Bombertalk

andrewb wrote:I really hope he doesn't - he's got a big role to play next year if he can get the weight down and play that third forward role. We gain a lot just having him around the club. He's got to stop training to be a gorilla if he's going to be asked to play like a gazelle. Stay out of the gym, put the hard yards in on the track over the off-season and come back 87-88kg.

ealesy wrote:Never understood his decision to bulk up.

He wasn't exactly small to start with, but contested marking was never his forte, it was his speed and agility which allowed him to get away on a lead that was his greatest strength.

He bulked up, lost some of his speed and agility and that was when his input started to decline from his peak output, simply because he was not able to get away on the lead as much and his contested work really did not improve.

Matthew Lloyd delay indicates doubts - Matthew Knights

Essendon coach Matthew Knights believes captain Matthew Lloyd is not convinced he wants to play on next season.

Knights said on Thursday he planned to meet with the 31-year-old, the Bombers' greatest ever goal-kicker, within 48 hours to discuss his future.

While the coach said there was still a place at Windy Hill for Lloyd, if he wanted it, Knights said the fact the champion full-forward had not already come knocking on his door suggested there were doubts.

"It's a real tough one, the fact that it's been deferred and he's not sure obviously puts a question mark around that," Knights said on Melbourne radio's SEN.

"If he was very, very sure about playing on he probably would have come to me earlier."

Knights said the key factor if Lloyd wants to play on is whether he will be willing to accept a back seat to the club's young emerging key forwards.

He compared it to the role 34-year-old defender Dustin Fletcher is filling as a third tall backman, alongside Tayte Pears and Cale Hooker.

"Most importantly I need him to commit but more so to embrace (that role)," Knights said.

"That's the most important thing and Dustin Fletcher has really had the same choice.

"I said Dustin, you're going to play as a third or fourth tall, we need these young guys to help reinvent our defence.

"Dustin's come through that door, he's bashed it down and said I'm ready to go and I want to play."

Knights said he could not guarantee Lloyd or any other player regular selection in the senior side.

But he said the skipper was smart enough to understand that.

"We're going to talk about his role for next year, what I'm looking for out of him as coach next season, about his body and his hunger for the game and then Matthew will have a choice to make," he said.

"... He deserves that respect as a champion of the club, he deserves all the cards to be on the table so he can make a valued decision on whether he wants to be part of this young group moving forward.

"... We've given him enough time, a long time to do that.

"I am pretty sure when we meet he is going to be pretty concrete on what he wants to do or what he doesn't."

BenDoolan wrote:What is it?

Does he want to be the focal point and the only focal point? Does he want to get 1000 goals? Does he want to play the way he wants to play and not be told otherwise? Afraid of being dropped?

How about saying, I've only got one season of AFL left in my body and I will spend that doing everything I possibly can, and however I can, to help lead my young team mates into another finals series next year.

BenDoolan wrote:What is it?

Does he want to be the focal point and the only focal point? Does he want to get 1000 goals? Does he want to play the way he wants to play and not be told otherwise? Afraid of being dropped?

How about saying, I've only got one season of AFL left in my body and I will spend that doing everything I possibly can, and however I can, to help lead my young team mates into another finals series next year.

BenDoolan wrote:If you're afraid to play with the Reserves, just f***'n play well in the seniors!