Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
on Wednesday as we tap the eminently sensible mind of Phil Davis. Phil, welcome back. Morning, Gerard. We thought Carlton was fertile ground for eminently sensible minds. Essendon is just giving plenty at the moment.
Yeah. Two of the most sort of like esteemed clubs, two of the big four, Gerard, and both on very shaky grounds. And I think we're all trying to work out, is it self-inflicted or what's happening?
Yeah.
And where do they go next? All right. So let's start with the decision to sack Brad Scott. How do you assess that?
Yeah, I work with a diehard Essendon fan called Luke and he came up to me yesterday and he's like, oh, what are your thoughts? Blah, blah, blah. He's like, what's Gerard going to say? We're just chatting about that. And I thought that clearly it got to a point where it was inevitable, was my view, was that that's the way it was going. I thought Brad handled himself so well across.
I just thought the weekend was a strange one to be the final game. Basically, I had no players by halftime. And the game really changed at halftime, particularly, you know, I don't know, before the game fully fit, maybe Eston just beats Richmond. I don't know. I don't think it's like that clear cut.
You've got a lot of young talent versus another young side, but the injuries, it just seemed like a strange one to be the one that, you know, the straw that broke the camel's back. But I think big picture, It was inevitable. It looked like that's the way it was always going from what you read and what you saw. But it just seemed like the weekend was just the strange game to pick.
So there's a certain degree of losing that can't be absorbed, but the losing is part of the plan. I think that's the contradiction in where Essendon finds itself. It chose a path and on the evidence of yesterday, didn't fully appreciate the path that had gone down.
Yes, and I think if we look back also, last year injuries were used quite convincingly to be like, hey, this is why it's been a bit rocky, but we're also going to go to the draft.
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Chapter 2: What are Phil Davis's thoughts on the sacking of Brad Scott?
And then this year's been not much better on the injury front for them either. So as you say, you stop playing middle-aged players and stop topping up and you go younger and you go younger. The results will follow that and the results aren't always great. But if you listen to Brad and the alignment that he's got from the new CEO and then Andrew Welsh, the president,
It seemed as though that was the path. So there's something has just fallen off the tracks here and it's hard to get exactly what that is. Is it the fact that they need a change? Is there another bigger play here? I'm not sure, but it did seem as though the plan was to go young and absorb the losses. Well, at least that was communicated to us frequently.
And then immediately we're in the grip of James Heard fever and whether he is going to return to Essendon. And forthrightly, he says he would love to.
You know, I think it's always nice when someone comes out and is already willing to put their hand up and not play too coy. And, you know, the other thing I was talking to my friend at work yesterday about is a diehard Essendon fan, Joe. Like, I get all my Essendon from there. And he was like, well, if Hurdy came back, it'd be fun. It'd be interesting.
You know, I think he could absorb, you know, he's got the faith and he could absorb the hard times. But to me, Joe, they've got... Very, very clear fork in the road decision here. It's either A, do you go back to what Essendon has historically been around, like the history of the club. If you're an Essendon person, you're an Essendon person. This is who we are. This is what we do.
This is how we've been for a hundred odd years. And that would probably be James Hurd. Or is it a time for a complete shift and a complete adaptation to what Essendon means? Not in terms of the absolute fabric, but how it operates and the operating model. And then you'd go down a completely different path. So I think to me, it seems like a pretty clear fork in the road.
If they go back to James... To me, that is like a way to keep running what they've got. And maybe if it goes well, that's fantastic. And I've dealt with James and he's a very, very good operator. But if it doesn't, it's almost like it could be the fizzling out of what Essendon and how it operated for, you know, let's call it the last 40 years, Jared, how it's operated.
And then they move on to how the other clubs are sort of going.
If you were drawn to make a recommendation, what would you recommend? Which path?
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Chapter 3: What implications does James Hird's potential return have for Essendon?
andrew welsh's office to be like hey like this is hard work i've given everything i can to this football club but is there a discussion to be had about me being traded away for you to get draft capital and where does that sit i think that's a fair and reasonable conversation not for all of them obviously but a few because i look at kyle langford i think he's a terrific player I really like him.
But he's just, for me at the moment, we're not seeing the best of Kyle. And I think that's largely the circumstances in. And I think he'd have draft capital on the open market. And I think that would be a win-win for everyone.
So as we close our Essendon conversation, it's not dissimilar to the Carlton conversation. Can you see Essendon being successful again?
I can. I think they've got a few challenging factors. First of all, it's necessary to get the coach right. Secondly, they need, as I've said to you, they need to do a thorough review. I mean, I want them to get into the gutters, into the wallpaper. I want them to know exactly what's going on. It can't be... an inside job.
It needs to be outside, you know, Jason Dunstall style, come outside, come in, have maybe one insider to hopefully know where the skeletons are buried. I mean, they're going to spend a bit of money on this, Jarrett, and then they need to really review it. And then they've got to get their draft right.
Matt Rose has got a lot of work to be done there because, as I said to you, they're just in front of Tasmania. They're just in front, and they'll probably cop a bit of the blow-off because Tasmania will be there at a similar-ish time as they're probably still at the bottom, but they've got to get the next year right. This is one of their most important drafts ever.
And if I was them, I'd probably just be trying to load up as much as possible to get every draft pick I can for that pick because after that, it becomes very, very difficult. So... There's a few things they've got to get right, Joe. But what they do have, and I've always admired and always enjoyed playing, I think they've got terrific fans.
I just think you've just got the size of a club and the passion. The passion is what separates, you know, sort of like Carlton and Essendon. And I think sometimes it gets in the way in other parts, but it's not the fan base. The fan base are just so passionate. They care so much. So there's a lot to work with on them being successful and big again.
They've got to go and install some very, very big mirrors, Gerard, and start staring at them.
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Chapter 4: What should Essendon prioritize in their next coaching decision?
And I think that'll always be the challenge, um, So I can see why there's speculation and I can see why it's floating around. But my gut feel is when it's all said and done, Toby will make a decision to stay. But there's merit in the discussion just because, you know, he just wants to win so badly. He's one of the most competitive humans I've ever met in my life.
And this is something that he's been chasing. Like he's had all this other success, Jared. But I know deep down, like there's no player that would trade that faster than Toby for the medal that actually mattered.
Okay. Yeah, that's an interesting insight. All right, let's finish today. So I'm curious, you mentioned you're holding faith with Brisbane. I'm the same. I want to see Saturday's game. So Fremantle, are you all in on Fremantle at 10 in a row or is this the game? For me, this is the game. Walk into Brisbane, knock the Lions over while they're a bit down and then you go, yep, yep.
All the historical hesitancy lifts if they are able to win this weekend for me.
Yeah, well, it reminds me a lot of round one, Gerard, when we said, oh, this is a maturity test to go and beat a banged up Geelong. And they failed that one. So it feels like we're back there. What I will say, Gerard, is big picture. I am very, very confident that Freya will win one final. I think they're like almost certain to be in a prelim this year. Like that's where I see them.
This question is now to be like, do they join the discussion where I feel very confident that they could win a prelim? And I think that's, as you say, like these are the maturity tests that, because they'll always, they'll finish top four, it looks like, I presume. So basically you just have to win one final when you're in a prelim.
And usually, let's say they lose the first week and, you know, unless you go straight sets, you're usually going to beat up a banged up side in the semifinal. And before you know it, you're in a prelim. And I think that's where they're at definitely at the moment. I would just like to see just another level, like you said, Joe, and that's what this weekend is an opportunity for.
You know, they don't travel super well. It's not like their forte, but this seems as though like all the ducks in a row for them to come in and take care of business.
There's a lot to look forward to. Phil, great to pick your brain as ever. Enjoy your week and we'll do it again next Wednesday.
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