Bombers choose one direction in coaching

ESSENDON has conceded there were fundamental coaching differences between John Worsfold and Ben Rutten this year.

A review into the club’s football operations led by president Paul Brasher found there were “conflicting philosophies” between the pair in 2020.

Essendon slumped to 13th in Worsfold’s final season — winning only one of its last 10 games — with Rutten to take charge in his own right next year.

Revealing details of the club’s “road map” to climb the ladder, Brasher admitted Worsfold’s player “empowerment/ own your own career” philosophy had contrasted starkly with Rutten’s “uncompromising demands on standards and accountabilities”.

And in a win for Rutten, the review determined that the more “ruthless” mantra was better suited to Essendon’s current playing group.

“It is clear the empowerment approach [ pushed by Worsfold] didn’t work well with this group in this environment,” Brasher said in his report.

“Going forward, everybody, not just the players, but everybody in the entire club, will be in no doubt about the standards required and will be held accountable to meeting those standards.

“Our players will be pushed hard in training, they want to have high expectations placed upon them and they want to receive strong, honest and constructive feedback on performance.”

The Bombers have vowed to dramatically overhaul the club’s football operations as a result of Brasher’s “brutally honest” probe, including the appointment of a new general manager of football to replace the axed Dan Richardson.

Brasher conducted more than 40 interviews with players, coaches and staff in conjunction with club directors Simon Madden, Sean Wellman and Kevin Sheedy.

He said his review had identified four “main themes” for improvement: “brand, identity and a winning culture”, “standards and accountability”, “honesty and connection”, and “player leadership and development”.

“We need to be clearer on what the Essendon brand stands for,” he said.

“Critically, there will be no ambiguity about the fact that our overriding objective is winning — winning games, winning finals, and particularly winning premierships.

“I know that sounds like we are stating the obvious, but sometimes the obvious needs to be taped to our wrists so that none of us ever lose sight of that.

“We must be clear on how we play and what we stand for.”