Matthew Knights, coach of the the Essendon Bombers at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
I’m loathed to draw any comparisons or similarities between the plight of our ANZAC heroes and a football club, but I think I’m going to do it anyway. Essendon must engage war on Collingwood in Sunday’s traditional ANZAC Day clash.
And if Matthew Knights can’t motivate his side to at least show some fighting spirit, he may be faced with an even bigger battle, maintaining the support of club members and more significantly, the clubs board.
A win will ease the pressure somewhat and maybe even the spotlight, but for how long?
The trend is alarming.
The dismal performance against West Coast, in which they lost by 23 points, said as much about the playing group as it did the coaching staff.
The talent seems to be there, but the delivery of the ball lacks any direction or system whatsoever, and then there is the game plan.
When the ball is turned over or the opposition gets a run on, the Bombers have no defensive structure to stem the flow.
The message can only come from one place: the coach’s box.
Matthew Knights continues to preach his attacking game style despite the growing number of critics. Namely and most recently former skipper Matthew Lloyd and centre half forward Scott Lucas, both champions of the club have broken rank and declared a premiership is out of reach whilst adopting the Knights game plan, especially with such an unaccountable approach.
I think regardless of win/loss though, the first thing Knights needs to do is get angry.
Rarely, if ever, does he lose his cool at the quarter time or three quarter time breaks. Whether it’s different in the rooms, who knows… we aren’t privy to what goes on behind closed doors.
Take a lead from Mick Malthouse and Mark Williams, both premierships coaches… give the boys a bake every now and again. Even Paul Roos, normally unflappable, lost his cool in round 1!
The after-match media conferences are also a vehicle in which Knights can get the message across to Essendon supporters that things just aren’t acceptable and he won’t tolerate it any more.
But have a look at Knights’ demeanour from any given after-match media conference and it’s difficult to work out whether he’s just won, lost or drawn.
He consistently delivers rhetoric like “we’ve got to remember to play to our strengths and not go back into our shells and I’m going to keep encourages this group to do that” whilst the team is delivering poor performances.
Knights did respond somewhat this week on the training track putting the players through a gruelling session of 400m sprints, and that’s all well and good, but for me, its not enough, where is the urgency, where is the honest and brutal home truths that will hopefully sting the team into action?
If he has been doing it behind closed doors, its not working, and its now time to publically put the side on notice.
Captain Jobe Watson summed up the importance of this weekends match to Essendon’s season at a club luncheon.
“I think on Sunday it will be a real test to see if this side has the mental toughness to play against the top sides”
Maybe competing with the best teams is years away for Essendon?
The likes of top draft picks Jake Melksham and Michael Hurley are showing enough to suggest they will be alright and, hopefully, Scott Gumbleton, will soon come into his own and live up to his expectations. That trio will form the future of the Essendon Football Club.
But if results don’t start coming soon, Matthew Knights won’t be.
Dan
Guest
Knights has to go there is no doubt in my mind he is the worst coach in the Afl.
Knights - Time to GO!!!
Guest
Can someone remember when Knights made a significant move from the coaches box???? This guy is such a loser, comes from a loser club and has brought the losing mentallity to Essendon. He is a poor decision maker, just look at his last game at Bendigo Bombers in the finals. How does a club surrender a 7 goal lead at three quarter time and worst still end up losing by 8 GOALS!!!!! What moron does not take a ruckman into a finals game........................enough said!!! The Essendon board have alot of explaining to do to regain the faith of supporters.
Sousie
Guest
Adam, I think you are spot on. Matthew Knights, as a player, was a complete 'suck' - my memories of him was him playing for free kicks, and spending most of his time whinging to umpires for not paying the frees. He is not a positive role model, and the more I reflect on the past two weeks' losses, and his coaching efforts, the more despairing I get. He needs to be more accountable, take more risks with his coaching style and get rid of the repetitive and ineffective cliched statements in his post-match conferences.
Matt
Guest
Matthew Knights is now on borrowed time, 2 terrible losses has made alot of bomber supporters(including myself) most disinchanted with the club. He is not a great coach, it was a mistake by the previous people in charge to choose him as sheeds successor, and it will come back to bite them after knights departure from the club, which I predict will be sooner rather than later, More thought has to be put into choosing the next bombers coach.
James
Guest
Essendon can keep him. Tigers showing well against Freo. Adelaide for the wooden spoon!
JARM
Guest
WHAT TRADE. You can't make strawberry jam out of pig sh%t........
adam
Guest
Matthew Knights would have to be the softest player ever to turn into an AFL/VFL coach without question. How can the current crop of players positively respond to a verbal thrashing from their coach when they would have watched him stand outside of contests waiting for someone to get him the ball his entire career? He can be as passionate as he wants but the players wouldn't respect him as the player he was.
James
Guest
It's gotta be a lot worse that this thrashing happening on the big stage of Anzac Day. That must hurt Bomber fans even more.
Justin Rodski
Guest
It's going to be a long week of soul searching for Essendon. Another embarrassing performance on the big stage. Matthew Knights is now well and truelly the AFL's most vulnerable coach.
James
Guest
I retract my previous comment re Tigers going after Knights for coach. Hardwick will do.
JARM
Guest
Grew up in Bomber land and followed the Bombers for forty six years, but until they get rid of this moron failure of a coach, i 'm not interested in the club. No game plan, and no idea, no interest. I'm disgusted with the E.F.C.
James
Guest
It's looking very ugly for Knights now - Bombers getting pumped on Anzac Day won't go down well.
Redb
Guest
Footy footy footy can't till tmoro - carn the Dons!
James
Guest
I can't read where the Bombers are at this year. They could squeeze into the eight, particularly with the Crows - an expected finals team - having no chance of making it and so much inconsistency in the midpack. Like last year a big win on Anzac Day could put them on track for the finals. Season defining game for Essendon and Knights. PS: As a Richmond fan I look at Knights and I'm disappointed that yet another one of our favourite sons is plying his trade elsewhere. Why didn't the Tigers groom him for coaching?