Loss leaves Knights hollow but proud

ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights says Friday night’s brave five-point loss to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium has left him feeling both hollow and proud.
 
Knights said the Bombers’ best effort for many weeks probably started at half-time in last week’s loss to Richmond, when he told his players a few “home truths”.
 
“(Tonight) you just had two footy sides going at it and I didn’t think we took a backward step all night,” Knights said. “Right to the last 30 seconds we were still resourceful and still trying to win the game.
 
“It (the loss) leaves a hollow feeling, not only for myself but our players.
 
“(But) you can be proud of efforts.
 
“We played our roles, we stuck to them. You look at young Monfries on McLeod, you look at David Myers and Bachar Houli and Sam Lonergan playing against guys like Scott Thompson, Tyson Edwards and Simon Goodwin. We saw some of our young players evolve tonight.
 
“But it’s only one week. Now we have to back it up against Hawthorn next week and show we can do it two weeks in a row. And until you do that you probably don’t earn much respect. We’ve come a small margin tonight, but we’ve got to back it up.”
 
Knights credited his side’s pressure with creating Adelaide’s inaccuracy, the home side scoring a wayward 9.20.
 
“I thought our pressure on Adelaide was fantastic,” Knights said. “Some of our tackling and our pressure to (make them) have wide shots was significant.
 
“We didn’t concede too many easy goals tonight, which was a pleasing aspect, because I think we have been conceding some easy goals previously.”
 
As for the battering his club has taken in the media in the last few weeks, Knights said it could be the making of some of his young players.
 
“We’ve got a lot of faith in our young talent. It’s now my job to develop them, to challenge them, to bring them through together. So when we get a tilt at it down the track we’re ready to go. That’s my responsibility.
 
“You’ve got to be steely in this game. Maybe what they’ve been through in the last four to six weeks will be the making of some of these young men.
 
“I saw Bachar Houli come out the other side tonight. I saw David Myers, and Kyle Reimers and Angus Monfries they started to come out the other side.
 
“I won’t waver. I won’t concern myself with what’s said and what’s written. No matter what barbs are thrown, no matter what bombs are thrown.”