Category Archives: Written

07.08.15
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#StandByHerd

Essendon fans who continue to support James Hird (seen on Social Media through the #StandbyHird) are doing their club a disservice. Worse than that they’re so far in that they can’t get out.

We know Essendon have done some immoral things. We’re fairly sure they’ve done some illegal things. Once WADA have finished with them the club will be a shadow of the powerhouse it was at the start of the last decade.JamesHird

So why do fans continue to #StandbyHird ? I don’t know. I don’t know an Essendon fan who still wants him involved with the club. I don’t know why the board think he is the right man for the job and most importantly I don’t know why it’s so obvious that he is not a talented coach.

Hird was a wonderful player and that is probably why he still has a job . As far as the eye can see it appears to be the reason he has the support of a select group of Essendon fans. He was god on the field, he’s god off it (apparently) and they’re following him like sheep – killing their club in the process.

The refusal of fans to move on from the Hird era gives the club validation over the way the treat him. When fans tell clubs they are doing something right there is no reason for them to change. An executive at a big four franchise recently told me “if four out of five people like something, it stays”. The odds of four out of five fans wanting Hird in a job are astronomically low, but those with the weirdest thoughts often make the loudest noise.

Brisbane fans got sick of Michael Voss (a man who without argument had as big an impact at his club as Hird did at Essendon), so why are some fans clinging to Hird like he is the last sign of life on a deserted island? They want to be proven right.

The opportunity to stand up when this ends and say “I never lost faith in James, he’s guided us through the storm and everything is perfect” is too good to pass up. Newsflash – Even if he does survive to the end of the tunnel Essendon are not okay. They’re not going to be okay for a long time. Why support someone who decided long ago that his personal interests were more important than the history of a once proud club? Are those fans scared they’re going to be judged for changing their tune at a time when their club needs them more than ever? The longer you #StandbyHird , the worse you are making things for the club. You can’t move forward when you’re stuck in the past.

Still not convinced? Hird said the players stopped playing against St. Kilda (something which was obvious to everyone), on a day when they should have been celebrating a milestone achievement for a bloke who has put up with more than his share of rubbish this decade. If the players aren’t playing for him then what are you telling yourself as you go to sleep at night that makes you think he’s still the messiah?

 

 

06.24.15
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Kicking is key for clipped Seagulls

The Williamstown Seagulls sit third on the VFL ladder after ten weeks, with six wins, three losses and a bye. The side is set up well for a sixth straight preliminary finals appearance and a first flag since 2003. Despite this their work in front of goal could be of concern at the business end of the season.

The Seagulls were thoroughly outplayed by the Box Hill Hawks on Sunday afternoon and will be looking to bounce back when they travel to Punt Road at lunchtime on Saturday.IMG_1591

When examining the statistics from the 62-point loss on Sunday afternoon there are three things that stand out.

  • Box Hill had 79 more marks than Williamstown.
  • Williamstown had six more inside 50’s than Box Hill [57-51] however 49 of the 51 entries for Box Hill came on the rebound.
  • Despite only having seven more scoring shots Box Hill kicked 19.8 to their opponents 8.12.

It is the accuracy in front of goals which could cost the Seagulls as the season goes on. Sunday afternoon was the sixth time in their nine games this season when they Seagulls have kicked more behinds than goals. Through their first nine games of the season the Seagulls have a cumulative score of 120.139 (859). That’s the fourth highest scoring total in the VFL this year behind Box Hill, Port Melbourne and Essendon. So how can the Seagulls improve their accuracy to kick a competitive score every week?

It comes down to confidence. The volume of behinds scored it clearly more than Andy Collins would want, and as with the twelve behinds on Sunday, a lot of them have been rushed.

Through the first six weeks of the season the biggest joy in watching the Seagulls was the fluidity they showed when using the corridor and moving the ball into their forward 50. In the last month it appears the level of confidence has dropped, with entries into the forward 50 often resulting in trying to find an easier target rather than having a shot for goal.

Is shooting for goal on every forward entry the answer? No, it isn’t. For me it is about weighing up the options. While the shot from closer to goal likely to be a higher percentage shot than a shot from distance, the chances of a mark may not be as high, which can lead to turnovers.

The Seagulls have scored 14 or more goals on five occasions this season, with the last occasion being the home clash against Coburg in late May. Since then the Seagulls have scored 11 (against Geelong), 9 (against Footscray) and 8 (against Box Hill). In a further show of their dominance, the Seagulls had 7 more scoring shots against Geelong and 19 more in their game against Footscray.

What does this tell us? Williamstown are one of the most potent attacking teams in the VFL and they have generated more scoring opportunities than their opponent every week this year with the exception of last Sunday, the opening round against the Northern Blues (a one point victory) and their local derby against Werribee (a two point loss).

The Seagulls have the results on the board. Those results show that they are statistically and performance wise one of the best teams in the league across the last few years. Facing the struggling Richmond Tigers on Saturday could be perfect timing for a group who are looking to get their confidence back, with the Tigers reeling after their last quarter collapse against Footscray last weekend.

06.10.15
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Four Points – Footscray Bulldogs

A frequently windy and for a brief moment wet Sunday afternoon spent at Whitten Oval saw Williamstown Seagulls fans rewarded as their team ran out 39 point winners over the reigning premiers, the Footscray Bulldogs.

1. Cam Lockwood – For the second time in three games a Seagull has used their milestone to help their side to a crucial victory. Vice-Captain Cam Lockwood was appearing in his 100th VFL game and did not disappoint. Two goals, sixteen disposals and two tackles saw him among the best on ground. His run from the backline was key as the Seagulls negated Footscray’s opportunity to kick a strong score with the wind.IMG_1500

2. Lock it in, Eddie – The game was won and lost in the forward 50 at the Geelong Road end. With winds reaching 40km/ph at points, the team who made use of it was always going to come out on top. Williamstown locked the ball in the forward 50 when they had the wind, while Footscray allowed the Seagulls to break into the midfield, depleting the Bulldogs scoring options in the process. The Seagulls kicked 8.19 (67) to the Bulldogs 2.7 (19) at the Geelong Road end, a statistic which defined the most anticipated game of the round.

3. Opportunities are what you make them – 9.22 doesn’t look great, but any time you have 31 scoring shots you’re going to be tough to beat. More than that the Seagulls were beaten in all of the main stat categories besides Inside 50’s and scoring shots. So how did they more than double the score of their opponents? Effective possessions. The amount of junk kicks or handballs on Sunday were so small I could count them on both hands. When the Seagulls had the ball they knew where they needed to put it, put it in position and the results spoke for themselves.

4. Rest up – The Seagulls have the bye next weekend and head in at the top of the ladder, a position which they will hold if Collingwood can beat Werribee at Victoria Park. Coming out of the bye the Seagulls face Box Hill at home, Richmond away, Essendon at home and Frankston at home. While it may not be the toughest draw the Seagulls could have, they will face challenges in each of the games and will need to win at least three of the four fixtures to keep their top two hopes alive.

06.05.15
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Failure at Fenway?

The Red Sox can win the World Series in 2015. Even though they are less than half a dozen games out of place with over one hundred games remaining the fact of the matter is that probably isn’t going to happen.

But it’s not going to happen for 28 other franchises either. What makes Red Sox fans so special they think the whole team should be blown up and everything is worse than it has ever been? Nothing. It’s all about perspective.

If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. My favourite saying and something that should be being blasted through the Red Sox clubhouse.

Five years away from Fenway is too long

Five years away from Fenway is too long

Obviously 24-31 isn’t where you want to be after 55 games but that’s not the end of the world. Baseball is a sport which is built around streaks. The bats will be hot, the arms will be hot and if we’re lucky we’ll see them both at the same time.

Fans refusing to spend money on the team or watch until they get better doesn’t solve anything. In fact all it does is create an image for the fan base (newsflash: we’re already unpopular). Do people think the players enjoy losing, or that they aren’t trying on purpose? No. That’s sport, there’s always going to be a loser. If fans don’t like that then there are plenty of other hobbies to take up.

Sure, I’m frustrated. I’m not frustrated because we’re 24-31 though. I’m frustrated because the expectation is there that we are going to go 162-0, everything is perfect and Ortiz will be the next President of the United States. In what universe is that possible? (Ortiz for President shouldn’t be ruled out at this point).

Do we need to pull out the failure stamp for 2015, fire Farrell and release Sandoval because he’s defensively weak (something our owners knew when they signed him)? No, we don’t. If you want Farrell fired feel free to tell me who he should be replaced with, because there aren’t many people better than Farrell who currently don’t have a job .

My perspective is warped. It’s five years next Friday since I’ve been to a game at Fenway. That’s frustrating too. Fans who all of a sudden don’t want to go and take living near the Sox for granted? They frustrate me. Embrace what you have, there are thousands of international fans who would take your place in a heartbeat.

I love it when my teams are good. Part of the reason I love it is because it doesn’t happen very often, and if it wasn’t for the Sox then my success rate would be worse than it already is. Even when the Red Sox are bad I love them.  There’s something magical about watching them whether they win or lose. Eight championships in 114 years (all of which have come in bunches) suggest that we’re a run of the mill franchise. When you’re hit or miss over 100+ years, you’ll have hit or miss seasons. 2015 at this point will probably turn into a miss, but don’t ink it in yet. Keep the faith.

Why? Because the rest of the A.L East are average too. If this roster can perform to their capabilities for the second half of the season we are going to be in the mix when it matters, and as the Kansas City Royals showed us last year, anything is possible.

06.03.15
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Four Points – Geelong Cats

The Williamstown Seagulls won their second straight game on Saturday, deafeating the Geelong Cats. The win sees the Towners return to the top of the VFL standings in the process.

1. Momentum – It’s not long ago that the Seagulls couldn’t find themselves on the right end of a two-point game to save themselves. After getting back on the winners list against Coburg, the momentum from that victory played a large part of the success on Saturday afternoon. The Seagulls were in front at every change after the first quarter, and the lessons learned in the close losses against Port Melbourne and Werribee shone through as the side hung on for their most memorable win of the season to date.IMG_1430

2. Tackling pressure – The Seagulls won the tackle count 82-78 but made their biggest contribution in the third quarter where they laid 15 more tackles than the Cats (24-9). This pressure resulted in eight scoring opportunities for the Seagulls, opposed to the five scoring shots had by the Cats. If it wasn’t for the impact of a swirling breeze the visitors would have made greater use of their dominance than the 4.4.(28) they kicked.

3. Loose ball gets – Geelong outmarked Williamstown 76-53 on the day, a stat which in a lot of games would be enough to swing the result. The Seagulls dominated when it came to putting their head over the loose ball and their toughness was rewarded. Jolley, Gallucci, Meese and first gamer Ash Di Ciero all demonstrated a nose for the loose ball, a certain key to victory.

4. Calm in the clutch – After the loss to Port Melbourne I was sitting on the train home, sharing my frustration with a Port Melbourne supporter. Our moods were obviously polar opposites, but in the process of both presenting our cases he said something which will forever stick with me about the loss. At the final change the message from Gary Ayres was to keep the ball as close to the boundary line as they could. On Saturday afternoon what I witnessed in the last quarter from the Seagulls was the same as what I saw from Port Melbourne three weeks prior. With the margin under a goal with minutes remaining (as it had been for the majority of the day) the Seagulls made sure they kept numbers behind the ball and kept the ball near the boundary line. By no means was it the first option, but it was an option if the side thought they were in danger. On reflection, Geelong weren’t given a chance to win it in the last five minutes despite the ball being in their attacking half. Calmness persevered, with four points the ultimate reward.

05.29.15
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Four points – Coburg Lions

The Seagulls are back in the winners circle after a 78-point victory over the Coburg Lions on Sunday afternoon.

1. #Jolley200 – Oh Captain, My Captain. Thirty touches, two goals, seven tackles four marks and a hit out. Between those stats, the guard of honour at the start of the game and being chaired off after full time it’s safe to say that nobody associated with the club is going to forget this game.IMG_1396

2. Batten down the hatches – The Lions jumped to the lead early, but from there it was all Seagulls. Williamstown restricted the visitors to five behinds in the second and third quarters, a period where they scored 8.13(61). A four goal quarter from the visitors in the last wasn’t enough to make a dent, with the home side responding with six of their own.

3. Possession – It’s hard to score without the ball, and there isn’t a soul at Coburg that didn’t experience that on the weekend. The Seagulls had 95 more possessions, ten more marks,21 more inside 50s and 23 more scoring shots. Any side who can produce that is going to come away with the win.

4. Seagulls expose Ex-AFL player – Cale Morton had an awful day on Sunday. He may have touched the ball 15 times, but he looked disinterested at best. He didn’t follow his man all afternoon (Sam Dunell, who kicked 4.1), never made space when Lions were trying to clear the ball, and worst of all had times where he wasn’t even paying attention to the play. Sadly for the Ex-Demon and Eagle it is a sad reflection of a career that never got started.

05.25.15
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An open letter to Sam Allardyce

Dear Sam,

I make no apologies for the blunt tones in this letter. After all you are familiar with beating people over the head with information, aren’t you? I say this because that’s what you’ve spent the last four years doing at West Ham. All you ever did was tell us how you were too good for us, but what did you do to show us how good you were? Yes, we were promoted at the first time of asking in the Playoff Final in 2012, but I don’t for a second think that was because of you.West_Ham_United_FC.svg

We had one of, if not the best squad in the Championship, and the fact we were not promoted automatically is slightly embarrassing. We’re secure in the Premier League for the third straight season, but for the third straight season your lack of interest nearly brought my club to it’s knees.

I will make one thing clear – From the day you were hired I wanted you sacked. Today is a very happy day for me as a result. I see fans on Social Media and message boards saying we should remember the good times and the joy you gave us – beating Spurs three times in a season and knocking off Liverpool and Man City at Upton Park this season. I will always take pride in those results but they weren’t because of you either. They were because of the heart on the pitch. What we got because of you was you going into your shell on Boxing Day (when we were in the Top 4) and never coming out. If it wasn’t for Teddy Sheringham’s coaching role I have no doubt we’d be visiting Preston next season. But that wasn’t new for you was it? If it wasn’t for a string February in 2014 we wouldn’t have faced Liverpool or Man City this season.

That’s where your problem is Sam. You want us to love you when you were interested in doing your job for about ten percent of the season. Well I’m not buying it. Your football is boring, your team selection is awful, you are tactically inept and any time we tried to tell you, you put your head in the sand. As for your managerial ambitions you are surely having a laugh?

You say you have more ambition than West Ham, you say you want to manage Manchester United or England. Please. I wouldn’t trust you to have a conversation with my six-year-old nephew about the game , much less coach him.

We were, are and always will be The Academy of Football. We’re fluent, we’re fun and while we may not always get the results the supports can’t wait for matchday.

You nearly killed that this season. From March I couldn’t wait for the season to end, and I know I wasn’t alone. We weren’t going to win because you didn’t want to pick a team that was going to get results, you wanted to hoof and hope.

We’ve signed some great players in the last few years but when I look back on your time with us I wonder why anybody in their right mind would want to work with you.

In the past few months you’ve been linked with Fulham and Nigeria. Please don’t do it Sam. Not only because you don’t deserve a chance to redeem yourself from your “efforts” of the past four years, but because fans of the Nigerian national team and Fulham Football Club deserve a glimmer of hope. If you’re the answer then I’ll start looking for the world’s stupidest question.

Fortune’s always hiding , I’ve looked everywhere.

I got my fortune today. You lost something you never deserved to have in the first place.

Good riddance and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Regards,

Xavier.

 

 

 

05.20.15
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Two games, Two rivals, Two points

The last two weeks have been dominated by the number two for the Williamstown Football Club.

Sport is a game of inches. It always has been and it always will be. To think that the Seagulls are one straight kick from being undefeated and two games clear on the ladder must be much more frustrating for the players than it is the fans.

The stats don’t do the last two weeks justice, if they did the Seagulls would have beaten Port by 3-4 goals and lost to Werribee by roughly the same amount.IMG_1349

What the last fortnight has done is prove two big points that will shape the 2015 VFL season:

The Seagulls are going to be a chance to win until the siren sounds – Williamstown had multiple chances to win games in the closing stages of the last two weeks. Even when the side were three goals down against the Tigers with ten minutes to go they fought back. If it wasn’t for the home side returning fire, it’s probable the Seagulls would have come over the top for their 14th straight victory against their neighbours. Even when Werribee tacked on a behind to lead by two in the 34th minute the Seagulls tried to push forward. While time expired before they could land a killer blow, the Seagulls showed a tenacity which will make them a huge threat at the business end of the season.

Percentage will be vital – Call me prone to hyperbole, but if you don’t have a good percentage in the Victorian Football League in 2015, you are in for a bumpy ride. As it stands the Seagulls have the best percentage in the league. Also as it stands there is only a game between second and second last. “But Xavier, the season is only a month old”. You’re right, the season is young, but teams are beating each other, so how do you get ahead? When you win, you win big. The biggest positive to come from the two losses for the Seagulls is that they have been by a combined four points, which doesn’t do much damage to the percentage column. Five teams have three wins (with Box Hill and Port Melbourne having a game in hand), while eight teams have two (Coburg, Geelong and Footscray having a game in hand). If the trend of everyone beating everyone continues it wouldn’t surprise me to see a ladder where first and ninth are separated by no more than three games and percentage. If this were the case it would be the closest season since 2000, the same year the league expanded to an eight-team finals system, where first and ninth were separated by just fourteen points.

The Seagulls return home on Sunday to face the Coburg Lions. The Lions are coming off a five goal loss to Essendon and will be keen to re-enter the winners circle. With the Seagulls having lost just seven games at home since the start of 2012 it is shaping to be a thrilling clash.

05.13.15
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Plenty of positives despite Seagulls first loss

The Williamstown Seagulls fell to Port Melbourne on Sunday by two points. Despite the loss to their biggest rival, all is not lost.

After the first month of VFL action the Seagulls top the ladder on percentage and will go a game clear with a victory over local rivals Werribee on Sunday afternoon.

Sam Critchley had two crucial goals on Sunday

Sam Critchley had two crucial goals on Sunday

Let’s not mistake Port Melbourne for something they aren’t. They are one of the best sides in the competition and they showed that when it counted on Sunday afternoon.

The home side were unable to capitalise on the howling breeze in the 4th quarter, kicking just 2.5, while Port kicked three straight goals to hang on for the victory, but for the Borough it was more than kicking that got them across the line.

Gary Ayers, coaching in his 150th game pulled no punches at the final change telling his side that to secure victory they needed to find the boundary frequently in the final quarter. They did, coming away with four points as a result.

Outside of sitting atop the standings how can this loss be spun as a positive for the Seagulls?

  • Sam Dunell finding his feet – A four goal afternoon with three coming in the second quarter is further evidence that Dunell is fitting in nicely with his new side. He’s also been vocal in the quarter time and three quarter time huddles, showing his leadership capabilities.
  • Clearance struggles – Sixteen behinds doesn’t make for great reading. Port Melbourne struggling to get the ball out of their defensive 50 from the majority of kick-ins does. The technique employed by Andy Collins is simple, spoil and spoil often. This leads to repeated score opportunities which will inevitably win games.
  • Possession – Eight players with more than 15 touches – Ben Jolley with his fourth 20+ possession game of the season.
  • Effective entries – 46 inside 50s (30 for scoring shots) compared to 55 inside 50s for Port (22 for scoring shots).
  • Fueling the fire – There is nothing worse than taking on a team who are coming off an agonising loss (See Melbourne and Sydney from last Saturday night). Seagulls fans get a trip to Werribee this weekend, a club with whom there is a spiteful history, with a merger threat in the mid 1990’s bringing the rivalry to boiling point. The Tigers should be wary of what they are going to face this week.
05.05.15
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Four Points – North Ballarat Roosters

Williamstown held on to their spot at the top of the VFL standings with a convincing 81-point victory over the North Ballarat Roosters on Saturday.

1. Defensive pressure – The Roosters had 14 scoring shots for the day and would have fallen 23 points short of the Seagulls should the visitors have remained scoreless in the second half. The pressure from the Seagulls was highlighted by their willingness to lay tackles when the Roosters had the ball in their attacking 50. This lead to numerous turnovers, which lead to scoring opportunities at the other end.

North Ballarat is a beautiful setting for footy

North Ballarat is a beautiful setting for footy

2. Collins’ sixth sense – The 1/4 time and 3/4 time huddles offer great insight into what you can expect to see when the sides take the field again. I was at the North Ballarat huddle at the first change and the message was clear from Roosters coach Gerard Fitzgerald – “Don’t use the far side of the ground because it is wasting space. If they use it in the second quarter hang back 15-20 metres”. The message from Collins must have stated the direct opposite as the second quarter saw the visitors utilise the space they were given on the far side of the field. This helped the Seagulls set up a commanding lead in the process as they kicked 7.6 (48) to 0.1 (1) in the second quarter.

3. Going up the guts – Success at home comes from using the wings, but success came in Ballarat through going through the corridor.  The speed of Anastasio, Jolley, Clouston and Dunell was on show all day as they transitioned through the centre of the midfield, making their respective opponents look two steps slower in the process. This speed helped open a flood of options in the forward 50, which inevitably lead to 36 scoring shots throughout the afternoon.

4. The best away day in the league – This isn’t a point that helped in the victory, but certainly something that should be talked about. With Bendigo out of the league, the trip to Ballarat is the most authentic road trip of the season for visiting fans. For the second straight season I jumped on the bus, and for the second straight year was treated to a great day out. Bistro food and high-class football from the Seagulls at a stadium which offers great vantage points for fans is a great showing for why every VFL fan should experience a game in Ballarat. I know when the 2016 fixture comes out this will be the first away game in my calendar.