Matthew Knights

Bombers Fire Coach

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:40:10 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

After a one hour board meeting several days ago, Matthew Knights was informed that his coaching contract, which will cost the club almost one million dollars in a payout, had been terminated. Knights, who has been under pressure in recent weeks and has been harshly criticized on talkback radio, in the media (including former champion players James Hird, Matthew Lloyd and former coach Kevin Sheedy) and on fan websites, apparently learned of the meeting through the media. After the meeting, Knights and his manager Daniel Richardson were summoned by the board to receive the bad news. One item on the agenda which came as a surprise to Knights was that a number of key senior players, including veteran defender Dustin Fletcher had lost faith in him.

Chairman David Evans and CEO Ian Robson expressed disappointment that information had been leaked to the media. Club officials are also concerned that irate anti-Knights supporters could cause a split among board members. Knights' manager said anyone interested in the job of senior coach should be cautious because of the influence of former players and supporter groups, whom he believed helped bring about Knights being fired. Richardson was quoted as saying "... this club's got a major issue ..." with "... a board with a direct line to the media ..." and "... past players and coterie members who think they are running the club ...". He expressed his sympathy for Evans and Robson in dealing with such an unstable situation.

In making the announcement, Evans acknowledged Knights' efforts to rebuild the team list and thanked him for his contribution to the Bombers, but said the lack of progress was the reason for letting Knights go. He denied that outside pressure from supporters had influenced the board's decision. He stated his admiration for Knights by saying that Knights had "... conducted himself ... with the utmost passion, commitment and courage, and ... has shown grace under considerable pressure." He also acknowledged the fact that Knights had taken over from Kevin Sheedy, the longest serving and most successful coach in the club's history.

Knights played 279 games for the Richmond Tigers from 1988 to 2002. He then coached SANFL team Port Adelaide and Essendon's VFL affiliate Bendigo before being appointed as Sheedy's replacement.

Several candidates are already lining up for the job. Among them are former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams who views the job as "... a refreshing change of scenery ..." and a challenge. Williams, who served as an assistant to Sheedy before crossing to Port Adelaide, described Essendon as a sleeping giant with potential. He was sounded out as a potential replacement for Sheedy in 2007. Other potential candidates are assistant coach Alan Richardson and former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley, now an assistant at Port Adelaide. Laidley wants to return to Melbourne for personal reasons.

Source: Cara Pelchen, Club Media Release; theage.com.au

Knightmare On Napier Street Over

densham — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:39:15 -0500

by Kim Densham in Melbourne for AFANA

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/pictures/2010_photo_essays/sacked-2316

With Essendon's dismal season barely over, the Board acted swiftly, and as early as eight am Sunday morning, Essendon Board members moved to remove Matthew Knights as coach even though he had two years left on his contract. Talkback radio was awash with unconfirmed reports that chairman Evans drove round to CEO Ian Robson's house for an emergency meeting. By one pm today Knights was no longer coach.

David Evans issued the following statement :
"'We are here today to announce that the Essendon Board met this morning and have come to a decision today that Matthew will no longer be the coach of the Essendon Football Club. We have met with Matthew today and have told him of our decision. As Chairman of the Club, I firstly want to say that at all times, Matthew has conducted himself at our club with the utmost passion, commitment and courage, and over the last few months he has shown grace under considerable pressure ... it has become very clear to the club that we have not made the progress we needed to make this year, and that we need a fresh start going into the new season. This lack of progress is the basis of the Board’s decision today ... We are a club used to success on and off the field. But we do face big challenges in the coming period - a new 18 team competition, decisions about our facility, and we need a plan for growing our revenue base and membership."

Knights' coaching record over the past three seasons is 37.3%. After 66 regular season games and one finals appearance, discontent amongst the red and black army was growing. Disheartening and gut wrenching losses to old enemies Carlton and Collingwood, then a loss to the Lions, followed by the last round loss to the Bulldogs, made it 15 losses for the season and only two wins from their last 12 games. The past few weeks also saw a media circus with James Hird being named as coach, former Port coach Mark Williams, his assistant and Geelong coach Mark 'Bomber' Thompson taking on a manager-style role. Hird's comments that one day he would love to coach Essendon were given further credence on talkback Radio SEN when Matthew Lloyd, Essendon's 2009 captain, suggested that Hird's comments were a change of heart. In the past, Hird had maintained that he had no interest in coaching at all and several days after the rumors began, Hird reaffirmed on Fox Sports that he would not be seeking the coaching position next year.

It seemed that no matter who had taken over from Kevin Sheedy would have suffered from fragmentation and lack of support in the club but despite the intense media frenzy, Matthew Knights was adamant that he would coach Essendon in 2011. This was not to be.

Sources: Essendon Media statement; Channel Nine:SEN sports radio; Channel Seven

Lions Maul Bombers

densham — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:06:40 -0500

Kim Densham reporting for AFANA from Melbourne

It was Jonathan Brown's 200th game of AFL football. Injuries had plagued the Lions' champion for most of the season but today he was fighting fit and raring to go. The Bombers were in a shambles with 14 losses for the season. Coach Matthew Knights was under intense media scrutiny and speculation about his future at Essendon was rife.

This was the backdrop to a critical game for Essendon and the punters know that the Lions always get up for milestone games and this match would be no exception.

Click here for all the match's highlights and milestones.

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2010_photo_essays/round_21_essendon_v_brisbane/14-1232

Magpies Outgun Bombers

densham — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:31:30 -0500

Kim Densham reporting for AFANA in Melbourne

Friday night, in the opening match of the round at the MCG, Essendon got off to a quick start, scoring the first two goals. After that, it was virtually one way traffic. The final margin was a 98 point Magpie demolition of their old foes.

Pictures of the action have been uploaded to the following gallery.

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2010_photo_essays/rd_20_essendon_v_collingwood/14-1149

Bombers Le Crying

densham — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:45:00 -0500

by Kim Densham for AFANA in Melbourne

For all the Round 15 Action Photos click here:

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2010_photo_essays/round_16_essendon_v_west_coast_eagles/14-1057

Last week's dramatic demolition by the Adelaide Crows left Essendon reeling and Bomber coach Matthew Knights under siege. With all quarters weighing into the debate, some fans and media were calling for his head, others for a game plan change. This week was renewal time for the Bomber squad.

Media presenters and fans alike were expecting big things from Essendon. The result was a 32 point drubbing at the hands of League cellar dwellers West Coast, a record breaking 12 goal bag to Eagle full forward Mark LeCras and the lowest Essendon home crowd ever at the stadium.

Bomber fans were stunned into dismal silence for all but the opening few minutes. The demoralized team walked off to jeers and chants of "have some heart Essendon".

Geelong Easy as ABC

densham — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:24:41 -0500

Kim Densham reporting for AFANA from Melbourne

For pictures of all the action go to:

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2010_photo_essays/round_12_essendon_v_geelong/14-933

With both teams coming off interstate travel, the ever hopeful thought Essendon had the slightest chance of winning. However the script went according to form. Despite Bomber speedster Alwyn Davey scoring the first goal of the night in under 30 seconds and raising the Bomber fans hopes, Geelong completely outclassed the Dons, who lacked their trademark pace and seemed to miss David Hille in the ruck as a foil for Paddy Ryder.

A spirited and sometimes heated first half was a close affair with Essendon trailing their more fancied opponents by just five points at one stage. After the half time bounce however, Geelong went on a 12 goal sortie that left the Bombers reeling and the fans with a brutal reality check. During the second half Essendon were able to add just four goals.

On the night though it was the 'Bomber' Thompson show as the former Essendon Captain turned Geelong coach had his team purring. Even with six 2009 Premiership players missing with injury - Cameron Mooney, Tom Hawkins, Matthew Scarlett, Joel Corey, Brad Ottens and Max Rooke - the Geelong football factory has churned out enough replacements, the most notable being new cult star James Podsiadly. The 28 year old rookie kicked five goals as did the enigmatic Travis Varcoe and both proved they are the goods, easily beating their Essendon opponents.

In the end, class prevailed and the 71 point loss left Essendon coach Matthew Knights and the Bombers' brains trust scratching their heads. Geelong's midfield engine room delivered 102 more possessions, twenty more inside 50 entries and accurate goal kicking.

Scoreboard
Essendon 4.3  8.6 10.9  12.11 (83)
Geelong  6.3 11.6 16.11 23.16 (154)

Goals
Essendon: Hurley 4, Davey 3, Stanton 2, Jetta, McVeigh, Zaharakis
Geelong: Podsiadly 5, Varcoe 5, Johnson 4, Bartel 3, Byrnes 3,
         Chapman, Kelly, Stokes

Best
Essendon: Hurley, Davey, Watson, Lovett-Murray
Geelong:  Bartel, Varcoe, Podsiadly, Kelly, Johnson, Selwood, Ablett

West Coast Breaks Drought

janetl — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:58:13 -0500

Janet Linn reporting for AFANA from Subiaco Oval

After a bleak start to the 2010 home and away season, the West Coast Eagles finally broke the drought to defeat a disappointing Essendon side at Subiaco Oval. In a two team town where West Coast has always reigned supreme, the early buzz has been all about the Fremantle Dockers’ brilliant start which has been in marked contrast to some uninspiring performances by West Coast. Finally in Round 4 the Eagles found some winning form and scored their first victory of the season.

Nic Naitanui was on fire from the first bounce down, winning the ruck tap, following up the ball and giving Mark LeCras an easy shot on goal. A free kick gave Naitanui the chance to score West Coast’s second goal and first gamer Ashton Hams earned a goal assist when he passed to Josh Kennedy who capitalized. West Coast were slamming Essendon in the clearances as Naitanui dominated the ruck contests. There were positive signs from veteran Eagles ruckman Dean Cox, busy around the forward line and snapping a goal from the pocket. It was a quarter for the big men with Essendon’s ruckman Patrick Ryder featuring prominently and scoring two goals for the Bombers. Michael Hurley took a terrific mark then goaled to take the lead for the Bombers only to see it snatched away in the final seconds by a clever soccered goal from LeCras in the square. West Coast took a slim four point lead into the quarter time huddle.

It was a Groundhog Day start to the second quarter when Naitanui manufactured a superb run and carry out of the ruck and gave off a handball to Ebert who kicked West Coast’s sixth major. The Bombers fumbled the ball and played a stagnant brand of football. Under the Eagles determined pressure, Essendon turned the ball over 21 times as it rained goals for the home side. Matt Rosa, Ashley Hansen, Andrew Embley, Adam Selwood and LeCras shared the goal scoring glory while the Bombers could only manage a meager four points for the quarter. When the half time siren rang, the Bombers faced a 39 point deficit and looked done for. The only bad news for the West Coast was an injury to Daniel Kerr who pulled a hamstring muscle in the last 30 seconds of the quarter and took no further part in the game.

Essendon played slightly better football in the third quarter, using the center corridor to find a more direct path to goal. However, try as they might, they made no headway on the scoreboard. In a lackluster and low scoring quarter the West Coast managed two goals through LeCras and Mitchell Brown. After remaining goalless for 49 minutes, the Bombers managed a solitary six pointer from ruckman David Hille. Essendon coach Matthew Knights had no shortage of things to talk about during his three quarter time address.

With a commanding 45 point lead at the final break, most expected West Coast to forge ahead for a percentage boosting win. However in all their games so far this year, the Eagles have been outscored in the last quarter and this alarming trend continued. Kyle Reimers, Cal Hooker, David Zaharakis, Hille and Hurley kicked good goals for the Bombers and made the final scoreline more flattering for the visitors. Josh Kennedy produced two goals, both from free kicks, but overall it was a poor quarter of football from the Eagles in front of their home crowd. The final margin was 23 points in favor of West Coast.

In the final analysis, the Eagles produced three quarters of competitive football, the Bombers produced two and that was the difference on the day. Although West Coast would have been happy to win their first game for the year there are still plenty of question marks over their ability to play a high standard of football over four quarters. Nic Naitanui was the big positive playing an exciting brand of football reserved for the true champions of Australian Rules Football.

For Essendon, there was not much joy at all. Winning the last quarter was a step in the right direction and the return of some important players from injury will no doubt help produce better performances. Nevertheless there was something missing from the Bombers in this game. Players did not run as hard as usual and the famous Bomber fight was only evident in glimpses. It is hard to see either of these sides featuring in Finals football in 2010.

Scoreboard
West Coast 5.5 11.8 13.10.15.11 (101)
Essendon   5.1  5.5  6.7  11.12 (78)

Best players
West Coast N Naitanui, M Priddus, M LeCras, D Glass, A Embley
Essendon   D Fletcher, D Hille, D Zaharakis, T Colyer, T Pears

Fremantle Win Impacts Finals

janetl — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:38:30 -0500

Janet Linn reporting for AFANA from Subiaco Oval

After their exciting defeat of top team St Kilda in Round 20, all that stood between Essendon and a guaranteed finish in the Final Eight was a trip west to Subiaco Oval and a win over the Fremantle Dockers. The equation was simple: beat Fremantle and play Finals football. The Dockers came into the match battle-scarred after a 63 point thrashing by bottom team Melbourne. Although many expected Fremantle to bounce back in an effort to redeem their sorry season, the high stakes for Essendon made it hard to imagine the Bombers would let this golden opportunity slip through their fingers.

It was a tight contest in the first quarter but with Patrick Ryder omitted from the team through injury, Essendon was without a genuine ruckman. Aaron Sandilands has been in fantastic touch all year and the Dockers held a clear ascendancy in the clearances. Signs were ominous early that it was the good Fremantle which had come to play. Matthew Pavlich, Des Headland and Nick Suban had plenty of the football and Clancee Pearce and Hayden Ballantyne provided reliable targets up front. For the Bombers, Jobe Watson and Jay Neagle were in good form and Alwyn Davey and Nathan Lovett-Murray looked dangerous. Scores were level at 20 points apiece when Luke McPharlin marked in the forward fifty and kicked a goal on the siren to take Fremantle into the break with a one goal lead.

Essendon struggled to find a target in the forward line in the second quarter and Fremantle started to pull away on the scoreboard. Long goals to Paul Duffield and Kepler Bradley inspired the Dockers and the Bombers looked shell-shocked as the lead spiralled out to 27 points. Essendon players were fumbling and not chasing hard enough particularly in their forward line which Fremantle defenders used continuously as a springboard to attack. The Bombers' style of play was indirect and inefficient and they had no answer to the complete dominance of Sandilands at center bounces and stoppages.

Not only did Fremantle players kick some excellent goals in the third quarter but their skill level, decision-making and speed at the ball were better than those of the Bombers, many of whom were noticeably down on form. Perhaps their nail-biting finish against St Kilda had left them mentally and physically drained, but it was a disappointing performance given what was at stake. At the final break the margin was 49 points and nothing short of a miracle could save the Bombers.

A miracle looked possible when the Bombers scored the opening three goals of the final quarter but their comeback was short-lived. Pavlich showed his brilliance to kick a steadying goal while being tackled and from then on the result was never in doubt. Both teams played hard until the final siren but Fremantle's desperation and desire were far superior to Essendon's all day and they ran out very comfortable 54 point winners.

While the Dockers recovered some of their football mojo with this excellent display of team football, questions must be asked. Why have they not been able to produce this level of commitment more consistently over the course of the season? Why is their winning record so poor away from Subiaco Oval? The positive going forward is the tremendous young talent the club has unearthed, a group of outstanding young footballers who will form the nucleus of the Fremantle team for the next decade.

As for the Bombers, this defeat has turned their Round 22 clash with Hawthorn into a virtual Elimination Final for eighth position on the AFL Ladder. To add even more excitement and anticipation to the mix, the composition of the Top Four will also depend on the outcome of games in Round 22. We are heading into a dream finale to the 2009 AFL home and away season.

Scoreboard
Fremantle 4.2 9.6 15.11 21.15 (141)
Essendon  3.2 5.3  9.8  13.9  (87)

Best
Fremantle M Pavlich, N Suban, A Sandilands, H Ballantyne, L McPharlin
Essendon  H Slattery, N Lovett-Murray, A Davey, A Lovett, R Dyson

Bombers Nose Dive From Eight

janetl — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:57:58 -0500

Janet Linn reporting for AFANA from Subiaco Oval

West Coast Eagles fans have long memories. In 1993 Essendon won a match against the Eagles after the siren and on his triumphant run down the coaches' race, then Bombers' coach Kevin Sheedy showed his elation by waving his jacket helicopter-like over his head. To this day, depending on the outcome of the game, fans continue the tradition. In Round 18, it was West Coast fans whose jackets were flying at full time. The unfancied home team caused an upset by beating Essendon and ejecting them from the Eight, effectively ending their chance of Finals action in September.

While the Essendon team arrived in Perth undermanned with key players Matthew Lloyd, Mark McVeigh, Jason Winderlich and Alwyn Davey ruled out through injury, their flat performance came as a surprise given the high stakes. West Coast started the game looking sharp and full of run. Newcomer Callum Wilson found glory in his first game in Eagles' colors by scoring two goals from his first two kicks in league football. David Wirrpanda's class showed itself when he skimmed a ball off the pack after a bounce and popped it straight through the goalposts to give West Coast a 20 point lead before Essendon made any impact at all on the scoreboard. It wasn't until halfway through the first quarter that Heath Hocking managed a goal for the Bombers but the going was tough. West Coast defenders Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn and Mitchell Brown were on top and repelled the visitors every time they tried to attack. With only four minutes on the clock, Jay Neagle spun around and kicked a good goal for Essendon bringing the margin down to seven points. With the siren about to ring Josh Kennedy kicked to Hurn running free off the interchange bench and Hurn's handball to Ben McKinley resulted in a late goal for West Coast. At the change the Eagles were ahead by only 13 points but the statistics showed they were completely on top of the Bombers.

West Coast continued their good form in the second quarter and increased their lead to 29 points at half time. The Eagles' forward line was in great touch with Mark LeCras, Kennedy and Wirrpanda making the most of their opportunities. Another young Eagle Tom Swift kicked his first goal in AFL and the home crowd was lapping it up. Essendon tried hard with goals to Brent Prismall and Kyle Reimers but they looked underdone and had no answer to West Coast's determination.

During the half time break Essendon coach Matthew Knights no doubt spelled out his requirements loud and clear and the Bombers played with more intensity in the early part of the third quarter. Jobe Watson was busy as the Bombers dominated the forward fifty entries and narrowed the deficit to 20 points. Suddenly the momentum changed as the Eagles ignited and McKinley and LeCras kicked two goals in a minute. The Bombers rebounded through Neagle and Patrick Ryder to get back to within 19 points. Yet again West Coast had the answers, finishing the quarter with some classy teamwork from Kennedy and McKinley for a steadying goal.

Fans were treated to a close tussle in the final quarter as Essendon tried to break the Eagles stranglehold on the game. Reimers led the way with an inspiring run from the half back line, several bounces and a long goal. Courtenay Dempsey followed suit minutes later and the game threatened to turn Essendon's way. Hard finishing has not been a feature of the West Coast game this season and in recent weeks there has been intense media scrutiny on "tanking", the phenomenon of lowly placed teams deliberately trying not to win to ensure themselves a priority pick in the AFL draft. A loss in this game would have helped the Eagles stay below the four wins ceiling to achieve that priority pick and with Essendon challenging hard the opportunity to tank certainly presented itself. If tanking exists, the West Coast players and coaches were clearly not interested in taking advantage of it. When LeCras, McKinley and Swift slotted through a goal apiece to seal the game, a priority pick was the last thing on for the mind of West Coast players and fans. Subiaco Oval erupted in a sea of flying Eagles jackets and the Bombers were left to contemplate their prospects of making the Finals from outside the Eight. With their last four games against Brisbane, St Kilda, Fremantle and Hawthorn, Essendon have their backs against the wall and disappointment looks inevitable.


Scoreboard
West Coast 4.2 8.6 11.7 14.11 (95)
Essendon   2.1 4.1  7.6 10.8  (68)

Best
West Coast M LeCras, A Selwood, J Kennedy, Q Lynch, M Priddis, B McKinley
Essendon   K Reimers, A McPhee, A Lovett, T Pears, B Prismall, J Watson

Bombers Blast Hawks

rickb — Sun, 10 May 2009 06:21:01 -0500

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Perth

Twenty-five years of rivalry came to a head Friday night at Etihad Stadium. A pro-Hawthorn crowd of 50,000 was looking forward to an easy win over the Bombers, and tipsters from all around Australia were licking their lips at the odds.

As expected, the first quarter was played in Hawthorn's forward line. Stuart Dew kicked the first Hawthorn goal as Essendon looked on with trepidation. Jay Neagle countered to produce Essendon's first goal and the game turned around when Nathan Lovett-Murray kicked their second. Hawthorn began to feel the heat and looked shaky in their goal kicking as their confidence waned. The Hawks were punished for their inefficiency in front of goal and when Matthew Lloyd kicked truly after the first quarter siren, Essendon found themselves with a handy twelve point lead at the break.

With eight behinds and only one goal to Hawthorn, the game could have been all over early in the piece. However the Hawks rebounded and kicked the first three goals in the second quarter to win back the lead. To the Bombers' credit, they didn't panic and kicked the next three goals in a row to reassert their authority on the game. It was an exciting quarter with both teams committed to the contest and neither giving an inch of ground. Some tough tackling by Buddy Franklin on Bachar Houli saw him rewarded with a goal late in the half. After a close and tight contest, the Hawks were up by a point at the major break.

At half time, many spectators thought that the Bombers had produced their best and that their intensity and determination would drop off as the game progressed. Most tipsters would have echoed those thoughts and predicted a second half dominated by the reigning Premiers. No-one told the Bombers however, and when the third quarter got under way, they scored the first two goals to fire up the team and their fans. It was goal for goal for most of the term, until an inspired burst saw Essendon kick four of the last five goals to take a 17 point lead into the final break. All watching had the feeling that the Bombers were in the mood to take it up to the champions in the fourth quarter.

Leading from the front, Essendon Captain Matthew Lloyd continued to present a consistent forward target for his midfielders. His spectacular overhead marking was inspirational and when he kicked the first goal of the last quarter, the writing was on the wall for the biggest upset of the round. Franklin kept the Hawks in the game with four goals for the match, but it was not enough in the end and Essendon ran out easy 44 point winners.

The backbone provided by the Bombers' ferocious midfielders was what produced the confidence needed to get up and beat last year's Premiers. The dilemma for Essendon coach Matthew Knights is how to keep up the momentum provided by this outstanding performance for the rest of the season. Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson faces some challenges of his own with a team that looked brittle and was clearly rattled by the defensive pressure of a less talented but more determined Bombers outfit.

The Hawks are on the road in Round 8, traveling to Subiaco Oval to face an in-form Fremantle who are on a high after three wins in a row. The Hawks face the formidable task of playing the Dockers in front of a home crowd which usually lifts them to the next level of performance.

Forlorn tipsters will be resigning in droves after the first seven rounds have produced one of the most unpredictable starts to an AFL season in years.

Scoreboard:
Essendon 4.2 6.7 12.10 17.14 (116)
Hawthorn 1.8 6.8  9.11 10.12 (72)

Best Players:
Essendon A Monfries, M Lloyd, B Stanton, J Watson, A Lovett
Hawthorn L Franklin, C Rioli, J Roughead, S Mitchell