Brendon Goddard says Essendon has been delivered a reality check but defends Bombers game plan

BRENDON Goddard has heard the theories about why the Bombers are struggling but one in particular about his side’s woes is way off the mark. It’s laughable, he writes, but he admits the club has been delivered a reality check in the last month.

A disappointed Brendon Goddard after the loss to Carlton. Picture: Getty

The conversations usually begin within minutes of the final siren.

When you are in a rough patch like the one we have had over the past month, the guys will start talking about what worked and what needs to improve immediately after the game.

Then we rehydrate in the rooms, have a warm-down and head into the meeting with the coaches.

John Worsfold drives the discussion and it is an open floor. Everyone is encouraged to give some input about what they think or how they feel about our performance.

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That’s not only in relation to the match, but also our preparation during the week leading into the game.

When you have had a few losses in a row, there can be some angst and disappointment in the room at that point.

The feedback is usually honest and direct. It’s a robust discussion.

When you are new into the AFL system, that environment can be tough after a poor game but after 16 years in the caper I’m used to it.

A disappointed Brendon Goddard after the loss to Carlton. Picture: Getty

I’m always my harshest critic in that situation on things I could have done better.

It is true we haven’t played as well as we would have liked this season.

But the theory we aren’t trying to play a modern game plan in the front half of the ground or that we have spent the preseason talking ourselves up about how good we will be this year is complete nonsense.

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I have heard the theory that we are trying to defend in the back 50m and play a more transition-style offence and it’s laughable. It’s absolutely not the case.

Anyone who says that has completely misread or not listened to the way we want to play.

The reality is we haven’t been able to execute the way we want to play out on the field.

Let me be clear, like all teams, we are trying to play the game in our forward line, cause midfield turnovers and put the opposition under pressure.

Brendon Goddard is tackled by two Hawthorn players during the loss last Saturday.

Most teams are trying to play the same way and it was not dissimilar to how we played at St Kilda throughout 2009-10.

We want to provide unconditional effort regardless of what the scoreboard says, or what the opposition is doing or what position you are playing, or what the weather is like.

So we have spent a lot of time over the past month and over the past week practising the game style we want to deliver on the field for the remainder of the season.

The reality is we haven’t consistently delivered over four quarters and we have stripped things back to really simple and clear focus points.

The third quarter fade-outs are annoying and frustrating and it felt like deja vu all over again against Hawthorn.

But we aren’t sitting on our hands.

Dyson Heppell leads the Essendon players off the MCG after the loss to Carlton. Picture: Getty

We have identified the issues and put steps in place to address them with our actions.

We will spend more time on gearing up mentally and physically for resuming play in the third term, so our heart rates are up and we are switched on.

There’s been a lot of conversations in the past few weeks about implementing our plans, committing to individual roles and staying engaged in the game mentally and physically.

I know the media want to focus on more specific points, like game plan or senior players’ form or expectations for the year.

But the truth of it is probably more boring than that.

It’s a grind, the footy season, and the problems are usually a combination of many little things.

Heat will now come on Essendon coach John Worsfold.

We want to invest more into our footy, weed out things which become bad habits and eliminate the excuses or cop-outs.

One of the biggest turning points in my career was in my second year at St Kilda when I had a conversation with the great Lenny Hayes.

In a nutshell, Lenny said the team couldn’t bank on what I was going to produce each week when they ran down the race with me.

It was about my mindset.

I was young and relatively inexperienced and probably in my own mind used that as an excuse.

I had a bit of an out because I was only in my second year and I was worried about whether I was getting a kick or not.

Goddard learnt valuable lessons from former teammate Lenny Hayes early in his career.

But that is natural for young players and we have all been there.

What I realised was that the most important things were effort and intensity.

Staying on the team path and not veering away from that or losing concentration in games.

We want to maximise our efforts for the team cause, but we also need to be patient because there has been a lot of change within the team over the past couple of years.

The past month has been a reality check, but we are fully invested and committed and playing the way we want to play.

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