Will Matt Knights concentrate on running his players pre-season.?

Question

Is endurance running a weakness at Essendon ?

Answer 1

I think the committee have given Knights a mandate to do his own thing & change things about at that club.

All the bleeding hearts keep bleating about how poorly done, poor Kevin was! He should have had his contract renewed for another 5 years etc etc......

It's only Victorians saying that - everyone else can see Sheedy was well past his use by date & the club was spiralling downwards under him.

I have no particular affinity with Knights but I do hope he does OK as those bleeding hearts will compare him with Sheedy & criticize his every move.

Answer 2

Yes, they have been running aplenty. I'm not sure whether endurance is a problem at Essendon but Matty Knights is keen to stamp his authority and train them hard. Stanton wasn't even allowed to miss training to participate in an AFL Golf Pro Am thing the other day at the Australian Masters at Huntingdale. It was November, he plays off a handicap of 2 and would have been "gutted"!

Answer 3

Not really sure, the fitter the better i guess but go the Dons!!!!

Answer 4

Quicker players is what we need though the middle... We have the best forward line we just have to learn to deliver it to them faster... So run boys run

Answer 5

If Knights doesn't change the old Sheedy method, then he won't be in bomber territory for long.

Back in the "Olden Days" the players would pork up in the off season, and return to their clubs still carrying their Christmas pudding around the gut.

I suspect that Knights wouldn't let the players get anywhere near a football until they had achieved all the other requirements of training.

Lets hope Knights  can prove himself by presenting confident players when the season starts.

Answer 6

I think Knights may have seen what I've been thinking for years.  It's not endurance, it looks like laziness.  Like many of these teams that has a star full/half-forward, it seems everyone wants them to kick 15 goals.  In history, Cats and Ablett Sr, Saints and Riewoldt, Saints and Lockett, Saints and Gehrig, Doggies and Grant come to mind as similar teams.

Look at recent premiers ... notice one absence? ... a real star full forward.  Cats this year had no player ever kick more than 5 in a game ... but had a percentage of 160 and won the GF by 20 goals.

I reckon that's what Knights is trying to impose.  Young fella might be on the right track.

Answer 7

It's already started, after last season and the running that all the teams in the top 8 produced, it wont only be essendon working on endurance, but every club will want to have that run in thier legs for the season ahead.