Round 1 preview: Essendon

[Crow-mo]

IMO Chris Knights and Richard Douglas have had better pre season form in the trial games and should be reward for it.

I don’t think last years form should come into it as now we need to concentrate on the 2007 campaign, 2006 is long gone.

c'mon, at least try and be serious.

 

[Crow-mo]

If you start giving players like Mathew Bode a free ride into the side for round one; that is when the club is starting to accept mediocrity.

lay off the drummond pills.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Ah but see they are not 2 players that offer equal service. Just because you and others assume that, it doesn't make it true

EDIT: And if Matthew Bode does miss out, it won't be for Knights or Douglas, it will be for Porplyzia because they are the 2 players that do have a similar role in the side.

Only way Porps will not play is if he's injured....... IMO any of Douglas, Knights or Porplyzia offers Craig more attacking options and as great defensively as Bode is the others are better.

BTW I also think that 2006 form will see Shirley get the nod ...so on some occasions last seasons forms provides brownie points but not on all occasions.

Great to see Mattner back on a wing ...and Reilly at HFF? ...will they in fact line up anything like that. I'd suggest Griffin will start up forward to start the game as per Port game. With Michael and spider legs in the defence for Essendon on paper AP we're too short

 

[snakebite01]

Shirley may miss, you never know. Personally I'd have him in our best 18 every week but seriously who are we going to run with in the Essendon midfield? They have noone dangerous enough that's worth tagging.

May be a horses for courses thing. Similar to when Bock was dropped against Bulldogs 2 years ago despite being in excellent form, purely because there was no match-up for him.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Shirley may miss, you never know. Personally I'd have him in our best 18 every week but seriously who are we going to run with in the Essendon midfield? They have noone dangerous enough that's worth tagging.

May be a horses for courses thing. Similar to when Bock was dropped against Bulldogs 2 years ago despite being in excellent form, purely because there was no match-up for him.

Lets put it this way,

Shirley got wheeled out by the club to front the media throughout this week and talk about his 100th AFL game and you think the club wouldn't pick him if he is fit?!

If they thought he wouldn't be picked, he wouldn't have been the one that was choosen to front the media. It would have been someone else like Griffin who will be making his debut.

 

[Cap]

Shirley will play

no doubt about it (see stiffys post !)

i think it is really only going to between Porps Knights and Douglas for a spot

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

haha we have gone from arguing that Shirley will make it 200 games to in the next thread saying he may get dropped for his 100th game.

This is why he will never make it to 200 because he doesnt demand a spot in the side, anmd as soon as we have a rough trot and he has a bad patch he will be out on his arse. maybe unfair but its true.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Shirley will play

no doubt about it (see stiffys post !)

i think it is really only going to between Porps Knights and Douglas for a spot

Knights better play, otherwise it will get my dream team off to a shocking start.

It would be pretty harsh on him after such a stellar pre season.

 

[crowsarethebest]

haha we have gone from arguing that Shirley will make it 200 games to in the next thread saying he may get dropped for his 100th game.

This is why he will never make it to 200 because he doesnt demand a spot in the side, anmd as soon as we have a rough trot and he has a bad patch he will be out on his arse. maybe unfair but its true.

Agreed. He's a good solid AFL player. But soon he'll probably be out of the side, taken over. At the moment we haven't got anyone to take over from him, maybe just VB.

 

[RoosterLad]

Ahh so we have now found the source of this underlying hatred of the B-Man.

Well that was the Easter game wasn't it? When X-FACTOR!!!!!!!!! snapped a freak goal at the 30 minute mark of the final term to give the Eagles a win over Norwood. I can see why Drummond hates Mr Weekend.

 

[RoosterLad]

Shirley will play, Bode will play, I expect Knights to play also. The End.

 

[maccas_no1]

If you start giving players like Mathew Bode a free ride into the side for round one; that is when the club is starting to accept mediocrity.

What incentive is it for player like Richard Douglas and Chris Knights to produce good form in the pre season when they know a player will get selected for only having one or two good quarters?

I am not saying Mathew Bode has had a bad pre season but Richard Douglas and Chris Knights have had far superior ones.

Ian Perrie not mediocre???? If Hentschel or Riccuito werent injuried there is no way Perrie would be in the side. Bode is one of our better small crumbing forwards, our forwardline is very weak as it is Douglas or Knights arent going to make it any better with little experience,a lso they are both more mid feild type players rather than forwards.

 

[Alex99]

Ian Perrie not mediocre???? If Hentschel or Riccuito werent injuried there is no way Perrie would be in the side. Bode is one of our better small crumbing forwards, our forwardline is very weak as it is Douglas or Knights arent going to make it any better with little experience,a lso they are both more mid feild type players rather than forwards.

What a surprise you make a comment on one of my posts.

 

[maccas_no1]

What a surprise

Whats a surprise

 

[maccas_no1]

What a surprise you make a comment on one of my posts.

Its a footy forum isnt it?????

 

[Crow-mo]

Shirley will play, Bode will play, I expect Knights to play also. The End.

Word.

 

[SIR SAINT HOTDOG]

How has Brett Burton's pre-season been? Has he been restricted by injury?

 

[fightingdreamer88]

Knights better play, otherwise it will get my dream team off to a shocking start.

It would be pretty harsh on him after such a stellar pre season.

I know!!!

My Dream Team has Knightsy as Captain simply because he gets so many possies, he is an absolute freaking BARGAIN!!!

 

[fightingdreamer88]

Well that was the Easter game wasn't it? When X-FACTOR!!!!!!!!! snapped a freak goal at the 30 minute mark of the final term to give the Eagles a win over Norwood. I can see why Drummond hates Mr Weekend.

That was just awesome, I remember that XD!!

That's what I mean, he's got that....well whatever you want to call it, flukeyness, freakish ability to do that sort of thing. He's gotta get in there in our pressure games eventually, we need a game-breaker!!

 

[betterthanu]

I know!!!

My Dream Team has Knightsy as Captain simply because he gets so many possies, he is an absolute freaking BARGAIN!!!

you captain is a player 3rd year player who wont play every game and only get limited game time. i hope ur in the crows league cos thats one less team i gotta worry bout.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Ian Perrie not mediocre???? If Hentschel or Riccuito werent injuried there is no way Perrie would be in the side. Bode is one of our better small crumbing forwards, our forwardline is very weak as it is Douglas or Knights arent going to make it any better with little experience,a lso they are both more mid feild type players rather than forwards.

Really? I could have sworn Perrie was in our side until he got injured last year...

 

[Southerntakeover]

If you start giving players like Mathew Bode a free ride into the side for round one; that is when the club is starting to accept mediocrity.

What incentive is it for player like Richard Douglas and Chris Knights to produce good form in the pre season when they know a player will get selected for only having one or two good quarters?

I am not saying Mathew Bode has had a bad pre season but Richard Douglas and Chris Knights have had far superior ones.

Ok, enough people have pointed just some of the flaws in this... im not sure i need to.

 

[maccas_no1]

Really? I could have sworn Perrie was in our side until he got injured last year...

So if Hentschel and Riccuito had of been availablke this week you would have picked Perrie over both of them???? I think not.

 

[Crow-mo]

So if Hentschel and Riccuito had of been availablke this week you would have picked Perrie over both of them???? I think not.

you're partly right

 

[maccas_no1]

you're partly right

What amazes me is people on this board continually thinks pre-season form or because a player is a high draft pick automatically makes them a walk up start over a proven AFL player.

In the Perrie situation as I said if Hentschel or Roo were fit he would not be in the side, his pre-season form has not warranted his inclusion, what has warranted his inclusion is injuries.

Burton/Welsh are going to have to fire with all guns blazing on Sunday, Bodes inclusion will be important as he can win the ball at ground level, I also hope to see Welsh starting winning the ball more at ground level as he can be very dangerous doing that around the stoppages in the F50.