Matthew Knights during the AFL Round 03 match between the Carlton Blues and the Essendon Bombers at the MCG, Melbourne.
Matthew Knights’ response over the weekend to the contents of Matthew Lloyd’s new book was described by the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson as “a withering attack on Lloyd” and “a character assassination of unprecedented levels in regards to captain and coach”.
Another report from the same paper said Knights had “savaged” Lloyd.
From these descriptions, you’d expect what Knights said to have been unjustified, out of line and merely the bitter comments of an ex-coach. I know I did.
That was, until I actually listened to Knights’ comments.
The first thing to be noted was that the tone of what he said did not come across as savaging. It sounded more like a measured response to some very public criticisms of his coaching.
The second thing was that Knights and the Bombers had actually offered Lloyd a contract at the end of his career that would’ve seen him remain the highest paid player at the club. This was interesting for reasons we’ll get to in a moment.
But first, let’s back up.
Knights was Essendon coach at the time Lloyd retired and the perception has been that Knights was responsible for forcing the full forward from the game.
The book, which was launched last Thursday, does nothing to douse this theory. Lloyd writes that Knights effectively pushed him to retire with a plan to marginalise him as a support act to young forwards Jay Neagle and Scott Gumbleton, according to AFL.com.au.
Knights’ reply came on ABC radio on Sunday, where he claimed this suggestion was “utter crap” – perhaps the only choice of words that could be considered responsible for the colourful journalism we’ve seen since – and put the spotlight right back on Lloyd for putting his own needs above the team’s.
Said Knights: “When you sit down in a room with Paul Hamilton and Matthew Lloyd and say, ‘Listen Matthew, here’s a great contract – you’ll still be our highest paid player, here’s your role for the year, you’re going to play a lot up the ground you’re also going to play time deep and the reasons are we want Naegle, Ryder, Gumbleton (and) Hille (to develop), we want the airtime shared, we want flexibility … and then the question still comes across the room, ‘Well do you want me to play’?”
Also: “That’s where we [needed] to head as a footy club. The multi-pronged attacks are difficult to combat. So in the end I think Matthew decided that wasn’t for him, to play a team role in the forward line.”
Lloyd’s response since has been that him playing at full forward was in the team’s best interests. But on this front, it’s hard not to side with Knights – with Lloyd nearing the end of his career, time had to be given for the next generation to develop.
On top of that, recent times have shown that a forward line reliant on solely one man – especially an ageing one – is bound to have its struggles.
And on top of that, the success Matthew Richardson had moving up the ground late in his career – which resulted in an unexpected run at the Brownlow one year – would’ve no doubt been in the back of Knights’ mind.
The size of the contract Lloyd was offered showed he was still a valued member of the team. In fact, it literally showed he was valued more than any other player at the club.
So we know that Knights was not being unappreciative of what Lloyd could bring to the team or what he’d achieved in his career or his standing at the club. His only crime, seemingly, was asking a star player used to being the focal point to play more of a team role.
Lloyd might be by far the more popular figure with the footy public but in this debate, it’s difficult to do anything but side with Knights.
Ron The Bear
Roar Rookie
Even if he was, something else has since inarguably trumped Knights.
Ron The Bear
Roar Rookie
The great man... How did that work out for Essendon?
Rick
Guest
So that would make Knights and Sheedy and the Essendon recruitment terrible at reading players potential. You can't help that Gumbleton and Neagle where hit with a lot of injurys not to mention depression.
bomber_fan
Guest
Did you read Sheedy's book or rely on the one paragragh that was highlighted in Footy Classified the other night? If you want to comment, at least make sure you are informed. Sheedy said is made sense to trade Lloyd for Judd, a player with 3-years left against a player with 7 or 8. I don't recall any stage where he questioned Lloyd's commitment to the club or his honour as Kinight's has done. If you take the time to ready Lloyd's book, he doesn't say anything about playing only at full forward, but he said the option should be there and not just be ruled out of it. He was enjoying his time on the flank. And let's see, Lloyd of Jay Neagle? Would you really say that Neagle is or could be better than Lloyd?
amazonfan
Roar Guru
I'm pretty sure Matthews Knights is perfectly aware what he is shooting at. In fact, considering some of the comments made by Sheedy in his book, I think he is more accurate than Essendon fans want to admit.
bomber_fan
Guest
Johnno, go and read the book and then come back and comment again. Like Matthew Knights, you are shooting your gun without knowing what you are shooting at.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Yes.Lloyd was a one club great (as was Knights), but his playing in a premiership is irrelevant. "I don’t want to hear from Knights ever again" Then tell Lloyd not to publish any more books. "and I want to hear he was a poor coach, bad for morale and stubborn and generally useless as it means I can just write off the last few seasons as an aberration." It;s not as if Essendon suddenly became bad when he joined the club. You were already on the way down when he joined the club (no finals appearance in Sheedy's last 3 seasons.)
Johnno
Guest
Talk about guilty before he is given a fair trial Swampy. I always went along the intellectual line of innocent until proven guilty.I don't know what that translates to in a classical language like French or Latin, but 1 has to hear the other side in this case Mosuier Knights.
Swampy
Guest
My god - talk about bomber bashing. Lloyd was a one club great who won a premiership. Knights was a very good player who played in a very average team that won very little. Knights was obviously a very poor coach and his record cements that. Ask any bomber fan if they feel better watching the 2011 version or the 2010 version and you will get only 1 answer - a resounding yes. The bombers are likely to win 3 more games this year so the end result will be 10 wins and a draw, a vast improvement in style and confidence heading into 2012. I don't want to hear from Knights ever again and I want to hear he was a poor coach, bad for morale and stubborn and generally useless as it means I can just write off the last few seasons as an aberration. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Matt
Guest
On what basis is this a better year for essendon?
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Knights was the worst thing that ever happened to Essendon? Ever? Talk about exaggeration. BTW, he wasn't crappy, he was a terrific player.
BW
Guest
You know I may actually have to get Lloyd's book... I always thought he retired because he didn't want to have to face up against Hawthorn/Sewell again ;-)
Seano
Guest
But none of what you said contradicts what i said so how is what i said Rubbish? The drastich changes that need to be made came one year to late! If we had of sacked Knights a year earlier kept Lloyd and given the job to well pretty much anyone essendon would not of had an embarssing 2010, knights was always the issue. You need to have been around a premiership to coach one, either as a player or an assistant, or even a head coach at a lower grade, thats why Eade probably will get a flag one day and Ross Lyon never will.
BigAl
Guest
Seano - at the end of the day, the facts are that the Bombers with or without Lloyd were stuck in a hole and drastic changes had to be made and it was most likely that he would not be around as part of a new Bomber dynasty. Given all this I find it amazing that he would be offered a new contract which would STILL make him their highest paid player ?? I think Knights has been treated a bit harshly by the critics - during his tenure there were glimmers of potential shown - just like there have been under the new regime !
Redb
Roar Guru
Don't be a spud, Dunstall had the 1980s decade of Hawthorn dominance, feeding him the ball. he was the classic lead up forward, lead, take a mark kick a goal and barely did anything else on the footy field, like a field kick or handball.
Uncle Bob
Guest
Dunstall was in a different parish to Lloyd, my comparison was a great full forward can be a team man. Not a diving, lazy, selfish one man band like Matty.
Johnno
Guest
A big ZERO Ian Whitchurch . And also to back up that point I have never kicked a ball in anger, let alone won a coleman medal or dare I say brownlow medal lol. But I am a armchair critic and a keyboard warrior in my spare time, so it is my job to cut down these stars. Thats what the fans role is to bring these people back down to earth, and soothe there inflatable egos, that some of these elite athletes have. And showing by this behavour of matt Lloyd turning down the chance to be the top padi player at the team and retire shows that egos like that need to be modfied, and take a good look at themselves. Essondon has benifited with out haveing egos like Matt Lloyds level in there squad, and Hird and Bomber Thompson have been able to go through he rebuilding phase with youth with out the baggage of overrated players and people like Matt Lloyd, who showed his true clolours he was not a true clubman by turning down the chance to be more of a team player who was also going to be the highest paid player in the club, rather than the glory boy by being the star who has to kick all the goals.
Redb
Roar Guru
The management of the club by the Board and CEO is not the same thing as coaching panel. Ryder is being played to get him back in form, I think he has been much better in recent weeks vindicating the decision to keep playing him. The appointment of Knights was a mistake by the Board/CEO, the recruitment of Williams by that previous coach (moreso in hindsight), however there is no connection to the decision to keep playing Ryder, that is a current day coaching decision not Board/CEO.
GrantS
Guest
There is something seriously wrong with the management at the Essendon football club and has been for some time. It appears as though they will go to any lengths, regardless of the consequences, to prove decisions they have made are correct. The premature reappointment of Knights, the recruitment of Williams when under an injury cloud and the continuing selection of Ryder are just a few of note. I had hoped that the appointment of a coaching "Dream Team" to the Bombers would have changed that attitude but ,so far, it doesn't appear so.
Redb
Roar Guru
Gumbleton has been injury prone from day one.