"Winds of change.."

[Yorkeys]

The forum’s postings have identified the 2018 season failings. So notwithstanding all the gnashing of teeth and wailing, here we are, the season is stuffed and we are shocked – why have the wheels fallen off, where are we heading. Buggered if I know, but some observations: Going ok in 2017; key coaching roles: Hammill forwards, Kingsley mid field, Richo senior coach, Bains COO. High water mark was round 16 flogging of Richmond. Followed by shocking performances in last few rounds against Essendon, Sydney and Melbourne, rounded off by a flogging by Richmond. Warning signs? Apparently not, Senior Coach extended until end of 2020 i.e. for three more seasons – a life time in footy - having blown a great platform to make the 2017 finals. Not to worry. Coaching changes: Hamill to Sandringham – Sandringham perform ok; Kingsley becomes “Transition Coach”. He is quoted: “Transition coach is around taking care of our offence, our ball use and our team defence and linking the two,”…. “I’m looking at strategy around how we can maximise our ball use, maximise our team defence, how we can counteract other teams, what’s happening in other sports that we can potentially use. So it’s quite a broad type of role.” Inside St Kilda added: “While his new role will focus less on the individual and more on the functionality of each line, Kingsley will now be involved in every group, not dissimilar to a senior coach.” There was no description of what the Senior Coach actually does now – perhaps just relax knowing he has secured his retirement without ever taking a team to the final 8 and the pressers are just embarrassing bareable. Executive changes included A. Bains former list manager since 2011 and COO out and S. Lethlean coming in as GM Football in a “restructure”. Bains and Lethlean are lawyers by training with Aussie Rules playing experience below elite professional level. The Inside St Kilda article lead with “The winds of change have subtly swept through the coaching department at Linen House Centre in recent months.” Not so subtle perhaps and the changes don’t seem to have been well managed given on field performances by the seniors. Silly to extrapolate from those things but what if Richo is now irrelevant to the players, Kingsley in seeking to justifying his “Transition Coach” role (please explain) is one too many cooks and Hamill was key to us kicking more than 7 goals a game and stopping the players’ heads spinning with transition speak. I hope that’s not so because putting all the elements back on track would be a monumental short term task if anyone capable was really interested anyway. Richo as the spokesman for the rubbish that is being served up will go before 2019 season and a new coach with any strength is unlikely to wear a transition coach second guessing him with soccer tactics – e.g. our forwards don’t have to be onside when we kick the ball over the opposition, and anyway soccer is played on a different sized ground. Possibly Sam Mitchell for 2019…..

[ace]

One massive difference in the way we are playing.
I don't see the manic pressure imposed on our opposition.
The whole team determined to tackle, to strip the ball from the opposition, to create a turnover, a turnover that will catch opposition defenders out of position and give our forwards another easy chance to score.
That is the real change.

[Con Gorozidis]

One massive difference in the way we are playing.
I don't see the manic pressure imposed on our opposition.
The whole team determined to tackle, to strip the ball from the opposition, to create a turnover, a turnover that will catch opposition defenders out of position and give our forwards another easy chance to score.
That is the real change.

Pressure is not a game plan.
It's the AFL.
All teams bring pressure and effort.