AFL Autopsy Round 4: ANZAC Day 2015 - Essendon def by Collingwood

Jul 14, 2014
7,702
4,985
AFL Club
Essendon
... positives for me were:

  • Heppell - just goes all day, every game. runs everywhere. what a player he has become. will be AA again.
  • Hooker - pantsed Cloke. was beaten only once (in the last quarter). is a rock in defence and will be AA again.
  • Hurley - was good defensively, but not as good in an attacking sense this week. he is a defender now though, and did his defensive job well. would have liked to see him thrown forward earlier
other than that, not too many winners on the day really.
Id probably add Baguley myself. But yeah I agree.
 
May 6, 2007
39,093
22,782
South East Suburbs
AFL Club
Essendon
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Tottenham Hotspurs, Melbourne Vixen
Maybe we have over rated the list?

I don't think that's the case. Back to back games against Sydney and Hawthorn have proven we are a big fish.

They caught us on an off day. We still lack that killer instinct (see Carlton last week).

Plenty to improve on and in this marathon of an AFL season, feel we are well placed to run into September..
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
28,988
AFL Club
Essendon
Might get ripped for this but the guys we recruited to push for number 17 have been very underwhelming this year (bar Cooneys cameo).

Goddard, Chapman in particular are playing roles in the team.



Disagree in relation to Goddard.

His distribution from midfield has been significant and adds much needed class. I much rather him sitting off the ball using his skill and creativity if the alternative is part of a chain of pointless handballs or a shambled kick on the inside.
 
May 6, 2007
39,093
22,782
South East Suburbs
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspurs, Melbourne Vixen
Disagree in relation to Goddard.

His distribution from midfield has been significant and adds much needed class. I much rather him sitting off the ball using his skill and creativity if the alternative is part of a chain of pointless handballs or a shambled kick on the inside.

I may have mis interpreted what I'm trying to get across. I feel very underwhelmed with what they are doing.
 
Jan 10, 2015
4,442
2,308
AFL Club
Essendon
Essendon had nearly 100 more disposals than Collingwood as well as more tackles and still had less entries into the 50 m.
Dons were winning the ball well but obviously wasting it.

Noticed that Hawks also had 60 more possessions than Port Adelaide but still lost the game.

And Swans had 60 possessions more than Fremantle but lost the game.

So maybe we are playing a game winning keepings off style and just need the conditions to suit and we
may go a long way.
 

efcboy

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2007
10,176
7,800
Essendon
AFL Club
Essendon
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Essendon had nearly 100 more disposals than Collingwood as well as more tackles and still had less entries into the 50 m.
Dons were winning the ball well but obviously wasting it.

Noticed that Hawks also had 60 more possessions than Port Adelaide but still lost the game.

And Swans had 60 possessions more than Fremantle but lost the game.

So maybe we are playing a game winning keepings off style and just need the conditions to suit and we
may go a long way.

Finals aren't player under a roof - need to be able to play in dry and wet. If it means changing the lineup due to conditions (ie leave out Carlisle and others) then they need to do it
 
Jan 30, 2015
2,847
2,524
AFL Club
Essendon
Watched the game on the day and was disappointed as we lost on ANZAC day but not devestated as i felt it was a clear case of the best team won on the day. I was drunk and watching with a few others so socializing as well.

Watched in again stone cold sober last night. Now my view is that we outplayed them and should have won. Not only did we waste opportunities in front of goal but were a bit unlucky with umpiring decisions.

I also watched carlisle closely and can understand why he was whinging at the umpires.

Really a game we should have won.

Then again, we could easily have lost against the Hawks or even Carlton so I'm reasonably happy with 2/2.

Just hate losing to that scum on ANZAC day especially watching with the in-laws who are Collingwood supporters.
 
Travelled down from Sydney to the game.

Was probably one of if not the worst performance I have ever seen Essendon put up.

We were slow, lazy, inaccurate and constantly putting team members under pressure.

Definitely need to put lower sides like Collingwood away if we are ever going to be taken seriously
 

MiguelM

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 22, 2014
5,365
6,626
AFL Club
Essendon
No way should we trade Carlisle. Once he clicks will be unstoppable.

Gee, lots of people wanted to trade Hooker too!!
 

efcboy

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2007
10,176
7,800
Essendon
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I watched the TV replay and it does not do justice to how poor Essendon were. Watching at the ground I saw poor leading and poor decision making which doesn't show up on the narrow camera angle of TV. Those that only watched on TV would therefore not understand how bad the general play was. I always like to watch both as the complete view at ground gives you a better perspective of tactics and players decision making and leading. The closer vision on TV gives you a better idea of the umpiring and statistics but the ground view is always best.

Gleeson actually played alright too having watched the replay. No way should he be dropped.
 
Sep 12, 2003
19,698
22,706
under the table
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Essendon
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Not important
I watched the TV replay and it does not do justice to how poor Essendon were. Watching at the ground I saw poor leading and poor decision making which doesn't show up on the narrow camera angle of TV. Those that only watched on TV would therefore not understand how bad the general play was. I always like to watch both as the complete view at ground gives you a better perspective of tactics and players decision making and leading. The closer vision on TV gives you a better idea of the umpiring and statistics but the ground view is always best.

Gleeson actually played alright too having watched the replay. No way should he be dropped.

Completely agree. It was bullshit fancy pants little handballs and shithouse decision making in wet ******* weather. Completely different team play to the style we saw in Sydney just 3 weeks before. Unacceptable football.
 

bombadeer

All Australian
Jul 11, 2010
617
1,065
AFL Club
Essendon
Completely different team play to the style we saw in Sydney just 3 weeks before.

This is what confounds me. I expected to see a particular style of play - we'd seen it a few weeks ago, it had been incredibly effective against Sydney.

Why did we choose to play a game style that was never going to be effective in the wet?

Is that coaches or players?

I'm struggling to put this game behind me.

You learn more from losses than you do victories....
 

efcboy

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2007
10,176
7,800
Essendon
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Essendon
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Arsenal
Completely agree. It was bullshit fancy pants little handballs and shithouse decision making in wet ******* weather. Completely different team play to the style we saw in Sydney just 3 weeks before. Unacceptable football.

We did play that way in the last quarter vs Sydney. Lots of silly kicks into the corridor that resulted in turnovers.
 
We did play that way in the last quarter vs Sydney. Lots of silly kicks into the corridor that resulted in turnovers.
That could at least be explained away to an extent by general fatigue/lack of pre-season.

Doing it from word go three weeks later, however?

Rather less excusable.
 

efcboy

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2007
10,176
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Essendon
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There were some on here criticising Hird and coaches for the players not playing direct wet weather football. Mark MacLure then was on 360 last week claiming the same thing.

Goddard was on 360 tonight and completely ruled this out. Stated that Hird and coaches discussed playing style suited to conditions pre game, quarter time, half time and three quarter time. Said the players didn't adjust and he took offence at comments criticising the coaches and said the blame lay on the players for not following instructions and adjusting their game.
 
I don't understand why players would just blatantly ignore the instructions of a coach. That's not a veiled dig at any coach or Hird in particular, but it just seems inexplicable to me.

Pressure of the occasion often gets to sporting teams - Anyway, I don't think it was that wet on Anzac Day - Collingwood didn't give us enough time or space.
 

bombadeer

All Australian
Jul 11, 2010
617
1,065
AFL Club
Essendon
I don't understand why players would just blatantly ignore the instructions of a coach. That's not a veiled dig at any coach or Hird in particular, but it just seems inexplicable to me.

A guess, and it's only a guess, is that the players, under pressure, defaulted to the game style they've been drilling during the preseason.

Developing a habitual form of game is how coaches condition their players to make the right decisions on game day. Trying to change the way your players play on game day only works if you've drilled them on that style.

I don't know if that relates to why the players wouldn't change - only someone who understand how the players are drilled and what game plans are practiced could say with any authority.
 
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