Preview Round 7: Geelong vs Essendon, MCG, Sunday 05/05/19, 3:20 PM aka "The Country Game"

[DapperDon]

ANZAC showed we are (again) pretenders IMO. Collingwod should've put the game to bed in the first half. And when the game was up for grabs in the last our players were all sucked into the contest and abandoned structure.

We "almost" stole it. We're the most dangerous side outside the top 8. We got it together at the end of the year. We'll be better for the experience.

We haven't learnt a thing.

I've been fairly pessimistic this season, but this is just silly.

If you didn't take anything good from the 3 quarters after the car crash 1st then you weren't looking.

Probably the most physical game we've had in years where we didn't roll over and get beat by 10 goals plus, we still have holes in the list and our style isn't quite top notch but there were plenty of positives to take from this game.

 

[ghostdog]

Pretenders? Are you serious? Daniher’s second game back, guys like Ridley and Redman first big game, Raz our, playing possibly best team in comp. Outscored then by 5 goals last two and a half quarters.

It's harsh but I agree that we're still pretenders. If we'd won we're the real deal. This season all of our wins, bar Brisbane who still have a bit to prove, have been against teams below us on the ladder and we got easily beaten by GWS and Saints, above us. Beat Geelong, the reigning premiers and a couple of other top 8ers and we're a bit more fair dinkum. We're capable but we need to prove we can win before we're not pretending anymore. We're 3 & 3.

 

[VelvetSledge]

We lose by four points, after being down by 33, to the best team in the league and we're pretenders?

Give me a spell, Jesus Christ. I'm pissed about the result yesterday, probably more than most, but even I can see that we're on the right path and if we continue to play like that against big sides, we'll make Top 4.

 

[MiguelM]

It's harsh but I agree that we're still pretenders. If we'd won we're the real deal. This season all of our wins, bar Brisbane who still have a bit to prove, have been against teams below us on the ladder and we got easily beaten by GWS and Saints, above us. Beat Geelong, the reigning premiers and a couple of other top 8ers and we're a bit more fair dinkum. We're capable but we need to prove we can win before we're not pretending anymore. We're 3 & 3.

Lol, so 4 points is the difference between pretenders or not!

 

[ghostdog]

We lose by four points, after being down by 33, to the best team in the league and we're pretenders?

Give me a spell, Jesus Christ. I'm pissed about the result yesterday, probably more than most, but even I can see that we're on the right path and if we continue to play like that against big sides, we'll make Top 4.

Lol, so 4 points is the difference between pretenders or not!

Yeah, I actually reckon it is and we are. We have to learn to find a way to win when the situation at the last demands it. We've been complaining about Myers not moving quickly enough to the ball, about Shiel missing sitters. Sorry, but these little things add up and define us. Can we win the clutch moments or not? If we can't, then yes, we're pretending. Geelong next is an excellent opportunity to prove that we aren't, but there's a hell of a chasm between making finals and winning a prelim or a Premiership. It's Round 6 and we're 3 and 3. We just happened to play our best footy of the year yesterday. We're still pretenders.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Shiel missing goals and Myers being a crab doesn't make us pretenders.

We would be pretenders if we looked a millions bucks against Norf, Brisbane etc. and then came out and got absolutely flogged by Collingwood.
We didn't, though. We were blown away in the first quarter, and then fought our way back into it like a proper team should.

If we show up against Geelong and get a win, then that should remove all doubt.

I'm a pessimist at the best of times, but yesterday's grit and determination made me optimistic about this team and our long-term chances.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I think we showed we can compete with the best teams, that makes us a contender. That was a finals like pressure game.

 

[MiguelM]

Yeah, I actually reckon it is and we are. We have to learn to find a way to win when the situation at the last demands it. We've been complaining about Myers not moving quickly enough to the ball, about Shiel missing sitters. Sorry, but these little things add up and define us. Can we win the clutch moments or not? If we can't, then yes, we're pretending. Geelong next is an excellent opportunity to prove that we aren't, but there's a hell of a chasm between making finals and winning a prelim or a Premiership. It's Round 6 and we're 3 and 3. We just happened to play our best footy of the year yesterday. We're still pretenders.

I hear what you are saying but in years past we would have lost by 10 goals. As Woosha said, we tried to go inside too often when players were covered causing turnovers.

I think we will learn a lot from this game. Was like a final in terms of pressure.

The Geelong game will tell us a lot. They have improved this year.

 

[ghostdog]

I hear what you are saying but in years past we would have lost by 10 goals. As Woosha said, we tried to go inside too often when players were covered causing turnovers.

I think we will learn a lot from this game. Was like a final in terms of pressure.

The Geelong game will tell us a lot. They have improved this year.

Previously I would have adhered to the 'brave loss' narrative but the common denominator between yesterday and Round 1 is that it was a loss. The same as last year's, irrespective of the margin, except it hurts more, and Collingwood supporters are revelling today because of that. So I agree, we beat Geelong and our form will be shown to be more legitimate. Beat a few top teams and we look more like contenders. I also subscribe to the view that our defeats of lower teams need to be absolutely comprehensive, in the same ilk as the North win.

 

[Lore]

What on earth is a brave loss? Do you think all that booing was because we were happy we lost that game?

 

[Bombers_95]

Yesterday was a finals like game in terms of pressure and atmosphere and all but one quarter we took it up to the best team in the comp. Anyone that says we are pretenders clearly is a glass half empty supporter. Yes a win would have been huge but we played pretty well. Bring on the cats we beat them with a young team last year no reason we can't smash them next Sunday. Fantasia for Smith (injuried) would be the only change.

 

[VelvetSledge]

I'm gonna want a serious rant this week for this game. Someone come at me with a nomination and get angry.

GET ANGRY

 

[JayDon]

The 'brave loss' syndrome is interesting to me. It needs to be accompanied by an assertion that it's not acceptable and that persistent intensity is important. Myers should have moved to the ball. Shiel should nail those goals. Parish needs to nail the pass. I've got no doubt after yesterday that we have what it takes to go deep. The players need to believe they are among the best teams and make shit happen.

Agreed. Especially, The assertion needs to come from the players and not the coaches. We'll see if they embrace it soon enough. Time for players to own it. The coaches coach. The players are responsible for delivery.

 

[TheGrizz]

But the standard is literally doing the bare minimum if you could even call it that.

That's what is mean by "he got to good spots" isnt it?

We need to find one thing to hang out hats on because we watched the first half and it was deplorable and there was no pressure evident so this week it's "he got to good spots".

Well Hartley routinely effects about two to three times the number of spoils as goals conceded and rucks get their hit outs. Hurley spends half his game trying to hold back a flood.

Tall forwards get double and triple teamed and ravaged by modern ball movement.

What is their version of "got to the right spot"?

You like consistency so you explain it to me.

Where did you get this 'get to the right spot' motif? Cause I for one have never used it.

I dont give a damn about players getting to the right spot, if you dont affect the contest from your position then the 'right spots' could be at the centre of the earth for all i care.

Last week Bags did affect the contest, in a very negative way and i was highly critical (check my comments). That was as bad a performance as I have seen from a small forward.
This week however he kicked 3 goals, one from a marking contest, one from a mark inside 50 and another on the end of a fast break. His position is opportnistic by default and if you asked any small forward in the comp whether they thought 3 goals in a game was a good outing they wpuld likely all say yes regardless of how they got them.

To say a small pressure forward scoring 3 goals in a match is akin to lauding him for 'just being out there' is ludicrous.

 

[BomberTime]

Could Francis come in and play forward to replace Brown?

 

[BrunoV]

Where did you get this 'get to the right spot' motif? Cause I for one have never used it.

I dont give a damn about players getting to the right spot, if you dont affect the contest from your position then the 'right spots' could be at the centre of the earth for all i care.

Last week Bags did affect the contest, in a very negative way and i was highly critical (check my comments). That was as bad a performance as I have seen from a small forward.
This week however he kicked 3 goals, one from a marking contest, one from a mark inside 50 and another on the end of a fast break. His position is opportnistic by default and if you asked any small forward in the comp whether they thought 3 goals in a game was a good outing they wpuld likely all say yes regardless of how they got them.

To say a small pressure forward scoring 3 goals in a match is akin to lauding him for 'just being out there' is ludicrous.

We see the game very differently.

 

[maskmcgee]

Why is the AFL playing this game on Sunday instead of Saturday? Is it just to give us a 5 day break into Sydney away for fun?

 

[Lore]

Why is the AFL playing this game on Sunday instead of Saturday? Is it just to give us a 5 day break into Sydney away for fun?

I think it's a country game thing? So the farmers can get to the game or whatever

 

[maskmcgee]

I think it's a country game thing? So the farmers can get to the game or whatever

Didn't seem to bother them last year, when it was played on Saturday evening. Or the year before that, when it was played on Saturday night.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Outs: Brown, Baguley, Myers
Ins: Mynott, Laverde, Fantasia

 

[Jacques_]

Outs: Brown, Baguley, Myers
Ins: Mynott, Laverde, Fantasia

That would be fantastic, but never going to happen unfortunately.

 

[Lore]

Didn't seem to bother them last year, when it was played on Saturday evening. Or the year before that, when it was played on Saturday night.

Upon further investigation, Geelong seem to like Saturday and Sunday games. They have 7 day breaks before and after the Country game. Meanwhile Sydney are doing a Saturday night game and then our game against them. So they have about a day more break than us, and Geelong have a couple of days less.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

That would be fantastic, but never going to happen unfortunately.

Each week I pray to the selection gods but no luck yet.

 

[Macca18]

Devon Smith knee scans all clear. An "outside chance" to take on Geelong next week.

 

[Hird05]

Bags was good. Less than .01% chance they drop him this week.