I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard about John Worsfold’s appointment as Essendon’s new coach, but I have previously admired his relatively unemotional yet controlled approach in the coaches’ box on game days.
He is well-regarded generally, has good runs on the board (to mix my metaphors) and has the experience Essendon need in a coach at this difficult time.
If he can get the players on side and recruits well in the off-season, there are only a few other hurdles to clear for the club to be competitive again.
But let’s not have any grandiose expectation about just what one man can do. If the administration is not settled, then no coach can move a club forward. Problems off the field equals problems on the field. So I say this to the Essendon football club:
Get your house in order. Get rid of the contributing problem people of the last few years (and I can think of at least one), otherwise you doom the club to years of mediocrity for which the coaches and players will ultimately get the blame.
For now Essendon fans need to hold their reservations and judgements, and give the new revival a chance to get results.
A coach tends to need five years to develop a club from scratch to challenging for a flag, and only if a lot of things have gone right. Clearly Worsfold is not starting from scratch, he has the makings of a competitive side already. His role is to make the playing group believe in themselves again, make them gel as a team, and to incorporate new talent to plug up the gaps.
Bring on next year.
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