Review Round 8, 2015 - Essendon vs Brisbane Lions

[Ironmonger]

I have always found Essendon supporters to be the blindest watching games of footy.

Every contest is a free kick for them and really don't appear to understand the game at all.

I know a lot of Essendon supporters who are smart about the game and really switched on, so don't take this generalised view as gospel.

Yeah, the crowd reactions at Essendon games are always a bit distinctive.

Booing the final siren when we beat them in 2013 was a pretty average response. Yesterday the repeated Bronx cheering of freekicks that annoyed me. I mean, if you're ironically cheering for the twelfth time in fifteen minutes, at some point wouldn't you realise it was time to stop?

But as you say, I know some very insightful Essendon fans. It's probably just a crowd thing. There might be some frustration about how their plans for global domination after 2000 (Manchester United of the AFL, they wanted to be) didn't quite pan out.

 

[carnthemlions]

Was a weird feeling for me after the game, we lost, over run in the second half, but after a big 2 weeks we were due a let down.

If I was an Essendon supporter I would be concerned about the importance of Cooney, and Chapman to their success moving forward.

Fletcher is eligable to play 400 games this week, but honestly, they can't play him against top sides. As amazing as an effort it is for him to be still playing, he doesn't look AFL standard anymore to me.

They looked cleaner than us, and they will win more games than us this year, but longer term (Taking away the WADA issues) I am a lot more coy about our future prospects then Essendon's.

They thought they were topping up for a premiership, but they're nowhere near it. Cooney and Chapman are bit-part players in that side, their roles could easily have been given to younger players. I understand the sentimental value of getting Fletcher to 400 games, but you can't afford to carry a 40 year old for that reason alone. Not sure what sort of message that sends to the rest of the team. Watson really does look like a shadow of his former self as well.

 

[lukiuslion]

Yep, out muscled, definitely. Not so much outclassed in my opinion.

There was a 15 minute period of holding the ball calls (and non calls of course ) in the 3rd quarter - after that it was as if we lost confidence in playing on and either looked backwards for a player who was under more pressure or aimlessly kicked it long. During that period we conceded 6 goals which was pretty much game over.

The Essendon defence has some very good, experienced players in it and they all have the confidence to go for their marks, compared to our kids:

Hurley 9 marks
Hooker 9 marks
Baguley 9 marks
Hibberd 6 marks

Paparone 6 marks
Clarke 4 marks
Gardiner 4 marks
Andrews 2 marks

When comparing the above, their defenders average 26.5 years, ours only 19.5 years

Our defenders are doing very well for mine

Yeah true - I suppose it wasn't 'pure class' on the behalf. We were getting far more ball than them in the first 45 minutes of play, but all they would need was one passage to goal and you just knew a scoring shot was coming. A mate I was with who doesen't follow either team said - "Just scan your eyes around the oval, you guys are so much smaller than them", they are a particularly big team. As mentioned, I like our effort, and I think we play like we did in the first half againts the Saints and we go in at half time 36 points up.

 

[Viceregal]

Watson really does look like a shadow of his former self as well.

Are their any photos on Watson pre-Dank then Dank, and then post-Dank ... just for comparison purposes of course ... ie is his current 'shadow' back to what he always was before?

 

[Viceregal]

On the bus this morning the guys who talk footy with me since I had a chat with a Lion's supporter a couple of weeks back were both bagging the Lions out - apparently the fact that we won the last two games meant were were able to complete for the premiership and any comments re relative experience, age, size, strength, or skill were merely excuses ... took half the trip to gain grudging acknowledgement that ok they were legitimate factors and even then I had to make some league comparisons before they got it... *sigh* ... well at least we were talking about it rather than nothing...

 

[knaf]

Are their any photos on Watson pre-Dank then Dank, and then post-Dank ... just for comparison purposes of course ... ie is his current 'shadow' back to what he always was before?

I have to say a similar thought crossed my mind when watching the game. Particularly this year Watson doesn't seem to have the strength he had two years ago. not saying it is Dank related, just interesting.

 

[Panthera]

Yeah true - I suppose it wasn't 'pure class' on the behalf. We were getting far more ball than them in the first 45 minutes of play, but all they would need was one passage to goal and you just knew a scoring shot was coming. A mate I was with who doesen't follow either team said - "Just scan your eyes around the oval, you guys are so much smaller than them", they are a particularly big team. As mentioned, I like our effort, and I think we play like we did in the first half againts the Saints and we go in at half time 36 points up.

And it just seemed to occur over 18 months...not sure how it happened so swiftly

 

[lukiuslion]

And it just seemed to occur over 18 months...not sure how it happened so swiftly

haha - I actually didn't intend to imply that. But yes it raises questions. More than anything though, they are at the peak of their cycle, they are the 4th oldest team in the AFL and Howlett, Hibbered, Watson, etc are all big units with tree trunk legs, we actually don't have one player on our entire list built like anyone of 5 of their better players. Powerful units.

 

[Panthera]

haha - I actually didn't intend to imply that. But yes it raises questions. More than anything though, they are at the peak of their cycle, they are the 4th oldest team in the AFL and Howlett, Hibbered, Watson, etc are all big units with tree trunk legs, we actually don't have one player on our entire list built like anyone of 5 of their better players. Powerful units.

Yes you did (and that's totally fine)

 

[lukiuslion]

Just heard Froggy say that we decided at half time to slow it down because we wouldn't win the game that way. Well IMO - that decision has our papers stamped before we run out for the third 1/4. Essendon are a mentally fragile team and all it would have taken was a couple of sneaky goals and I reckon hey might have got a bit gittery. I think that the notion of not being able to go with the Dons in a shoot out is 'correct' - however, Leppa should have just encouraged they keep running, keep attaching, keep getting the ball out the back.. You tell a young team, who were playing really solid attacking football to stop what they are doing, slow the game down and try and manufacture a win like that, when we have no forward line, is just not the correct decision. Disappointed, I don't think we would have won, but that shift in mind state clearly left us in the wrong frame of mind - would have loved to watch another 60 minutes of attacking footy, even if we got flogged in the end.

 

[lukiuslion]

Yes you did (and that's totally fine)

I swear i'm not implying anything. Danks for the green light though.

 

[Panthera]

I sweat i'm not implying anything. Danks for the green light though.

Don't mention it. WADA friends for

 

[jonnobackpocket]

Just heard Froggy say that we decided at half time to slow it down because we wouldn't win the game that way. Well IMO - that decision has our papers stamped before we run out for the third 1/4. Essendon are a mentally fragile team and all it would have taken was a couple of sneaky goals and I reckon hey might have got a bit gittery. I think that the notion of not being able to go with the Dons in a shoot out is 'correct' - however, Leppa should have just encouraged they keep running, keep attaching, keep getting the ball out the back.. You tell a young team, who were playing really solid attacking football to stop what they are doing, slow the game down and try and manufacture a win like that, when we have no forward line, is just not the correct decision. Disappointed, I don't think we would have won, but that shift in mind state clearly left us in the wrong frame of mind - would have loved to watch another 60 minutes of attacking footy, even if we got flogged in the end.

I agree mate it wasn't broken why fix it? Sometimes needs to be flexibility in the coaches box too. By slowing it down it gave Ess time to get back and structure up and take intercept marks(shitloads of them!),reckon that's why Green went out of the game. That chaotic play on style was working and you need Elite kicks to pull off the chip chip stuff.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Just heard Froggy say that we decided at half time to slow it down because we wouldn't win the game that way.

Yeah, that was the common theme from the interviewees at the after-match, too. I thought the problem wasn't the speed at which we were playing, but the aimless bombing of the ball into the forward line which played right into the hands of Hurley, Hooker, et al. Smarter entries to a less-static forward line was the way to go, not slowing down the play, imo.

 

[lukiuslion]

I agree mate it wasn't broken why fix it? Sometimes needs to be flexibility in the coaches box too. By slowing it down it gave Ess time to get back and structure up and take intercept marks(shitloads of them!),reckon that's why Green went out of the game. That chaotic play on style was working and you need Elite kicks to pull off the chip chip stuff.

Yeah - I reckon we were beating them around the ground in the first half, using smart hand balls our of congestion and getting plenty of run and zip on the over lap - we seemed to be generally confident too. as I said, I don't think we would have won either way, but I would have preferred we kept attacking. I thought we just lost confidence in general after half time, but now i have heard it was a directive, it makes sense. One thing I know, even from the Voss days, is our group don't seem to like to be told not to attack, we love throwing parties through the middle of the ground. Leppa has talked about wanting us to be able to control the tempo of the game, and that it is something we lack, knowing when to possess and when to attack - maybe he throw down the challenge or the directive was more for development, either way I fail to see the logic behind it especially as we were playing so well .

 

[jackess]

Just heard Froggy say that we decided at half time to slow it down because we wouldn't win the game that way. Well IMO - that decision has our papers stamped before we run out for the third 1/4. Essendon are a mentally fragile team and all it would have taken was a couple of sneaky goals and I reckon hey might have got a bit gittery. I think that the notion of not being able to go with the Dons in a shoot out is 'correct' - however, Leppa should have just encouraged they keep running, keep attaching, keep getting the ball out the back.. You tell a young team, who were playing really solid attacking football to stop what they are doing, slow the game down and try and manufacture a win like that, when we have no forward line, is just not the correct decision. Disappointed, I don't think we would have won, but that shift in mind state clearly left us in the wrong frame of mind - would have loved to watch another 60 minutes of attacking footy, even if we got flogged in the end.

I think he may have misspoke. I think it's more we needed to slow their momentum. He was right we weren't going to win a shootout. If we could have won the ball back from them we might have been a chance but we were always going to struggle keeping up our pace of the first half once the Bombers starting applying pressure on us.

 

[lionbear]

haha - I actually didn't intend to imply that. But yes it raises questions. More than anything though, they are at the peak of their cycle, they are the 4th oldest team in the AFL and Howlett, Hibbered, Watson, etc are all big units with tree trunk legs, we actually don't have one player on our entire list built like anyone of 5 of their better players. Powerful units.

Its pretty hard to say anything about the Bombers without it coming back to that, until the ???? are cleared up, this will happen, weather what happened was legal or not.

And when I say cleared up I mean actually finding out what happened, not this insufficient evidence stuff.

 

[lionbear]

Yeah, the crowd reactions at Essendon games are always a bit distinctive.

Booing the final siren when we beat them in 2013 was a pretty average response. Yesterday the repeated Bronx cheering of freekicks that annoyed me. I mean, if you're ironically cheering for the twelfth time in fifteen minutes, at some point wouldn't you realise it was time to stop?

But as you say, I know some very insightful Essendon fans. It's probably just a crowd thing. There might be some frustration about how their plans for global domination after 2000 (Manchester United of the AFL, they wanted to be) didn't quite pan out.

Only once in the 20 years I have gone to Essendon games I have seen them actually not carry on like gooses.

2004 when Browny gave them an absolute smashing, even them that night just sat their and said we are watching one of the best solo performances of all time.

 

[Caiphus]

In respect to Gardiner, I think it was Carlisle trying to get one back on him after last year and he didn't do much different to what he usually does. Give him some more size, strength and experience and he won't have his colours lowered too often.

We were more than anything lucky to stay in touch in the second quarter because it was quite obvious then the momentum had swung towards Essendon, we just had enough fingers for the holes in the dikes at that stage. By the second half there were just too many leaks.

 

[jjami15]

In respect to Gardiner, I think it was Carlisle trying to get one back on him after last year and he didn't do much different to what he usually does. Give him some more size, strength and experience and he won't have his colours lowered too often.

We were more than anything lucky to stay in touch in the second quarter because it was quite obvious then the momentum had swung towards Essendon, we just had enough fingers for the holes in the dikes at that stage. By the second half there were just too many leaks.

Was lucky enough to be down in Melbourne for the weekend and from the outset he really got stuck into Gardiner and also Andrews at the very start, but that's football in my eyes, using that physicality to impact mentally on your opponent.

Just to add if anyone from interstate goes down and Fitzroy is playing Brunswick St Oval I highly recommend it to make the effort to get down and watch, was almost the highlight to my weekend, plus the won.

 

[jackess]

Daniher fined $1500 for punching Bundy in the back of the head in that marking contest.

 

[a mayes ing]

Daniher fined $1500 for punching Bundy in the back of the head in that marking contest.

Looked exactly like when Yeo wacked that opposition player and he got a week for it.

 

[Lionheart182]

Daniher fined $1500 for punching Bundy in the back of the head in that marking contest.

Essendon fans booed that 50 as well. I have a few Essendon supporting mates so have always had less disdain than many for them but the crowd yesterday were completely clueless.

 

[patfullfankezz]

But the Essendon boys are already SO hard done by, you CAN'T blame them for lashing out, it's NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and I think I just blew my sarcasm quota for the rest of the year)

 

[If it bleeds]

Hi all,
First time poster, long time bf tragic.
Was lucky enough to go into the "cage" pre match to see the boys.
Met the legendary Zoblitz, along with other sponsor player members. Sam lord was a true gentle and host. Great bloke.
Some worthy conversations He said that reddo had scans on back and has small fractures on vertebrae. Not that bad but will be back after bye.
The smell of footy change rooms, the yelling, bumping and high fives sends chills down ya spine. Great experience. Boys seemed to be on song( at least for a half!)
I thought the match was a perfect example of "riding the wave" good times, bad times. I think Leppa stated that 16goals was from turnovers. That was the game: losing momentum, not holding on to the ball,not taking chances.
Finally after match gathering was great. Good to see and talk to most of the boys. ( and other lions members)
While walking back out of Etihad, dizzy and Leppa were walking out too. Mentioned to dizzy I got no clue what the interpretation of holding the ball rule was now. And felt sorry for Harris after copping head whack/ chopping arms and gets done for htb. Before dizzy replied, Leppa replied...... "Yeah ... Hmmm." In that confused tone of voice. I'm guessing taking the politically correct response.
Remomerable moments: squizzy's hand shake( grips like hulk hogan) aish's beanie( wtf?) Harris is massive, browny poster sold at auction decided to fall down and person with clip board holding it up.