]

Rama should be back to his best next year. I dare say his fitness base isn't what it was after two bouts of f****** cancer. If Lloyd can escape heat for two years because of a torn hamstring then Rama should be well above any critique.

Winderlich is clearly carrying something - probably OP - and also shouldn't cop any flack.

Lovett is struggling to cope with the tag he is often getting this year with Hird out (as are Stanton and Watson). He was sensational early in the season at times though.

McPhee and Welsh need to lift but have been honest. As per McVeigh even though they're not the most talented blokes going around you always know that you're getting 100%. Can't ask for more.

Laycock and Lovett-Murray are a worry.

Put simply, when you play 8 guys with less than 15 games experience some of your senior players are going to look pretty crap. An average outing suddenly becomes a shocker. That's ok if it's out of necessity but when you drop three senior players at the expense of first year and second year players who have been struggling then you've got to question whether you even want to be competitive.