Bad Starts

[Not a Wellman]

Knights said "the squad had looked closely at problem areas – especially having slow starts in games - and worked to address them."

First Quarters
Round 1 - Kang 4.3 Ess 2.0
Round 2 - Gee 4.4 Ess 1.2
Round 4 - WB 5.4 Ess 1.2
Round 5 - STK 5.3 Ess 3.0
Round 7 - Port 6.4 Ess 2.1
Round 8 - Syd 4.5 Ess 0.2
Round 9 - Rich 5.3 Ess 0.5

What are your opions on why we are starting badly then somewhere in the middle start to get on top of sides only to fail because we were to far behind.

I know we aren't the greatest side in the comp but surely we can start far better then we have been at least giving ourselves a chance to win matches.

Just wondering your thoughts, sorry if this has been done before.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Thats a good question. We seem to be flat and on another planet at the start of games. Maybe the message from Knights isnt going through, maybe the intensity of the opposition blows our kids away, then they start to find their feet and get on with it. I dont have an answer.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

To put simply, our defensive pressure at the start of games is shocking. I have never in all my years of watching football seen that many 'free" players from the opposition as I have seen when Essendon play. And it happens every damn week.

 

[Jesse Custer]

To put simply, our defensive pressure at the start of games is shocking. I have never in all my years of watching football seen that many 'free" players from the opposition as I have seen when Essendon play. And it happens every damn week.

Only at the start?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Well it happens throughout the game, but is very evident at the start- which imo is a horrible sign. To be honest the buck stops with the coach in regards to defensive pressure

 

[thebigboy]

Simply the just aren't switched on early. I thought the way the boys ran out of the rooms and up the race on saturday night that we could be in for a big start.

How wrong i was.

 

[GoDons]

At the start, I think it was due to the young blokes not handling the extra pace of the first quarter and getting caught or being forced into errors.

In recent weeks, I think it's a complete lack of confidence that we're good enough to compete.