- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Matthew Knights during the AFL Round 03 match between the Carlton Blues and the Essendon Bombers at the MCG, Melbourne.
It’s been a week since the axe fell across Matthew Knight’s skinny shoulders. A week where most Essendon fans breathed a sigh of relief on hearing of his sacking. In fact, there may have been dancing in the streets.
Knight’s game plan was flawed. Football is a game of attack and defence, you need both and if it’s all attack then the skill level of the players has to be top notch and Knights had three years to hone those skills.
Most Essendon fans can accept a big loss from time to time. It was the way we lost on a regular basis that was unacceptable. When a team got on top of us we got belted by ten plus goals.
You need to go down fighting if you’re Essendon, leave nothing in the changerooms and everything on the field.
Sadly all too often the impression portrayed to the fans was the players lacked motivation. This is paramount to a coach’s job.
Humiliated by Collingwood and Carlton in consecutive weeks late in the season nailed Knight’s coaching tenure to the cross. If there is one thing Essendon fans won’t accept is a meek loss to either of these sides.
During the past week there has been widespread criticism in the media over why Knights was sacked. A belief that members, influential fans and coterie groups of Essendon have too much of a say.
Well, we are the stakeholders. We are the people who love the club and pay our money to support it. It was untenable for Knights to keep his job.
He failed in the football and public arena. He failed to sell his message to the fans and combined with the on field performance that cost him his job.
Now the doomsayers in the media suggest any new Essendon coach is in for a rough ride. I think the opposite, given the right appointment, fans will concede 2011 and most of 2012 as rebuilding years.
However, the Essendon board has to get the right man for the job, on and off the field. Then and only then can we dream again.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.