Review Autopsy vs Essendon, Round 18 2015

[fargy]

Replay on after Bounce if anyone is interested

 

[AFDogs]

Attended the game live today.

A little disappointed in the crowd and the atmosphere itself. Very flat for a Bulldogs vs Essendon game. As we get better, hopefully our crowds get more vocal and also turn up in abundance.

Our most complete game of 2015. We are playing some seriously good football. Our ability to pinpoint handballs under pressure is sublime. Caleb Daniel is a master at this, he was so good today and slicked through traffic multiple times.

Our forward entries still need heaps of work. We often kick to the pocket on sharp angles and generally not hitting the hot-spot enough. But our conversion is pretty good, and we're very damaging when the ball comes to ground.

Standout players were:
Crameri
Daniel
Johannison
Hunter (although made some blunders, starting to get lots of the footy)
Dickson (his set shot kicking is the ultimate asset)
Wood (seriously, this guy is brilliant)
Wallis (I see a future Brownlow medalist in the making. Call me crazy)
Biggs (apart from the turnover, was very good down back)

 

[King Bont]

I genuinely hope this happens!

Why?

You'll find out soon enough.

Reaper! Are we still complete rabble like your round 3 prediction? BRING IT !!!!!!! We ready!!!!!!

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Great game by us, but gee Essendon have a terrible, terrible game plan.
Case in point - the 2nd quarter
We were doing the stock standard forward press/lock it in which is a feature of modern footy - we do that well, but it wasn't anything special.
Essendon had no bloody idea how to beat it.
They had 5 inside 50's for the quarter.
There are certain game plans that your coach can enact to beat a forward press - run and carry, short kick and spread, long kick to pack and back yourself to win the resulting contested ball situation/stoppage etc.
Essendon were doing none of that.
We weren't doing forward pressure like we were at the beginning of the year. Essendon simply had no idea how to get it forward of center from an uncontested defensive 50 centre. It wasn't so much that we pressured them into turnovers, rather than they had no systematic way like one of the above tactics to get it past halfway from defensive uncontested possession.
We would force a stoppage like 60 or 70m out from goal and win the clearance and score.
They had 5 inside fifties and 2 goals from that second quarter. One of them they relied on three consecutive contested marks, the other was right at the end when they finally did some run and carry.
Seriously. Drugs aside, if I was a Essendon fan, I'd be calling for Hird's head - for tactical reasons.
We've been blessed comparing Bev to McCartney to see how much a new tactical scheme can do wonders for the team. Essendon fans should demand the same and call for a new senior coach.

Also, as an aside, gee Heppell is an overrated player. I don't know how many touches he got, how how many of his possessions are uncontested, but he's the master of "win the sort of semi-contested ball* and do a dinky backwards handball to a teammate also under pressure". I counted only three genuine long (30+m) kicks in the entire match for him.

*sort of semi contested ball is those possessions where you're not out in space, and technically it's contested, but you're winning a loose ball out of the back of a stoppage or whatever. You won the contested, but you're not like beating an opposition player physically to win the ball.

 

[Scary_Foot_9]

Replay on after Bounce if anyone is interested

First time I've watched this show in ages, Christ it's terrible.

 

[100action]

I rather save Richmond for the GF tbh, they can knock out Hawthorn for us (which is the only thing they are good for) and we'll continue to make them our bunnies in the big dance like the ones they have been for the past 10 years.

 

[ReaperX]

Look in all honesty, it was a good win by the Dogs today, my original comment was actually not trolling, even if it was taken that way.

Pointing out that you've had a very easy draw shouldn't be offensive to any of you though, because it's just the reality of the situation.

Doesn't take away the fact that you've also beaten most of them, but I just don't think it entitles you to start thinking you're in the upper echelon of teams just yet either. Any mid-range side (i.e 6th-10th) would probably win the majority of the games you have had.

You've played 7 of the bottom 8 teams in the past 8 weeks, that's just a fact pure and simple. And in the next 5 weeks, you get to play 12th, 14th, and 18th again. From where you've come from, it's still a fantastic achievement to be where you're at, but when I see some of you in here declaring you're a Top 4 chance, it's a little silly isn't it guys?

And saying stuff like "well geez I'd rather we didn't make Top 4 actually" as if it was actually your choice!

I mean c'mon guys, be realistic here is all I'm saying, no offense intended of course. Hell, you should be absolutely stoked that you even got this far, 11 wins is a fantastic effort, and well above pre-season expectations for this list I would have thought.

Even if you lose every game from here on out, this season has been a massive success for you guys. Anything above 6 or 7 wins was always going to be.

Well done again on today's efforts against the Druggies!

 

[ReaperX]

Reaper! Are we still complete rabble like your round 3 prediction? BRING IT !!!!!!! We ready!!!!!!

Nope, you aren't, and I admitted a long time ago that I was wrong! You're a decent side.

Not as good as the top 4 or 5 teams in the competition though, imo.

BRING IT!

 

[AFDogs]

I really, really hope we get Richmond first final.

 

[Wizard17]

Not as good as the top 4 or 5 teams in the competition though, imo.

Go tell West Coast and Sydney that.

 

[King Bont]

Nope, you aren't, and I admitted a long time ago that I was wrong! You're a decent side.

Not as good as the top 4 or 5 teams in the competition though, imo.

BRING IT!

We have been bringing it all season mate, just ask your coach.

 

[The Mirror]

Look in all honesty, it was a good win by the Dogs today, my original comment was actually not trolling, even if it was taken that way.

Pointing out that you've had a very easy draw shouldn't be offensive to any of you though, because it's just the reality of the situation.

Doesn't take away the fact that you've also beaten most of them, but I just don't think it entitles you to start thinking you're in the upper echelon of teams just yet either. Any mid-range side (i.e 6th-10th) would probably win the majority of the games you have had.

You've played 7 of the bottom 8 teams in the past 8 weeks, that's just a fact pure and simple. And in the next 5 weeks, you get to play 12th, 14th, and 18th again. From where you've come from, it's still a fantastic achievement to be where you're at, but when I see some of you in here declaring you're a Top 4 chance, it's a little silly isn't it guys?

And saying stuff like "well geez I'd rather we didn't make Top 4 actually" as if it was actually your choice!

I mean c'mon guys, be realistic here is all I'm saying, no offense intended of course. Hell, you should be absolutely stoked that you even got this far, 11 wins is a fantastic effort, and well above pre-season expectations for this list I would have thought.

Even if you lose every game from here on out, this season has been a massive success for you guys. Anything above 6 or 7 wins was always going to be.

Well done again on today's efforts against the Druggies!

Considering that we are above you on the ladder, and have beaten you previously, we are technically more of a Top 4 chance than Richmond.

We've also beaten 3 of the current top 4 and gotten close to another, and have beaten 7 of the top 11. You're so desperate to belittle us, but reality is we're better than you think and I'd back us to beat you any day, finals or otherwise.

The season is bigger than the past 8 weeks, as you should do well to remember. Prior to that 8 weeks Richmond weren't too crash hot...

 

[ReaperX]

Go tell West Coast and Sydney that.

Won't dare take away the Sydney win from you, that was a gutsy performance.

You beat the Eagles in Round 1 though mate.

Let's re-visit this when you play them again, when it's actually deep into the season and in some good form.

Beat them in a few weeks, and you can include West Coast in your scalp list!

 

[dogwatch]

Fun facts:
1. Highest score of the round - WB (127), Lowest score of the round - Ess (40)
2. I checked the tackle count early in the 2nd quarter; 10-20 Essendon's way. At the finish 58-50 our way. Nice in-game correction we applied there.
3. Moneyball theory: Players with 20+ disposals, 80%+ DE and 4+ tackles: one - Liam Picken 9+16 = 25 Ds, 80%, 6 Ts.

Others who got very, very close: Hunter, Bont, Crameri and ...Talia.​

 

[Kennel Master]

Nope, you aren't, and I admitted a long time ago that I was wrong! You're a decent side.

Not as good as the top 4 or 5 teams in the competition though, imo.

BRING IT!

We are top 5 at the moment. So according to you we are not as good as.... ourselves!

KM

 

[fargy]

Won't dare take away the Sydney win from you, that was a gutsy performance.

You beat the Eagles in Round 1 though mate.

Let's re-visit this when you play them again, when it's actually deep into the season and in some good form.

Beat them in a few weeks, and you can include West Coast in your scalp list!

Pretty sure a game at the start of the year counts as much as a game at the end of the year.
Why don't you give your trolling a rest and let us enjoy our win. We didn't go on your board on Friday night telling everyone that you aren't as crash hot as you think you are. So a polite request to disappear

 

[Zgope1]

Won't dare take away the Sydney win from you, that was a gutsy performance.

You beat the Eagles in Round 1 though mate.

Let's re-visit this when you play them again, when it's actually deep into the season and in some good form.

Beat them in a few weeks, and you can include West Coast in your scalp list!

isn't round 1 one of the 22 games teams play in the regular season though?

 

[wian]

Just curious - if your mrs is also a keen doggies fan are u a better chance to get laid after a win?

Either way i don't have to try mate Just lucky i suppose

 

[ReaperX]

Considering that we are above you on the ladder, and have beaten you previously, we are technically more of a Top 4 chance than Richmond.

We've also beaten 3 of the current top 4 and gotten close to another, and have beaten 7 of the top 11. You're so desperate to belittle us, but reality is we're better than you think and I'd back us to beat you any day, finals or otherwise.

The season is bigger than the past 8 weeks, as you should do well to remember. Prior to that 8 weeks Richmond weren't too crash hot...

See, this is what I mean buddy, you think recent form and fixtures are irrelevant, but actually, recent form and fixture are all that really matter.

I'd be more inclined to buy what you're selling here if you'd beaten us and the Eagles in the past month or so.

Beating those two teams in Round 1 and 2 doesn't count for a whole lot in Round 18, in terms of judging form and legitimacy of those victories.

With that said, you can only beat what is put in-front of you, which you are doing. But you're being softened up for an easy finals kill with this run home, I'm telling ya! Same thing happened to us in 2014... we won 9 in a row, and even actually beat some half decent sides too, but we caught teams like Port and Sydney at very good times during the year, and when it came to finals, we were ripe for the kill.

 

[fargy]

A Richmond finals expert...well I'll be!

 

[Igloo]

Oh god, ignore ReaperX. He's proven his mastering of stupidity has been too great for us this year multiple times. If we ignore it, maybe it will leave.

 

[pappy]

Game seemed pretty flat with not a lot of atmosphere watching on the TV.

Essendons game plan is terrible, they try to play what I call soft and bruise free football. There coaching staff are kidding themselves if they think that's the way to win games.

I thought Heppell had a shocker. What are the thoughts on Carlisle's game? I thought he was better playing back, but still looked a bit disinterested.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

True test of whether Hird is utterly delusional will be whether he gives any votes to a non-Bulldogs player from that game.

Stanton will get votes. Will be astonished if anyone else does though.

 

[Testekill]

Oh god, ignore ReaperX. He's proven his mastering of stupidity has been too great for us this year multiple times. If we ignore it, maybe it will leave.

Why not just give him a board ban?

 

[Igloo]

Why not just give him a board ban?

Well technically he's not doing anything wrong. Just not being a clever guy

But enough about him. Beating Essendon is cause for making sweet love down by the fire.