VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,477
- 35,251
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Other Teams
- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
- Moderator
- #1
ESSENDON BOMBERS: $1.25
BRISBANE LIONS: $4.10
TOP 3 SUPERCOACH SCORERS FROM ROUND 7:
ESSENDON: Heppell (121), Goddard (114), Hurley (113)
BRISBANE: Beams (141), Rich (122), Robinson (106)
ESSENDON 12.10 82 def. by NORTH MELBOURNE 13.15 93
Etihad Stadium - Crowd 43,972
BESTS: Hurley, Heppell, Goddard, Ambrose, Watson
GOALS: Colyer, Watson, Ambrose 2, Heppell, Goddard, Daniher, Bellchambers, Melksham, J. Merrett
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BRISBANE 15.12 102 def. PORT ADELAIDE 8.17 65
GABBA- Crowd 15,957
BESTS: Rich, D. Beams, Robinson, Taylor, Martin
GOALS: Green, Robinson 3, Christiensen 2, Taylor, Rich, McStay, Leuenberger, Lester, D. Beams, Adcock
ESSENDON BOMBERS:
COACH: James Hird
FB: Michael Hibberd - Cale Hooker - Mark Baguley
HB: Michael Hurley - Dustin Fletcher - Martin Gleeson
C: Brent Stanton - Jobe Watson (C) - Adam Cooney
HF: Jackson Merrett - Patrick Ambrose - Dyson Heppell
F: Zach Merrett - Jake Carlisle - Joe Daniher
R: Tom Bellchambers - Brendon Goddard - Jake Melksham
INT: Travis Colyer - Courtenay Dempsey - Ben Howlett - Paul Chapman
EMG: Shaun McKernan - Shaun Edwards - Orazio Fantasia
IN: Chapman, Cooney, Carlisle
OUT: Ashby (Shoulder), Langford (Quad), McKernan (Bullshit)
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BRISBANE LIONS:
COACH: Justin Leppitsch
FB: Darcy Gardiner - Justin Clarke - Jed Adcock
HB: James Aish - Marco Paparone - Harris Andrews
C: Lewis Taylor - Dayne Beams - Daniel Rich
HF: Dayne Zorko - Daniel McStay - Allen Christensen
F: Josh Green - Matthew Leuenberger - Mitch Robinson
R: Stefan Martin - Tom Rockliff (C) - Jack Redden
INT: Claye Beams - Nick Robertson - Liam Dawson - Ryan Lester
EMG: Ryan Harwood - Rohan Bewick - Mitch Golby
IN: C. Beams, Dawson
OUT: Golby (Omit), Cutler (Ankle)
NEW: Liam Dawson (#24, Brisbane Lions Academy)
An absolute wealth of experience comes back in for the Bombers this week, with some youngsters suffering through injury and the saviour suffering through absolute horseshit. Paul Chapman returns from a hamstring injury, as does 2008 Brownlow Medalist, Adam Cooney. Big Buckets Carlisle is back after being a late withdrawal against North, and will be looking to make an impact after a substandard beginning to the season. The Bombers have sorely missed Cooney's speed around the contest and Chapman's smarts around the ball, plus another tall target up forward who can actually take a mark will be a great asset. Jason Ashby is out with a small shoulder injury, while Kyle Langford suffered a couple of massive hits last week and has soreness in his quad. The saviour, Shaun McKernan, has been absolutely screwed and I'm not happy.
Mitch Golby has been dropped by the Lions after their brilliant win last week, while Tom Cutler has a minor ankle injury. Claye Beams makes his return to the senior line-up, while the new number 24 at Brisbane, Liam Dawson, makes his debut down in Melbourne.
ESSENDON BOMBERS - #44 - SHAUN McKERNAN
I know he isn't playing, but #standbysmack
ESSENDON BOMBERS - #13 - ADAM COONEY
Essendon have sorely missed Coons. His pace and laser-like disposal quickly became an integral part of the Essendon gameplan, and since his being subbed out in the Round 4 win against Carlton with a hamstring injury, we have looked sloppy with our deliveries into the forward 50. They've floated over our forward's heads, they've fallen short, and they've left 201cm Joe Daniher tripping over his own feet or trying to pluck them over blokes who are almost as big as him. Cooney's major weapon is his accuracy by foot, closely followed by his game-breaking pace, two elements which we desperately need against a Brisbane midfield that is only just starting to gel together.
BRISBANE LIONS - #9 - DAYNE BEAMS
The magpie import has been solid since making the move back home at the end of last season, and has quickly become a key to Brisbane's midfield - Which was pretty damn good already. Beams will more than likely be the main target of Essendon's makeshift tagger in Jake Melksham, who looks more than suited to running with him. A hard-nosed midfielder who has plenty of strength around the packs and the ability to win the contested footy, he often finds himself pushing forward as a dangerous ground level attacking option. One to be very wary of.
BRISBANE LIONS - #6 - JOSH GREEN
Josh Green sent some scares through the Essendon camp in this corresponding fixture last year, with a three goal performance that had many on this board biting their fingernails. It could have been four if not for a brilliant Dempsey tackle. Green is one of three Brisbane small forwards who, if not left checked, run riot and carve through some of the lesser defences in the league. This in mind, Mark Baguley is in career best form and just gets the job done on small forwards every single week. The headband sporting #12 in red and black will more than likely be looking to put some fresh bruises on the ginger #6 from Brisbane. Not because he's ginger, but because he... Well maybe because he's ginger.
It was an extraordinarily frustrating spectacle last Friday night at Etihad. A crowd left fuming after some clear umpiring bias created a great but hostile atmosphere, and the red and black hate directed towards Lindsay "Duck Risotto" Thomas intensified to a fever-pitch state. The North Melbourne small forward ducked and dove for any possible free kick, and sadly, the umpires assigned to the match paid them. All Essendon fans, members, and staff were clearly unhappy with the officiating, but can we say anything? Of course not. Nut up and deal with it. It will probably happen again this week.
In a much more positive aspect, Essendon appeared to have a bit more liveliness to their game last week in a break from the somewhat flaccid performances that had preceded. The Bombers moved the ball better out of defence, and with the addition of Shaun McKernan into the ruck, saw an improved tap effort against Todd Goldstein; an admirable effort considering how good the North big man is. The distinct problem for Essendon lies in the contested ball; they are currently 18th in the league at the contest, and the lack of big bodies in the middle (notably David Myers and Heath Hocking) is severely impacting Essendon's clearance work. Heppell and Watson are brilliant around the ground, but seeing every center bounce cleared to the opposite end of the ground is horrendously frustrating.
Brisbane, on the other hand, played a brilliant game last week against the Power, who are really struggling to hold up the weight of expectation they placed on themselves last year. Brisbane's win was set up in the second quarter with a six-goal burst basically sealing their win before Port could even get going. Magpie import Dayne Beams was dominant with 32 touches and a goal, whilst the gingers up forward, Josh Green and Mitch Robinson, were livewires up front with 3 goals each. The Lions are now off the bottom (f*ck Carlton), and are playing with a belief that they can match it with the supposed best the league has.
It's Essendon's job to put them back in their holes.
ROUND 8, 2014
GABBA
Crowd - 26,432
ESSENDON BOMBERS 9.11 65
def.
BRISBANE LIONS 8.9 57
ESSENDON BEST: Watson, Ryder, Heppell
ESSENDON GOALS: Z. Merrett 2, Goddard, Watson, Ryder, Zaharakis, Carlisle, J. Merrett, Daniher
BRISBANE BEST: Rockliff, Redden, Zorko
BRISBANE GOALS: Green 3, Brown, Merrett, Zorko, Paine, Paparone
CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Zaharakis, Ryder, Hocking, Aylett
ESSENDON INS: Cooney, Colyer, Bellchambers, Howlett
BRISBANE OUTS: Hanley, Mayes, Patfull, Raines, Paine, Cutler, Brown, Merrett, West, Maguire
BRISBANE INS: Andrews, D. Beams, Rich, McStay, Christensen, Leuenberger, Robinson, Martin, C. Beams, Dawson
TV: FOXFOOTY (LIVE at 1.00PM), also LIVE on FOXTEL for T-BOX and XBOX360
RADIO: Triple M, 3AW
We have a horrible habit of playing terribly against teams that are far below our level. I hate to think that this is one of those times, but I won't shy away from the fact that we really struggle against the Lions. This will be a slugfest, and if our recent form is anything to go by, we may just find ourselves behind a fair few times. That being said, we are still miles away from Brisbane's level, and although they played well last week, you can't help but think it was above themselves. Essendon should win without going to top gear.
Essendon by 42.
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