Get the team to narrow the gap between our best and worse performances - consistency of game plan and adherence to game plan

Players need to be more ruthless - too passive - arent hungry enough- still are intimidated by most opposition


Get a President not one who was simply warming the chair for Pratt to come back - need articulate strong ruthless president

Club needs to be more upfront with supporters and media - the lack of leadership over Elliot remarks by CEO President and Board disturbing

Yes frank, we need people to step up for sure.

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There's so much I could say...

I think the club needs to stop having an obsession with making the finals this year. I would rather we missed out and we used players who we thought were our future rather than playing burnt out players who are still scarred from the worst period in our history. Houlihan for example is in his prime but he is not playing like a primed player.

I would much rather we finish 10th this year and have a "team developing" than have what I see a fragmented list. We have players like Bannister (6th year at the club) and he is still not in a best 22. If we were top 2 and you had a Bannister as a back up then that is fine but not when are developing a team.

Everyone just remember one thing and that is HOW FAR BACK WE STARTED.

Good point as is the one made by poster who said we have to get over a mental hurdle. Houlihan was lining up for goal to put us in front of the team on the top of the ladder. We outscored them after 1/4 time. Yes we were crap in the 2nd half last week but someone please explain how the same group of players can go from one extreme to the other?

Many people say on here that Ratten hasnt got a game plan except for keepings off and I ve been like that too at times but how did someone without a clue get us to within kick of St. Kilda and Hawthorn-we were lucky on both those occassions I guess? and the opposition were crap as well. How did we manage to beat the Lions twice and the Bulldogs?

We are in danger of becoming like Richmond supporters, some of us are already there it seems from the reaction on here this week. We have had injuries to the players we can least afford to lose in Waite, Warnock, Walker and even Jacobs. We've got 2 20 year olds still learning the game who are our ruck choices, they probably wouldnt be playing there if others were fit, we dont have a CHF, our backline is understrength. How much better would we be if Kreuzer could play at CHF a lot better I reckon.

Synbad has a point about the team not looking like it is well drilled unit but Im willing to give Ratten some more time. If we finish 8th this year then we have improved, people can say you are just making up the numbers but I'd rather be making up the numbers then watching some other side play in the 1st week of the finals.

Look, I don't think we're that far away - put WWW all on the field and it makes a huge difference to our structure. The think we are still lacking is goal kicking options - especially young ones. Here's a left field thought:

Offer Adelaide Gibbs for Dangerfield and their 2nd round draft pick.

Sure Gibbs will be a star but I'm in the "he hasn't progressed much this year" bucket and I don't think he will ever have pace or the ability to break a game open.

Dangerfield has, in my opinion, more chance to be a game breaker. This is based on his ability to get the footy in front of goal (his kicking for goal will improve with maturity) and his determination to get to a contest (which I think Gibbs lacks).

Anyway - just a thought

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I'm shocked to be sitting here

Essendon* had injuries...Hille, Mcphee, McVeigh suspended and Gumbleton who like Warnock cant get on the park....we had Walker, Waite, Warnock, Thornton out so I will call it even.

We have nothing in the twos you would promote outside of Ellard.

The trouble with games like Stkilda is that your fringe/C grade players like a Bannister will play their one good game in six or Armfield will actually hit a target or two instead of turning it over and give you false hope so we persist with them and find their next good game is in rnd 20...not good enough.

Gibbs for Dangerfield and their picks????... while I want changes and the axe swung lets have some common sense....Gibbs is a 250 game player who can do better...Gibbs can be affecting games like Goddard is if we can find him a position and use him correctly....Gibbs needs a very strong coach to get the best out of him and I wouldnt be trading a talent like him until he has helped win us a couple of premeirships and not the Crows....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

How can we even be considering trading Gibbs?

We've seen time and time again that the kid is loaded with talent and potential, we're calling for his head because of a form slump? Please guys, pull your head in.

Gibbs, Murphy, Kreuzer and Walker (provided he can get on the park) are our future, they are the players who coupled with Juddy are going to be bearing most of the load during our premiership campaign, you can hope all you want, but they're not going to dominate straight away. They are still developing and at this point they are coming along well, Gibbs just needs to have that hardness driven in him to by Ratts and he'll be a champion player, he has all the credentials a player needs to become a genuine superstar, just give him a little time.

Agreed... The last thing we need to do is get rid of Gibbs.... Remember what a hard nut Ratts himself became.... He wasnt always that way as i remember early in his career, Ratts was less then impressive on many occasions....
Give Gibbs time... He's shown enough and played some fantastic games to suggest he's going to be a superstar...

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

We need to start acting like a team.

Play hard for each other.
Give minimum 110% for each other at all times.
Accept nothing less than 110% from each other.
Be strong and honest about what we do well and what we don't.

If people have to go to achieve this, then that's what we do.

Only then will we get somewhere.

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Gaga and The Hoff party hard in London

Keep Bannister on the list so every time we play the Bombers we can remind them why they got rid of him

trading Gibbs gota be joking right we have few leaders at club and he will be the one who will lead the club in the future.

Get some mongrel about this club.

We gotta hate everyone and anyone.

Get a video and watch the how the Hawks went about last year (and not talking about the zoning) dropping the knees into ribs and thighs when going in for a tackle or the pack, bumping, stepping on toes (even a pinch or a nipple gribble) hitting the ball hard, jumper punches, getting into the face of opponents and let the opposition know when you play the blues expect to walk off teh ground battered and bruised.