Leaked Whiteboard Exposes Essendon Players’ Details
A whiteboard containing detailed analysis of Essendon players has been leaked from the Brisbane Lions’ training facility, sparking controversy and discussion within the football community. The board reportedly lists each player’s strengths and weaknesses, with some players being labeled in a less-than-pleasant manner.
Among the players mentioned are Zach Merrett and Kyle Langford, who were described as “selfish,” while Ben McKay was noted as having “low confidence.” Sam Durham was labeled a “hot head.” Additionally, the whiteboard references the girlfriend of one of the Essendon players as his “strength.” However, Wide World of Sports has chosen not to identify the specific player involved.
The photos of the whiteboard were uploaded to an Essendon Supporters Group private Facebook page on Friday. The person who posted the images claimed that their child was at the Brighton Arena training facility for AusKick when they (the parent) stumbled upon the whiteboard. The venue is regularly used by community members throughout the week.
Brisbane personnel were not present at the facility at the time because the club was in Victoria to face the Bombers. The post has since been deleted, but the Lions have confirmed that the images are real. The whiteboard was clearly never intended for public view.
According to 3AW’s Jacqui Reed, it is believed that a photo was taken through a window, and the incident is being described as a “huge breach.” The Herald Sun reported that the critical descriptions of each player were written by Brisbane players as part of their opposition analysis.
The whiteboard includes various notes about different players. For instance, midfielder Elijah Tsatas is labeled as “fumbly,” while defender Saad El-Hawli’s “defensive accountability” is questioned. Xavier Duursma’s “decision making” is also called into question. On the other hand, first-year defender Jacob Farrow is noted as “composed” and has good kicking skills. Lachie Blakiston is said to be able to “jump,” and Merrett is praised for his “presence” and good kicking ability with license to use it.
The two teams played on Saturday afternoon, with Brisbane winning comfortably. Lions forward Cam Rayner dismissed the criticism of the Essendon players as anything serious, stating that every club would do something similar internally.
“I’m pretty sure all 18 teams have a whiteboard on their opposition. I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary,” Rayner told 3AW.
“It’s obviously a bit disappointing and the person that did it obviously had his son there doing AusKick, which is disappointing for him.
“It is what it is. It’s footy. Every club does it. It’s unfortunate it came out.”
Essendon forward Nate Caddy denied knowledge of the whiteboard leak when asked post-game. Former Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews believes the club would be “mortified” by this leak.
“It’s not unusual. It’s just embarrassing that it has seen the light of day,” Matthews told 3AW.
“You would be mortified. This is something we’re talking about that’s not meant for public consumption.”
Former Carlton captain Sam Docherty added: “This would not be a laughing matter internally (at Brisbane).”
