The Bomberopoulos Report

2009-08-12T21:27:00.004+10:00

WE can stop the Saints

There is no doubt in Matthew Knights' mind that his team can do what no other side has done in 2009 and defeat St Kilda when they clash at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Knights told the media this morning that his side has a huge respect for what the Saints have achieved this season but will exhaust every resource to secure a win this week.

“We are playing the top team on the ladder this Sunday and we have a lot of respect for them but we will do everything in our power to win the game and give our guys the belief that they can do it,” he said.

“St Kilda’s put in an enormous performance last week to go out and do what they did missing key players, but every week is a new week.

“Our players understand that St Kilda’s pressure skills are outstanding, we’d expect nothing less on Sunday then our players to come with the attitude to match that.

“We played a bit better last week playing a team that was on the edge of the top four, it would have been nice to get a winning result but we certainly played some better football which is promising.”

Last time the two sides met, the Bombers were unable to close the 19-point deficit after a slow start to the game with many wasted opportunities.

Knights says his side knows what to expect this time around.

“Last time they got off to a flying start, kicking the first five or six goals and slowly we reeled them in but their steadiness and their professionalism kept them that three or four goals in front,” he said.

“This group has that belief that we can match it this time around - our biggest challenge is doing it over four quarters. We can match good sides for periods but we haven’t nailed a good side over four quarters.

“St Kilda is so good at counter attacking from defence, when we do get the ball in our forward line we will have to make sure we score.

“We expect and will prepare for them to be full strength on Sunday. This afternoon in our planning meeting we will look at several areas of their game and try to work out how to stop them.

“We are not going into the match saying we are playing the top team, we are saying we are going to go out and win.”

ESSENDON by 13 points!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-07-16T14:15:00.004+10:00

Essendon v Footscray

VENUE & TIME: Concrete Stadium, Friday July 17, 7.40pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 147, Essendon 87, Footscray 58, Drawn 2
LAST TIME: Footscray 23.13 (151) d Essendon 15.15 (105) , Round 21 2008 at the MCG

WALKING WOUNDED: Bombers midfielder Angus Monfries (hamstring) will miss a fortnight. Daniel Giansiracusa (knee) is five weeks away from resuming while Ayce Cordy (back) is likely to miss another week.

FORM: Footscray may be coming off a one-point loss to Collingwood but they remain one of the competition’s hottest teams, having won seven of their past nine games. Their six-goal-to-one last term against the Magpies highlighted this. The Bombers have won three of their past four games, including a hard-nosed performance against Sydney last weekend. Since Round 11, they have averaged the third-most disposals of any side.

WHO'S HOT: Robert Murphy has been excellent in defence but it was when he was pushed forward in the last quarter against the Magpies that the Bulldogs rediscovered their mojo. Murphy had 10 touches in the final term and played a key role in the late surge. Shaun Higgins has become one of the premier small forwards in the business, while Brian Lake has been superb. He not only held Magpie Jack Anthony kick-less but his counter-attacking has been pivotal. Liam Picken has emerged as the Dogs’ master tagger. For the Bombers, fullback Tate Pears continues to impress. He is not only solid in the back-half but is prepared to run and carry the ball through the midfield. Scott Lucas kicked three against the Swans and has helped ease the burden on Matthew Lloyd since his return from a spell in the VFL. Jobe Watson is enjoying a career season, while Jason Winderlich is in great form.

WE THINK: The Bombers haven’t beaten the Bulldogs since Round 10, 2005, but this looms as their best chance to end that streak.The Bulldogs have been one of the slowest starting teams, regularly falling behind by four goals within the opening 20 minutes. That was the case against the Magpies, and the Bombers have the pace and weapons to inflict pain if this happens again. The Bombers’ tactics will be to force the Bulldogs to kick long to contests as they don’t have a major marking target. That the Bombers have been playing well, this should show where they are at and post their 9th win of the season.

The Bombers by 15 points!

Sheedy past coaching top side, says Lloyd

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-06-04T17:46:00.004+10:00

Essendon committed to Indigenous Australia

But Andrew Lovett isn't committed to Essendon!

As the old saying goes, a Leopard doesn't change it's spots!

Andrew Lovett has got to go! No more fucking excuses. He is mentally weak, irresponsible and completely selfish!

Not because he chose to drive, who gives a shit, blah, blah, blah...but for the contempt he has shown - time and time again - to his fellow team mates, The Club, Members & supporters...

Our patience has evaporated. The fans have had enough of this dumb, fucking, weac kunt!

Being close to traded last season, obviously wasn't a fucking big enough wake-up call for the pathetic, loser!

So what now??

Not even a one week suspension, $159 fine or anything Peter Jackson might hand down - will mean anything to him...the Dog!

It is time for Matthew Knights to excercise his only option available, cut him from the list, GET RID OF LOVETT!!!

Time to go, fuck-off, sayonara, giasou - just piss off! The call WILL get louder!!! Some of us have enough shit on this mongrel, to fill up page one & three of the Herald Scum. The only reason to date, we have not aimed with both barrells at this idiot, is the love of our club - and confidential sources.

But enough is enough!

Watch this space...

The Essendon Football Club must not, should not & does not rely on any individual! No matter how good they are or think they may be.

Your time is up Lovett, for the last time, fuck off! It's your call. Apologies will not cut it, we are coming after you, expect a big hit, where it counts - in the media!!!

If Peter Jackson doesn't come down hard on the loser and pulls out the standard media line: "We will continue to support him in his life choices" - will only go to prove one thing. We are back to the bad old days of weak Leadership! Ala Sheedy's last couple of years and the AFL sleep-in, to "Saveoursash"!

It's up to you Matty. I have been your biggest supporter, you must admit Lovett has failed you & the rest of us.

Your call, Matthew Knights.

"MY CLUB" does not deserve this!

Edit: Added 6:35PM - RESPONSE from the Essendon Football Club website.

My one word reaction: Typical.

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-05-18T12:46:00.002+10:00

Brave Bombers downed by 19 points
ESSENDON couldn't kill it, but we now know it bleeds. The monster that is St Kilda finally suffered flesh wounds in a 19-point win.

Although the at Etihad Stadium margin was comfortable enough on face-value, a daring Essendon should have got closer in the final term.

If not for the odd dumb decision and turnover, they might have even won. For the first time this season, as the Bombers made a run early in the last term, the Saints' key defenders found themselves seriously under the pump.

You could maybe blame the short break after Monday night's defeat of Collingwood, but St Kilda also became a little sloppy by foot.

The Bombers won the disposal count and almost matched the Saints for inside 50 entries.

And a really strange thing happened: the Bombers won the final three quarters against a side usually too stingy to give up one.

The Saints were clinical and clean in the opening term, posting a lead of 28 points. It looked odds-on we were in a for a 12-goal-plus shellacking.

But Essendon refused to roll over and managed to stay within the range of three to four goals for the rest of the game.

Matthew Lloyd emerged as a threat in the Bombers' forward line and they dominated the opening five minutes of the final quarter for the reward of only two behinds.

Still, they only trailed by 21 and seemingly had all the momentum. The Bombers surged again six minutes in, but Jobe Watson missed teammate Andrew Lovett and instead gifted a chest-mark to Farren Ray in the centre corridor.

In a flash, Nick Riewoldt had marked 30m out from goal.

The St Kilda star made them pay dearly. Essendon kept coming, but the Watson turnover in some ways summed up the contest.

As brave as they were, the Bombers simply stuffed it up too many times heading into 50, either hesitating or choosing the wrong option.

In the final term, with St Kilda finally trickling blood, the Bombers could only manage a wasteful 2.5 as the efficient Saints managed to keep them at bay with 2.2 at the other end.

St Kilda has been so damn good all season, it is easy to dig too deep in search of fault. Again, there were so many positives.

Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt were superb, having 12 shots at goal between them. Lenny Hayes continues to look like a man on a mission and you would swear Brendon Goddard is yet to miss a target all year.

Again, their pressure and tackling skills were elite. At times, particularly early in the game, it was like meb versus boys.

But did we see Zac Dawson finally wobble a little yesterday? Perhaps. Were we reminded why Clinton Jones should handball at all costs?

Yes. Jones' stopping job on Brent Stanton should be applauded, but his kicking is still a concern. Others also caught the disease.

The Saints had 17 kicking clangers to the Bombers' 12 - we would have expected that to be reversed at the start of the game.

Essendon can take a lot of heart and it is a shame Watson had to turn one over, because the midfielder was sensational.

Watson had 39 disposals, including 18 contested. His intensity around the ball set the tone. The run of Courtenay Dempsey, Andrew Lovett and Alywn Davey was exhilarating and Adam McPhee continues to quieten the doubters who were starting to queue up after Round 1.

Jay Neagle kicked three before fading, but shows enough to suggest coach Matthew Knights should just back him in from here.

Knights, himself under the pump not so long ago, clearly is on to something at Windy Hill. Having eye-balled the monster, and seeing an ever so slight sign of weakness, the Bombers might fancy their chances next time.

Forward Justin Koschitzke booted four goals for the Saints, while midfielder Lenny Hayes was outstanding with 33 touches as their side won 13.12 (90) to 10.11 (71).

A six goals to two first quarter proved the difference for the Saints, with Essendon recovering from their sluggish start to match the competition leaders for the remaining three quarters.
St Kilda led by 28 points at quarter-time - a margin they more or less maintained until the final change.

The Bombers threatened several times to overrun the Saints, with forward spearhead Matthew Lloyd coming alive in the second half to kick all three of his goals.

But while the young Bombers played out of their skins, they just lacked polish and poise at pivotal times.

After closing to within 21 points with Lloyd's third goal early in the final term, the Bombers' fate was sealed with two fourth quarter majors to Nick Riewoldt who finished with three for the match.

Bombers defender Andrew Lovett was effective and gave his side plenty of run all day, while Jobe Watson battled hard in the midfield, gathering 39 possessions.

St Kilda have now won their opening eight matches of the year and remain clear of Geelong at the top of the ladder on percentage.

Essendon have a 4-4 win-loss record and remain in the top eight.

ST KILDA 6.5 8.8 11.11 13.12 (90)
ESSENDON 2.1 5.1 8.6 10.11 (71)

Goals: St Kilda: J Koschitzke 4 N Riewoldt 3 A McQualter J Geary J Gram L Ball L Hayes S Milne. Essendon: J Neagle 3 M Lloyd 3 C Dempsey D Myers H Slattery J Winderlich.
Best: St Kilda: L Hayes B Goddard L Montagna J Koschitzke C Jones N Riewoldt. Essendon: A Lovett J Watson R Dyson C Dempsey H Hocking M Lloyd.
Injuries: Nil.
Reports: St Kilda: Nil. Essendon: A Davey (Essendon) by field umpire S McBurney for rough conduct against N Dal Santo (St Kilda) in the second quarter.
Umpires: Troy Pannell, Stephen McBurney, Ray Chamberlain.
Official Crowd: 45,594 at Concrete Stadium.

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-05-12T13:12:00.005+10:00

BOMBERS TO CRACK SAINTS

FOR the third week running, Essendon's two defensive pups from Perth will be given blue chip assignments by Matthew Knights.

Cale Hooker and Tayte Pears have had to quickly come to terms with dealing with the best forwards at the elite level and it will happen again when the Bombers meet unbeaten ladder leader St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Knights said yesterday the pair would stand Saints forward targets Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke, testing tasks he is happy to give the youthful duo.

"There's not much other option there. They got the gigs last week against Roughead and Franklin and they're probably a good chance to get the gigs again," Knights said.

"I don't mind throwing challenges to young players. They did it admirably last week and we'll probably throw similar challenges to them this week."

The 20-year-old Hooker, just four AFL games young, was thrown onto Brisbane's Jonathan Brown after Dustin Fletcher was injured at the Gabba two weeks ago. Last week, despite Franklin kicking five goals, he did a fine job.

Pears, 19, held Bradshaw for most of the night and last week kept Roughead to just two goals to preface an expected match-up with Koschitzke this time around.

The exciting young Bombers, sitting boldy in the top eight with a 4-3 record, face their biggest challenge of the season thus far - and Knights knows it.

"Their form-line in the first part of the year's been impeccable so they're obviously up there with Geelong as the two best teams in the comp at the moment," he said.

"I think they've played 24 players for the year so they're getting continuity and consistency in their team. They're very mature in age and body, so they've got a lot of good area covered in their game at the moment."

"We've got our heads slightly above water with win-loss but more importantly we're still going after our vision for the future ... with young players, moulding them and bringing them through together.

"We're in that middle range at the moment with win-loss and we've got to keep trying to develop and improve this group, and the by-product hopefully ... is maximum performances on the weekend."

That said, veteran Scott Lucas will probably do more time at VFL level despite a strong performance last weekend, as will Brad Prismall and Michael Hurley, who need more game time under their belts.

Mark McVeigh will miss at least another week, although he is now running pain free on the ankle he injured.

Essendon has arguably over achieved given the amount of injuries it has had to deal with this year but Knight forecast better things to come.

"We're still getting better and trying to improve our game plan - it's still going to take some time until we get it right,'' he said

"Our tackle counts are reasonably good, and I think this time last year we had a really ugly percentage. I think we're sitting around the middle at the moment with about 100 per cent so that suggests we have got the balance a little bit better this season.

"What was so important about the win last week was that apart from McPhee and Lloyd the rest of the players were still very young and still have long times to go in their careers."

Essendon coach, Matthew Knights says his side is looking forward to another big challenge this week when they take on ladder leaders St. Kilda.

The Bombers’ delivered their third audacious upset of the season last week and are looking for back-to-back wins come Sunday.

Knight’s believes that the key to winning the game will be matching St. Kilda in the contested areas of the game and not underestimating the multitude of talented players they will field.

“St. Kilda was a top four team last year and have taken their game to a new level this year,” he said.

“They have a lot of talent, their players are mature too- you can’t underestimate that especially with players like Goddard, Montagna, Dal Santo, Riewoldt and Koschitzke upfront and Fisher is a super player up back.

“They look very strong; their form-line for the first part of the year is impeccable, they are up there with Geelong as the best two teams in the competition.

“We run into challenges like this every week, at 4-3 we just have our heads above water with our win/loss.

“Whatever happens Sunday we are keen to play to our full potential and see what the by-product of that is.”

Knights said that for his team to walk away with a win this week, they cannot afford to drop off their aggression and intensity at the ball that they showed against Hawthorn.

“We need to match St. Kilda in attack and the contested areas. When we played at the Gabba, against Brisbane, they towelled us up in the contested ball, they were too good,” he said.

“Against Hawthorn, we were able to match players like Brad Sewell and Luke Hodge on the inside, where they are so good and we were competitive which have us the chance to execute our game plan.

“We will be concentrating on that during the week and then come out and have a real crack at them on the weekend.”

A strong performance in the VFL from Scott Lucas and promising returns from injury from Darcy Daniher, Michael Hurley and Brent Prismall means Knights will face some tough selection pressure for this week’s game and in the coming weeks.

“As we have a Sunday game we won’t finalise our 22 till Thursday. Scott went back and did himself proud, he kicked four goals but more importantly effort and movement was a lot better,” he said.

“After having a good game last week I wouldn’t think there would be too many changes to our line up. Again we’ll finalise our 22 on Thursday and that will be the first time we let the players know too.”

ESSENDON by 7 points...You can quote me on this, I tipped Essendon by 3 points against Hawthorn (Facebook) and everyone laughed at me - watch out Saints!!!

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-05-11T12:35:00.001+10:00

Bombers down Hawks

It was a David and Goliath battle at the Concrete Dome tonight as a young and relatively inexperienced Essendon line-up defeated the reigning premiers of the competition in one of football’s great rivalry matches.

The Bombers displayed courage, composure under pressure and slick run and carry through the corridor as they left nothing to chance and worked to pick apart Hawthorn’s midfield.

With all players contributing, Essendon used the zone to their advantage and maintained solid defensive pressure for the entire match in order to seal a 44-point win.

Essendon’s Patrick Ryder said the team’s forward and midfield pressure was key to the Bombers’ win.

“We were disappointing last week so we wanted to front up and give Hawthorn a good run. The pressure that the boys put on up the field and out of defence to play how they played was great,” he said.

“The pressure around the ground was fantastic. The boys just put their heads down and pushed through for the whole match.”

The Bombers looked dangerous through the midfield, moving the ball quickly and skilfully.

“The speed of our team is one of our strengths so that is something the boys want to do – get the ball and take them on and run it in through the midfield,” Ryder said.

“It just shows we can win games when we do it right.”

Despite coming under scrutiny during the week, Essendon’s young backline showed its doubters they could limit the influence of Hawthorn’s spearheads Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead through solid performances by Cale Hooker and Tayte Pears.

"Cale was fantastic, both him and Tayte,” Ryder said.

“Even though Franklin and Roughead kicked a couple of goals, the effort they put in was fantastic.”

Ryder said Essendon will look to back up their performance as they head into another tough battle against the unbeaten St Kilda next week.

“We will look to focus on maintaining our momentum going into next week,” Ryder said.

“We need to encourage each other on the track so we don’t repeat what happened in Brisbane.

“Tonight we went in as underdogs and came out victorious and that does a lot for our confidence.

“It shows we can beat any team when we are playing our game style and do the things we are taught to do.”

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Don rookie Pears beats Hawk fears

When Tayte Pears found out Dustin Fletcher had fractured a leg during last week's match against the Brisbane Lions, the young defender felt a little bit worried.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Zaharakis a Hawk? It's just a dream

David Zaharakis kicked two last-quarter goals to help Essendon sink Hawthorn on Friday night.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Bombers fly in stunning win

Essendon delivers third audacious upset of the season, and its most outrageous one yet, stunning reigning premier Hawthorn to record a breathtaking win.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Speed thrills for Essendon over Hawthorn

Essendon's youth and speed outclass Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium, delivering the young team a deserving 44 point upset win.

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-04-30T00:16:00.005+10:00

HIRD TO RETURN FOR CHAIRMAN EVANS

EXCLUSIVE: DAVID Evans, son of former Essendon and AFL chairman Ron Evans, is poised to become the next Bombers chairman. His expected elevation would increase the chances of club legend James Hird officially returning to the club.

Current Essendon boss Ray Horsburgh has told Evans, a Bombers director since 2006 and managing partner of investment services company Evans and Partners, he wants him to lead the club.

The Herald Sun believes Horsburgh, the Bombers' chairman since 2007 who was re-elected to the board by members last year, is considering handing over control as early as the end of this year.
But Horsburgh said a post-2009 season handover was "not a current consideration".

It is understood Evans, 44, has indicated he is prepared to accept the role, whenever it is formally offered.

"All boards should conduct succession planning, and as part of that I have nominated David as my choice as the next president," Horsburgh told the Herald Sun.

"But when, we haven't discussed that. He is the bloke who I would groom to hopefully be the next president.

"He is a fine businessman and a very good cut of a bloke.

"He is a bloke I would be proud to have leading the club in the future when I decide to go, whenever that might be."

Evans would not comment when contacted yesterday.

Horsburgh indicated a return to the Bombers by Hird, who retired at the end of 2007 after 253 matches, would be a strong possibility under Evans' leadership.

Hird is enjoying his increased media roles this year, but has said in recent times that he would, over time, consider a coaching role.

"I have told (Hird) personally he is always welcome," Horsburgh said.

"But now he is developing a business, he is a young man and he is trying to get his own business career underway and I think that is his priority.

"He is welcome at Essendon if at some stage in the future he wants to try on the board.

"He is a close mate of David Evans, anyway.

"They are tight. David was his mentor when he worked at (JB) Were's, when he was learning the stockbroking game.

"He worked under David at Were's. David was a mentor to him and is a bit of a business adviser to him now.

"I think if Hirdy ever joins the board it might be more in David's time than mine."

Essendon is already searching for a replacement for its long-serving managing director and chief executive Peter Jackson.

Jackson confirmed at the weekend he would be leaving the club this year.

DAVID EVANS

DIRECTOR

David Evans was appointed to the Essendon Football Club Board in October 2006. He has worked with Goldman Sachs JBWere for 18 years and spent ten of these as a Director and has occupied senior roles such as CEO of the firms' Retail Business, and CEO of the firms' Equity Business. David is a Director of two ASX publicly listed companies; Healthscope Ltd and Mirrabooka Ltd. David recently started his own investment bank - Evans and Partners Pty Ltd, based in Port Melbourne.

Bio from essendonfc.com.au

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-04-27T12:48:00.004+10:00

BOMBERS LIVE DREAM!

Essendon has sealed a satisfying five-point victory over Collingwood at the MCG in the annual blockbuster clash today.

Victory couldn’t have been much sweeter for the Bombers who trailed the Magpies by one point with less than a minute remaining on the clock before a goal on the run to David Zaharakis in just his fourth game sealed the match.

Alwyn Davey said you couldn’t have scripted a better win for the Bombers.

“To win these big games is good for the players, the club and the supporters,” he said.

“We just kept pressuring the opposition all day and I think everyone worked hard. In the end it all came down to the last five minutes and it was good to see the hard work all day pay off.”

Essendon were without David Hille all day after the ruckman landed awkwardly on his knee in the first two minutes of the match. He left the ground with a suspected ACL injury.

Patrick Ryder was called to stand up in his absence and did exactly that. The 21-year-old was instrumental in the Bombers win and was well deserving of the ANZAC Day medal he was awarded post-match.

“When Hille went down, Paddy really stepped up so that was great to see.

“It was good to see him come away with the medal because he really deserved it after all the hard work he put in all day under difficult circumstances.”

The morale-boosting victory will give Essendon confidence as they make the trip interstate to take on Brisbane next week.

“This win will lift us up for next week and hopefully we can back it up with another solid performance with everyone contributing,” Davey said.

Bombers stand tall in heat of battle

Forty-four players took the field for yesterday’s Anzac Day clash and only two of them spent every exhilarating minute on the ground. They were the two players most affected by David Hille’s injury and ultimately they were the two best players on the ground – Paddy Ryder and Adam McPhee.

The duo was however ably supported by the midfield grunt of Jobe Watson and the tireless running of Brent Stanton. The leg speed of Jason Winderlich, Ricky Dyson and Andrew Lovett was also very important, particularly late in the game.

And what can you say about Dustin Fletcher that has not been said – he plays his 300^th game for Essendon next week and he just keeps producing, yesterday taking Anthony Rocca to the cleaners. Who is to say he does not have another season in him – right now he doesn’t look like slowing down.

Ryder’s feats were extraordinary. Named to start down back he soon found himself in the ruck and he stayed there for the day, comprehensively beating Josh Fraser and Leigh Brown. Ryder’s numbers were remarkable for a big man – 16 disposals, 11 contested possessions, four inside 50s, five clearances and 13 tackles. They are numbers that would make the most seasoned midfielder walk of the ground happy with his lot.

McPhee’s return was equally stunning given he was coming off a game against the Kangaroos that he said himself, was something he wasn’t proud of and it is fair to say many fans agreed with him. But McPhee is a quality player – a best and fairest player at Essendon – and in front of just under 85,000 people he towelled up Travis Cloke and showed what an important player he is for Essendon.

McPhee also won a critical loose ball in the final minute of the game, his quick kick finding Andrew Lovett. It was a critical play in the final analysis, getting the ball into Essendon’s forward 50m and ultimately giving his side a chance to win the game.

Watson and Stanton were excellent contributors in the midfield, collecting 61 possessions between them. Watson’s clearance work was important – he racked up a team high seven while Stanton’s unquestioned motor was still purring late in the game. He breaks opponents with his running and he did it again yesterday.

Back to back wins would be a nice way to celebrate Dustin Fletcher’s 300^th at the Gabba next weekend.

An exciting victory by Team Essendon and most of all the Coaching Crew - especially Matthew Knights!

I enjoyed this win, with both my kids, definately as sweet as the Carlton game - but to knock off both swines, just wonderful!

To all those calling for the head & nuts of Matthew Knights - just FUCK OFF now & go to Richmond!!!!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-04-25T13:05:00.004+10:00

ANZAC Day clash

ANZAC Day is our Day of thanks and gratitude.

LEST WE FORGET!

Essendon will use its visit to The Shrine of Rememberance and a talk from club champion Jack Jones for inspiration ahead of today's ANZAC Day clash.

The former Collingwood player and development coach, Alan Richardson, said that a decision on whether Mark McVeigh will play would be made as late as possible after he felt pain in his ankle following Sunday's loss to North Melbourne.

"Last week was his first week back and he pulled up a litle sore so we'll give him every opportuntiy today (to play) since it's such an important game and he is such an important player. He desperately wants to play," Richardson said.

"It will be a matter of how he feels together with how the medical staff think he has responded".

Richardson played against fellow assistant coach, Gary O'Donnell and Dustin Fletcher in the drawn inaugural ANZAC Day clash in 1995.

He admitted he would be passing on his intricate knowledge of Collingwood's players to help the young Bombers today.

"There is no doubt I will be a resouce to our players on who they will play on - when you have been involved with another club you can probably give more than you normally would," he said.

A group of Essendon players and staff visited The Shrine of Rememberance yesterday and recieved a talk from three-time premiership player, Jack Jones, about serving in Papua New Guinea as a 19-year-old.

"The way Jack spoke was incredibly touching and emotional and I don't think that message will be lost on the players." Richardson said.

ESSENDON to win by 16 points.

LEST WE FORGET!

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-03-21T21:27:00.003+11:00

WTF?

THE word on the street, Puckle Street.

Is - get rid of Knights!

SERIOUSLY...

What kind of tosser or loser is calling for the sacking of Coach Knights and - wait for it...

Install, the one and only, Mark fucking Williams.

OVER my dead body!

Fuck that!

Mark Williams should, no - deserves to go to Collingwood, now that Blake Caracella has shown up Mick Malthouse and taken the Pies to a Grand Final! Geez it was good to see Collingwood lose another Grand Final...Thanks Blake!

One word.

Knights is safe.

Whether we are 2-4, 1-5 or 0-6!

Ours is a long, long, hard road.

We must not forget, how we got to be - where we are today...

Speaking of which!

It seems the decrepid, old and senile ex-Captain of Richmond, the wounded Tiger Sheeds, thinks that Ben Cousins and Richmond could win this years Premiership!

DRUG TESTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or just pass the sedatives, for uncle Kev, isn't there a Pharmacy - somewhere down Punt Road?

Sheedy need just ask Cousins!

Anyway. Unfortunately it is very hard for me to keep this blog, updated...due to major business commitments and all that - but make no mistake.

My support for the Red & Black is just as great as ever.

CLUB first!

We may not be a force - at the minute - or for another couple of seasons, but make no mistake.

We will be earning respect over the next 48 months...

Our time will come again!

"To win the Premiership Cup..."

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-02-27T19:31:00.002+11:00

Knights: Davey to ignite the Bombers

Matthew Knights reveals how he will be closely monitoring the performance of Jason Winderlich and Scott Lucas as they play their first game this week.

The Essendon team of 26 is: Jay Neagle, Ricky Dyson, Scott Gumbleton, Jobe Watson, Angus Monfries, Leroy Jetta, Jason Winderlich, Mark McVeigh, Andrew Lovett, Sam Lonergan, Courtenay Dempsey, Jay Nash, Matthew Lloyd, David Hille, Henry Slattery , Hayden Skipworth, David Myers, Scott Lucas, Darcy Daniher, Alwyn Davey, Patrick Ryder, Dustin Fletcher, Adam McPhee, Tyson Slattery, Heath Hocking and Tom Bellchambers.

Ins: Lucas, Davey, Winderlich, Myers, Daniher.

Outs: Bachar Houli, Michael Quinn, Jarrod Atkinson, Nathan Lovett-Murray(emergency), Cale Hooker (emergency).

Read Knights' preview below:

FORM LINE

The form our players displayed in the second half of our game against the Western Bulldogs is what we will be modelling our game on this week. We were a little bit scratchy in the first half of that game and our coaching staff were a lot happier when our players opened the game up a little bit in the second half.

Given it has been two weeks since we last played, we are probably going to be pretty fresh again this week but our players know the game plan and the way we want to play so we will focus on executing that on Friday night.

The theme that stuck out for me from Brisbane’s game is they stuck together very well. They teamed together very cohesively, particularly in their backline and when moving the ball out of defence. Obviously they have done a lot of work together over the summer and are well drilled and we have to expect a Brisbane side that will play at a pretty high level and we will have to be right on our game to beat them and that is what we are going to endeavour to do.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Scott Lucas is coming in for his first game of the season and it is really important for him to get some good match time under his belt. I think he is well and truly over his knee injury so it will be great to see him moving around injury-free.

Jason Winderlich is another player we are really looking forward to watching this week. His career was really at the crossroads some three months ago and there was a big question mark over whether he would come back and play senior football. To see him come back into the senior line-up this week and moving around in the midfield will be really exciting for the club.

From a Brisbane perspective, I think Josh Drummond will be a big player for the Lions this week. He had a fantastic game against St Kilda and his skills really helped set the side up in the first half of the match. He has always shown an enormous amount of talent across the half-back line and he will need to be held accountable this week.

Matthew Leuenberger is also coming back in for the Lions this week. He was an early draft pick and a budding young star in the ruck so it will be great to see him go against young Tom Bellchambers and David Hille in the ruck. They are two young players we are looking at from Brisbane that are pushing up and getting better in the AFL ranks.

INS AND OUTS

We have four players coming back in this week in Jason Winderlich, Scott Lucas, David Myers and Alwyn Davey. From a game-time perspective, it is important these players get some minutes to ensure they give themselves the best possible chance to be in good shape for Round 1.

We want to make sure everyone in the team has had the right amount of game time heading into Round 1 so the players who aren’t selected this week will not miss because of form. It is more a strategic move because we can only play 26 who will rotate off the bench on Friday while others will play a full game down at Geelong on Sunday in the VFL.

Our new recruit Tyson Slattery will definitely play in our backline this week so it is exciting for him to get some more game time under his belt. Meanwhile another of our new recruits, David Zaharakis is getting closer to playing his first game. Although he will probably miss at this stage, he is the first emergency so if we have any niggles between today and tomorrow night, he will be the player that comes in.

Alwyn is a big barometer for our team and means a lot to us in regards to our success moving forward as a club so it will be great to see him out on the turf running around with his teammates. He is looking forward to the game but is also a little nervous because he hasn’t played for such a long time. At this stage he will more than likely play the second half of the game and it is a great reward for Alwyn for all the work he has done to get his body right.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK

It was only this time last year that I was coaching my first or second game of AFL football and Michael Voss is going through the same thing at the moment.

He has had a remarkable history as a player and I am sure he will translate a lot of that playing career into his coaching.

I watched the Brisbane Lions live in their first game against St Kilda on the Gold Coast and they were terrific in the first three quarters. Their attack on the ball was relentless and their tackling was ferocious so we expect a Michael Voss coached side to be very aggressive and really up for the game so it is something that I am really looking forward to.

Michael has a lot of experience from working at the AIS over the last twelve months and he has watched a lot of football from a commentary perspective so I am sure he is going to be up with the modern trends of the game and they will be fairly forward in their preparation.

Smash the the Old Fitzroy Boys and Voss!

Essendon by 17 points.

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-02-13T23:44:00.004+11:00

ESSENDON BY 1 POINT

Essendon have beaten the Western Bulldogs by one point in a thrilling AFL bushfire benefit game at Telstra Dome.

Adam McPhee's snap at goal with less than a minute left went through for the match-winning behind as the Bombers won the round-one pre-season game 1.8.13 (70) to 1.8.12 (69).

More than $1.2 million was raised at the game on Friday night and immediately after the final siren, it was announced that the Red Cross appeal had hit an overall total of $100 million.

McPhee's match-winning score redeemed a quiet night for him - a couple of minutes earlier, his shot at goal went out on the full.

Captain Matthew Lloyd then marked, but his set shot from an acute angle hit the post with 65 seconds remaining.

Midfielder Andrew Lovett impressed for Essendon with 22 disposals and Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson kicked four goals.

Lovett was nearly traded at the end of last season after two club-imposed suspensions.

Essendon will next play the winner of Saturday night's NAB Cup game between Brisbane and St Kilda in the knockout competition.

Several young key forwards showed promising signs in the match - Scott Gumbleton and Jay Neagle for Essendon, along with the Western Bulldogs' Jarrad Grant.

The game was originally scheduled for Friday night in Darwin, but the league quickly rescheduled the fixture last Monday and made it a benefit game as the full horror of the bushfire crisis became apparent.

Victorian Premier John Brumby led a minute's silence before the first bounce as the crowd remembered the victims of Australia's worst natural disaster.

A lower than expected crowd of 35,123 attended the game after 37,000 tickets were pre-sold.

Scores were level at halftime as first the Bulldogs and then the Bombers could not build on a small lead.

The 'Dogs had plenty of chances in the second term, but could only manage a wasteful 1.5.

Essendon fans will hope the first play of the second half is a preview of things to come.

Lovett stormed out of the centre and his bullet-like pass found Neagle, who goaled to put Essendon six points up.

The Bulldogs kicked two successive goals to regain the lead, but again squandered a couple of chances to pile on the pressure.

At 17 minutes, Bulldogs defender Paul O'Shea cannoned into Jarrod Atkinson as the young Bomber took a mark in the middle of the ground.

Tempers nearly boiled over before Atkinson made the most of his 50m penalty, kicking a super goal to put Essendon ahead.

Former Adelaide player Hayden Skipworth goaled on the siren and two minutes into the final term to put Essendon 17 points ahead, the biggest lead of the game.

But the Bulldogs hit back with three goals, including two to Johnson, to lead by a point and set up the exciting finish.

OK - so I got the final margin wrong, by 77 points...WHO cares, I tipped a victory & a win is a WIN!

GO BOMBERS!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-02-12T17:13:00.004+11:00

Bomber to make his debut

TEENAGER David Zaharakis will debut for Essendon less than a week after the death of his former girlfriend.

Zaharakis was named in an expanded 29-man squad, with Bombers football manager Paul Hamilton confirming on Thursday that the 18-year-old would debut against the Bulldogs before an expected capacity crowd in the Bushfire Appeal match at Telstra Dome.

It comes at the end of a difficult week for the midfielder, who is mourning the death of his ex-girlfriend Melanie Shuey.

The 17-year-old sister of West Coast recruit Luke Shuey died in Melbourne on Sunday morning after being hit by a motorbike while crossing a road.

"It's obviously something that's hard for anyone to go through, especially a young guy like Dave who has only just come to the club," teammate Jobe Watson said on Thursday.

"It was his ex-girlfriend, but he was obviously still in touch with her and they were pretty close.

"It's been a hard week, especially for him, and we've also got three (players recruited from Under-18 club) Northern Knights guys who knew the girl and the family.

"Dave is probably a bit unsure about where he is with his head a little bit.

"But I spoke to him before and he's keen to come out and play and really wants to go out and play well.

"It's something that he'll be able to look back on and maybe make him a stronger person for being able to get out there and run around."

The promising Zaharakis was selected by the Bombers at No.23 in the 2008 national draft.

Speaking ahead of the fundraising match at Telstra Dome, Watson said several Essendon players knew people personally affected by the devastating bushfires.

First-year draftee Michael Still has several friends from the affected areas, while the mother of midfielder Brent Stanton's girlfriend had a house in Kinglake, a town largely destroyed by the fires.

Have a great debut Zaharakis, but more importantly we are here for you - mate...

Essendon by 78 points!

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-02-11T19:17:00.005+11:00

IT'S ON!

Essendon V Footscray

WHERE & WHEN: Telstra Dome, Friday February 13, 8.40pm (AEDT)

LAST TIME: Bulldogs 23.13 (151) d Essendon 15.15 (105) at Telstra Dome, round 21, 2008.

WALKING WOUNDED: The Western Bulldogs are missing big guns Jason Akermanis (calf) and Adam Cooney and Robert Murphy following knee surgery while key defender Tom Williams won't be risked but like Akermanis, Murphy and Cooney is expected to play during the latter stages of the pre-season. The Bombers suffered a massive blow losing experienced defender Andrew Welsh to a broken leg and dislocated ankle last week while ruckman Jason Laycock (foot) is also likely to miss at least the first month of the home and away season. But midfielder Brent Stanton (thigh) should return for the second week of the pre-season.

THE FORM: The Bombers looked to have an unearthed a gem in giant rookie Christian Bock - the younger brother of Adelaide star Nathan - given his performance in last week's intra-club match and it will be interesting to see how he performs alongside fellow youngster Tom Bellchambers in the ruck given Laycock is out and number one ruckman David Hille is not certain to play following his recent run-in with a stingray. The Dogs will unveil several youngsters including Jarrad Grant, Paul O'Shea and Brennan Stack and will welcome back a fully-fit Shaun Higgins, who missed most of last year with a serious ankle injury.

WE THINK: It's hard to tip with any confidence given both sides have played only intra-club matches heading into this clash, which is now expected to draw a huge crowd as it has been moved from Darwin to Melbourne to aid Victoria's bushfire relief appeal. With the five hour trip north and playing in the heat and humidity of Darwin no longer a factor, both sides have named far stronger teams than originally expected although there will still be a sprinkling of youth. And while the Bombers performed far better in this competition last year than anyone expected in reaching the semi-finals, it's hard to see a team that has missed the finals the past four years troubling last year's beaten preliminary finalists first-up - even though the Dogs are missing Murphy, Cooney and Akermanis. The Bombers will need a big bag of goals from skipper Matthew Lloyd but he might lack support in attack with Scott Lucas being rested. Essendon by 78 points.

The full Essendon squad is:

Jay Neagle, Ricky Dyson, Scott Gumbleton, Jobe Watson, Angus Monfries, Leroy Jetta, Mark McVeigh, David Zaharakis, Andrew Lovett, Sam Lonergan, Courtenay Dempsey, Jay Nash, Matthew Lloyd, David Hille, Henry Slattery, Hayden Skipworth, John Williams, Cale Hooker, Patrick Ryder, Dustin Fletcher, Adam McPhee, Tyson Slattery, Jarrod Atkinson, Heath Hocking, Michael Quinn, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Bachar Houli, Tom Bellchambers, Christian Bock.

The Western Bulldogs squad is:

Jarrad Grant, Daniel Cross, Matthew Boyd, Brad Johnson, Shaun Higgens, Lindsay Gilbee, Nathan Eagleton, Daniel Giansiracusa, Callan Ward, Ben Hudson, Ryan Griffen, Brennan Stack, Josh Hill, Dylan Addison, Ryan Hargrave, Jamason Daniels, Will Minson, Easton Wood, James Mulligan, Tim Callan, Wayde Skipper, Brian Lake, Cameron Wight, Jarrod Harbrow, Henry White, Liam Picken, John Shaw, Paul O'Shea.

Essendon to wear 'Bushfire Appeal' logo

Essendon Football Club will wear ‘Bushfire Appeal – 1800 811 700’ as its shorts logo in Friday night’s fund-raising game at the Dome.

Essendon managing director, Peter Jackson, said the Club hoped this branding on the players’ shorts would encourage Australian’s to give freely to the cause.

Big names included in Essendon squad

Essendon has named a strong 29-man squad for Friday night's Round 1 NAB 'Bushfire Appeal' clash with the Western Bulldogs at 8:40pm at the Dome.

Bomber stars Matthew Lloyd, Mark McVeigh, David Hille, Dustin Fletcher and Paddy Ryder have been joined in the squad by young guns Scott Gumbleton, Jay Neagle, Bachar Houli and Courtenay Dempsey.

READ MORE.

Stars to play in fundraiser

Essendon captain, Matthew Lloyd, today joined Western Bulldogs' Robert Murphy, AFL Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou and Telstra Dome's Ian Collins to discuss Friday's Bushfire Appeal game at the Dome.

Lloyd and Murphy revealed the change in venue from Darwin will allow more players to line-up for the clash.

"The coaches are going through the team this afternoon but there will probably be another five players who will play in the game, including myself, who wouldn't have been otherwise," Lloyd said.

READ MORE.

ESSENDON to crush the Bulldogs by 78 points...

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-02-04T22:16:00.006+11:00

Intra club game 'closed' to public

Essendon will hold a ‘closed’ 2009 intra club practice match at Whitten Oval on Friday 6th February.

It's a BLOODY outrage!

This will be the first full-scale intra club game Essendon has held this pre-season and it will be played over four 20-minute quarters.

OUR first taste of football, since last season and we - THE FANS - are to be locked out! I don't think so...

Football operations manager, Paul Hamilton, said the public, unfortunately, cannot attend because Whitten Oval is still a construction site.

LISTEN Pauli, I know you haven't been back at Essendon for long, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

If the EFC want a quality ground, one that can also accomodate it's fans, it would have secured one.

Fact.!

No if's, maybe's or can we!

Kapish?

Just cut to the chase and state, we are trying all our new tricks and don't want any spy's from any teams like Geelong, Carlton or Bulldogs - oh, wait a minute - we Play Footscray first up in the Pre Season Cup...

WHY wouldn't we want to play on the Doggies home turf?

Obviously this is all part of the 'cunning' plan! Hey Hammy?

Let the Doggies see us play certain 'fake' passages of play, like Lovett in the ruck, Lloyd at CHB and Watson at FF. Whilst GO'D Coaches and Knights sits on the bench...or sumthink like that?

ALL this, at the expense of the Club's loyal supporters.

Fuck off...

“This is not ideal for our fans who would no doubt be looking forward to seeing the guys in action but, in the end, it is the best option available to the club," he said.

Not ideal...No shit, Sherlock!

“We had to find a quality ground that didn’t have cricket being played on it the following day. We also wanted to play our intra club match one week before our first NAB Cup game in Darwin.

IN Darwin...Against the bloody Bulldogs, you do realise that they will be watching, whilst we - the fans - are not allowed in - don't you Pauli? It's just not cricket, I tell ya, or Footy.

“For these reasons we were very limited in our options and the Western Oval works well for us apart from the fact that fans will not be able to attend.”

As long as it works well for us, I mean you, oh and them - meaning - Footscray.

A highlights package of the intra club practice match will be shown on Bomber.tv

To sign-up to watch Bomber.tv simply click here

Hamilton said media are welcome to report on the game but will need to be accredited (details to be advised soon).

I guess that leaves me ONLY one option really, my Media Kit is being printed up as I type. The only problem is do I go as a Herald Scum or Ch 31 reporter this time?

Pictures from the game to follow - stand by - from the Construction site!

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-01-29T09:41:00.005+11:00

Scott Lucas and Mark McVeigh back to full training

THE concern hovering over Essendon's pre-season lifted dramatically yesterday when two stars returned to full training.

Scott Lucas (knee) and Mark McVeigh (toe) were back in competitive training at La Trobe University in Bundoora after overcoming pre-season setbacks.

Lucas had spent three months rehabbing a surgically repaired knee, while McVeigh's preparation had been delayed after breaking his toe early in the pre-season.

They were joined by important onballer Jason Winderlich, who has recovered from a back injury that seemed unlikely to allow him to play football again.

Essendon's post-season surgery list was the longest on record at the club in 2008, with many players on managed programs throughout the summer.

The club's established stars are returning, with Essendon confident it can have its best side on the park by Round 1.

Boom youngsters including Scott Gumbleton, David Myers and Jay Neagle have summer fitness behind them after struggling in past pre-seasons.

Captain Matthew Lloyd is also in full training after being held back slightly pre-Christmas with some mild hamstring tightness.

The club will resist the temptation to rush in under-prepared players for the NAB Cup, starting against the Western Bulldogs in Darwin on February 13.

"There were a lot of operations at the end of the year. It was a record for the club. It will have an affect on some of them for the NAB Cup but we are confident there is plenty of time to get them up for Round 1, which is pretty important," football manager Paul Hamilton said.

"Scotty (Lucas) has been going along pretty well. He has really stepped it up since Christmas and he's at the stage where he's at full training."

McVeigh broke his toe after landing awkwardly in a drill in late November, but already had a good fitness base behind him.

"His recovery has gone to plan so he has had 6-8 weeks of full rehab and he's ready to go," Hamilton said.

Winderlich twice had surgery on a back that refused to respond to treatment.

But since resuming a running program in mid-December he has improved rapidly.

Winderlich's miracle return

The focus on Essendon’s vastly improved injury list has centred on Scott Lucas and Mark McVeigh - both of who resumed full contact training this week – but the big success story has been the return of 24-year-old Jason Winderlich.

The veteran of 56 games also resumed full training this week after overcoming a career threatening back problem.

“There was a lot of concern about him but he has been building up now since October so it has been a really gradual return and it has gone really well,” football operations manager, Paul Hamilton, said at training today.

READ MORE

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-01-21T20:11:00.003+11:00

KNIGHTS CALLS ON YOUTH

With up to a dozen senior players unavailable because of injury Essendon coach Matthew Knights is expecting to blood at least four new draftees in the club's opening NAB Cup fixture against the Western Bulldogs in Darwin.

Knights nominated the club's top selections at last year's national and pre-season drafts, key defender Michael Hurley and former Adelaide utility Hayden Skipworth as near certainties for the clash on February 13 while David Zaharakis is rated a 'good chance'.

Former West Adelaide youngster Tyson Slattery is another in the mix to be rewarded for a strong pre-season, and a shortage of fit big men may just open the door for gangling rookie ruckman Christian Bock.

"Potentially out of the eight or 10 we drafted, maybe half of them, maybe four might be ready to play," said Knights.

"It's more so whether they're physically ready to play and their loads are right."

Knights said that Jobe Watson, Patrick Ryder and Courtney Dempsey all need at least two more weeks to recover from shoulder surgery while Jason Laycock (foot) will be battling to be ready for the start of the season proper.

Mark McVeigh (broken toe) and Jason Winderlich (back) are not quite ready and David Hille may have been a chance had he not stepped on a stingray at St Kilda on Sunday.

Knee reconstruction pair Alwyn Davey and Brent Prismall have more rehab to complete, but Knights said Davey may be ready for the club's Round 1 clash against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium if all goes well.

"We're planning for him to play the last one or two practice matches," said Knights.

"I basically have said to Alwyn if he can complete two games I'm happy to go with him in Round 1 if his knee feels fine and the medical staff are fine."

"And Jason Winderlich has made significant ground."

"In the direction he's heading barring any more interruptions he could be right there for Round 1 also."

"Most of our guys are beginning to hone in on that area and looking pretty good apart from Prismall and (Darcy) Daniher and Laycock."

Related Links

Hille stung by stingray

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2009-01-15T08:29:00.000+11:00

Essendon rookie Bock a special project

HE looms as the ultimate long-term project, but Essendon is happy to play the waiting game with Christian Bock.

The 18-year-old brother of Adelaide All-Australian Nathan Bock was the tallest player taken in last year's draft after the Bombers gave him a spot on their rookie list.

At 205cm and still growing, he towers over his teammates, but at a stick-thin 83kg it will most likely take many hours in the Windy Hill gym before he makes his mark.

Bock says sheepishly that weights have not exactly been a prominent feature of his footy career.

"The boys have thrown up the nickname 'Spider'," he said.

"I haven't done many weights at all, but I'm sure that will change soon."

Bock is a centimetre taller than the league's best ruckman, Dean Cox, but more than 20kg and several pre-seasons behind the West Coast star.

The mobile teenager was overlooked in the national draft after a broken collarbone restricted him to just seven games with Woodville-West Torrens last year.

It came as a relief when Essendon threw him a lifeline two weeks later at pick No. 36 in the rookie draft.

"The collarbone was the first injury I'd ever had," Bock said.

"I was pretty rapt when I got picked up. I might have been selected in the national draft if I had played most of the season, but I suppose we'll never know."

Bock, who has good endurance and displays good ruck technique, should learn quickly from David Hille and ruck coach Simon Madden.

"I'll get a lot of support from those guys so it should be good and I'm sure they'll give me plenty of pointers," he said.

"I've settled in well. All the boys have been fantastic and made me feel at home straight away."

And if that's not enough, Nathan, seven years his senior, is only a phone call away in Adelaide.

"He's given me a lot of advice and it's been handy having him around. It's been a massive bonus," he said.

"I just want to play consistent football this year, improve, add some weight and have an injury-free season."

Bock is not on his own with his last wish, with as many as 22 Bombers having been on modified training programs.

Football manager Paul Hamilton said the club had seen the most off-season operations in its history.

"Our first training session was the biggest rehab group I've ever seen," he said.

Mark McVeigh is close to rejoining the main group after breaking his toe, back victims Darcy Daniher and Jason Winderlich won't feature in the NAB Cup, while Alwyn Davey is also unlikely.

How exciting.

A special project player. Post-Sheeds!

A player that stands 205cm, is 20kg lighter than Cox, but nevertheless is a player.

Not some kid from Botswana, Ukraine or Ireland - but a lad that grew up breathing & eating-up Aussie Rules!

The Essendon Football Club would do well, to let Christian Bock, come spend a couple of months with ME (Christos Bomberopoulos), I'll feed you everything from home-made Gyros to fucking Mousaka! If that fails, you can live at Mum's for a couple of weeks, no-one gets out from her place, without having thirds!

Congrats to all brave enough to give a footy kid - "with talent" - a chance!

AND not some potential "athlete" from West Indies, Arizona or Uruguay...

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2009-01-04T22:17:00.006+11:00

KNIGHTS SHADOW

Caroline Wilson

ESSENDON chairman Ray Horsburgh breakfasts regularly with Matthew Knights, just as he used to with Kevin Sheedy, most notably during the autumn and early winter of 2007 and the football season that drew to an abrupt and premature halt for the Bombers with Sheedy's inevitable but still traumatic sacking.

The nature of the early morning discussions say plenty about the radical changes that have taken place at Windy Hill since Knights was installed in a decision that came as a shock to the AFL community on the eve of the 2007 grand final.

The Horsburgh-Sheedy breakfasts took place at one of Melbourne's more public morning meeting spots, South Yarra's Botanical Hotel. The chairman and the rookie coach meet a short-walking distance from the club in Napier Street.

The Sheedy meetings saw Horsburgh often telling the veteran coach not to become distracted by the looming contract showdown, and that concentrating on coaching would give him his best chance of remaining. There was also plenty of long-term financial advice.

With Knights, the advice is totally different and, according to Horsburgh, not necessarily taken on board. "It's more along lifestyle lines with Matthew," Horsburgh told The Sunday Age. "Last season I obviously wanted to reinforce his resolve during the tough period, but I also tried to get him to take more time-off.

"I tell him to spend more time with his kids, take one day off during the week, but I'm not sure he actually takes my advice. He's a pretty intense person."

The manner in which Knights won the right to succeed the club's longest-serving coach also provides a telling history lesson in the transformation in off-field recruiting, an osmosis which saw the younger man undergo a six-week process punctuated by intensive psychological testing and three separate three-hour presentations. Clubs did things differently 28 years ago.

Essendon under Sheedy had become used to playing finals until his last years, and Knights did not - despite what was said later about how he won the job - whitewash the situation at the football club once the real business of coaching was put to him by the board.

"I did not pull any punches about the direction the club needed to go," Knights says now. "I spoke my mind, which was the right thing to do. Then getting the tick from the Essendon footy club meant I was able to make the big decisions on staff and players."

Those big decisions included seven changes to the Bombers' football department which took a year to implement, and culminated with the departure after a decade of the club's key fitness and conditioning team headed by John Quinn, who has been replaced by Stuart Cormack, formerly of the Eagles.

Knights is diplomatic about Quinn, but the truth is that the two disagreed on important aspects of fitness. Quinn's concentration on trackwork has now been reduced and the 2009 pre-season has seen an increase in work on rowing machines and bikes, and a revised weights program. The decision to replace Quinn was made by the coach alone.

Just as Knights impressed the board before he won the job by pointing out that individual players must be treated as such - Essendon's indigenous players were a key factor in that - Cormack has designed a wellness program creating specific programs for specific players.

When Essendon insiders who have witnessed the post-Sheedy revolution are questioned about the changes under Knights, their simplest explanation is that players know now the task they will be handed well before each game. By the previous Tuesday in fact. But it goes much deeper than that.

Essendon had no true development coach before Knights took over, but now the club's extensive list of first- to fourth-year players spend an entire day each week concentrating on the off-field aspects of their job under Alan Richardson, one of several new faces Knights has managed to lure to Windy Hill, and to whom he insists he is learning to delegate better.

Richardson's enlistment from Collingwood was a project embarked upon by Knights some 15 months ago. He had been coaching Coburg in the VFL when Knights, the player, was dropped by then-Richmond coach Danny Frawley, and the Bombers coach has never forgotten how impressed he was by him.

And his lieutenants are not all new faces to Essendon. The first telephone call Knights made after he had been appointed as senior coach was to Gary O'Donnell to convince him to remain the No.1 assistant, the explanation being: "He was loyal to Kevin and I knew he'd be loyal to me."

Paul Hamilton has become football operations manager and another former Bomber David Calthorpe has returned to run the more basic team management aspects. The latter's irreverent but clever sense of humour has proved, according to colleagues, the light to Knights' shade.

The word intense comes up a lot when talking about Knights, the former Richmond captain who led the team during one patch of the Tigers' long and most recent history of failure, now stretching more than a quarter of a century. Knights was one of Richmond's notable few players of genuine class during that time, but his playing career did not end particularly happily.

Dropped to the reserves towards the end of his career - something Sheedy avoided, choosing instead to retire - replaced as captain and then forcibly retired, Knights moved to Adelaide in search of an extended football career and became coach of the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL.

His intensity during his two years with the Magpies proved to be his undoing, something Knights freely admits, along with the fact he was at cross purposes with the board from the start, as it turned out. The club was keen to return to the success it enjoyed before Port Adelaide became an AFL club, and to spend money on established players, whereas Knights wanted to rebuild the list from the ground up.

It was at the end of his second unhappy season there that he received what he now describes as one of the most important telephone calls of his life - when Paul Barnard rang and suggested Knights apply for the Bendigo Bombers' VFL coaching job. He won the position from a panel that included Kevin Sheedy and Mark Harvey.

"I was too intense and inflexible and I constantly clashed heads with the board at Port Adelaide," Knights says now. "Myself and the board were at different directions as to where we saw the club going and I didn't handle it well.

"Coaching the Port Adelaide Magpies taught me that to be totally focused on footy is fine, but not to live with it 24-7. Not to bring it home every night to the family and not to lose sight of the creative element of coaching - to enjoy the ride. I think I've got better at that."

So much so, says Knights, that during the darkest hours of his AFL coaching debut season he honestly never struggled with the win-loss ratio or the thrashings that, despite his and CEO Peter Jackson's denials, did raise the eyebrows of club directors at one board meeting in 2008.

The new-look James Hird-less Bombers had won two of their first three games under Knights at the start of the season, before losing eight in succession. As Knights has said, it is true that there was no special meeting called and no finger-pointing. But it was briefly pointed out around May or early June, after yet another final-quarter capitulation, that the team could not keep conceding late goals in games at the current rate.

"Certainly those losses were difficult, but I was honestly in the throng of enjoying my work and enjoying the challenges, and Peter Jackson and Ray Horsburgh were always supportive," says Knights. "It was an eerie time, but I never felt threatened and the plan never changed. We are still very young and that was exposed around stoppages - we knew why it was happening.

"Still it was good for our supporters when things improved and they could see some light."

In 2009, Knights will raise eyebrows with a tall forward structure including Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Jay Neagle and Scott Gumbleton, whose anticipated return after spending his first two seasons on the sidelines was underlined at the start of spring-summer training with a 15.4 beep test.

"Throw in Adam McPhee and David Hille, who goes forward a bit, and I guess we'll resemble a tall timber forest, but I'll stick to it because we've just got to get games into Neagle and Gumbleton," said Knights. "I know it's left of centre and it will be 10 or 15 games before you might see some progress, but in the short term I'm not interested in their form because in the long term I know it's the right thing to do."

Horsburgh rates Knights' performance in his rookie season an eight out of 10, losing points only for not making the finals - which no one expected anyway. Most senior people at Essendon expect the coach to be offered a contract extension at the end of 2009. Knights, not surprisingly, is less bullish regarding his rating.

"I saw at Richmond where the president and the coach did not agree on the coach's rating, so maybe I should go with Ray," he jokes. "When you look at win-loss performance alone, I could only say middle-rank - about five out of 10 - but I have been happy with a lot of what we've achieved in terms of development.

"I am also a lot more transparent now. When I meet the Essendon board every month, I tell them anything and everything. At Port Adelaide I tended to hold things back. And I am getting better at delegating. I didn't do enough of that last season."

Despite Horsburgh's misgivings, Knights says he is still improving in that area. The Bombers' recent training camp at Coffs Harbour saw the coach hand one day each to assistants O'Donnell, Scott Camporeale, Adrian Hickmott, Ashley Prescott and Richardson.

Of the advantages of delegation, Knights said: "I was able to sit back and concentrate on strategy."

In fact, the entire camp consisted largely of strategic planning both on and off the field for 2009, and Knights' thoughts when he returns to work tomorrow after a 10-day Christmas-New Year break have not deviated much from where he saw the team structure at the start of the pre-season.

Knights spent his short holiday with his family at Mildura and admitted that, amid the relentless regime that is AFL coaching, 10 days away from it seemed like a very long time.

Horsburgh would be pleased to know that as recently as two days ago Knights spent the majority of his waking hours playing bowling machine to his young son's bat and the protective helmet the young Knights received for Christmas.

And the chairman who is hoping he will not be forever remembered as the man who sacked Kevin Sheedy wouldn't be surprised to learn that Knights was at work today, having quietly let himself in to his relatively small Windy Hill office to prepare for "Day One 2009". Tomorrow.

MATTHEW KNIGHTS ON:

KEVIN SHEEDY

"I've read bits of his book in the papers. He's got every right to have opinions, although I'd never heard any suggestions that Matthew Lloyd would be traded and I was around at the time. I probably didn't think that was warranted, although it didn't concern me that much. I want to be able to see Kevin and enjoy his company and enjoy his thoughts on footy and that's my only concern.

"I think it's great for the Richmond Football Club that he's gone back to Tigerland and I don't see it as any comment on Essendon. I see him as endeavouring to give the Essendon Football Club some space and give me some time."

ANDREW LOVETT

"Andrew is living in a townhouse in South Melbourne on his own and we meet every two weeks to talk about his progress and other things. Deciding whether or not to trade him was one of the toughest decisions I've had to make here. I've ended careers of some good people who wanted to play on like Damien Peverill, and you're breaking their heart, but with Andrew if we could have done a trade and it was suitable, it would have happened. But he's stayed and he is a very smart footballer, and he's finally starting to speak up in some of our footy sessions. He's starting to win back some respect from the playing group, but he's got a long way to go there."

MATTHEW LLOYD

"Matthew is our captain and will continue to be our captain. He's spoken to me quite seriously about his future and he really wants to dip his toe into the media this year and he'll do that with our blessing. I know he's one player who can get the balance right and I trust him to do that."

KYLE REIMERS

"Kyle needed to learn about the AFL. Some of the things he says to me as coach I never would have said to my coach, and he told me back in October he's planning on wearing a new colour of boots this season, but let's face it ... they're just boots. We celebrate Kyle's eccentricity, and I must say I enjoy coaching loveable rogues and I enjoy the fact we've got some interesting characters among our playing group."

RAY HORSBURGH ON MATTHEW KNIGHTS

"I'd give him an eight out of 10 for his first year. His ability to bring people along with his plan - his communication style has been terrific. He's very blunt and there's no game-playing. He addresses the board for half an hour to 40 minutes once a month and his resolve has never changed. He's a pretty intense sort of person. If anything, he's even more emphatic now about sticking to his long-term plan than he was last year."

The only small black mark against Matthew Knights, is keeping faith in that little turd, Andrew Lovett - but I'm prepared to back the Coach in. It sure would have been fantastic had we traded Love-Myself-Lovey-Boy, but then again if no one wanted Andrew, wake up to yourself young man & repay the faith!

BRING on Round 1...

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2008-12-30T09:34:00.003+11:00

FINAL SIREN FOR MUCH LOVED WEG

Cartoonist William 'WEG' Ellis Green dies at 85CARTOONIST William Ellis Green, whose famous footy posters adorn the walls of fans around the country, has drawn his last caricature.

Known to most by his initials, WEG died at his Heathmont home yesterday, with his wife of 63 years, Joan, at his bedside.

Tributes poured in for the 85-year-old legend whose career started at the Melbourne Herald in 1946.

His premiership posters became a Grand Final tradition for more than 50 years, starting in 1954 when Footscray won its only premiership.

The posters, originally sold for two shillings by The Herald, and later the Herald Sun, raised more than $2 million for the Royal Children's Hospital.

So determined was WEG to contribute to the children's hospital appeal that he discharged himself from hospital two weeks before this year's Grand Final to make sure he could draw the posters.

It was to be his last major work.

Friend and business partner Geoff Bridgeman said doctors told WEG he would not last more than a day if he left the hospital, but WEG insisted on drawing the posters.

"There were two things he wanted to do. One was to draw the posters, and the second was to get to the Herald Sun shop to do the signings the morning after the Grand Final," he said.

WEG joined The Herald in 1946 and spent 40 years at the paper.

After he retired in 1986, WEG continued working as a caricaturist and illustrator with his drawings appearing in cricket books by Max Walker, on stamps and in children's books.

His premiership posters became so coveted, one collector paid up to $5000 for Collingwood's 1958 premiership poster.

WEG died after two heart attacks in September, and pneumonia.

Herald & Weekly Times managing director Peter Blunden said the company was proud of its long association with the artist.

"Nothing is more synonymous with Melbourne and football than a WEG poster," Mr Blunden said.

"But WEG will be fondly remembered, not only as an iconic artist, but as a great Australian, generous and loyal.

"Every year he donated his time, effort and talent to the Royal Children's Hospital to produce and help market his famous grand final posters."

Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal executive director Christine Unsworth said WEG's posters raised more than $2 million for the appeal. "His contribution has been magnificent," she said.

"He never asked for anything and he always came in on the day after the Grand Final to sign the posters."

Former Sun News-Pictorial cartoonist Geoff Hook said WEG was a mentor. "He was more of an icon to me than a rival," he said.

Hook, whose cartoons carried a concealed fish hook, credits WEG with coming up with the idea when he was looking for a gimmick.

Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight said WEG was a hard act to follow when he started at The Herald in the late 1980s.

"Both he (WEG) and Jeff Hook strode the cartooning landscape like giants," Knight said. "Not bad for a bloke who was only 5 1/2-foot tall.

"He would get invited to corporate functions and end up drawing all of the guests.

"They would line up in front of Bill, all wanting to go home with a WEG original in their hand."

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said WEG and his posters were part of the city's footy fabric. "Everybody from the PM to the captains of industry has a poster," he said.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said WEG was part of a great football tradition.

"His grand final posters . . . have been a staple part of the premiership ritual since 1954," he said.

In 2001, WEG received the medal of the Order of Australia for his services to art and the community.

In 2003 his drawing skills earned him the Jim Russell lifetime achievement award from the Australian Cartoonists' Association.

He even became a crime fighter in 2006, when, at the age of 82, he confronted a burglar running through his back yard.

WEG drew a caricature for police and the offender was quickly identified and arrested.

FAREWELL WEG.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-12-16T17:17:00.005+11:00

SHEEDY THE DEAL MAKER

NOW that Kevin Sheedy has gone over to the Dark-side, the yellow sash, he has managed to publicly bash the Richmond Hierarchy into drafting Ben Cousins.

THE new Graeme Richmond has arrived at Tiger Land, we know him as, the Old Emperor Sheeds.

There is no doubt, that this entire, highly successful, Yellow & Black Op: Get Cuz.

WAS initiated and master-minded by The Great Kevin Sheedy.

Next week, next month or next season - and that time will come.

JUST remember who it was that got Ben Cousins down to Richmond.

Kevin "EYE OF THE TIGER" Sheedy!

WHEN (and it's only a matter of time) it all blows up in Richmonds face, the fingers will ALL be pointed at everyone barr - The Teflon Don.

Mark my words - Kevin Sheedy will take all the credit if Benny delivers the goods and just as quickly distance himself, or worse, blame Coach Wallace and the Board.

BEWARE THE OLD TIGER...SHEEDY!

On a private note, if I may.

Good luck to Ben Cousins off the football field - may your health never suffer, but on the field, I hope we smash you the first chance we get!

CONGRATULATIONS to skipworth - make the most of your well, deserved spot, at the Greatest Sporting Club in the World: Essendon Football Club.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-12-11T16:25:00.004+11:00

MEMBERS SEE OFF EPIS

ESSENDON premiership player and long serving clubman Alec Epis has been voted off the club's board.

Chairman Ray Horsburgh and veteran board member, Kevin Egan, were re-elected.

Jo-Anne Albert will replace Epis, joining Bev Knight as the women on the 11-member Bombers board.

Epis has been a prominent figure at Windy Hill, playing 180 games for the Bombers over 11 years, including two premierships in the 1960s.

He was a long-time club director and is a life member at Essendon.

Epis has also been a specialist coach with young players.

Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, who was sacked last year after 27 years in the role, lashed out at Epis last month.

Sheedy used the launch of his latest book to say he thought about running for the Essendon board, but he could not work with Epis.

Sheedy later said they did not see eye-to-eye on anything.

Essendon chairman Ray Horsburgh said “I would like to thank Alec Epis for the role he has played on the board over such a long period of time. Alec has given more than 50-years of his life to this Club – a fact we recognised on Crichton Medal night. I know how much this Club means to him and on behalf of the board and the members I thank him for his service.”

The new Essendon board will be officially recognised at the upcoming Annual General Meeting to be held at the Moonee Ponds Clocktower Centre on Tuesday December 16^th from 7pm.

Farewell Kookaburra and thanks for a life-time, of great work, at OUR Essendon Football Club.

YOU (& your supporters) outlasted Sheeds, if that is any consolation...

'Tis a pity you did not get a chance to see through the first 3 years of Coach Knight's reign, but thanks for having the courage & determination to move "Emperor Sheeds" on.

CHEERS,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-12-02T05:05:00.002+11:00

ZAHARAKIS THE
BOMBER

Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro thinks the Bombers have got the list balancing act about right following Saturday’s NAB AFL Draft. Speaking exclusively to essendonfc.com.au today, Dodoro said that when you add the Brent Prismall trade into the equation, Essendon’s list is in good shape heading into 2009.

“It is a pleasing result. We traded our third round selection for Brent Prismall who we believe was the best player traded for in the trade week. We complimented that with David Zaharakis to bolster the midfield and continued our succession planning of key tall players by drafting Michael Hurley as a backman and Michael Still as a forward. Then you have Tyson Slattery who can play as a swingman which gives us some flexibility,” Dodoro said today.

Dodoro believes Hurley is ready to play senior football at some stage this season.

“He could play next year – physically he’s up to it. He is a natural football who will be very motivated by being part of an AFL environment. He has been an All Australian the past two years – he would have been picked up last year but was too young – he was ready last year,” Dodoro said.

Dodoro was on the phone to David Zaharakis immediately after the completion of the second round. Having grown up as an Essendon supporter, he was at The Dome in a flash- leaving at home friends and family who had gathered with him to listen to the draft.

“When we had a break after the second round I called David straight away and told him to get him down. We had targeted him as the midfielder we wanted. He was a mad Essendon supporter dying to get to the Club,” Dodoro said.

“He was All Australian – we looked at him closely last year as a 17-year-old. We kept a close eye on him this year and he really developed. He uses the ball really well, is a goal-kicking midfielder and has great leadership skills. When we spoke to David Dickson – the Vic. metro under 18 coach - he said we should be taking him at pick 5.”

It was the continual improvement of Michael Still – particularly in the second half of the season - that really caught the eye of Dodoro and his team of recruiters.

“He is a bottom age recruit (17-years-old) and a genuine key position player. He kept improving as the year went on. One of the strategies we had going into the draft was to identify a player that would have been a first round selection next year and he fitted from that perspective,” Dodoro said.

“He is a forward – he kicked a lot of goals late in the year – bags of goals and that is a good sign. He presents well and can take difficult marks. He keeps his eye on the ball.”

Essendon’s final selection at the draft provides the list with some added flexibility.

“Brenton Phillips - former Essendon player and coach of the S.A. under 18s - liked his hardness at the football. He described him as a ‘see ball, get ball’ type of player. He also has great endurance and at 191cm can play back and midfield,” Dodoro said.

“Has played senior football this year for West Adelaide where he was coached by Andy Collins and he gave us a really good reference for him. He has played against men and that is an advantage – he turns 18 on his first day here at the club on Wednesday. His father Wayne Slattery played at St Kilda and also trained here at Essendon.”

Following the draft, the Essendon coaching team took the Melbourne contingent of their draft picks out to lunch at Docklands. Some pizza was allowed on the menu as part of the day’s celebrations but it might be the last these young men see of it for a while as the hard work begins for season 2009.

Hurley too good to pass up

Selection five was the moment when the element of intrigue was added to the national draft.

In the 48 hours leading into the draft, word spread across the country that Melbourne, West Coast, Fremantle and Port Adelaide would take Jack Watts, Nick Naitanui, Stephen Hill and Hamish Hartlett respectively with the first four picks.

And speculation became reality within minutes of Andrew Demetriou officially opening up proceedings as the aforementioned quartet were picked up by their corresponding clubs.

Essendon was next in line with the fifth pick overall and with it came the most uncertainty to that point of the draft.

The Bombers had to decide between snaffling up the bargain of 2008 in impressive Subiaco midfielder Daniel Rich and selecting promising key position prospect Michael Hurley.

Rich would no doubt have been a welcome addition to Essendon's green midfield department but with the impending retirements of Dustin Fletcher, Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas over the next few years, Essendon's need to top up its key position stocks proved too strong and the first eyebrows were raised on Saturday morning when it decided to recruit Hurley.

Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro elaborated on why the Bombers overlooked Rich.

"We were really confident about getting Hurley all the way through because we just needed a player of that type in our club," he said.

"He can play forward and back and we were looking at finalising the succession planning of talls into our club and he was the perfect fit for us."

"We've got some quality talls on the list now in young (Tayte) Pears and (Cale) Hooker and obviously Paddy (Ryder) but we just felt we wanted to get another one onto our list."

"The best thing about Michael Hurley is he can play forward, people don't realise that, we'll give him the opportunity to develop and (coach) Matthew Knights is pretty keen to play him fairly early next year I'd imagine."

BOMBER GUNS ON NOTICE

retirement

On Saturday the Bombers added another high-quality tall to a playing list now overflowing with young key-position players.

Draft selection five Michael Hurley (182cm) joins Scott Gumbleton (197cm), Paddy Ryder (197cm), Jay Neagle (191cm), Darcy Daniher (191cm), Tayte Pears (191cm), Cale Hooker (196cm) and Tom Bellchambers (200cm) as next-generation Essendon talls.

Knights is keen to continue blooding youngsters, but not at the expense of Fletcher, Lucas and captain Matthew Lloyd.

He has told the trio he will put no use-by-date on their careers as long as they train hard and remain valuable.

"I have said to those three guys I have no limitation on how long you play this game. That will be entirely up to you," Knights said.

"But I believe veterans need to have a hard edge to them with their training and their appetite for work because you have all these young punks chasing you and trying to take your position.

"As long as they do the hard yakka I am fine. I reckon that's their choice - how they can keep that hard edge, how they can mentor our young players, and how they can drive our vision of our game style. If they can do that they are very valuable."

Knights said all three had manageable loads in pre-season, but "if they are doing the cross-training they are doing it at a really hard level."

Fletcher and 30-year-old Lucas are on one-year contracts, while Lloyd turns 31 in April.

Former Northern Knight Hurley is a big, strong full-back in the Fletcher mould, and shapes as the perfect replacement when the 33-year-old defender retires.

Knights was extremely keen on Victorian midfielder Steele Sidebottom even before his 10-goal heroics in the TAC Cup grand final.

But despite some internal debate, the club decided last Wednesday that Hurley was the right recruit.

"Yeah, I guess I watched a lot of the TAC Cup finals and Steele was the standout in the finals and Michael didn't play," Knights said.

"Steele performed wonderfully, but Michael was always at the forefront of our mind. He has the capacity to play key back but also we believe he may be one of the best forwards in the draft.

"He kicked six goals in a TAC Cup game at under-18 level, and we really like his ability to play full-forward or centre half-forward.

"When you have that flexibility it's hard to ignore."

HOW long before we hear Sheedy trash our Draft picks?

WILL Old Emperor Sheeds have the guts, to Congratulate Our Club, for picking the first player of Greek Heritage?

ZAHARAKIS THE GREEK.

Chosen on talent alone - as it should be - thanks Coach Knights!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-28T06:08:00.003+11:00

Kevin Sheedy takes on Richmond

KEVIN Sheedy has questioned Richmond over its reluctance to consider recruiting Ben Cousins.

KEVIN Sheedy still reads The Bomberopoulos Report!

FACT.

Stung by a mere blog - or was my private message relayed to the Old Emperor, via a Journo?

I mentioned, why Sheeds insists on bringing up the Bombers Brand - with every negative football related issue - to an Essendon Board member on Tuesday.

WHY does Kevin, as a paid-up Richmond tool, not have the guts to make Benny a Tiger - or call for his services publicly? Is he afraid of Terry 'Wallet', not serious about the whole "Get Cuz" deal or just muck-racking & trashing the Essendon Brand?

WELL the Old Emperor has fallen right into it - too smart for your own good - Eh, Sheeds?

The more you open your own mouth, the less that people - with a normal intellect - will want to be around you! All I can say is, Richmond deserves you, but how long they will put up with you, is an entirely different manner. You would do well to remember that this is a club that shows NO loyalty - favourite sons included!

TWENTY-SEVEN years at Essendon, Sheedy - recieving almost $20,000,000!

THE challenge for you, is to make it to Round 1, 2009 - at Richmond - Good Luck you're going to need it Emperor Sheedy.

In style typical of the veteran former coach, Sheedy used the question-and-answer forum of a Tom Hafey Club dinner on Wednesday night to probe Tigers football operations manager Craig Cameron about Cousins.

In an exchange described by two attendees as animated, Sheedy told Cameron that Hawthorn was rewarded this year for its punt on Stuart Dew and wondered why he had ruled out Cousins.

Cameron said the former Eagle, who has admitted to an addiction to drugs, did not fit Richmond's recruiting policy and that he would only be a distraction to the playing list.

Sheedy, who last month agreed to become a face of Richmond's 2009 membership drive, persisted, arguing he could be worth a chance with a late national draft pick.

The face and mouth of Richmond: SHEEDY Inc.

The last of the Tigers' four picks in Saturday's draft is No. 70.

While there was a theory of some Tigers people that Sheedy was simply testing Cameron's ability to handle the delicate matter of Cousins in a public forum, there were others who said the probing appeared genuine and not at all staged.

"You could hear a pin drop when it was on," said one of the roughly 150 people who attended the Tom Hafey Club dinner at Richmond's Punt Rd headquarters.

"Sheedy poked his head out from behind a pillar and made a real point of taking Cameron on."

Sheedy spoke one-on-one with Cameron after the dinner.

Cameron would not comment on the exchange with Sheedy nor Richmond's official stance on Cousins when contacted by the Herald Sun yesterday.

Sheedy could not be contacted.

Among those in attendance at the dinner were Richmond president Gary March, chief executive Steven Wright, assistant coach Wayne Campbell and former club captain and ex-president Neville Crowe.

Sheedy played in three premierships for Richmond before coaching Essendon for 27 years.

He had no AFL club involvement last year.

EXPECT all hell to break loose, if the Richmond Hierarchy don't jump on The Ego, immediately.

Out of touch and out of time. SHEEDY Inc.

THANK-YOU to Horsburgh and the entire Essendon Board that had the GUTS to vote against Sheedy's re-appointment.

AND don't think I've forgotten you, Daryl 'Clueless' Jackson, I'm coming to get you...at Election time!

PATIENCE.

JUST you wait and see.

WE will campaign long, loud and hard - sleep tight sweetheart...

Here's just one reason why Essendon does not want Cousins.

JUST days after being give the green light to return to football, Ben Cousins
attended the funeral of a convicted drug trafficker.

Sheeds aren't you the one that stated, you could handle the likes of Ty 'Wild Child' Zantuck - and great job taking care of Damien Cupido - NOT!

TRUST me on this one.

Ben would NOT be a 'Toothless Tiger' Old Emperor - enjoy reading The Bomberopoulos Report - Stooge!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-25T04:29:00.001+11:00

ESSENDON STRIKES BACK!

Notice of Essendon Football Club

135th Annual General Meeting

and Ballot for Directors

TIME for a change?

ONE Member.

ONE Vote.

VOTE sumthink!

ALEC Epis.

RAY Horsburgh.

KEVIN Egan.

ONE year into the three year plan, with new Coach Matthew Knights, why would we throw out the team that gave us change?

Are these not the same men that recently signed up the ADIDAS and SAMSUNG deals, before the credit crunch - how many clubs must envy our off-field performance right now?

It will not be long before our on-field performances catch up with all the hard work and professionalism behind the scenes at Windy Hill.

THANK-YOU Epis, Egan and Horsburgh.

THAT is all.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-24T10:49:00.002+11:00

WHATEVER SHEEDY IS SNIFFING

I DON'T WANT ANY!

NEW Richmond recruit Kevin Sheedy says he would have had no hesitation drafting Ben Cousins if he was still in charge at Windy Hill!

"I would have got Judd and I would've got Cousins, because that would've given Essendon a great midfield team," Sheedy said.

THIS is the SAME Sheedy that once took a dig at the ENTIRE Hawthorn Football Club, about sniffing something and later could not apologise enough for the - drug allegations.

SO Sheeds would have got Judd and Cousins down to Windy Hill!

Next week the Old Boy will have added Daniel Kerr to the Bombers midfield and remind us that HE would never have got rid of Kepler Bradley in the process.

CAPTAIN Lloyd would find this all very amusing...

"We (will) give Cousins a chance because at least he put his hand up and said I need help."

"It's very unAustralian not to help the young man, so we owe it to his parents and we owe it to the young kid himself," he added.

YOUNG KID?

Cuz is 30 - not an 18 or 21 year old - wanting to get out, experiment and live it up a little...

Gee, having just turned 40, I must be a teenager according to the Old Tiger Sheedy!

"All he's got to do now is get his own act together, otherwise he can never, ever say the AFL never gave me a chance."

What a load of dribble. Still panderring, to the savesheedy mob, hey Sheeds?

WOULD have been interesting seeing the pair of Ben Cousins and Andrew Lovett out - painting the Town - RED & BLACK!

I don't think so...

GETTING Cousins down to Tiger land is not out of the question then and may be the REAL agenda here.

Wonder what Terry Wallace thought about the Yellow & Black headline: "Sheedy would draft Cousins" - when he first saw it?

ACTUALLY if their is still any Journo out there with half a brain, how about you ask Tiger Sheedy or Terry Wallet - if that means the Tigers are considering chasing Cousins: or is the Old Emperor Sheeds just giving his former Club Essendon another slap in the face and 'ungrateful' kick in the guts?

A word of advice to the Tiger Admin & faithful - GET USED TO IT!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-13T11:19:00.006+11:00

WE HAVE BEEN WARNED!

OUT COME THE BROWN PAPER BAGS...

CHRIS Judd and the Carlton Crew arrogance is back.

The Blues' membership drive is out and the theme is "They Know We're Coming".

CARLTON are daring to dream...

WET DREAMS!

The fucked-up club and her supporters seem to have forgotten recent history!

Past seasons (in the wilderness), included six consecutive bottom-six finishes and three wooden spoons, including the first in its history!

A Carlton Premiership next Season is as likely as Fevola drinking Light Beer, in a hotel room with Christina after a $2.50 bet in Vegas!

AND we all know that is just as likely as Ben, doing a runner, from Victorian Police - where we shoot first & catch-up later!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-07T12:05:00.005+11:00

BOMBER pre-season begins

Speaking after the first skills session of pre-season training today at La Trobe University, Matthew Knights singled out injury-prone key-position prospect, Scott Gumbleton, as the player that has caught his eye early.

Knights said that the 199cm West Australian performed well during testing yesterday and on Wednesday.

"There was no-one that I was disappointed with (at testing) but I was really pleased to see Scott Gumbleton complete both the yo-yo test and the beep test,” Knights said.

“He ran a fairly decent time in the beep test which pleased me greatly so it’s just good to see him with a smile on his face enjoying training.

“His testing was better than decent and people say ‘you can’t keep talking about him’ because he hasn’t played many games but why not? We took him as pick two in Australia (in the 2006 national draft) and we have high hopes for him.

“He hasn’t had any luck with injury but we do hope things go his way this year so I can put him out there on the MCG or the Dome in those big games and he can show what he does.

“You have to remember he was taken between players like Bryce Gibbs and Matthew Luenberger in the draft and injuries have put a dampener on his career so far but he is only 20-year-old so he has a long time to get out there.”

Gumbelton has suffered recurring hamstring injuries and a broken collar-bone since coming to Essendon.

Knights said that the Bombers would potentially boast an impressive forward line in 2009 if Jay Neagle and Scott Gumbleton progress and complement veterans Scott Lucas and Matthew Lloyd.

“Part of our succession planning is making sure we have some big key talls coming through the ranks, whether they be backs or forwards, and Jay (Neagle) and Scott (Gumbleton) that is our future up forward,” he said.

“We have other boys down back obviously Tayte Pears, Paddy Ryder and Darcy Daniher and we’ve got to keep pushing those boys through and I will keep pushing them through and giving young guys game time. I am in my second year and will keep pushing those young guys through to get experience and game time.”

Knights said that other players that impressed him during the two-days of testing (on Wednesday and Thursday) were David Hille, Heath Hocking and Sam Lonergan with all looking in very good shape.

The coach was also excited by the improvement of Alwyn Davey following a serious knee injury.

“Alwyn is fine. His recovery from his cruciate injury has been fantastic, we have actually had to slow him down a little bit,” Knights said.

“He has such a compact frame that we believe he will be back to his best, I believe, really early in the season so we are looking at a Round 1 return for Alwyn, no question about that.”

When ask about how the team can avoid a repeat of the number of injuries sustained in 2008, Knights said it was a matter of doing everything right.

“We can only make sure that in every department and everywhere we are doing things to the maximum of professionalism,” he said.

“Whether its training or recovery or diet we have to do everything right and come game day you just have to let the boys rip.”

Bombers ready to take off

ESSENDON

The Bombers were decimated by a raft of serious injuries which contributed to their 12th-place finish on the ladder this year.

But as the side returned to training today, coach Matthew Knights said supporters could expect a different team next year as key players were gradually integrated back into the squad.

"I would expect that we would definitely have improvement next year in a number of areas of our game," Knights said.

"In putting a specific on what parts we're obviously working through that at the moment with the coaching group and the players.

"But you would expect the players to improve and our game style to develop.

"And we will continue to put games through young players who deserve them so we can continue to expand on our experience."

Knights said after this season's problems the club would try to do everything it could to avoid a repeat of the issue.

"We can only make sure that in every department and everywhere we are doing things to the maximum of professionalism," he said.

"Whether it's training or recovery or diet we have to do everything right and come game day you just have to let the boys rip.

"The guys that we've got who are training have all been fine and their attitude's been first class...the guys who are on graded rehabs, we've just got to take them a bit more slowly and more cautiously.

"Obviously late last year we had a lot of guys who went through operations and were a little bit sore so we're really mindful of bringing them on gradually.

"There's probably 20 to 22 in the main training group and another 14 in rehab programs at the moment.

"But those guys will be integrated back in in the next four to six weeks.

"I would assume by the end of November that we would have most of them up and running," Knights said.

Midfielder Brent Prismall, picked up by the Bombers from Geelong during trade week, went through a warm-up session today.

Prismall underwent a knee reconstruction after being injured during this year's qualifying final and wants to play in Round 1 but Knight said he would have to "temper his ambition a little bit."

But small forward Alwyn Davey will be ready to play at the start of the season following a serious knee injury.

"Alwyn is fine. His recovery from his cruciate injury has been fantastic, we have actually had to slow him down a little bit." he said.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-05T18:18:00.004+11:00

Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job

"The more things change, the more they stay the same..."

WASHINGTON—African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America.

POOR bastard.

Queen Lizzy couldn't contain her joy and delight, "It will be sad to see the end of the Bush Monarchy in the colony, but that's Hollywood-showbiz for you!" ER said.

In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis.

Queen of day time television, Operatic Winnie-The-Pooh said, "I want every American that voted, to check underneath their door-mats and they will find a key "to the future", 1 chicken drumstick & red apple from me"!

Marcus "Turn-Coat" Harvey one time Saint, turned Carlton Crew said, "I DON'TFUCKIN'BELIEVABLE"!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-11-04T09:08:00.000+11:00

AFL to clamp down on booze

Privately, I was disappointed to learn a number of people I respected, including some senior journalists, were whispering that I drank too much.

I would love to know where that story came from.

TAKE a wild guess?

Nothing could be further from the truth.I drink a lot more tea and coffee than wine, and I don’t drink beer at all.

However, this issue still came up in discussions when I went for a fireside chat at Melbourne about coaching there.

I had been criticised in 2007 for not going to watch a reserves game at Bendigo.

Instead, I was at the Essendon Social Club, having a glass of wine with the members and making notes while watching Collingwood play on television.

IN YOUR OWN WORDS EMPEROR SHEEDS.

A glass of wine over the four quarters, come-on Sheeds, that dog don't hunt!

WITH the savesheedy-mob & so-called members?

WATCHING the Magpies on TV?

SOUNDS like your best preparation for some time, or just your routine by this stage of the old career Sheeds, SEE WHAT WE MEAN ABOUT -
perceptions...

We were to play them the following week.

IF only you had put in, a little more with our TEAM Sheeds, do you think any of us would care if you turned up drunk, spent half the day at the TAB and drove thru Macca's 3 times a day?

NOPE!

Face it old boy.

You let the Club, Players and Us - The Fans - Down...

HERE are my hot "street" tips for the Prestigious Melbourne Cup: 1, 3, & 7!

HAPPY PUNTING!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-30T16:14:00.002+11:00

IF THE CAP FITS

EMPEROR Sheedy is advocating for indigenous players to be exempt from the salary cap to help with the AFL's likely expansion to 18 clubs.

In an attempt to negate a reduced talent pool with two new clubs set to join the league, Sheedy said clubs would be compensated for losing experienced players to the Gold Coast and western Sydney franchises.

"Should we actually just change the rules and make sure we can encourage even
more indigenous players to come into our game?" Sheedy asked at the MCG yesterday as he launched his book, Kevin Sheedy — Stand Your Ground.

"That would be a tremendous boon for clubs that are worried about losing their quality players."

AFL game development manager Dave Matthews said the league took Sheedy's idea seriously, but the expansion of the AFL talent pool was likely to come from international players.

"It's just a typical example of the way Kevin thinks laterally about it. We've got to expand our talent pool, so we welcome any ideas that are put forward," he said, adding that the AFL was acutely aware of not treating indigenous players separately.

VIDEO Sheedy grabs the headlines

I'VE said it once and I'll say it again - "Thank the Football Gods, that the senile old fool is now a Tool of the AFL and a Yellow & Black Toothless Old-TIGER."

ALL those years wearing the Club Sponsor Caps so tight, hiding the old bald patch, has also affected your brain Sheeds.

IT might be time, someone takes the Old fool aside and tells Crazy Kev to take a break. Not only is he damaging Brand Essendon, but more importantly - for the Egotistical Senile Old Fart - BRAND SHEEDY!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-29T17:46:00.004+11:00

SHEEDY LOSES THE PLOT - AGAIN!

KEVIN Sheedy has revealed he considered running for the Essendon board before deciding on a return to Richmond.

Speaking at today's launch of his latest book, Sheedy was at his headline-grabbing best as he took aim at long-time Bombers board member Alec Epis and also proposed exempting all indigenous players from the AFL salary cap.

Sheedy's new book, Stand Your Ground, comes a year after the Bombers ended his 27-year reign as their coach in messy circumstances.

Given his standing at Windy Hill and the fallout from his departure, it would have been massive news had Sheedy decided on a tilt at the Essendon board.

In the new book he has fired shots at several key Essendon figures, especially chief executive Peter Jackson, chairman Ray Horsburgh and Epis.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Sheedy was set to return to the Tigers in a marketing and membership role.

Sheedy made his name as a triple-premiership player at Richmond in the 1960s and `70s before joining Essendon as their coach.

"Should I go and stand for the board? I really thought hard about that, but then I thought that might be putting your energies in the wrong direction," he said.

"I had an opportunity to go back to Richmond, a club that gave me a wonderful start in my footy career.

"I would have had no problem working with Peter Jackson or Ray horsburgh, but you wouldn't waste your time working with Alec Epis."

Sheedy later slightly toned down his attack on Epis, an Essendon premiership player and long-standing board member, admitting there was personal enmity between them.

"It's better to be more positive than possibly negative and work with ... a guy like Alec," he said.

"Alec and I just don't see eye-to-eye on anything and that's fair enough, too.

"Why waste his energy and my energy?"

Sheedy is working with the AFL this year to help with game development and today he publicly floated the unlikely idea of exempting indigenous players from the salary cap.

He put the idea to the league as a way of helping with the likely expansion to 18 teams.

"Approximately in 2010, maybe we should just say `let's not have any indigenous players' contracts in the salary cap and see how many more indigenous players we could recruit and get into AFL clubs'," he said.

Sheedy also defended the controversial idea outlined in his book that the Bombers should have seriously considered swapping captain Matthew Lloyd for Chris Judd when he parted ways with West Coast.

Sheedy said he had informal contact with Judd's management before leaving Essendon midway through last season.

Judd joined Carlton for the 2008 season.

"If you wanted to get a Chris Judd, then you had to let somebody go that's very, very good," Sheedy said.

"The Bomber midfield needed a player and a leader like Judd.

"Obviously you won't get many better people than Matthew Lloyd, but the Bombers needed a player and a leader like Judd in the midfield.

"It's a tough decision, you either sit with it or you don't, or you'll never, ever know."

Sheedy also said last year's controversial end to his tenure at Essendon was only a small part of his time there.

He said the club had made the right decision, but mischievously suggested that the change of coach could be considered a new "era" or an "error".

"There's one or two areas that might be concerning for some people, but forget about the five minutes of my time leaving Essendon," he said.

"That was just a very quick goodbye and I think the club made an excellent decision in moving to a new era.

"Obviously how you spell 'era' is another thing, but that's another issue."

CHEAP FUCKING SHOT SHEEDY, YOU RICHMOND DOG!

TIME you fuck-off Cretin!

OTHERWISE some of us with the REAL dirt, may start talking to the Press - EMPEROR SHEEDS...

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-27T16:02:00.005+11:00

HOW TO RE-WRITE HISTORY PART II Kevin Sheedy I WAS aware by 1998 that a group of people that included Alec Epis, Tim Watson and Mark Thompson, among a few others, had formed a view that the time had come for me to go.

A board member who had played in two premierships, a favourite son and a premiership captain who was now on the staff as an assistant coach - that's a pretty powerful faction within a footy club.
I know Alec was quietly telling his friends my time was up and he was going to be the man who would ensure that it was. He did, but it took another 10 years.

An ambitious man who had long wanted to be chairman of selectors, Alec had never been a fan of mine, pretty much from 1980 when, apparently, he discovered it was my car outside (then-president) Colin Stubbs's house.

The story goes that Alec, who didn't live far from Colin, had been keeping a close eye on just who the club might be talking to as the potential replacement for Barry Davis.

When he saw a car he didn't know, he made some phone calls to a few friends who were able to tell him it was mine.

I'm not sure what Alec's original beef was about my appointment. In the mid-1990s, there were a number of criticisms of me being bandied around.

One was that after 17 or 18 years I had run out of ideas - that a lot of players who had only known me as their coach were getting tired of the same old stories.

Another claim was that I was never at the club, that I was off attending functions instead of coaching the side.

I have always believed that promoting the club and the game was a vital part of my role and I will never apologise for that.

I concede now that at that time I could have been a little more organised with the paperwork, particularly working alongside people such as Thompson, who was absolutely meticulous in his preparations.

Sometimes it might not be enough to have thought about what you might do in the coaching box on match day; you need to have prepared a few notes.

It's a balance, really: there are some coaches who are brilliant Monday to Friday but struggle on match day.

There are others who are great with magnets, with the off-the-top-of-the-head stuff during a game, but whose paperwork leaves a lot to be desired.

Probably the most successful coaches are those with the right mix of both skills.

There were a lot of meetings going on, some official, some not so, some around the club, some among the grapevines which kept buzzing that I was on the way out.

In his book, Reading the Play, James Hird described it as the "most difficult and sensitive period in my 16-year involvement with him", him being yours truly.

By 1998, when what James called a "putsch" was set to go, Graeme McMahon was chairman while Hirdy was about six weeks into his captaincy.

All this stuff was finding its way to the media. The good ship Essendon had sprung more leaks than the Titanic. It was getting out of control.

Also, by now Peter Jackson was the CEO. He held a meeting with Gary O'Donnell and James and asked them their views on whether I should remain as coach.

McMahon was also out and about, sounding people out. He too spoke with Hird. James wrote in his book that as a newly appointed captain, he didn't feel confident enough to tell those involved to stop the lobbying against me.

The position he finally took was that I had coached Essendon footy club well for a long time and he didn't want to hear any more about the matter.

There was another meeting that a lot of people probably don't know about. McMahon and Neil McKissock, the deputy chairman, had arranged to meet Brian Ward and I at the Hilton Hotel.

They had come to give me the news they didn't think they had the numbers and that my time was up as coach. They outlined the reasons.

I said to Graeme and Neil: "I know you've got your job to do and I have my job to do, but don't expect me to make your job any bloody easier. I won't be resigning.

"It's up to you to make the decision and convince the board and the supporters that it's the right one. I don't think you will be able to do that, because you haven't been able to convince me."

"Wardy" believes that was a pivotal moment in the whole episode.

Soon after, McMahon brought the matter to a head. He brought all the main players into a meeting and said: "Sheedy is the coach. Pull your heads in!"

At the next committee meeting, they went through the usual club business. Then at the end of the night there was a discussion about my future.

There are some people who believe that the future of the club coach ought to have been at the top of the agenda, but apparently not then, nor in 2007.

That night, after I had decided I couldn't wait any longer to hear about whether I still had a job and turned off my phone, a number of people spoke against me, including, I've been told, Don McKenzie, Kevin Egan and Epis.

Alec then moved a motion that I should be replaced. No one seconded the motion, so I was to serve out my contract until the end of 1999.

Apparently a lot of people on the committee were reasonably comfortable with that outcome, because they thought 1999 would be my last year, anyway.

Hird's description - "the most difficult and sensitive period" - fits with a lot of what I was feeling then.

You're trying to do a job, to build a side to win a premiership, to establish your club all over Australia - and back home, people are engaging in serious bouts of negativity.

I didn't say too much to people about how I felt at that time. Some of my closest friends would have known I was hurting a fair bit.

But as a coach, you can't let your personal issues get in the way. Out in public, I just had to get on with the job.

I thank Graeme for that great show of support, and also James, who wrote in his book: "We played the preliminary final the next year, 1999, and then two Grand Finals in a row. I'd say keeping Sheeds was the right decision."

I don't hold a grudge against Tim or Mark. When both became senior coaches, I think their view of what I had been trying to do at Essendon changed.

But at that time, they probably thought they were supporting a decision in the best interests of their footy club.

Despite his involvement in the "putsch", Mark was allowed to serve out his time at Windy Hill as an assistant coach before moving to North Melbourne under Denis Pagan and then on to Geelong.

Our relationship was a bit wobbly for a while, but I think we got it back on track when I appeared at a fundraising night for Geelong in the Alex Popescu Room at Kardinia Park.

There was a range of guest speakers, with the night to finish with "Bomber" and I together on the stage. I was running late. As I entered the function, I made a big deal of looking for Mitchell White, who by that time had shifted from West Coast to Geelong.

That got a bit of a laugh to start with. If you watched the body language, "Bomber" and I were probably leaning away from each other up on the stage.

But as the night went on, things lightened up a fair bit. We ended up agreeing that as captain and coach of a premiership team, we had probably spent more time in each other's company than we had with our wives.

"We should probably have a couple of kids," Mark quipped.

When he went to Geelong, I was keen to see if Mark could be a senior coach. It's not a given, just because you have been a good player and a good assistant coach.

I think by 2007 he has passed all the tests, so much so that I was his assistant for the Hall of Fame game celebrating 150 years of Australian football. I hope my paperwork was OK, Bomber!

As for Epis, he would have been a sympathetic ear on the board for Mark and Tim.

He was new to the role and probably wanted to create his own identity, to show he could be as tough in the committee room as he had been as a player.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-26T19:08:00.004+11:00

SENILE EMPEROR SHEEDY

TAKES CHEAP SHOT

AT CAPTAIN LLOYD

Speaking as part of the release of his new book, Stand Your Ground, Sheedy says he wanted to trade Bomber captain Matthew Lloyd to the Eagles in a deal to lure Chris Judd at the end of last year.

"Not getting Judd was a huge loss for the Bombers," Sheedy writes. "Even now, West Coast still needs a full-forward, so they might have been really interested in the deal.

"Going to Perth would have given Matthew the chance to play in his favourite position all the time.

He wasn't always happy when I switched him to centre half-forward."

"It can be a hard thing in a footy club if the captain doesn't agree with what the coach believes is best for the team."

FUCKING CHEAP-shot Emperor Sheeds.

You really have become the Emperor with no clothes or dignity!

The Essendon Captain of the Greatest Football Club in Australia deserves more respect, than that which you have given, you fucking Yellow-Bellied Richmond Scum!

Remember, you fucking, bitter old fool.

It is the position of Captain at the Essendon Football that you are pissing on as much as our current Club Captain & Champion - Matthew Lloyd.

IF you wanted a lap-dog or a yes-man as Captain, best you should have given the position to a fucking Bolton or Henneman!

BY the time that Richmond find out what a senile, old fuck-wit you are...the damage will have already been done.

EXCELLENT!

You deserve each other.

KEVIN Sheedy says Richmond coach Terry Wallace has nothing to fear about the AFL coaching legend's return to Punt Rd next season.

Sheedy is close to finalising a deal in a marketing and strategic role at the club where he made his name, but has no intentions of playing a part in the football department.

"It's hard enough to coach - you don't want ex-coaches running around behind you," he said.

"I don't really want to move into the footy department at all.

"There will be times when I will sit down with Terry and have a chat about the club in general. But I will be looking at other areas where I can bring some expertise to the club."

Some have suggested a Sheedy return to Richmond could prove unsettling for Wallace, who is about to enter the final year of his contract.

But Sheedy says nothing could be further from the truth.

The 61-year-old four-time premiership coach doubts if he will coach an AFL team again, but admits he could "never say never".

"I can't make a comment on that because something might happen at another club," he said.

"The odds are I'll never coach again. Not many people get employed at 60 unless you live in America or Europe. Besides, I am enjoying the life I've got at the moment."

Sheedy's return to the yellow and black will come 30 years after he retired as a player. He spoke with Tigers president Gary March about a role when his time at Essendon ended last year, but wanted a year away to relax.

"It's the first time - in 44 years since I joined the VFA - to have a rest, and to be quite honest I have still worked pretty hard this year," he said.

"Now I have got a set of ideas and thoughts that might help some clubs and the AFL."

He plans to put some of those ideas in place at Richmond, saying he was buoyed by the fact the Tigers boasted a large fan base, despite a 28-year premiership drought.

He will push the blockbuster games he has tried to create for Richmond - Dreamtime at the 'G against Essendon and the Eureka Game against North Melbourne.

"I was away for Eureka this year, which was frustrating," he said.

"But I would love to think we could get 60,000 people to the game next year, to thank the people who have worked to build this nation."

He says Richmond has the potential to "do what Essendon has done off the field".

"This is about Richmond and about how we can lock them in as safe and secure in the AFL. The Bombers are locked away and safe because they have about $10 million in the bank or in assets.

"I'm going to bring to the table what I can to help the long-term future of Richmond."

Sheedy, who is expected to keep a part-time role with the AFL next season, wants Richmond to help spread the game internationally.

Ha, ha, ha...SPREAD THE GAME INTERNATIONALLY?

WE got sick of all those stories, which helped take your off the ball, in a coaching capacity at Windy Hill - over the last several seasons.

How long before the Herald-Scum stories appear about Sheedy taking the Tigers to Botswana, Ukraine or Vietnam?

RICMOND wont even make it to 9th in 2009 - everyone will be busy explaining away the Sheedy bombs!

AND believe me, we aint seen nothing yet, stay tuned for more - sicko Emperor Sheeds!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-26T05:03:00.001+11:00

HOT TO RE-WRITE HISTORY PART I BY EMPEROR SHEEDY IN HIS new book, Kevin Sheedy reveals the back room deals and manoeuvring that preceded his sacking as Essendon coach.

IT was during the 2006 finals series that I sensed I wouldn’t be around at Windy Hill after my contract expired at the end of 2007.

A senior AFL coach spoke to me about a conversation he had had with Ray Horsburgh, the Essendon chairman.

He told me Ray had said I wouldn’t be coaching the Bombers after my contract ran out.

That coach’s parting words were something like: “Trust me, just keep an eye on Ray Horsburgh!”

I was very interested in what this person had to say, because it was very different from conversations I had been having with Ray.

The next major indication about my future came in January 2007, when I was having a conversation with Peter Jackson, the Essendon chief executive officer, at Lancemore Hill, a winery and conference centre out of Kilmore.

It was a very hot day and we were sharing a bottle of wine.

Peter asked me how I felt about the way Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne had retired from Test cricket together, going out at the end of the Ashes series against England.

Peter’s view was that as it seemed like it would be James Hird’s last year, and as I was coming out of contract in the same year, James and I could go out together.

He was probably also thinking if I were to stay, I would ask James to play on in 2008, which was true.

Peter and I have disagreed many times in the past.

In July 2006, I had been injured at training, struck down by one of the players, Dean Solomon.

I managed to coach that weekend, but ended up having to have an operation on my shoulder early the next week.

I turned up at training later in the week, sore, but ready to coach, only to be told Peter Jackson had held a media conference and announced Gary O’Donnell would be coach.

He had done that without speaking to me. I sat in the coach’s box that weekend.

Interestingly, the AFL was of the view that I was the coach that day, as they counted that match when they celebrated my passing Jock McHale’s record 12 months later.

I knew on that summer’s day in Lancemore Hill that Peter had made up his mind that he wouldn’t be supporting the continuation of my coaching at Essendon.

That was something my intuition had been telling me for a while.

In May 2007, Peter and I had another conversation that indicated I would probably not get the votes on the board to stay on as coach.

Peter has always told me the truth. I appreciate that, and always felt comfortable with that.

Whether he was right or wrong is another issue. However, Ray Horsburgh was still telling me something different.

We had two or three breakfast meetings at the Botanic Hotel, where he told me he thought he could get the votes up and I should stay on.

I had two options to think about then. Is the chairman trying to do what Graeme McMahon and Ron Evans had done in the past, biding his time and hoping to win over the board?

Or were things as my senior coach informant had suggested?

I just sat and watched and listened.

Interestingly, until July 2007, Ray, Peter and I had never all been in the same room together, so I guess they were playing off against each other.

Peter would have been working to convince the other board members not to back off from the decision to let me go, so as to begin the process of renewing the club.

Whether Ray was working to rebuild the votes, I don’t know.

I only hope that is the truth: it concerned me when I was told the final vote was unanimous.

The club was trying to work out the next leaders in the playing group, after Peter Jackson had taken them to Japan.

Some people thought that I, too, should have been in Japan.

But, there was a lot of uncertainty around while I was trying to coach Essendon in 2007.

It was all being reported in the media, despite Ray Horsburgh banning senior members of the club from talking to the media about my future.

Talking to the media on the record, at least. (You can never stop all those, “You didn’t get this from me, but”, types of conversations.)

I hadn’t told anyone about what the senior coach had told me in 2006, apart from a few of my closest friends.

The thing that finally brought everything to a head at Essendon was the sacking of Denis Pagan by Carlton on July 22, 2007.

I’ve had a conversation since then with Denis, in which he joked he was the one who really cost me my job at Essendon.

It seemed the Blues would sign Michael Voss, the former Brisbane Lions captain, as coach – and Essendon panicked.

There were people at Essendon who wanted Voss as the Bombers’ next coach, even though he had no coaching experience.

If they were going to get him, they had to move swiftly before Carlton signed him.

I was driving out of the car park after giving my coach’s report to the board and the journalists asked me: “Kevin, how did you go?”

Although my position hadn’t been discussed, I said: “They’ve given me a 10-year contract!”

I was joking, of course, and they all burst out laughing. I drove off into the darkest of nights.

The next day, I got a phone call. Ray Horsburgh and Peter Jackson wanted to meet me.

I said to Jeanette Curwood (Sheedy’s personal assistant), I think this is the biggest meeting I’ll ever go to!

We met at the Sofitel Hotel. Peter said he thought it was a good place to meet, as no one would know us there. It’s very much a non-footy hotel. We only spoke for about three or four minutes.

I read a report somewhere that we drank a good bottle of wine – a Kennedy Point sauvignon blanc.
Peter and Ray might have, but once they told me the board had voted not to renew my contract,
I left.

Ray said the board’s decision was unanimous.

I suppose, as chairman, he had to say that, but I know that wasn’t right.

One person, Daryl Jackson, had voted for me to be retained.

Before I left the meeting, I told Ray and Peter that I wanted to coach until the end of my contract, which I thought was the right thing to do, the loyal thing to do for the fans.

I can remember Allan Hird saying to me years ago, “Whatever happens, don’t let a board sack you in the middle of the year, because it causes such disruption in a club”.

I thought I could help Essendon avoid some of that disruption if I stayed until the end of my contract and also assisted with getting things ready for the next coach – a seamless takeover.

Nevertheless, it was a pretty tough time. Privately, I was disappointed to learn a number of people I respected, including some senior journalists, were whispering that I drank too much.

I would love to know where that story came from. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I drink a lot more tea and coffee than wine, and I don’t drink beer at all.

However, this issue still came up in discussions when I went for a fireside chat at Melbourne about coaching there.

I had been criticised in 2007 for not going to watch a reserves game at Bendigo. Instead, I was at the Essendon Social Club, having a glass of wine with the members and making notes while watching Collingwood play on television. We were to play them the following week.

As the arguments about the decision not to renew my contract flew around, a player survey was released that indicated the Essendon players weren’t happy with me.

The trouble with surveys like that is not so much the answers as the questions.

I wasn’t the only one at Essendon to have been the subject of an unfavourable survey. That one has never been released to the media.

Ray Horsburgh was copping so much of a pounding after the press release that his wife went public to say the decision about my contract wasn’t just his, but the whole board’s. Mrs Horsburgh was correct.

No doubt Ray himself felt he needed to state his case, too, but in a lot of people’s minds he went too far when he said I had become bitter.

He then found himself on the back foot again. People who know me know I couldn’t ever become bitter about a decision that Essendon had every right to make.

I had always known that, sooner or later, the day would come when it would be made.

That’s why when Peter and Ray told me of the board’s decision I wanted to hold a media conference as soon as possible, and said: “Let’s get on with it, so that I can concentrate on coaching.”

Over the next few days, I picked up that there was a lot of disenchantment among the supporters over my sacking.

But a lot of people also agreed with the decision. That, as I’d learned a long time ago, is football.

It all got a bit difficult for the board, however – especially some of the members who hadn’t been involved in football all that long – when Michael Voss announced he was no longer looking to become an AFL coach.

That put the cat among the pigeons and not only at Essendon.

But that was someone else’s problem. My role was to coach the Essendon Football Club to the end of my contract and to the best of my ability.

After the win over Adelaide, we were still a chance to make the finals, but we lost a few games after that and that hope ended.

We still had a huge crowd at the MCG in Round 21 for what was James Hird’s and my last game in Melbourne.

It was a surreal occasion: 90,000 people in this great coliseum that had been so much a part of my life for so long.

You could feel the electricity and the tension of the night, a real piece of football theatre – like the last night of a long-running Broadway show.

Instead of Rogers and Hammerstein, it was Hird and Sheedy.

Edited extract from Stand Your Ground, by Kevin Sheedy.

2008-10-23T13:24:00.004+11:00

Discipline issues part of Tom Hislop axing

ESSENDON'S hard-line stance on player discipline has claimed another victim, with talented youngster Tom Hislop delisted.

Hislop, a tough utility taken with pick 20 in the 2006 national draft, was yesterday given his marching orders amid ongoing behaviour issues.

Essendon football manager Travis Auld admitted Hislop's discipline problems had been a factor in the club's decision to cut him loose.

"Tom's standards for some time had not been where we needed them to be," Auld said.

"But it wasn't the only reason."

The hard-at-it Tasmanian showed promise, despite being restricted to seven games in two injury-plagued seasons.

But the club had become increasingly concerned about his lack of discipline.

Hislop was suspended for all pre-season games this year for an alcohol-related incident in which he missed a 10am training session.

The penalty came just weeks after teammate Andrew Lovett missed a session before an intra-club practice match as Essendon cracked down on player misbehaviour.

While the contracted Lovett survived, Hislop joined a list of nine departures.

The rebuilding Bombers have taken the sword to their playing stocks.

Damien Peverill, Andrew Lee, Courtney Johns and rookies Dean Dick and Danny Chartres have been shown the door, while Adam Ramanauskas, Jason Johnson and Mal Michael have announced their retirements.

Essendon will enter next month's national draft armed with picks 5, 23, 55, 71 and 87.

Jarrod Atkinson, 23, has been promoted from the rookie list, while Brent Prismall was secured from Geelong in exchange for pick 39.

EVEN though some of us know of certain stories, in regards to some players "mucking up", it is good for ALL the supporters to hear it from the Club.

At the appropriate time!

AS unfortunate as Hislop is, Lovett can consider himself very "lucky"...

DIFFERENT rules for different Mules!

THERE are some of us that know and hear much, that is coming out of Windy Hill - we are watching closely - ONE more chance Lovey...

KNIGHTS has chosen to back Lovett, I wouldn't.

But then again the Coach, runs this great Club and continues to have my un-conditional & full support.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-22T19:15:00.008+11:00

STAND YOUR GROUND

By KEVIN SHEEDY

ESSENDON would have had Chris Judd and Irishman Martin Clarke at Windy Hill if Kevin Sheedy had had his way.

Yeah right!

Daniel McAlister, Justin Murphy and Ty Zantuck - may never have played for us had the Football Club had had it's way.

Sheedy said James Hird, who retired at the end of last season, would have played on if the Bombers had got Judd.

Did Hird actually state that, Sheedy? A trade of that magnitude, at the expense of Matthew Lloyd - I find that incredibly hard to believe!

That a Club Legend and Gentleman would want to play on with Judd and agree to get rid of Lloyd, The Club Captain - ousted from The Essendon Football Club - is not only scandalous, but an outright lie.

WHAT kind of Bob Hawke Drugs were you on, when writing these Fairytale Memoirs, Emperor Sheeds?

The Hird-Clarke deals are one of many controversial topics discussed in Sheedy's autobiography, Stand Your Ground, Life and Football.

Sheedy suggested Essendon could have offered captain Matthew Lloyd to West Coast as part of a deal to make Judd a Bomber.

FORGET about the pathetic, save sheedy collective, think of the up-roar & outrage if the Emperor Sheedy, tried to knife the current Captain & push him out of Windy Hill!

Sheedy also reveals the tension between him and Bombers chief executive Peter Jackson, who led the push to end the coach's 27-season reign.

When Sheedy had a shoulder operation in 2006, Jackson told the media, without telling Sheedy, that Gary O'Donnell would fill in.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Well done Jackson! It took you some time to hear us and do the right thing by the Club - and you did".

Sheedy wanted to lay the groundwork to recruit Clarke, who later joined Collingwood, to Essendon. But Jackson said the $20,000 Sheedy needed as part of a deal to bring Clarke over and get him settled was not available.

Is that the best "ammo" you've got, against Jackson, Sheedy?

Pretty hard-hitting, stuff that.

BUT then again it's not like you could've brought up anything with more bite - considering some of the secrets that hang over your head - if I know of two beauties, I'm sure Jacko knows of more?

IF you wanted Clarke that badly, which I doubt it, surely you could have found the $20,000 needed, inside one of your many pockets - Emperor Sheedy?

It's not like you - Sheeedy Inc - were on struggle street.

When was the ONE time you sacrificed your salary, or took a pay cut, for the Club that paid you well?

I distinctly remember the boys did it after 2000 & 2001 - but then again how much does it cost YOU to feed a few thoroughbreds?

Sheedy also reveals director and former player Alec Epis and premiership players Tim Watson and Mark Thompson were among a group of people who decided in 1998 that his time was up as coach.

TIM WATSON, has always denied any undertaking to de-throne or overthrow, The Emperor Sheeds. Even this morning on SEN he refuted Kevin Sheedy's accusation and the Club Champion, should seriously consider taking Legal action against Sheedy.

He said Epis had put a motion at a board meeting to replace him, but it did not get a seconder.

THAT'S because no-one else had the courage or conviction to act in the best interests of the Club then or much later - when the Club was put second to SHEEDY Inc...

EPIS should be given a medal for predicting the Fall of Emperor Sheedy, right before our very eye's and the courage to withstand some heavy criticism - at the time.

Sheedy said it was during the 2006 finals that he sensed he wouldn't be at Essendon beyond 2007. An opposition coach told him Essendon chairman Ray Horsburgh had said his contract would not be renewed.

Just as well we had "Uncle Ray" and "Jacko" at the helm.

I fear if, "Piss-Weak" McKissock were in charge at the time, not only would we have given Emperor Sheedy a Three-Year Deal, but we may have ended up with Nathan Thompson, Jonathan Hay or some kid from Botswana - and not Chris Judd (as the "Old Fox" would have you believe)!

MEMO to Richmond and Greg March, please sign up Sheedy & give us an easy target - for years to come...

Kevin Sheedy's spectre pressures Terry Wallace

THE threat to Terry Wallace, if one was to eventuate, was expected to come from a "wannabe" coach 25 years younger than Kevin Sheedy.

Not initially from the coaching icon who, despite his own misgivings about resurrecting one of the great coaching careers, is still yet to categorically rule out a return to the caper.

ESSENDON CUT HISLOP

The Essendon Football Club today finalised its playing list and announced that Tom Hislop would not be offered a contract for 2009.

The 20-year-old was drafted with pick 20 in the 2006 NAB AFL draft.

This was the same draft that the club recruited Scott Gumbleton (pick 2), Leroy Jetta (pick 18), Alwyn Davey (pick 36), Bachar Houli (pick 42) and Kyle Reimers (pick 47).

The Tasmanian utility played seven games for the club since making his debut in 2007.

There have been nine changes to the playing list since the end of the 2008 season: Adam Ramanauskas (retired), Jason Johnson (retired), Mal Michael (retired), Damien Peverill (delisted), Andrew Lee (delisted), Courtney Johns (delisted), Tom Hislop (delisted) and rookies Dean Dick (delisted), Danny Chartres (delisted).

Twenty-three-year-old 2008 rookie, Jarrod Atkinson, has been promoted to the senior list.

Essendon will now enter the 2008 NAB AFL Draft with five active picks 5, 23, 55, 71 and 87 (or pick 5 in the pre-season draft).

Selection 39 was previously traded to Geelong for Brent Prismall.

AN INTERESTING DECISION (TO CUT HISLOP), BUT I AM PREPARED TO BACK 1ST YEAR COACH KNIGHTS AND THE CLUB - IN THE LONG TERM INTERESTS OF THE ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB - IF THEY BELIEVE IT WILL MAKE US A STRONGER CLUB.

AFTERALL WHAT OTHER REASON WOULD THEY HAVE?

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-10-21T15:54:00.006+11:00

SHEEDY GOES HOME

KEVIN Sheedy is set to live up to a 28-year promise and return to Punt Rd.

"I DON'TBELIEVABLE!"

The Legendary Essendon Premiership Coach & AFL great and Richmond officials started discussions yesterday on a role in 2009, including Sheedy's involvement in membership, sponsorship, with coterie groups and most certainly in the recently announced indigenous academy.

WATCH-OUT Terry Wallace!

A role in the expanding Tigers football department has been ruled out.

Yeah right...

Sheedy, who flew to Canberra after yesterday's meeting, said last night: "I will be having discussions with Richmond over the next month . . . that's all I'll say."

Tigers president Gary March confirmed yesterday's meeting.

"He's still got a lot of things on the go, but we're trying to finalise a role where he can spend time with Richmond on key areas we need to work on," March said yesterday.

"We haven't finalised it yet. In fact, he was in at the club today trying to work out some details.

"But we are working to get Kevin back involved in the club."

The Tigers premiership player, who had a 251-game career at Punt Rd, will be a paid employee.

Ka-ching, CA$H me in!

The move, which follows the acquisition of former captain Wayne Campbell as an assistant coach, seemingly does not pose a threat to coach Terry Wallace, who next season enters the final year of his five-year deal.

"Dead man coaching!"

It's understood Sheedy told the Tigers a football role - such as being a mentor for young players -- was out of the question.

March said Wallace fully supported of the club's impending appointment.

"We spoke to Terry about it and he's pretty comfortable," March said.

'Tis a pity, he isn't completely comfortable - with the Master of Spin - moving in! Just when I thought we wouldn't have enough material to work with, next year, to throw at the, mighty, high-finishing "NINTH" Tigers!

"I think most people, including Kevin, realise he's not going to coach again, so I think any nervousness at clubs about Kevin coming back and being a coach is gone by the wayside."

"So someone like Kevin has got a fair bit to offer," March said.

THE challenge to Essendon starts today. How many back pages of the Herald Scum, will we

Sheedy, an ambassador for the AFL's 150-year celebration this year, is a Richmond legend.

He played from 1967 to 1979, was captain in 1978, and played in the 1969, 1973 and 1974 premiership teams.

He was assistant coach in 1980 before winning the senior role at Essendon, where he coached for 27 years.

Throughout his time at Windy Hill, Sheedy vowed to return to Richmond to help in some capacity.

Many thought that would be as coach - former president Leon Daphne approached Sheedy several times - but this latest high-profile off-field position is seen as an ideal ambassadorial role.
"Not many clubs have that many icons at their club and Kevin is not only an icon of our club, he's also an icon of the AFL," March said.

"We want him around the place . . . it's very important to the footy club.

"It's like Kevin Bartlett coming back last year, it's been fantastic, and add to that we brought Wayne Campbell back . . . there's some good things happening at Tigerland."

The club is expected to appoint two additions to the recruiting and welfare departments in the coming weeks.

Sheedy set to sign deal with Richmond

KEVIN SHEEDY is returning to Tigerland for the first time in almost three decades. The three-time Richmond premiership hero is on the verge of signing a deal with the club that will see him become a face of the club's 2009 membership drive.

President Gary March confirmed late yesterday that preliminary talks with the former Essendon coach had left both parties confident that Sheedy would rejoin the Tigers over the summer and undertake a variety of roles including mentoring young indigenous and international players.

Kevin Sheedy

speaks to

Mark Thompson

Kevin Sheedy and Mark Thompson

THEY were tradesmen who played top-level football and won premierships. Mark "Bomber" Thompson captained Essendon to a flag in 1993 under Kevin Sheedy's tutelage. Within a few years, Sheedy was convincing him to give coaching a try. Now both are premiership coaches.

Here they discuss Geelong, star players and the state of the game.

KEVIN SHEEDY: First of all thanks for coming. Tell me Bomber, how good is this Geelong team?

MARK THOMPSON: I think we’ve got more confidence out of last year. I think the whole team and town was under a lot of pressure last year. So that’s a significant difference.

KS: How long is this window of opportunity going to last?

MT: We are still a relatively young team. One of the things I’m really proud about is we signed up all our players and we haven’t back-ended contracts. We haven’t been forced to trade anyone we wanted to keep. (Darren) Milburn is the oldest ( at 31) and he might have two more years. (Matthew) Scarlett will have two or three more years.

KS: One loss. Can you work out what happened against Collingwood?

MT: Not really. We just had a very ordinary night. It was the biggest whack we’ve had for a long time and it was the first time I’ve seen us lose our confidence for a long time. It’s not a bad thing.
It normally happens to most teams three or four or five times a year and it happened to us once in basically a year and a half.

INSIDE GEELONG

KS: Milburn. He’s underrated isn’t he?

MT: Oh yeah. A very underrated player. I know that you like coaching footy-smart people and he just knows football. He’s very coachable.

KS: Coaches don’t like this question, but give us an opinion of a valuable player at Geelong who doesn’t get recognised.

MT: Corey Enright. There are so many other stars and there are some guys who just don’t put themselves out there but they’re just good people, and very coachable and skilful. Just dependable.

KS: A bit like Gary O’Donnell.

MT: Yeah. But when you get to know him around the changerooms, he’s quite social, too. He’s got an unbelievably good sense of humour. So I think he’s just well balanced. Happy
with who he is and the role he plays.

KS: How many All-Australians are you going to have?

MT: We’ve got 10 in the squad and I think we’ll probably get six. Don’t ask me to name them.

KS: Who might sneak in?

MT: (Andrew) Mackie and Enright. Andrew Mackie’s game on the weekend was oustanding. There have been more good players from other teams. (Brendan) Fevola, (Lance) Franklin, Sam Fisher deserves it. So many players are deserving whereas last year we dominated.

WHO’LL TAKE CHARLIE HOME?

KS: What about the Brownlow? (Jimmy) Bartel or (Gary) Ablett?

MT: Bartel would have to be a chance. He probably didn’t start the season that well. He was still getting high stats but his second half of the year he’s played probably the best football I’ve seen him play so far.

KS: And he never got nominated by the boys for the MVP.

MT: It’s funny because Joel Corey is just an outstanding person, too, and Corey Enright is the same. They’re very similar. Probably when you’re doing the voting you think, ‘I won’t vote for Bartel because other people will vote for him, so I’ll vote for (Joel) Selwood or Corey.’ Then the votes went against him, so that’s the only reasonable explanation I can give. Sometimes it’s the same with best and fairests, you might vote for Milburn because you think everyone will go for Scarlett.

COACHING TENURE

KS: How much longer do you think you can go on for? Especially seeing as though you learned a lesson from your old coach.

MT: I reckon Leigh Matthews did it the best way. He had coached for a while, had a three-year break and then came back and had another 10-year go at it.

KS: So you could have a three-year break after this stint and then maybe have a look again?

MT: Yeah, maybe.

KS: You barracked for Carlton?

MT: Yeah I did. I’m enjoying (coaching) now and I’ve got another year next year and we’ll go from there.

KS: Could you just say, “Mate, it’s been sensational, I won two premierships or three maybe, and that’s it for me. I’m going back into big business to chase James Hird’s career”.

MT: I might. And talking to you, apart from your premiership years, you’re saying this is the best year of your life.

KS: Yeah I’ve actually beaten you this year. I haven’t lost a game.

BEING APPROACHED BY ESSENDON

KS: Could you have coached Essendon last year?

MT: I don’t think it would have happened.

KS: You just felt loyal to the players?

MT: It would have been hard to leave.

KS: I found it hard. The players nail you and the club has your loyalty. There’s always a couple at the club, though, who don’t like you at times.

MT: You had plenty of them.

KS: (Former Essendon director) Neville Gay always used to say "I got you through".

HARDEST OPPONENT

KS: Who was the best player you played against?

MT: Wayne Johnston and Leigh Matthews.

KS: Underrated Johnno, but we know Leigh was a star.

MT: I thought David Murphy, from Sydney, the wingman, and Bernard Toohey were underrated. I had a lot of respect for him. He was hard-nosed.

CHANGING THE GAME

KS: What keeps you motivated, Bomber?

MT: I love the game and I love seeing the game in its purest form and I love seeing our boys play the way that they’re playing now. That’s what gets me motivated. A couple of years ago footy wasn’t the most appealing to watch.

KS: I know, you’ve changed it.

MT: We’ve had a hand in changing it, for sure.

KS: You’ve only got to blink and the ball is gone. You move it that fast that flooding’s eroded. It’s speed that kills.

MT: Yes like 1993. Same philosophies. That was our plan.

KS: That’s what has attracted the people to Geelong. They haven’t won a premiership by playing boring footy.

MT: That’s a bit of the history of the club, that they’ve always been a club that’s been entertaining and I tried to sometimes knock that out of the club but eventually I gave into it a bit.

KS: Who helped you there?

MT: Just some of the coaches.

KS: They’re quiet people. you never hear much about them and you never hear much about you. So are you lost down there in sleepy hollow? Does the cloud come in over the beach and just hide you?

MT: A little bit. I think I get enough recognition for what I do. We haven’t had an early draft pick. So we’ve never had access to the supers.

KS: I think you have. The father-sons, some absolute super draft picks.

MT: Matthew Scarlett wasn’t a super when we picked him up.

KS: Well something happened.

MT: What I think happened is that I rate our assistant coaches to be able to develop talent. Brendan McCartney has been with me for eight years and he’s just been enormous. And Ken Hinkley is an excellent coach who just teaches them through the game.

FUTURE OF THE GAME

KS: How do you see the state of the game?

MT: I think it’s great. It’s sped up a bit and is more entertaining to watch. I was worried about flooding. Worried that they were going to change the rules but we’ve sorted it out, like we do most of the time.

KS: Rotations. Too many, just enough or all right?

MT: I think it’s OK. I think it’s in the (best interests) of the players’ welfare. I know we’re trying to speed the game up and keep the intensity, but I don’t think you should ever go out of your way to try and slow intensity down or slow speed down.

KS: If you were Andrew Demetriou for a day what would you do?

MT: I would actually put a lot more money, time and effort into coaching coaches at all levels. West Australian football has really helped out because Robert Wiley goes and coaches the coaches. The system is really good. Right through all the ranks but starting at the top at the elite level.

KS: How do you see two new franchises coming into the game?

MT: Incredibly challenging. The top side of any given year in 2010’s draft will get player No. 35 or 30 which means we’re going to have less talent coming into each club. So the challenge for all the existing clubs is to train up players who are less talented. Or go out and find players who are under the radar. Personally I don’t know a lot about the marketing of the game.

THE SKIPPER

KS: Tom Harley. You’ve got that many stars in the team and you pulled out the statue of liberty and said he is the captain. Tell me why he’s that special.

MT: I think there’s been a history of teams picking their best player as captain and I don’t think that’s right. I certainly wasn’t the best player when you picked me as captain.

KS: You certainly weren’t, but I did like you.

MT: What I like about him is he’s professional. He cares about the team, he’s across the playing group. He can have hard conversations with people in a non-threatening way. And he can go to coaches and talk to them. He can go to the board, Frank Costa and he’s really strong in his beliefs and his support for what he thinks is right. He will express himself and it’s not an unreasonable request most of the time. He’s a fair and reasonable person. Off the field marketing and media-wise, he’s perfect. So it just made a lot of sense and I’m stoked with that.

KS: How many best and fairests did you win at Essendon?

MT: Two.

KS: So you were a pretty good player.

THE MATTHEW SCARLETT, ROBERT HARVEY INCIDENT

KS: Scarlett. How did you see it last week with Robert Harvey?

MT: It’s a funny one because I think they were both at each other sledging. It wasn’t crude or anything, it was just a little bit disrespectful. It happens.

KS: If Harvey had been the aggressor to Scarlett no one would believe it. No one ever thought James Hird sledged but I’m sure he would have.

MT: Most true champions are pretty strong people. Proud people.

GARY ABLETT v LANCE FRANKLIN

KS: Did you think Franklin was going to be as good as he is?

MT: No.

KS: Don’t think anyone did, but, boy, he’s exciting.

MT: He is so exciting and so good for footy. Just an extraordinary player.

KS: Were you surprised Ablett won the MVP by so much?

MT: Not really. It’s a really good award and I love that it’s getting more recognition and more prestige. I think the coaches award is a really good one, too.

BOMBER, THE MAN

KS: How do you describe yourself now as a coach compared to a player?

MT: Coaching’s a hard gig. It’s easier playing. I think the coaching we did early 2001-04 – when you’re new into the game and you’ve got an appetite ... you have these beliefs and this is what you want to do, and this is how you see football being played – that was a good period. Now, probably, you don’t do as much work but you’re seen to be more successful.

KS: Who do you turn to? If you could sit down with three guys who would you choose?

MT: Probably the coaches I do most of our footy talk with. “Harvs” (Mark Harvey) is one of my friends. Chris Gale (a mate) in Perth. And probably my brother.

KS: Steve? You walked out of the business and you let him have it. Remember you had to be talked into coming to Essendon as an assistant coach.

MT: Yeah, I didn’t want it until I was talked into it by you. The coffee shop in Leak St.

KS: Happy you did it?

MT: I wasn’t happy for a while. But that tough period was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, too. It just got me strong, resilient and I could cope with anything. I just don’t take things as serious.

KS: Can you see yourself coaching any other side?

MT: No I can’t. I don’t think so. Especially while you’re there working you can’t be anything but a Geelong person. The club hadn’t won a premiership in 44 years and I’m going to be remembered.
KS: As Geelong’s ice-breaker.

MT: Yeah. I didn’t love Geelong early doors, too. It was such a different club to Essendon. You have to change them but also understand where you’re at. It took me a while because I just wanted to take Essendon to Geelong but it was never going to work.

KS: You’ve been open and honest. All the best Bomber.

MT: Thanks Kevin.

Cheers,

Christos Bomberopoulos

2008-09-10T20:11:00.003+10:00

THE WORD FROM HIRD

KEVIN Sheedy's coaching record is amazing but it was in the finals that he really came to the fore.

He was known for his eccentricities, but he knew when to be serious and when not to be.

His words to me after the 2001 Grand Final were the most cutting and hurtful things he ever said to me.

His words were deserved and calculated but showed a side of Kevin you knew was there but rarely wanted to see.

The game felt like a bad dream. Going into it as favourites, the Bombers were expected to win a tight match against the up-and-coming Brisbane Lions. History tells us we may have all underestimated the Brisbane outfit.

Unfortunately for us, we received a reality check in front of 91,482 people at the 'G.

My game was a shocker. At one stage I asked my opponent, Brad Scott, if he would like to share a pair of shorts and a jumper. I couldn't see the point in us wasting two sets, such was his closeness to me during the game.

By the end of it, we were beaten by a few goals, I was thrashed by Brad and we had lost a Grand Final.

As we came from the ground, I took solace that I was not alone, that it was not just my loss. Like a victory, it would be shared with my teammates and supporters.

Our post-match debriefing by the coach was raw yet controlled. There was no ranting and raving, just controlled analysis.

Towards the end of the meeting, Sheeds looked at me and drilled me with his eyes. He grabbed my eye line and stared at me for what seemed like an eternity. He then said the words that would haunt me for a long time.

"James (he never called me James), you have let down your club, your teammates and yourself with your performance today, and you will have to live with that performance for the rest of your life. Never forget how bad you were today."

No swearing, no abuse, just humiliation in front of the players who I was meant to lead to victory. That, to me, was the ultimate criticism.

I had prided myself during my career on playing well when I needed to and, as captain, had promised the players I would not let them down.

For the coach to tell the group that I had let them down was as bad as it got for me. As deserved as those words were, they took a while to recover from.

Sheeds never won a premiership after that day and, in balancing that story, it is interesting to note the strange and more off-the-wall things Kevin did to motivate his players in finals.

The strangest was a handout we were given the night before a final in the mid-1990s. On it was a list of postmen who had gone on to achieve great things.

That was it. No game plan, no tactics, just a list of postmen.

Some had become movie stars, some politicians and one a billionaire entrepreneur.

As I drove home that night in a state of confusion, I wondered why these postmen were so important to our game against West Coast the next day. Was it that Peter Matera or Brett Heady was once a postman?

When we got to the ground, he told us what relevance the postmen had to our important final. It was to show that we have a choice and we can choose a path to change the status quo whenever we want.

West Coast was the favourite and probably had better players on paper. If we wanted to we could stay as the underdog and accept defeat.

Or we could rise above what other people thought we were capable of and become the best team in the competition.

In this case, the postmen really delivered, because we managed to win.

Sheeds survived 27 years and became one of the most successful coaches in finals history because he did things differently.

The "marshmallow" final of 1998 was brought about because he thought North Melbourne was bullying us and he needed to take a stand.

He called two administrators from the Kangaroos pink and white marshmallows. We did not win that game, but within two years we had won a premiership and North did not beat us between that final and 2001.

Was this the start of us standing up for ourselves? Seeing the coach being pelted by marshmallows as he walked off the ground made us all feel embarrassed that our club was being called soft.

His most celebrated eccentric strategy was in the 1984 Grand Final where he moved half the backline up to the forward line after halftime and had Billy Duckworth win a Norm Smith Medal off the half-forward flank after playing the whole year down back.

He ignited a side that was tough and skilful but was not playing with the freedom it needed.

Sheeds was different and eccentric, yet his eccentricities were well planned during finals.

Sometimes they backfired but his record says that more often than not his ability to try a new way was a great strategy.

These are the selected teams as they were announced prior to the game:

2001 Brisbane Lions Grand Final Team
B:	Chris Johnson	Justin Leppitsch	Darryl White
HB:	Nigel Lappin	Chris Scott	Marcus Ashcroft
C:	Jason Akermanis	Michael Voss	Robert Copeland
HF:	Shaun Hart	Jonathan Brown	Luke Power
F:	Daniel Bradshaw	Alistair Lynch	Martin Pike
Foll:	Clark Keating	Simon Black	Brad Scott
Int:	Beau McDonald	Craig McRae	Tim Notting
	Mal Michael
Coach:	Leigh Matthews

2001 Essendon Grand Final Team
B:	Danny Jacobs	Dustin Fletcher	Sean Wellman
HB:	Mark Johnson	Dean Solomon	Damien Hardwick
C:	Adam Ramanauskas	Chris Heffernan	Blake Caracella
HF:	James Hird	Scott Lucas	Dean Rioli
F:	Gary Moorcroft	Matthew Lloyd	Steven Alessio
Foll:	John Barnes	Jason Johnson	Joe Misiti
Int:	Mark McVeigh	Justin Blumfield	Mark Mercuri
	Paul Barnard
Coach:	Kevin Sheedy

Essendon vs Brisbane Lions
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Essendon	3.2 (20)	8.6 (54)	9.8 (62)	12.10 (82)
Brisbane Lions	3.7 (25)	5.10 (40)	11.12 (78)	15.18 (108)

Venue:	Melbourne Cricket Ground,
Date:	September 29, 2001
Attendance:	91,482
Umpires:	Scott McLaren, Martin Ellis, Mathew James
Goal scorers:	Essendon	5: Lloyd 4: Lucas 1: Caracella, Johnson, Misiti
Brisbane Lions	3: L Power 2: Akermanis, J Brown, N Lappin, A Lynch 1. Ashcroft, Notting, Pike, M Voss
Best:	Essendon	Lloyd, Lucas, J Johnson
Brisbane Lions	Hart, Johnson, Voss, Lappin, Power
Reports:	nil
Injuries:	nil

Coin toss winner:	Michael Voss, Brisbane Lions
Norm Smith Medal:	Shaun Hart, Brisbane Lions
Australian television broadcaster:	Seven Network
National Anthem:	Julie Anthony

Essendon vs Brisbane Lions
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Final
Essendon 3.2 (20) 8.6 (54) 9.8 (62) 12.10 (82)
Brisbane Lions 3.7 (25) 5.10 (40) 11.12 (78) 15.18 (108)
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground,
Date: September 29, 2001
Attendance: 91,482
Umpires: Scott McLaren, Martin Ellis, Mathew James
Goal scorers: Essendon 5: Lloyd
4: Lucas
1: Caracella, Johnson, Misiti
Brisbane Lions 3: L Power
2: Akermanis, J Brown, N Lappin, A Lynch
1. Ashcroft, Notting, Pike, M Voss
Best: Essendon Lloyd, Lucas, J Johnson
Brisbane Lions Hart, Johnson, Voss, Lappin, Power
Reports: nil
Injuries: nil
Coin toss winner: Michael Voss, Brisbane Lions
Norm Smith Medal: Shaun Hart, Brisbane Lions
Australian television broadcaster: Seven Network
National Anthem: Julie Anthony
NOT a great day for the Bomber faithful.

I can't wait for THE Sheedy Memoirs...

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-09-01T08:53:00.006+10:00

FINAL SIREN FOR SEASON 2008

THE 21.21 (147) to 5.9 (39) landslide at the Concrete Dome was the Saints' biggest win ever over the Bombers and the margin could easily have been larger, given the number of simple shots for goal missed by St Kilda players.

It was a case of an in-form St Kilda side steaming towards the business end of the AFL season against an undermanned Essendon outfit for whom the year could not end quickly enough.

Bombers coach Matthew Knights believes his inexperienced and severely injury-weakened team never stopped trying, but were unable to physically match the Saints, who needed to win big and did.

“St Kilda were up and running and wanting the double chance, and we probably had six to eight blokes that probably aren’t up to league footy. Whether they are old or young or their physical capabilities aren’t up to it, compared to the team we played today,” O’Donnell said.

“It’s disappointing to fall away the way we did but hopefully it will teach the young blokes, that haven’t played much footy, that footy is a tough, hard game and if you are a little bit off, a little underdone, if you haven’t got a real competitive streak in you then game will bite you. Hopefully the ones that do survive into the future on our list, that take us to our next premiership learn from today.” Gary O'Donnell said.

The team will learn some hard lessons according to Essendon assistant coach, Gary O’Donnell.

"Even in the third quarter there and the last quarter the boys were endeavouring and they were trying things," Knights said of a final term in which they were smashed 7.6 to 0.1.

"They were trying to generate run and movement and we just couldn't get any flow whatsoever ... we couldn't make anything work for us today.

"We were completely outpointed, St Kilda fixed up Adelaide good and proper last week and Adelaide have shown their formline was pretty good, so we were playing a side that was in pretty good nick." Knights said.

"Every player that represented our club today had that best intention to (give them a good send-off), it just didn't pan out like that, we didn't play well enough," he said.

"I know there's a lot of emotional players (in the rooms afterwards) that really do admire the four boys that are retiring.

"The performance wasn't good, but the four guys that played today that are retiring have done themselves proud and been wonderful people for the Essendon footy club and that's what it's about." Coach Matthew Knights said.

ESSENDON farewelled three favourites and a three-repeat champion yesterday.

The four players - Adam Ramanauskas, Jason Johnson, Damien Peverill and Mal Michael - did a lap of honour after a performance coach Matthew Knights described as "hugely disappointing".

Before the game, Knights invited former teammates, including James Hird, Stephen Alessio and Joe Misiti, into the final address to the players.

Knights also allowed recently retired Docker, Mark Johnson, and current Docker Dean Solomon into what was as emotional final day for the popular foursome.

Peverill, who is seeking another club next year, was brought to tears.

Farewell Essendonians.

WE turn our attention to next year - 2009 - trades & de-listings...

TIME for the rest of our boys to enjoy Mad-Monday and catch-up (with) to Andrew Lovett!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-08-29T09:57:00.004+10:00

LAST ROUND & DRINKS FOR SOME

ESSENDON is set to farewell at least four players this week.

Great servants of our Club, the likes of courageous Adam Ramanauskas, who battled valiantly to get back to the Elite level after beating cancer. Farewell Rama, thanks for all the good times. Supporters can only wish you good health & a long life.

ANOTHER Club great - to move on - Jason Johnson. The number 14. Who can forget the grunt and powerful runs through the middle? The Greatest come-back game, quickly comes to mind. Cruelled by injury in his last two seasons and not helped by a personal grudge (that has never really been made public), held by the then Coach - Emperor Sheedy. Farewell JJ, how ironic, to have outlived Sheedy's tenure - when Kevin tried almost everything to ship you out!

Damien Peverill might be considered more than a little stiff to be shown the door. Not our most talented player, but has always shown a consistent and hard working ethic - both on and off the field. Something many footballers could take note of. Made the most of his chances, coming off the rookie list and played like he was born to wear the Red & Black - with outmost pride. See ya Pev.

Of course when we "snared" 3 time Premiership player, Mal Michael, we all knew that his best was well behind him, but the fact that we were able to piss-off Leigh Mongrel and the Bri$bane Lion$ - was PRICELESS! Having said that, Mal was serviceable in his first year, not only assisting/releasing Fletch down back, but most importantly with his vast experience & knowledge - that he has been able to impart on the young defenders. I believe there will be an assistants role made available next year, should you want it. Farewell.

Even though this isn't the right time to farewell those that "will" be de-listed, after-all I have heard some names come out of the club that would make your hair curl.

THE one name, thank-fully that is certain to be gone next year, Andrew Lovett...

All I can say is, "GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER"!

Ross Lyon expects Dons to come out firing

ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon has warned his players they will face a dangerous Essendon, which will farewell three stalwarts on Sunday.

A week after lauding club great Robert Harvey, the Saints confront a Bombers team stirred to send-off Dons favourite Damien Peverill and premiership players Adam Ramanauskas and Jason Johnson at Telstra Dome.

Lyon said the Saints were mindful of what they were coming up against.

READ MORE

Essendon to win by 7 points!

ESSENDON
B: Henry Slattery , Nathan Lovett-Murray , Mark McVeigh
HB: Jay Nash , Patrick Ryder, Damien Peverill
C: Ricky Dyson, Jobe Watson , Andrew Lovett
HF: Jason Johnson, Matthew Lloyd, Angus Monfries
F: Sam Lonergan, Mal Michael, Adam Ramanauskas
Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Heath Hocking, Brent Stanton
Int: Jarrod Atkinson, Danny Chartres, Cale Hooker, Leroy Jetta, Rhys Magin, Kyle Reimers, John Williams

Int: Atkinson, Chartres, Jetta, Reimers, Williams
Out: Adam McPhee (ankle), Andrew Welsh (hamstring)

New: Danny Chartres (rookie list), John Williams (Morningside. Taken with pick 5 in 2007 draft)

ST KILDA
B: Sean Dempster, Sam Fisher, Jason Gram
HB: Brendon Goddard, Max Hudghton, Jason Blake
C: Sam Gilbert, Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes
HF: Robert Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Robert Eddy
F: Clint Jones, Justin Koschitzke, Adam Schneider
Foll: Steven King, Shane Birss, Leigh Montagna
Int: Stephen Milne, James Gwilt, Charlie Gardiner, David Armitage, Aaron Fiora, Raphael Clarke, Jarryd Allen

In: Fiora, Allen, Armitage
Out: - No Change

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-08-28T09:59:00.008+10:00

Bye-Bye Lovey

Mark RobinsonHE might've blown it, Andrew Lovett. At 25, and after four seasons and 65 games, Essendon's wayward match-winner will be put up for trade.

The question is why.

The answer is Lovett, like many players before him, has taken the game, his teammates and his club for granted.

Lovett is a young man who was born with talent, athleticism and a craving for the big stage. And yet, in the supposed prime-time of his footballing life, he has forced his club to put him on the trade table.

It's staggering he's let his opportunity to come to this.

This for a guy who won the Anzac Day Medal in his first handful of games for the Bombers in 2005, who turned himself from small forward to breakneck wingman, who plays the game in the most simplistic and pleasurable manner that you hope to dear God there's many more indigenous players just like him.

Even this year, on the night he shredded Carlton at the 'G in Round 3, fingers were crossed the penny might finally have dropped for him.

It was not to be. Indeed, it may never happen.

The criticism is he's lazy, won't stay committed and lacks discipline in different forms of his life.

He disrespects his teammates.

Twice this year the Bombers suspended him.

The first time was in the pre-season - for all of the pre-season matches - for missing an early-morning training session. The club won't confirm if alcohol was involved.

The second time was after missing another session, this time coach Matthew Knights confirming Lovett had been out the night before "socialising".

A big ground specialist, Lovett missed playing Richmond and Collingwood (Rounds 16-17). Essendon lost to the Tigers, but defeated the Pies.

Those incidents followed a much more volatile abuse incident and consequent court case, in 2006, involving an ex-girlfriend.

The oldest of eight children, Lovett also lost his father in the same year and was confronted with more harrowing personal news which he continues to deal with.

Throughout, the Bombers stuck by their troubled player, helping with counselling sessions.

High-performance manager John Quinn invited Lovett to live with him and his family as the footballer tried to get his life and career back on track. About the same time, Lovett told the Herald Sun he was suffering from depression.

Two years on, Lovett's career has spun to a standstill. He's made a mockery of the AFL Season Guide which described him: "Has the potential to be one of Essendon's stars."

Lovett played 16 games this year, but disappointed the coach in regards to professionalism - a buzz word in the new regime.

It's no certainty he will be traded and Lovett does not want to leave, but he will be dangled in any potential chase for West Coast's Daniel Kerr.

Knights hasn't oozed confidence when asked about Lovett, either.

"I had a chat with Andrew and his manager, where things are at, how he's played this year, how things have gone, where the club's heading, and no definitive decision have been made either way," he said.

"It would depend on what happens post-season, with how things evolve with how we're travelling."

No warmth there, I'm sorry.

For Lovett, the next two months are uncertain. He could do well to talk to Collingwood's Leon Davis.

Davis is 27. Two years ago, his career looked shot, and have a look at him now. All-Australian beckons.

The message is clear: it's never too late to change.

Don't know, however, if Knights would agree.

Bye-bye Lovey!

Had your chance(s) - muffed it...

Congratulations to Head Coach - Matthew Knights, in his first season. Matty has shown true leadership, intellect and courage. In dealing with Andrew Lovett.

WE are a club that has worked well with, past Legends & Champion Indigenous players - the likes of Long and Wanganeen. Do we not have some fine young, exciting talent at our club - in Ryder Davey and Jetta? Davey would have killed to play more games for the Red & Black this season, but cruelled with injury, has had to sit out and watch the disappointment that is Lovey. In fact, Lovey surely must have had a deteramental & demoralising effect on all the listed players (young & old), when they see one player with so much talent - think - he can do as he pleases and coast along...

It is a pity, though that McVeigh never grabbed him by the throat in the change rooms and straighten the "little romantic twit" out.

sumthink he may play elsewhere - not I - "BUYER BEWARE"!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-08-22T22:33:00.004+10:00

Essendon and adidas sign four year agreement

FUCK YOU PUMA!

seriously.

fuck you - PUMA!

REVENGE is a dish, best served cold...

FUCK YOU, PUMA & YOUR - FUCKING CLASH GUERNSEY!

WE DO NOT FORGET.

WE have waited patiently for this day.

AND for your pathetic and destructive part in destroying a 133 year old, consecutively worn Guernsey - I say - FUCK OFF!

WELCOME TO ADIDAS...

one last time - FUCK YOU PUMA!

Essendon Football Club is proud to announce a new four-year partnership with adidas Australia.

From November 2008, adidas will become the club footwear and apparel partner.

Essendon joins Collingwood and Adelaide as AFL clubs benefiting from adidas technologies.

Other adidas sporting partners include the Australian Olympic Team, Cricket Australia, and global sporting giants Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, AC Milan, the NBA and the All Blacks.

“adidas is extremely excited about the opportunity to be working with one of the most successful and iconic organisations in Australian sport,” commented Greg Kerr, adidas Area Pacific Managing Director.

“We hope this is a long and rewarding partnership into the future. Essendon embody a number of ideals which adidas values highly; success, community spirit and a willingness to challenge convention.

“Our approach to this partnership will be very transparent, we’ll listen to Essendon’s needs and incorporate feedback in apparel and footwear that will enable players to perform at their best.”

Essendon managing director, Peter Jackson, said adidas is a highly respected, premium sporting brand and is an important new sponsor for the club.

“Every sports fan knows that adidas is a very high quality, international brand that utilises cutting edge technology. Our players join an impressive stable of sporting stars and clubs from around the word to be supported by adidas and we are proud to welcome them to the club,” Mr Jackson said.

In season 2009 adidas will supply Essendon with a revolutionary new guernsey, aimed at maximising player comfort and performance.

To make tackling harder the garment is more fitted than traditional guernseys, a feature already incorporated into All Black’s on field apparel. The design also features adidas ForMotion™ technology, with panels placed in line with players muscular structure for freedom of movement and also a built in GPS device pocket, doing away with cumbersome vests.

adidas-Essendon products will be available to consumers in December 2008, from leading sporting goods retailers, adidas Sport Performance Centres and Essendon football club retail outlets.

FUCK YOU PUMA!

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-08-14T11:51:00.005+10:00

Former Essendon captains unite

There are 13 living former Essendon captains dating back to 1965 who stand alongside our current captain, Matthew Lloyd, as club greats.

The Lawdons will honour the magnificent contribution and commitment these men made to the Essendon Football Club at the Windy Hill Venue on Thursday 28th August.

Be a part of this special occasion and join coach Matthew Knights, club directors, Lawdons members and officials as they pay special tribute to ‘The captains of Essendon’.

Tony Charlton will be the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and will interview captains including; Ken Fraser (‘65–‘68), Don McKenzie (‘69), Barry Davis (‘70–‘71), Des Tuddenham (‘72–‘75), Graham Moss (‘76), Ken Fletcher (‘77–‘79), Simon Madden (‘80–‘81), Neale Daniher (‘82), Terry Daniher (‘83–‘88), Tim Watson (‘89–‘91), Gary O’Donnell (‘96–‘97), James Hird - subject to overseas commitments - (‘98–‘05), and Matthew Lloyd (‘06– ).

Tony will also introduce Essendon stalwart Jack Jones, who captained Essendon once and played in three premierships alongside Dick Reynolds (1946, 1949, 1950).

Date: Thursday 28 August 2008
Venue: Premiers Room, Windy Hill Venue, Napier St, Essendon
Time: 6.45pm for 7pm
Dress: Jacket and Tie
Cost: $80 per person (Lawdons financial members). $90 per person (non Financial Member) - Includes meal and beverages

For more information please contact Melissa Bell on 9230 0324.

All fund-raising profits will go to the Bill Hutchison Foundation, supporting a range of education, sport and anti-violence programs. The Bill Hutchison Foundation works to prevent harm to women, children and young people, and to help those who are too often on the margins of our society – Indigenous youngsters, kids from migrant communities and others who need support.

sumthink ESSENDONIAN - to support.

I'll definately be there!

Will you?

Lure of another AFL flag spurs Lloyd

Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd is considering extending his career in the hope of playing in a second AFL premiership.

The champion goal-kicker, who is in his 14th AFL season, will play his 250th game this Saturday against Adelaide at Telstra Dome.

READ MORE.

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS

2008-08-12T00:33:00.000+10:00

I’ll lead the invasion

KEVIN SHEEDY

AS EARLY as this week we could witness a truly historic moment. Not historic as in vaguely interesting but a once in a 100 years event.

Not historic as in vaguely interesting, or a bit exciting, but a once in a 100 years event.

Lance Franklin won’t just win the Coleman Medal this year, he will be the first indigenous footballer to kick 100 goals.

Never before has an indigenous footballer won the Coleman, let alone such a captivating young individual.

We have seen all types of exciting indigenous players, but this is different.

This could excite some super young kid in Arnhem Land or a remote community who will think, ‘I can do this’.

This isn’t Andrew McLeod’s Norm Smith Medals, or Adam Goodes’ Brownlow.

It is the I-can-kick-goals medal.

SHEEDY jump the fence, when Buddy kicks his ton, I'd like to see that!

Andrew Demetriou's face would drop (even further), even if he is living it up, in the RED Penthouses of far-away, Beijing...

Cheers,

CHRISTOS BOMBEROPOULOS