Sheedy defends bradley error
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:04 am
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 22,00.html
BUNGLING Essendon defender Kepler Bradley was not to blame for yesterday's Anzac Day loss, but coach Kevin Sheedy conceded the first-round draftee must improve.
bradley
Not his fault: Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy does not blame defender Kepler Bradley for yesterday's defeat at the MCG.
Sheedy also lined up midfielder Jobe Watson and out-of-form Mark Johnson as players needing to find touch.
But it was Bradley who was the focus of post-match discussion when his final-quarter mistake handed Collingwood's Tarkyn Lockyer a game-breaking goal.
Bradley's high, floating drop punt was picked off by Lockyer, who gave Collingwood momentum and an 18-point buffer that the tiring Bombers could not challenge.
The final score was 12.23 (95) to 11.13 (79).
Bradley, who played his 47th game yesterday, was taken at pick No. 6 in the 2003 national draft, but has yet to play to that lofty expectation.
Sheedy said last night Bradley had the work ahead of him.
"Obviously most people felt the kid transferring the play across goal hurt us, but he's a player still getting there. He's a player that actually has a fair bit to do to become a league player," Sheedy said.
"Some of those guys do take a while, particularly a big fella. He knows he's made an error, but don't get gun-shy. A lot of players make errors. It wasn't his fault (the team lost)."
Teammates Dustin Fletcher and Mal Michael also were supportive rather than critical.
Fletcher: "You've just got to tell him head up and keep going because we all make mistakes. But he's going to get better, yeah. We've got to get behind him because it was a pretty important time of the game."
Michael: "I just said, don't worry about it, it's finished, you can't change it.
"If you dwell on it too much, there will be another one, and then another one, and before you know it the runner comes out and drags you.
"It's important he puts it behind him . . . that wasn't the reason why we lost."
Essendon's three-goal start yesterday was slowly overcome by a fitter and faster Collingwood midfield.
The Bombers' key forwards were beaten - Matthew Lloyd, who carried a corked thigh, by James Clement, Scott Lucas by Harry O'Brien and Courtney Johns by Simon Prestigiacomo.
The coach said he could name about eight winners.
Significant was Essendon's inability to take from half-back through half-forward. The inside 50s were Essendon 49 to Collingwood 69, a statistic that supported Fletcher's theory.
"We didn't seem to have enough targets to kick it to (in the forward line), and if you don't have that, it's pretty stagnant and you end up going backwards," Fletcher said.
"The first 10 or 15 minutes was all right, but after that the ball was getting shot around. There wasn't much movement through the forward line, so the backs sort of chipped it round and chipped it round, and we couldn't get much going through the centre."
Sheedy agreed, although he indicated that if he had selection again, he would opt for Bradley and Mark Bolton instead of younger legs such as Bachar Houli, Sam Lonergan or Leroy Jetta.
"We got off to a good start, but their running game was very good," Sheedy said.
"The area that Essendon could do with a few boys back would be in the middle of the ground, players like (Nathan) Lovett-Murray or (Andrew) Welsh or (Jason) Winderlich or (Courtenay) Dempsey."
Jason Johnson is a week away and Scott Camporeale maybe two weeks.
Sheedy said Mark Johnson, who started back and kicked a goal when moved forward in the final quarter, needed to lift. "He knows he's got to lift to be a better player and to get back to the best of Mark Johnson. He's not there yet."
He also conceded Watson's ball-getting ability - he had a healthy 23 touches yesterday - was being hurt by his sometimes poor disposal.
"He's making too many errors, but he's trying to get better," Sheedy said.
"Both Jobe and Kepler would have to say they've got to get their footy better."
BUNGLING Essendon defender Kepler Bradley was not to blame for yesterday's Anzac Day loss, but coach Kevin Sheedy conceded the first-round draftee must improve.
bradley
Not his fault: Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy does not blame defender Kepler Bradley for yesterday's defeat at the MCG.
Sheedy also lined up midfielder Jobe Watson and out-of-form Mark Johnson as players needing to find touch.
But it was Bradley who was the focus of post-match discussion when his final-quarter mistake handed Collingwood's Tarkyn Lockyer a game-breaking goal.
Bradley's high, floating drop punt was picked off by Lockyer, who gave Collingwood momentum and an 18-point buffer that the tiring Bombers could not challenge.
The final score was 12.23 (95) to 11.13 (79).
Bradley, who played his 47th game yesterday, was taken at pick No. 6 in the 2003 national draft, but has yet to play to that lofty expectation.
Sheedy said last night Bradley had the work ahead of him.
"Obviously most people felt the kid transferring the play across goal hurt us, but he's a player still getting there. He's a player that actually has a fair bit to do to become a league player," Sheedy said.
"Some of those guys do take a while, particularly a big fella. He knows he's made an error, but don't get gun-shy. A lot of players make errors. It wasn't his fault (the team lost)."
Teammates Dustin Fletcher and Mal Michael also were supportive rather than critical.
Fletcher: "You've just got to tell him head up and keep going because we all make mistakes. But he's going to get better, yeah. We've got to get behind him because it was a pretty important time of the game."
Michael: "I just said, don't worry about it, it's finished, you can't change it.
"If you dwell on it too much, there will be another one, and then another one, and before you know it the runner comes out and drags you.
"It's important he puts it behind him . . . that wasn't the reason why we lost."
Essendon's three-goal start yesterday was slowly overcome by a fitter and faster Collingwood midfield.
The Bombers' key forwards were beaten - Matthew Lloyd, who carried a corked thigh, by James Clement, Scott Lucas by Harry O'Brien and Courtney Johns by Simon Prestigiacomo.
The coach said he could name about eight winners.
Significant was Essendon's inability to take from half-back through half-forward. The inside 50s were Essendon 49 to Collingwood 69, a statistic that supported Fletcher's theory.
"We didn't seem to have enough targets to kick it to (in the forward line), and if you don't have that, it's pretty stagnant and you end up going backwards," Fletcher said.
"The first 10 or 15 minutes was all right, but after that the ball was getting shot around. There wasn't much movement through the forward line, so the backs sort of chipped it round and chipped it round, and we couldn't get much going through the centre."
Sheedy agreed, although he indicated that if he had selection again, he would opt for Bradley and Mark Bolton instead of younger legs such as Bachar Houli, Sam Lonergan or Leroy Jetta.
"We got off to a good start, but their running game was very good," Sheedy said.
"The area that Essendon could do with a few boys back would be in the middle of the ground, players like (Nathan) Lovett-Murray or (Andrew) Welsh or (Jason) Winderlich or (Courtenay) Dempsey."
Jason Johnson is a week away and Scott Camporeale maybe two weeks.
Sheedy said Mark Johnson, who started back and kicked a goal when moved forward in the final quarter, needed to lift. "He knows he's got to lift to be a better player and to get back to the best of Mark Johnson. He's not there yet."
He also conceded Watson's ball-getting ability - he had a healthy 23 touches yesterday - was being hurt by his sometimes poor disposal.
"He's making too many errors, but he's trying to get better," Sheedy said.
"Both Jobe and Kepler would have to say they've got to get their footy better."