Review Round 7 = Essendon 85-85 Collingwood

[barrackers]

More than a few times I thought we were a goal away from breaking the game open with bomber defence looking rattled. While we had multiple opportunities to get that goal we didn’t take them.

 

[jathanas]

Maybe I need to watch the last quarter again (begrudgingly)

Didn’t feel it at the ground

Again though, I’d be dropping Sidebottom long before I drop Harrison.

Harrison won me over. He belongs. Watch the last Q again, if you must.

A draw feels hollow for supporters of both sides but the result fairly reflected the state of the game. Both sides could have won but neither staked a claim when it mattered.

I suspect Collingwood's post-game review will mostly focus on the head start that was (once again) offered on a silver platter.

Sidey ran a lot and did little. Howe is battling like the proud man he is, but Father Time has caught up with him.

JFN worked his butt off but needs to punch the ball better. That's something Howe could help him with because he still does that well.

Looking ahead, if they can start the game switched on next week, that would be fn great.

 

[Mollythedolly]

I think Fly is on SEN this coming Monday. Would love to know why he subbed off Mitchell and not Sidebottom, when Mitchell was getting hands on ball at centre clearance....

While I agree Mitchell being subbed was a head scratcher, he credited with only 1 centre clearance, and only 2 clearances for the game. Would possibly have been a more obvious sub if we had Sullivan as the sub rather than Harrison.

I think there's a bit of forward thinking in our use of the sub with older guys getting reduced game time.

 

[NeonLeon1]

IQ was brilliant last season and was on the verge of being AA.

He wasn't lacking for strength last season but it seems he's added even more size and right now as a result his speed of movement and even reaction times seem to be off.

Agree. He runs like a body builder with invisible rolls of carpet under his arms


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bianconeri]

I found the draw really frustrating because in reality, we actually played really well.

Watching the game live, our pressure seemed off the charts for the most of the game, and ‘the swarm’ was in full effect, yet when in possession we were often frustratingly ineffectual, we mis-executed several of our several of our counter attacking breaks into open space on the wing and those shanks in the last quarter saw us fall short of what should have been a close win in an Anzac Day classic

I’ve got good faith that we’ll iron out those skill errors next week and pave some hot coals for the Blues to walk over next week in order to beat us.

Our side resembles the early Buckley era of full on pressure but inefficient ball use and a lack of tall targets up forward.

 

[sam_e]

Well, always a flat feeling after a draw, but I think we might have actually pinched a couple of points today. Langford would kick that goal 8 times out of 10. And you cant lose the clearances by 17 and expect to win against a decent team.

Having said that, if Checkers scores with one of those shots......

We cant keep giving up 5 goal leads and expect to run them down.

Not sure why everyone is bagging the backline so much, if you lose the center clearances by 11, they will constantly be on the back foot.

Have to say I was surprised Mitchell was subbed out instead of Sidey. I know its been said before, but I think he's cooked.

A few players will be wondering about some of the things they did, or didn't do, in that last quarter. A few Essendon players will be doing the same. In time, they will pass into the folklore that makes this game what it is.

In the end, we just had too many players down for too long. Bobby, WHE, Sidey, Schulz & Crisp. One of them stands up, we probably win. At least we dont have to worry about percentage now.

The problem with our midfield is that it is being carried by a kid who's played 50 games. We are an injury to him away from being in 'just play the kids' territory. Time to play Sullivan, probably in place of Sidey in my opinion. Harrison showed plenty when he came on. I think we have one there.

yep agree with all that

• Sidey out (looks reasonably cooked); Sullivan in to play inside; WHE to a wing (needs to be instructed to play defensively & try roll back to help out a reasonably porous defence)
• Lippa out (too slow & soft for mine ..last week an aberration); HH or Reef in
• Cox should spend more time in CS bounce-downs and then roll-forward ..Cameron can do more around the ground following. Cameron has been good this year but struggles in CS against bigger physical rucks
• Howe has struggled 1v1 (especially leading types with some athleticism ..Howie is simply slow off the mark) ..no obvious replacements unfortunately so must persist
• IQ has been invisible all year for mine ..i'd be tempted to make a statement change with him (Markov in) but as a minimum, i'd send him a stern message to lift his intensity.
• Defence looks a bit rudderless or lacking leadership /organisation without Murph but will need to work through it

 

[Chameleon75]

Time to bring trav Cloke down for some goal kicking training

 

[VinnieB]

Harrison set up plays, ran well off-the-ball and read the play. He’s got the body, intensity and running capacity to play AFL. Limited window but huge impact. He played very well.

He has speed as well.

 

[lyfsux]

Thought Langford would have got it with his four goals.

Don't forget its like the Brownlow now a midfield medal only

 

[Mostfamousclub_Pies]

Don't forget its like the Brownlow now a midfield medal only

Bobby Hill won a Norm Smith with 4 goals.

 

[IlovethePies]

Re Anzac Day Medal:
If Checkers had just kicked one of those shots in the last Qr through for a behind, we win by a behind or two (safe to assume this, as the actual trajectory of the game would have been the same)
Checkers then wins the Anzac Day medal.

 

[JuniorB]

Harrison won me over. He belongs. Watch the last Q again, if you must.

A draw feels hollow for supporters of both sides but the result fairly reflected the state of the game. Both sides could have won but neither staked a claim when it mattered.

I suspect Collingwood's post-game review will mostly focus on the head start that was (once again) offered on a silver platter.

Sidey ran a lot and did little. Howe is battling like the proud man he is, but Father Time has caught up with him.

JFN worked his butt off but needs to punch the ball better. That's something Howe could help him with because he still does that well.

Looking ahead, if they can start the game switched on next week, that would be fn great.

Agree.
In the last quarter JFN completely missed a couple of spoils that should have been punched out of bounds.
Howe looks like he can't quite do it any more.
Crisp had a poor game, as did Sidebottom.
I thought our two best players were the Master and the Apprentice.
I thought HH showed enough in the last quarter to warrant him getting a full game next week - he is fast and strong and has good game sense.

 

[Kirby]

Re Anzac Day Medal:
If Checkers had just kicked one of those shots in the last Qr through for a behind, we win by a behind or two (safe to assume this, as the actual trajectory of the game would have been the same)
Checkers then wins the Anzac Day medal.

Not only that, the win would have stopped all the dummy spits from some of our posters who act like entitled children, abusing our players and writing off careers.

There are that many reactive nuffie posters on our board it’s sickening.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Only good moment

And Bobby's checkside pass to Billy on the run for the open goal was absolutely mercurial.....

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

I don't think we'll get anywhere near the level of last year. Our old blokes are faltering and not getting any younger. We don't have many coming through from the twos. The competition have worked out our strategies from last year and are preventing our run and gun game. We literally have the worst ball handling skills in the league. Even worse than North. What keeps us competitive is our team strategy and discipline. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

Maybe just a bit over the top....lol

 

[Mollythedolly]

It's going to be a long week.

 

[Axl the great]

I’d say what happened is you’ve rage-wanked yourself into a transcendent state of thickskulled dullness.

No I’ve observed the game and made an assessment.
Whether you agree or not Is up to you champ

 

[Doc1763]

It's going to be a long week.

just imagine if we'd lost!!

By the end of the season those 2 points will be very handy, especially if our percentage doesn't improve much, and the hand wringers will be saying 'gee, lucky we snagged those 2 points when we were smashed in the clearances by 17 and the contested ball by 20'

 

[KillerMagpies]

Feels like we’re in a strange spot ATM.

Last week’s win was a powerful statement against a rising side, where we smacked their precocious midfield.

This week we struggled, against a determined and well-coached team, yet still avoided a loss.

Our older players can’t seem to get going this season, playing in fits and starts. What is the coach to do? We haven’t lost a game in a month; we (amazingly) have had no injuries in that time; so there’s no call to make big changes and it’s difficult to find space for the fringe players or kids.

The Carlton game will be telling.

I’m still confident about our chances this year - our best (when we can produce it) is still exceptionally good.

We need fresh blood. And when he gets a chance, to make it count.

 

[KillerMagpies]

Yep killed at the coal face.
We need another extractor in there or we will struggle this year.


from my Delorean

Sullivan.

 

[JoinDate]

Spewin' we didn't win, was hoping to let Essington supporters know we have the bigger Cox.

 

[KillerMagpies]

Reef needs to spend the off season with a fitness drill instructor so that he can go through the midfield as well

Collingwood are doing this poorly. Either develop Reef as a key forward (which he isn’t) or as an AFL quality midfielder (tough, given he was a mediocre VFL mid).
No. This is going nowhere, fast.

 

[cakewalk_1]

Re Anzac Day Medal:
If Checkers had just kicked one of those shots in the last Qr through for a behind, we win by a behind or two (safe to assume this, as the actual trajectory of the game would have been the same)
Checkers then wins the Anzac Day medal.

Possibly.
However his set shots have been horrific, I don't understand why he rushed both kicks. 9/10 league players kick goals when they are 5 metres out on the boundary line.
The other 2 set shots where shockers.
We fumbled the ball way to often, Essendon were much cleaner.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Epic mark.

 

[JoinDate]

Not only that, the win would have stopped all the dummy spits from some of our posters who act like entitled children, abusing our players and writing off careers.

There are that many reactive nuffie posters on our board it’s sickening.

Some things never change.