Review Essendon defeat Footscray by 8 points

[Knight Ryders]

We've had a super soft draw and unfortunately the team isn't that young. Bit of a myth. Morris, murphy, Boyd, Minson, gia, picken, griff, Williams, cooney, Higgins. Plenty of experience. Just playing very poorly.

I was surprised you dropped Campbell or was he injured? Think he wasn't the worst last week....At least he provides a contest and an outlet kick deep into the forward line when under pressure.

 

[Tassieboy]

Griffen's still not quite fit, is he? When he's in full flight, he's one of the very best in the business.

OK Darce.

 

[Doss]

Yeah, don't understand the Melk hate either. Thought he was very good.

 

[Rack Watts]

Also, something I would like to point out, Zach Merrett's closing speed and tackling technique is amazeballs.
He also has heaps of confidence, went to pull off an amazing bullet pass into the forward line, just got cut off, but once he adjusts to the speed of the game, will be an absolute gem!

 

[rines]

As Doss said, game best forgotten. Which is exactly why I feel so flat, we had so many highlights last year, great fluency in our play, desperate defence and we played some good footy, good footy to watch too.. this year apart from Round 1 and the 3rd Quarter against the hawks.. it has been pretty scrappy and ugly to watch.

It's almost like everything feels laboured, no spirit, no creativity.. just plodding along...

Let's hope the plan works and we fire in the second half of the season.. all the key ingredients are there if we can get some form and flair back.

 

[Smokin]

They say winning ugly is a good thing hey

 

[rines]

Also, something I would like to point out, Zach Merrett's closing speed and tackling technique is amazeballs.
He also has heaps of confidence, went to pull off an amazing bullet pass into the forward line, just got cut off, but once he adjusts to the speed of the game, will be an absolute gem!

Yep, I've seen enough to think he has a bright future.

Is not in the best 22 yet, but going to be very handy I suspect from next year on..

Also love his attitude and endeavour.. very good!

 

[rines]

They say winning ugly is a good thing hey

It's better than losing ugly

 

[Halftimehero]

Yeah, don't understand the Melk hate either. Thought he was very good.

Did a number on Murphy

 

[fronkalicious]

I was surprised you dropped Campbell or was he injured? Think he wasn't the worst last week....At least he provides a contest and an outlet kick deep into the forward line when under pressure.

Campbell's a liability defensively. He's a genuine ruckman, not a key forward.

No real excuses for us I'm afraid.

 

[Rack Watts]

Also love his attitude and endeavour.. very good!

Yeah, that too, obviously needs some work on his cardio, faded out a bit at the end.
Runs like Sam Mitchell, has those little T-rex arms and his head pinned back at all times.
Here's hoping he's half as good.

 

[the PILL]

You can see our potency bubbling but at the game last night you can also see quite a bit of complacency... I can't put my finger on it...

 

[Doss]

he cracked it at Heppel in the first quarter too - they made a big deal of it on the TV broadcast

Was that after that stupid turnover where Heppell marked and then turned it over when he tried to handball it to the guy running past?

Because he bloody well deserved a bake for that. Millionaire party tricks like that are not what you do in the first quarter when you're only 18 points up. Even more so when you're 2-4.

 

[Rack Watts]

Tale of the tape:


Just going to put this right here.
Make of it what you will, but I know what you will make of it.

Also, for those giving Hooker shit about his disposal..... Just promise be a better person ASAP.



To put it simply, what a terrific effort last night by our defenders.
We have riches in the backline at the moment, Gleeson would get a go in most back linesn with his poise and silk coming off half back, but with these figures you just cannot fit him in. Fletcher was immense, timely spoiling, finding space, being the defensive general that we know he is, and you can see how much of it has rubbed off on Hooker(lolshush). Hurley was in prime form, doing exactly what everyone knows he's capable, reminded me of a hulkier Brian Lake last night.

Look, It sucks having to use someone like Carlisle as a forward when he could be an AA backman, but seriously with those mitts of his combined with the mitts of Daniher, they could be a very formidable forward 2. Let's give them time, who knows how dangerous Carlisle will be up forward in 2 months time? I'll tell you who knows, the experienced ones who have seen this shit in the past like Bomber Thompson. He wouldn't persist with it if he didn't have total confidence that it would work. Bomber will do what's best for the club, and if that's copping it for testing his own theories about players, then I am sure he's willing to take that. He's just looking at what he saw last year, trying people in different places and developing them long-term. He has done all this stuff before with Geelong in the early-2000's and we saw how that worked.
Knowing your squad and what it's capable of can only be a strength going forward.
Let the coaches weave their magic, I am sure we'll peak at a good time in the year, as opposed to flailing about for the final 8 rounds like usual due to Bomber's current approach.

 

[Dolner]

Go have another look at the game, Melky did some very solid things when the game was on the line, if you've played footy you'd have noticed them...So easy to be a critic, why not find something to applaud...

I was applauding him. I was replying to someones suggestion that he should be played on the outside more. I said we need him to be on the inside as he is a good ball winner and tagger. He hasn't been great this year but he's getting better and a fully functioning milkshake is exactly what we need in the middle.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Lets not analyze this game too much. Bottom line is we needed to win and we did.

 

[raskolnikov]

Ling on Game Day, "You can't buy experience. Goddard and Chapman were instrumental".

 

[Doss]

One other thing.

33k crowd. I don't care if crowds are down across the board, that is absolutely pathetic. Saturday night against a fellow Victorian team. We have record membership this year. What gives?

 

[eth-dog]

Ling on Game Day, "You can't buy experience. Goddard and Chapman were instrumental".

He didn't mean buying players with experience.

 

[Rack Watts]

Ling on Game Day, "You can't buy experience. Goddard and Chapman were instrumental".

Yeah, made me cringe.
I was like isn't that... exactly.. what.. we did?

 

[Rack Watts]

What gives?

I've let you down sensei D:

 

[rines]

One other thing.

33k crowd. I don't care if crowds are down across the board, that is absolutely pathetic. Saturday night against a fellow Victorian team. We have record membership this year. What gives?

People don't want to watch 0 goal quarters of scrappy, rolling maul crap.. and pay $100's for the privilege... food, drink, car parking all make it impossible for most families to go.

Also our 'record' membership includes a heap of non-match day members.. more than ever.

 

[Rack Watts]

People don't want to watch 0 goal quarters of scrappy, rolling maul crap.. and pay $100's for the privilege... food, drink, car parking all make it impossible for most families to go.

Well then, these fans don't do #whateverittakes

 

[Doss]

People don't want to watch 0 goal quarters of scrappy, rolling maul crap.. and pay $100's for the privilege... food, drink, car parking all make it impossible for most families to go.

Also our 'record' membership includes a heap of non-match day members.. more than ever.

It's still weak.

Hawks v Saints got 32k in pissing rain earlier yesterday.

 

[eth-dog]

33k is disgraceful for an Essendon home game