VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,455
- 35,175
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Other Teams
- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
- Moderator
- #1
CARLTON BLOOZ: $4.00
ESSENDON BOMBERS: $1.25
TOP 3 SUPERCOACH SCORERS FROM ROUND 2:
CARLTANK: Tuohy (124), Gibbs (110), Judd/Yarran (100)
ESSENDON: Hooker (133), Heppell (107), Watson/Goddard (94)
ESSENDON 12.6 78 def HAWTHORN 11.10 76
MCG - Crowd 59,866
BESTS: Hurley, Hooker, Heppell, Watson, Z. Merrett
GOALS: Daniher 3, Carlisle, Chapman, Colyer 2, Bellchambers, Hooker, Z. Merrett
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CAAAAAAAAAAAARLTON 9.8 62 def. by WEST COAST 20.11 131
Domain Stadium - Crowd 34,588
BESTS: Gibbs, Everitt, Docherty, Tuohy, Murphy
GOALS: Casboult 2, Everitt, Bell, Henderson, Jones, Ellard, Murphy, Tuohy
ESSENDON BOMBERS:
COACH: James Hird
FB: Michael Hibberd - Cale Hooker - Mark Baguley
HB: Brent Stanton - Jake Carlisle - Dustin Fletcher
C: Travis Colyer - Jobe Watson (C) - Zach Merrett
HF: Brendon Goddard - Patrick Ambrose - Martin Gleeson
F: Adam Cooney - Michael Hurley - Joe Daniher
R: Tom Bellchambers - Jake Melksham - Dyson Heppell
INT: Paul Chapman - Ben Howlett - David Zaharakis - Jason Ashby
EMG: Kyle Langford - James Gwilt - Courtenay Dempsey
IN: Fletcher
OUT: Gwilt (Omit)
MILESTONES:
Brendon Goddard (250 games)
Ben Howlett (100 games)
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CARLTON BLUES:
COACH: Mick Malthouse
FB: Lachie Henderson - Michael Jamison - Zach Tuohy
HB: Sam Docherty - Andrew Walker - Ciaran Byrne
C: Andrejs Everitt - Patrick Cripps - Chris Yarran
HF: Dennis Armfield - Liam Jones - David Ellard
F: Marc Murphy (C) - Levi Casboult - Kade Simpson
R: Cameron Wood - Bryce Gibbs - Chris Judd
INT: Tom Bell - Andrew Carrazzo - Ed Curnow - Sam Rowe
EMG: Dylan Buckley - Jason Tutt - Mark Whiley
IN: Walker, Armfield, Cripps, Byrne
OUT: White (Knee), Menzel (Calf), Tutt, Smith (Both Omit)
NEW: Ciaran Byrne (2014 Rookie Draft international selection no. 64)
Just the one change for the Bombers from last week's brilliant victory over Hawthorn. Former Saint James Gwilt could consider himself stiff to be dropped after a solid debut for the Bombers, but the 395 game veteran in Dustin Fletcher has overcome a slight groin complaint and will line up against the Blues for what could be the last time, if he retires and Carlton don't make the finals.
Malthouse has swung the axe and the medical bag at the team this week. Best 22 starters Simon White and Troy Menzel will miss with knee and calf injuries respectively, which is a big blow for the in and under work at either end of the ground. Tutt and Smith have both been dropped to the Northern Blues this week after sub-standard performances. Good news for Blues fans though is shown in their ins, with high-flying hat wearer Andrew Walker returning for his first game in 2015. Dennis Armfield returns to the team, and Patrick Cripps will line up in the centre square. The Blues' Irish recruit in Ciaran Byrne makes his debut in one of the most vicious rivalries in the entire league, and Blues fans will be hoping that a 60,000+ crowd on Saturday afternoon won't deter his focus.
ESSENDON BOMBERS - #26 - CALE HOOKER
What to say about Cale Hooker? What a gem. All Australian centre half back, and now a winning goal specialist. He, alongside Michael Hurley, have dismantled two of the most potent attacks in the league from Sydney and Hawthorn, and his efforts last week will live long in the minds of Essendon fans. Incredible stuff. This week he finds himself against the Carlton forward line which really seems to be lacking some firepower. Casboult can take a good grab but his kicking for goal is similar to that of a Strathmore Under 10s full back; Plus Hooker has the uncanny ability to read the play and peel off his man to create an intercept mark. We can expect more of the same this week. Has to be one of the best defenders in the league right now.
ESSENDON BOMBERS - #11 - DAVID ZAHARAKIS
Mick Malthouse still has nightmares about David Zaharakis.
I wonder why.
CAAAAARLTON BLUES - #5 - CHRIS JUDD
With retirement looming last year, Judd had decided to continue on in 2015 for another crack at it, just to see if he could still perform. His shoulders are shot, his legs are tired, but he's still the best player they have, and is still capable of tearing a team up. You have to wonder though, do we bother tagging him, or do we stick with Gibbs and/or Murphy? Since Gibbs got ribbed for his effeminate haircut, his form has definitely shot up and he's one of Carlton's best players, but Judd, for me at least, is still the benchmark. Melksham, being our current tagger, is probably the best option right now.
CARLTANK BLUES - #41 - LEVI CASBOULT
Casboult is one of the great white hopes at VISY Park - If he somehow manages to correct his wayward kicking for goal, he could be anything. With one of the best overhead marks in the league, the only real thing lacking from his game is the nous around goal, which is odd considering he's a key forward. Who can't kick. On occasion, however, Casboult has been known to pull a decent performance out of his 103kg arse, including a freak goal against us recently. A handy pinch-hitter in the ruck and a solid backup to Cam Wood in the middle, his huge body could be effective at the stoppages should the Blues be able to halt Essendon's slick, fast moving play.
A tale of two sides again this week. The Blues have been smashed from pillar to post by the football media after two frankly abhorrent displays. From an embarrassing defeat to the ever-hopeful Richmond, to a destructive annihilation at the hands of Josh Kennedy and his merry band of West Australian misfits, Carlton have started 2015 in a similar fashion to how a 1995 Commodore starts on a cold day. It just doesn't. After a nasty shoulder injury to Dale Thomas soured their Round 1 efforts within 10 seconds of the first bounce, the Blues have rarely made a noise after breathing fire in their first terms. It's quite bizarre to see a team playing so well in one quarter, and then changing their game plan to "Okay now start being s**t". Carlton barely kicked a competitive score last week against a severely depleted West Coast backline, and this week they come up against arguably the best defence in the league. This could get very, very ugly.
The Bombers, on the other hand, have been praised for their never say die attitude which was on full display against the reigning premiers in Hawthorn. 16 points down with only a few minutes to play, and the Bombers kicked goals consecutively through Carlisle, Colyer, and in perhaps the most bizarre turn of events, our full back in Cale Hooker, kicking only the eight goal of his career with 57 seconds left on the clock. A two point win against the Hawks would have to rate as the best win that many Essendon supporters have ever seen, myself included. A sterling performance from dreadlocked big man Michael Hurley saw the powerhouse of Jarryd Roughead shut down to a miserly one goal, and the silky smooth skills of the inevitable next captain Dyson Heppell were once again on full display to the crowd last Sunday. This is a big game for the Bombers as well as the Blues; This is Essendon's chance to make a statement to the rest of the league that we're no longer a mid-table team. After an effort that should have resulted in four points against Sydney, and an incredible win against Hawthorn, this is the Dons chance to show the football world that we're here to make a stand and contend this year. No clouds over our heads, no doubts or fears, only football.
Go you Bombers.
ROUND 23, 2014
Melbourne Cricket Ground, 30/8/14
Crowd - 56,658
ESSENDON BOMBERS 13.12 90
drew with
CARLTON BLUES 14.6 90
ESSENDON BEST: Ryder, Hurley, Stanton
ESSENDON GOALS: Watson, Ryder, Daniher 2, Chapman, Goddard, Winderlich, Stanton, Gleeson, Z. Merrett, Ambrose
CARLTON BEST: McLean, Simpson, Carrazzo
CARLTON GOALS: Watson 4, Menzel, Yarran 2, Waite, McLean, Wood, Armfield, Lucas, Bell
CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Ryder, Winderlich, Dempsey, Hocking, Fantasia
ESSENDON INS: Cooney, Ashby, Fletcher, Carlisle, Melksham
CARLTON OUTS: McLean, Watson, Waite, Sheehan, White, Menzel, Lucas
CARLTON INS: Henderson, Walker, Byrne, Everitt, Jones, Ellard, Murphy
TV: Channel 7 - 3PM (90 min delay), FOXFOOTY (LIVE at 1.30PM), also LIVE on FOXTEL for T-BOX and XBOX360
RADIO: Triple M, 3AW, ABC, ABC Grandstand
F*ck Carlton.
Essendon by 85.
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