Round 19 – Essendon v Adelaide: The Return Of The Same Olds

 

Readers will recall the Essendon Football Club’s ill-fated re-branding effort before the 2013 season. ‘Whatever It Takes’ probably seemed like a great concept when the marketing geniuses wrote it up on the butcher’s paper in  the concept lab. They’d say it wasn’t their fault that the football department mistook an advertising tagline for a mission statement. (I’d say that understates the power of the marketing department in the modern AFL club.)

 

Wikipedia tells us that late in the 19th century this storied club

… became known by the nickname ‘the Same Old Essendon’ from the title and hook of the principal song performed by a band of supporters which regularly occupied a section of the grandstand at the club’s games.

 

The nickname gained wide use, often as the diminutive, ‘Same Olds’. That appellation was abandoned about a century ago, but recent events have me thinking that the old-timers were on to something, brand-wise.

 

I’ve followed the Bombers since I moved to Melbourne about 45 years go. The last two weeks have been among my most depressing football-watching experiences, as the boys followed a good win over the Pies with limp capitulations to Melbourne by 17 points and, last night, Adelaide by 2 points.

 

The team appears to be treading a well-worn path. Last night’s run of 8 second quarter goals by Adelaide included a couple of ‘coast to coast’ sweeps. I could have sworn I was watching the Matthew Knights team of dismal legend.

 

Here’s an idea for the marketing department that still appears to run the club: bring back the ‘Same Olds’ brand! At least it would resonate. I’m a trade mark lawyer by day and I’d be happy to help. The IP Australia trade marks database shows that there’s never been an application to register ‘Same Olds’ as a trade mark! (By contrast there are twenty entries for ‘Whatever It Takes’, including a registration for ‘Advisory services relating to the law’ in class 45 owned by a law firm!).

 

Last night’s fight-back against the Adelaide Crows was creditable, but the failure to close out the game when three goals up was unforgivable. Dunderheaded defensive efforts matched those that gifted last week’s game to a superbly coached but under-strength Melbourne outfit.

 

For me, the worst part of last night was watching Brad Scott’s post-game press conference, which was nearly as bad as the team’s performance during the game. It’s a given that these are tedious marketing events, but he was petulant and defensive and didn’t even attempt to justify how, after two years of his tenure which has delivered rivers of BS about ‘processes’ and ‘structures’ a soft team still gives up multiple chains of goals to middling opposition.

 

The AFL website summarised his message thus: ‘“..it was poor execution rather than system or structure”, Scott said’.

 

To which I say, Napoleon probably ran a similar line after Waterloo. It’s always been clear that Geelong got the Scott twin with the looks; could it be that they also got the one with the brains?

 

Ben Rutten must be enjoying himself. I don’t think he has Lutheran lineage like some South Australians (including recent relocaters who’d rather be at lunch). Even if Truck doesn’t speak German, he will know what ‘schadenfreude’ feels like.

 

 

ESSENDON      3.2    7.5      15.8     17.11 (113)
ADELAIDE       2.3    11.4    13.10    17.13 (115)

 

GOALS
Essendon: Cox 3, Jones 2, Caddy 2, Langford 2, Gresham 2, Durham, Stringer, Draper, Caldwell, Merrett, Redman
Adelaide: Keays 5, Fogarty 4, Rachele 3, Thilthorpe 2, Dowling, Taylor, Berry

 

BEST 
Essendon: Redman, Merrett, Durham, Langford, McKay, Cox
Adelaide: Keays, Laird, Fogarty, Hinge, Soligo

 

INJURIES 
Essendon: Caldwell (head knock)
Adelaide: Murray (left knee), Butts (left foot), Dawson (head knock)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Archie Perkins (replaced Jye Caldwell in the fourth quarter)
Adelaide: Brayden Cook (replaced Nick Murray at quarter-time)

 

Crowd: 36,020 at Marvel Stadium

 

 

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