Autopsy Round 1, 2024: Hawks fail against Bombers

[Hawk88]

We still have a problem in the ruck IMO

Reeves got soundly destroyed by a 35 year old in 30 degree heat...like cmon

Wasnt great in the praccy game either but this can be forgiven given hardly anyone tries and was vs English

 

[bigmaxi]

No it didn’t come up at all which is surprising as I agree. Only explained why Chol was subbed off as he couldn’t run with cramp.

The press couldn't rustle up a relevant question if you paid them....oh wait they do get paid.

 

[BattlerGM]

Bad luck yesterday, you lot.

How do you see 2024 panning out? And seasons beyond that? FWIW, I see no reason why Essendon should be confident based on yesterday or previous years.

 

[eldorado]

Bad luck yesterday, you lot.

How do you see 2024 panning out?

It's a mystery bag still.

Upwards progression from last year, but how much remains to be seen...

 

[extractasam]

One of the most overrated footballer of the 21st century.

Debuted at the beginning of a dynasty.

Only 1 Coleman and 2 All Australian jumpers, both less than Jack Reiwoldt if you want a comparison.

Had so many head knocks that he talks crap half the time.

Not worth listening to IMO.

I agree with you that in the dynasty years he was overrated, people don’t realise he was barely goal a game from memory at one stage.

Late 2000’s J.Brown was a beast though. Maybe a few more AA’s if it weren’t for some of those horrific injuries

 

[Topiary]

"The crab" absolutely torched us today.

He had 33 touches and 619m gained, the clear most of everyone on the field. I thought BigFooty told me he was a sideways chip-scab? He ran off Watson every chance he could when he was on him.

Add to that Redman with 22 touches and 507m gained. And Martin with 25 touches and 529m gained.

Our forward line needs to work much harder to stop players like that free wheeling.

It was always an issue and remains an issue. Our forwards don’t have a defensive bone in their bodies. We are very easily run off. Dimma was supposed to help a little. No Cyril and Puopolo amongst this lot.

 

[Dewnior]

Chol is not fit.

Yep. And even blind Freddy can see it which is why I'm surprised we didn't have a plan in place for it.

Watto should have been sub and Finn should have started and gone straight to Zerrett.

The problem with Finn as sub is he's limited in the roles he can play which hinders the flexibility of the team. If there's no tagging role for Finn he shouldn't play.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

We still have a problem in the ruck IMO

Reeves got soundly destroyed by a 35 year old in 30 degree heat...like cmon

Wasnt great in the praccy game either but this can be forgiven given hardly anyone tries and was vs English

This is so overblown.

We're currently 5th in the comp for Hitout win %.
3rd in the comp for Hits to advantage.
2nd in the comp for Hits to advantage %.

He had more hits to advantage, the same amount of marks, more clearances, more contested possessions and 1 less disposal than the player that "destroyed" him.

The issue was with how we used the first possession, and how we failed to exit the centre bounce, not the ruckwork.

 

[DogDaySonny]

Perhaps i am wrong to call the detailed individual player feedback in this thread nitpicking, but nitpicking it is.

Our players did enough everywhere on the ground to win this game but kick straight at goals. The right forward pocket was a disaster zone. I think only Moore kicked one from there.

Kick straight and the Bombers were blown up. Kick like me… and this is the result.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Bad luck yesterday, you lot.

How do you see 2024 panning out? And seasons beyond that? FWIW, I see no reason why Essendon should be confident based on yesterday or previous years.

Your mob is so hard to gauge considering all the false dawns over the past 20 years.

If Ridley and Parish play the entire season I wouldn't be surprised to see you knocking on the door of the 8.

The consensus for us is that an extra win or two from last year's effort plus an improvement in overall percentage is a successful season.

No excuses in 2025 to not be expecting 10-13 wins as a realistic range though.

 

[burner1]

Our game plan and set up is largely all out attack.

At least common sense prevailed and we moved dimma back.

Up forward we may have to make an adjustment - the current group just not inclined to chase. Maybe butler has a chance, possibly bennetts or JOS. Even seamus worth a shot (was a fwd as a junior).

 

[cryptor]

This is so overblown.

We're currently 5th in the comp for Hitout win %.
3rd in the comp for Hits to advantage.
2nd in the comp for Hits to advantage %.

He had more hits to advantage, the same amount of marks, more clearances, more contested possessions and 1 less disposal than the player that "destroyed" him.

The issue was with how we used the first possession, and how we failed to exit the centre bounce, not the ruckwork.

I just listened to the post-game presser and Sam said their coaches box stats indicated that our mids were getting first hands on the ball at centre clearance more often but Essendon were ending up with the clearance. That points to our mids fumbling and/or turning it over before it's been cleared. I can believe it, our handballing yesterday was quite poor.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

If a time traveller told you prior to the game that Sicily, Newk and Lewis would have their worst games in memory, that we’d get smacked in the middle but we’d be +7 inside 50’s and have 28 scoring shots you’d more than likely say “that’s some real progress on last year! We must have won??”.

The negativity in here seems to have completely overlooked the silver lining in yesterday’s showing.
Being able to transition through the ground and getting a high number of shots on goal while not having it our own way in the middle or from our best players is a big plus.

Sicily was BoG in all of our upset wins last season bar one – where it was Nuke. Putting in a decent showing without relying on one of our two best players playing a heroic game is a clear step forward for the boys.

 

[Topiary]

Perhaps i am wrong to call the detailed individual player feedback in this thread nitpicking, but nitpicking it is.

Our players did enough everywhere on the ground to win this game but kick straight at goals. The right forward pocket was a disaster zone. I think only Moore kicked one from there.

Kick straight and the Bombers were blown up. Kick like me… and this is the result.

But there were many aspects of the game that we were disappointing in:
Conditioning. Chol was disappointing. We ran out of legs. At least Weddle kept going. I hope we get better as the season goes on. Appears that Burge has adjusted our output.
Midfield form of Newcombe and Nash
Lack of defensive run.
Lack of defensive pressure all over the ground. Essendon were just allowed to run far too easily.
Early season ball handling, particularly by mids was poor.

The good news, most issues we can get better at.

 

[Manila_Hawk]

I was quite happy with the effort until 3/4 time. Feeling chuffed. Ginni, Mass and Chol did very well. I could see a rainbow.

But the last quarter... Wow... The Druggies just walked it out of the centre every single time.

Very dispiriting.

 

[Topiary]

I was quite happy with the effort until 3/4 time. Feeling chuffed. Ginni, Mass and Chol did very well. I could see a rainbow.

But the last quarter... Wow... The Druggies just walked it out if the centre every single time.

Very dispiriting.

Forgot Mass, he was very good.

 

[Brishawk]

Also Merrett has 31. No opponent. Serious?

Our mids were unaccountable and worpel in particular looked slow out there. Miss day and his class and lesdership.

I also dont understand why all our mids run at the player with the ball and attempt to tackle together leaving 3-4 of theirs outside the contest. We arent good enough/big enough to bring them down quickly so its easy for them to dump it out to a team mate. Kills us routinely it hard to fathom why we persist doing it.

 

[Brishawk]

Going to delete this one from the memory bank. Very frustrating loss to a team that looks like bottom 4-6.

 

[DogDaySonny]

But there were many aspects of the game that we were disappointing in:
Conditioning. Chol was disappointing. We ran out of legs. At least Weddle kept going. I hope we get better as the season goes on. Appears that Burge has adjusted our output.
Midfield form of Newcombe and Nash
Lack of defensive run.
Lack of defensive pressure all over the ground. Essendon were just allowed to run far too easily.
Early season ball handling, particularly by mids was poor.

The good news, most issues we can get better at.

I agree 100% and I was commenting much the same during the game. I guess I just want to emphasise that despite all that, the game was there to be won. For most of the game, until he final quarter, we had more behinds than Essendon had scoring shots.

From midway through the first until halftime the feeling was strong that if we just kicked three or four straight then the Bombers would break and we’d run out with it. But then in the third the misses continued and you could sense the moment had passed. We had let them escape the noose and we wouldn’t get them back in it. And then about five minutes into the fourth you could see our players unfortunately felt the same.

 

[eldorado]

Conditioning. Chol was disappointing.

It will take more than one preseason with Chol.

He was huffing and puffing and hunched over a lot this preseason...not at the same level as the others.

 

[HedgeFund]

One of the most overrated footballer of the 21st century.

Debuted at the beginning of a dynasty.

Only 1 Coleman and 2 All Australian jumpers, both less than Jack Reiwoldt if you want a comparison.

Had so many head knocks that he talks crap half the time.

Not worth listening to IMO.

Only 1 Coleman. Righto.

Might be due to him playing CHF whilst Bradshaw and Lynch played deep and kicked more of their goals.

Tell me - is Roughy overrated?

…..because he only won 1 x Coleman and 2 x All Australians as well

 

[HedgeFund]

It's a mystery bag still.

Upwards progression from last year, but how much remains to be seen...

Agreed.

There should be incremental improvement.

Losses shouldn’t be blow outs and perhaps an extra win or two above last season.

Yesterday we showed a great deal more than the corresponding fixture in 2023.

 

[DeafHawk]

It will take more than one preseason with Chol.

He was huffing and puffing and hunched over a lot this preseason...not at the same level as the others.

Should have Ramden on the sub

 

[Topiary]

It will take more than one preseason with Chol.

He was huffing and puffing and hunched over a lot this preseason...not at the same level as the others.

I hope he gets there.

 

[burner1]

The conditioning was a wierd one. The general consensus pre season was our sides biggest strength was our running power. Weddle kept going but midfield largely stopped.

Re Chol. He’s 27 and been in afl system for years. Is his tank really that fixable? (Or it he like DGB, just doesn’t really have one?)