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A new Don is dawning

22nd November, 2015
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12 Essendon players will miss the 2016 AFL season. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Roar Guru
22nd November, 2015
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German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” For Essendon, it looks as though the club has survived one of the most disastrous and tumultuous sporting sagas we may ever witness in this country.

Bomber fans have not had many reasons to smile over the last few seasons and understandably so, with every newspaper across the country constantly speculating about the club’s future.

Essendon’s fall from grace has had a significant impact on the players who, as the unfortunate scapegoats, appeared to be merely going through the motions.

Stirring victories against Hawthorn and Collingwood were just small bright sparks in what was another forgettable season. However it is now the Bombers’ turn to prove that what didn’t kill them has strengthened them, and a new head coach and assistants may just be the tonic for an exciting new era.

The Bombers will embark on season 2016 with a new sense of direction and playing style, one that quickly aims to elevate the club back to its former glory.

This of course will be no easy task, however with the backing of the members and the board Essendon can once again be the proud and dominant club it once was.

Generally, the dawn of a new era sees great a transition within.

Over the last decade or so, it has felt as though Essendon have not been willing to experience a complete rebuild and have instead averted to the ‘quick fix’ option. The Bombers have also been criticised for stockpiling players and being the most difficult club to trade with come draft time.

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The on-field impact has been evident with Essendon’s last grand final appearance being in 2001, unheard of for a club that boldly predicted that it would be playing off for the flag every five years.

This may be stating the obvious, but it is now time for the Bombers to steady the ship and get back to the land of plenty, through proper recruitment and management of the squad.

To their credit the Bombers have wasted no time in doing so, being quite active in the trade period. Essendon have delisted seven players, while trading three to different clubs as well as seeing three players retire.

Losing Jake Carlisle will hurt, however pick five gives them a great opportunity to draft some top talent.

The Bombers have filled their need for a ruckman through recruiting the services of Matthew Leuenberger, who was the best ruckman available. A new environment may be just what the former Brisbane ruckman needs to return to his career-best form after being struck with injury and poor form.

Essendon have also brought in handy midfielder Craig Bird from the Swans, who will be crucial in contributing to the development of younger players.

This new era for the Bombers has also seen the club do something that they rarely do. Essendon have appointed an experienced coach for the first time since handing the reins to Bill Stephen in 1976. The Bombers have historically appointed first-time coaches, as 16 out of the club’s 22 coaches – not including fill-in coach Mark Thompson – have been first-time coaches.

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John Worsfold’s appointment ultimately acts as the kick-start so desperately needed for a new era at Essendon.

This time of the year is also where elections for the Essendon board take place. I caught up with candidate Nick Raptopoulos to discuss his thoughts on the Bombers moving forward.

Looking ahead, Raptopoulos “definitely believe[s] the worst is behind [Essendon], the new appointments the club have made moving forward, things are certainly starting to look positive”.

When questioned on the appointment of an experienced coach over a first-time successor, Raptopoulos said he believed Worsfold was chosen, chiefly “because he was the best man going around”.

“I would like to think that the panel selected him based on his merits. He is a great coach, despite being out of the game for some time, he is now quite charged up and ready to take over,” Raptopoulos said.

In terms of on-field performance, Raptopoulos warned supporters to be patient with Worsfold.

“Historically, we are quite an impatient lot. I’d be expecting to see some promising improvement by year two and by his third year, I would like to see us entrenched in finals,” he said.

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One of Raptopoulos’s key incentives for applying for the board was to create an inclusive environment between the club and its members and supporters. Creating this environment will certainly go a long way in establishing a positive and optimistic atmosphere among supporters. As we all know, in order to achieve on-field success, progress must also be shown off the field.

Raptopoulos proposed holding “regular forums to allow people to front up and have open discussions with key personnel at the club, which ultimately creates an inclusive environment and attitude”. He highlighted the importance of members to the club, stating, “The club must also strengthen its communication with its members.”

The Bombers’ last season achieved a little over 60,000 members, however Raptopoulos believes this figure can be increased.

“Back in the 1990s Ray Morgan conducted research to find the most supported clubs. He found that back then Essendon had 100,000 more supporters than any other team. With that being said, we were quite a successful club, however a club like Richmond with little success for quite some time have exceeded us,” he said.

“In saying that, however, I feel as though our grassroots supporters have been greatly alienated, as a lot of club functions have been held for the ‘top end of town’ that have been expensive and have not appealed to the masses.”

Thus a new era dawns upon the Bombers. Will a club, who have so impatiently thrived for success, reclaim glory at the top of the pack? In order to achieve this, small and cautious steps must be taken.

Starting with the board elections, commencing Monday November 23, 2015.

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