Smyth94
13 May 2010, 20:42
http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3017/essendonat7.jpg vs http://www.kick2kick.net/afl/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/saints.jpg
Venue: Ethiad Stadium
Last time they met:
Essendon fans hold this game dear to their hearts. The last time these two
sides met, it was an absolute classic encounter, and one of the games of the season. Coming into the game, the Bombers had most bitterly lost to West Coast away in Perth. A win would keep Essendon's finals hopes alive, a loss would just about rule out finals for 2009. On the other hand, the Saint's had not yet lost a game in 2009, sitting comfortably on top of the ladder with 19 wins, 0 losses. Significantly, an ESsendon win would maintain their record of 20 straight wins to the H&A season (achieved in 2000) intact.
The game itself was an amazing contest, Essendon threw everything at St.
Kilda and at one stage led by as much as 7 goals. However, the Saint's weren't to be denied and rallied to reel in the margin during the last quarter after Essendon had lost key players Dustin Fletcher and Paddy Ryder during the third quarter.
Essendon's Form:
Despite last week's heartbreaking lost to Port Adelaide, the Bombers have
responded well since the ANZAC Day debacle. The most significant improvement has been intensity at the contest which has our contested possession and
tackle numbers sky-high (clocking 107 and 105 tackles in the past two
weeks). Although Ryder has begun to find some form in the ruck, David Hille remains out of form and ineffective at the centre bounces. He looks to have lost all his confidence in leaping front-on and has resorted to turning his body to opposition ruckmen, allowing them to jump over him - This cost Essendon especially in the final term vs Port Adelaide.
St. Kilda's Form:
The good news for Essendon is that the Saint's have struggled for the past
few weeks. They had to use every bit of their defensive prowess to get over the Dogs in Round 6, whilst in Round 7 they got smashed by a Carlton team
who got the ball into their F50 as quickly as possible from the central
corridor. Scoring goals has been a real worry for the Saints, they have
scored less than 10 goals in each of their last two outings and in modern
footy, 10 goals isn't enough to win games of footy week-in, week-out.
Who's going to win?
The Saint's are going to be fired up - they will be desparate to atone for
their humiliating loss against Carlton (whom they've regularly enjoyed whipping for the past decade). There's just no way Nick Dal Santo will have such a poor game twice in a row. They are going to come out and try to smash our young bodies and constrict the space through the corridor as much as
possible.
First and foremost, Essendon need to bring the intensity of the past two weeks to this game. If we tackle and contest the footy just as hard as the Saint's we will give ourselves every chance to win the game.
Whilst on "paper" St. Kilda have far better players, their style of footy just isn't working and it seems that playing this ultra-defensive game style
has tired their players over the past fortnight. As said above, if Essendon bring the intensity over the past few weeks, mixed with some maturity in the attacking half, then I won't be surprised if we come away with the win and that's how I'm seeing it.
Essendon by 15 points.
Key Match-ups:
Scott Gumbleton vs Sam Fisher
- If there's one match up that I would like to see, well here it is. One of the chief reasons Carlton stitched up the Saint's on Monday night was
because Sam Fisher's influence was negligible. If he goes to Gumbleton, I
would tell Gumby to run like he's never run before, he's basically the
fittest player at our club (bar Stanton) and if we can get one of Gilbert or
Fisher away from our goals, we will be stopping one of their strengths which is to peel off their man and intercept/spoil the footy coming in.
Jobe Watson vs Lenny Hayes
- These two players put on clinics against each other in 2009. Watson averaged well over 35 possessions vs the Saints in 2009 with Hayes not too far behind (vs Essendon). I personally hope these two clearance/contested possession machines go at it again because when they're hot - there a few better to watch.
McVeigh vs Milne
-With the Voldt out of the picture, Milne becomes their most dangerous player in attack. McVeigh has been quite good the past few weeks and will
surely get the job of shutting down Milne, if we keep him quiet, the Saint's
will struggle to kick > 10 goals.
Venue: Ethiad Stadium
Last time they met:
Essendon fans hold this game dear to their hearts. The last time these two
sides met, it was an absolute classic encounter, and one of the games of the season. Coming into the game, the Bombers had most bitterly lost to West Coast away in Perth. A win would keep Essendon's finals hopes alive, a loss would just about rule out finals for 2009. On the other hand, the Saint's had not yet lost a game in 2009, sitting comfortably on top of the ladder with 19 wins, 0 losses. Significantly, an ESsendon win would maintain their record of 20 straight wins to the H&A season (achieved in 2000) intact.
The game itself was an amazing contest, Essendon threw everything at St.
Kilda and at one stage led by as much as 7 goals. However, the Saint's weren't to be denied and rallied to reel in the margin during the last quarter after Essendon had lost key players Dustin Fletcher and Paddy Ryder during the third quarter.
Essendon's Form:
Despite last week's heartbreaking lost to Port Adelaide, the Bombers have
responded well since the ANZAC Day debacle. The most significant improvement has been intensity at the contest which has our contested possession and
tackle numbers sky-high (clocking 107 and 105 tackles in the past two
weeks). Although Ryder has begun to find some form in the ruck, David Hille remains out of form and ineffective at the centre bounces. He looks to have lost all his confidence in leaping front-on and has resorted to turning his body to opposition ruckmen, allowing them to jump over him - This cost Essendon especially in the final term vs Port Adelaide.
St. Kilda's Form:
The good news for Essendon is that the Saint's have struggled for the past
few weeks. They had to use every bit of their defensive prowess to get over the Dogs in Round 6, whilst in Round 7 they got smashed by a Carlton team
who got the ball into their F50 as quickly as possible from the central
corridor. Scoring goals has been a real worry for the Saints, they have
scored less than 10 goals in each of their last two outings and in modern
footy, 10 goals isn't enough to win games of footy week-in, week-out.
Who's going to win?
The Saint's are going to be fired up - they will be desparate to atone for
their humiliating loss against Carlton (whom they've regularly enjoyed whipping for the past decade). There's just no way Nick Dal Santo will have such a poor game twice in a row. They are going to come out and try to smash our young bodies and constrict the space through the corridor as much as
possible.
First and foremost, Essendon need to bring the intensity of the past two weeks to this game. If we tackle and contest the footy just as hard as the Saint's we will give ourselves every chance to win the game.
Whilst on "paper" St. Kilda have far better players, their style of footy just isn't working and it seems that playing this ultra-defensive game style
has tired their players over the past fortnight. As said above, if Essendon bring the intensity over the past few weeks, mixed with some maturity in the attacking half, then I won't be surprised if we come away with the win and that's how I'm seeing it.
Essendon by 15 points.
Key Match-ups:
Scott Gumbleton vs Sam Fisher
- If there's one match up that I would like to see, well here it is. One of the chief reasons Carlton stitched up the Saint's on Monday night was
because Sam Fisher's influence was negligible. If he goes to Gumbleton, I
would tell Gumby to run like he's never run before, he's basically the
fittest player at our club (bar Stanton) and if we can get one of Gilbert or
Fisher away from our goals, we will be stopping one of their strengths which is to peel off their man and intercept/spoil the footy coming in.
Jobe Watson vs Lenny Hayes
- These two players put on clinics against each other in 2009. Watson averaged well over 35 possessions vs the Saints in 2009 with Hayes not too far behind (vs Essendon). I personally hope these two clearance/contested possession machines go at it again because when they're hot - there a few better to watch.
McVeigh vs Milne
-With the Voldt out of the picture, Milne becomes their most dangerous player in attack. McVeigh has been quite good the past few weeks and will
surely get the job of shutting down Milne, if we keep him quiet, the Saint's
will struggle to kick > 10 goals.