View Full Version : Essendon v Western Bulldogs
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 10:29
Post your thoughts on the game here.
I'm thinking that we will try to stretch their backline as much as possible with Lloyd, Lucas, Johns and Laycock/Hille. With those three or four, we'd win if our midfield got about half of the clearances, as WB don't have the key defenders to man up on all of them.
McPhee will play on Brad Johnson, although Welsh would be a better match up. Slats will get the job on one of the main midfielders, probably on a Gilbee.
Doggies are missing a few as well. It is winnable but most things need to go right for us.
With Cross and Westie out, I see this as our best chance to not have our weak(ish) midfield exploited... :)
I reckon we're a good chance to get over the line this weekend.
Massive chance, we always give the doggies a good run for their money. Lloyd and Lucas up forward with Hille and Laycock rotating through as well should be more than enough. IMO Johns should be dropped. I think McPhee should be allowed to roam free off half back flank and take Fletchers role as loose man in defence.
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 11:47
We will lose if McPhee plays on Johnson. Nothing against him, but he is an attacking player, and we can't afford someone who is playing off Johnson. Welsh should play on him, with NLM and McPhee providing our run off the half back line. Johns needs to play, if only to stretch the Bulldogs' very short backline. Harris on Lloyd. Who's on Lucas and Johns?
J.Hetfield
10 Jul 2007, 12:05
Apparently Morris (whoever that is) will play on Lucas..then i guess Grant if he plays..
rusty14
10 Jul 2007, 12:11
Slats or Nash on Brad Johnson i reckon, and the other one to stop Gilbee's run off Half back. And Pev to stop Aker.
We will be better around the clearances as the Dogs will be WestLess, therefore we should be able to really hurt them with Watson's hardball gets.
I think our forward line may be too good for the doggies, but our backline is seriously going to be missing a lot of depth with Fletch and Mcveigh out on suspension.
I would consider giving Jetta a go to replace Davey as well, another little terrier that is a dynamic forward.
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 12:12
Grant's out, and that's my point. Lloyd and Harris will be a decent battle, Lucas will get killed, cos he's playing on a no-name defender. Then what? Courtney, Bradley and Laycock/Hille can all go forward (I'm assuming Bradley comes in because of his VFL form), and the Bulldogs have no-one to match up on them. I can see us playing a very tall forward line (possible in a box or something similar like Hawthorn) with Lovett and maybe a Houli or a Monfries at their feet for 2 or 3 crumbed goals each. If our midfield wins half of the clearances, or even 40%, and we kick accurately, as we have for most of the year, then we should win in a shootout.
rusty14
10 Jul 2007, 12:16
Our midfield may actually be where we win the game this week, losing West means the dogs will have lost a lot of there drive out of the centre. Huge game for us though, almost do or die.
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 12:18
Their midfield is still much better than ours, but we are better by heaps up forward a draw in the middle means a win for us.
rusty14
10 Jul 2007, 12:22
I dunno, Is Winderlich going to be fit this week?
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 12:28
I very much doubt it. Stants is a chance, nothing more, but Winder is a very long shot. Hislop will play.
rusty14
10 Jul 2007, 12:33
Hmm, that will mean that Lovett will have to spend time in the middle i would have thought.
I think that we will probably go in us underdogs, which will suit us, and i believe we will come out firing as a result of last weeks loss, we will want to win this one for Hirdy and Rama.
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 12:36
Campo's 250th?
rusty14
10 Jul 2007, 12:38
good point
bulldogrob
10 Jul 2007, 14:27
Grant and West will both play!!!
dogupya
10 Jul 2007, 16:18
Wanting to get the thoughts of bomber fans in regards to who they think will man up Brad Johnson.
Johnno has never been a concern for the Bombers because Mark Mcveigh towels him up, year in year out. Given he will miss due to a ridiculous tribunal decision, who do you guys beleive will match on Johnno??
Ben the Gooner
10 Jul 2007, 16:39
It'd have to be Welsh, Slats or McPhee. And West and Grant will both miss 1-2 weeks.
Bomber32
10 Jul 2007, 16:41
I reckon Welsh might get the job on Brad Johnson.
I reckon Welsh might get the job on Brad Johnson.
Or Nash, but the problem with welsh on BJ, is he is probaly the best person to play on Gilbee.
MrChristo
10 Jul 2007, 17:25
I reckon Welsh might get the job on Brad Johnson.
I reckon you people need to get out more often if you don't know who Dale Morris is. :rolleyes:
bulldogrob
10 Jul 2007, 17:46
It'd have to be Welsh, Slats or McPhee. And West and Grant will both miss 1-2 weeks.
Where are you getting this informantion from?
matty lloyd the champ
10 Jul 2007, 18:31
why hasn't stanton gotten over his injury yet.
It seemed to be a 2 week injury and now its been 4 weeks
Is there any chance of houli playing this week?
D Mitchell
10 Jul 2007, 18:53
...Johnno has never been a concern for the Bombers because Mark Mcveigh towels him up, year in year out. ..
McVeigh kept Johnson scoreless once a couple of years ago. Johnson kicked 5 on the return bout. Last time, McVeigh didn't play on Johnson.
The_Flying_Egg
11 Jul 2007, 00:13
Grant's out, and that's my point. Lloyd and Harris will be a decent battle, Lucas will get killed, cos he's playing on a no-name defender. Then what? Courtney, Bradley and Laycock/Hille can all go forward (I'm assuming Bradley comes in because of his VFL form), and the Bulldogs have no-one to match up on them.
Cam Wight might come in to give us another tall defender. He's not great, but he's not a total spud, and its not like those guys you've mentioned are stars either. Hargrave plays above his height as well and could possibly take Lucas. Assuming Grant misses, I'd personally like Harris on Lucas and Morris or Hargrave on Lloyd. Tom Williams will probably also play as a tall defender
Grant and West are expected to miss, but they're both tough bastards so it wouldn't surprise if one of them got up to play. West never misses a game, and Grant plays with injuries 90% of the time anyways.
If you beat us in the midfield we're in trouble, but Boyd and Cooney are firing and won't be easy to stop. And stopping Brad Johnson goes a long way towards beating us. Easier said than done though, cos he's afreak :cool:
dogupya
11 Jul 2007, 16:33
McVeigh kept Johnson scoreless once a couple of years ago. Johnson kicked 5 on the return bout. Last time, McVeigh didn't play on Johnson.
Do you have the stats to back this up? My memory is of Mcveigh doing the business on Johnno many many times.
Does anyone have those sorts of stats??
MrChristo
14 Jul 2007, 20:33
Rd. 22. 2006. 18 kicks, 9 h'balls, 11 marks, 5 goals 5.
Rd. 3. 2006. 7, 4, 5, 1, 1.
Rd. 10. 2005. 18, 11, 8, 2, 2.
Rd. 22. 2004. 20, 5, 10, 1, 2.
Rd. 7. 2004. 20, 4, 11, 3, 1.
There's the last 5.
Looks to me like 4 of them are HUGE games... :thumbsu:
D Mitchell
15 Jul 2007, 14:01
Rd. 3. 2006. 7, 4, 5, 1, 1.
:thumbsu:
That looks like the game that has turned into the McVeigh-always-towels-up-Johnson myth. I thought it was in 2005.
strategy
15 Jul 2007, 21:26
the ball coming into the fwd line at times was so sloooooooooow ,my grandma could beat it into the fwd line and she died yrs ago .( and i did love her we got on pretty good )
No joke guys ,turn and look quickly when you have the ball and stop waiting for applause .The runners going past the guy with the ball ,,think 2 moves ahead and then ask yourself what can i do next to assist my teammates or what play can i do next .DONT stop thinking once you have made 1 play or 1 move .Be creative .
It must be done for the WHOLE GAME every GAME.