Prediction Changes for Essendon (OP updated with player availability)

[nahnah]

I'm confident if its a shoot out we will win easily, ask Melbourne how it went for them.

 

[eth-dog]

It’s certainly possible although we haven’t tagged all year. I think we will just back our mids in to win enough of the ball.

Fair enough too. 1st in clearance differential to our 3rd, shapes to be what will win the game. Hoping to see Heppell and Pendles head to head, that could be one for the ages the form both are in (if you ignore Heppell's kicking right now...)

 

[HFF]

Why are we mentioning Greenwood?
What role do we have for him?

Unless Appleby goes out of the side we don't need another of his type.

I'd rather play a runner like Murray.

 

[Adz]

Out: the lacklustre porky skilled team efforts from Saturday
In: the same effort we had vs Melb.

 

[unplugged]

I'd love to. Are you expecting a tag on Merrett? He's been in some hot form lately and you quelled him pretty well earlier in the year (was Greenwood on him?) so would you expect something similar to happen?

I think we're more likely to have Pendlebury go head to head with Merrett at the stoppages. That's more in line with what we've been about this year.

 

[eth-dog]

I think we're more likely to have Pendlebury go head to head with Merrett at the stoppages. That's more in line with what we've been about this year.

I would be hoping to get Heppell head to head with Pendles to allow Merrett someone smaller to tackle or failing that someone not as good as your captain.

 

[Fruit]

Could it be possible we move Miohcek to full back and play Greenwood CHF. He played there late last year and did a good job. Things have changed since then obviously but for some reason we just haven’t topped up our list with many key position players. Hopefully this means Lynch has committed to us.

 

[Rusty Beam]

Could it be possible we move Miohcek to full back and play Greenwood CHF. He played there late last year and did a good job. Things have changed since then obviously but for some reason we just haven’t topped up our list with many key position players. Hopefully this means Lynch has committed to us.

Not sure about Greenwood as chf. Don’t like that idea one bit.

But Miohcek at full back is the most likely scenario at least until Reid or Moore are back.

 

[Mukesh]

My biggest worry is WHE. He looked preppy at the end of the game. Hopefully he’s ok.

Not proppy ? Cos I'm not seeing WHE as 'a young person from a rich family who goes to an expensive school and who wears expensive, tidy clothes' ... but hey, I could be wrong..

 

[danielnajdek]

I very rarely even look at opposition boards but after cruising around tonight for a little after the Dunn news , the few boards that are commenting on us are mostly respectful except guess who?

Starts with "R"

If they choke I might get a perma ban. My body is ready if they lose.

 

[Bard]

If they choke I might get a perma ban. My body is ready if they lose.

One wonders how a club that has been so completely irrelevant for all of but 6 weeks of the past 37 years suddenly finds it within themselves to muster such hatred. For what precisely do we deserve this honour?

 

[eth-dog]

If they choke I might get a perma ban. My body is ready if they lose.

Everyone on BigFooty would remember you as a martyr. Hard to choose between the worst supporters on here between them, Carlton and Hawthorne, with Norf a distant 4th.

 

[Fonzeno1]

The biggest worries for me are stringer and mckernan. Dunn probly would have taken McKernan and I think miocheck is the best match up now. Probably Howe on stringer for strength. I'd like to see Murray come in to add pace to keep up with their small forwards. Not sure who forward but smalls have been good to date.

 

[12kilos]

for some reason more of a feeling would like to see due to Dunns injury the following changes....

in Murray Mcalty
out dunn appelby

Then i am open to bringing varcoe greenwood or brown in

what i would like to see on Thursday at least.

out Dunn injured
in Mcalty, Brown Greenwood Varcoe Murray. I suppose apart from that we havent got much of a choice at least for this week due to injuries

my extended interchange bench would be from... Mcalty, Murray, appelby, brown greenwood varcoe daicos

 

[danielnajdek]

One wonders how a club that has been so completely irrelevant for all of but 6 weeks of the past 37 years suddenly finds it within themselves to muster such hatred. For what precisely do we deserve this honour?

Well I always knew they were flogs. Had a uncle who was a Tigers supporter. He was a dick. (Yeah I don't like my uncle but not for footy reasons other reasons)

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Everyone on BigFooty would remember you as a martyr. Hard to choose between the worst supporters on here between them, Carlton and Hawthorne, with Norf a distant 4th.

Ps I’ve always wondered where we’d rank supporters of GC or GWS?
But I’ve never found any outside of AFL House.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Out from the team that beat the Bombers by 49 last time: Dunn, Varcoe, Reid, Murray, Treloar, Aish, Brown

These are replaced by: Appleby, Mayne, Mihocek, Sier, Daicos, Adams, ??

A third of the team turned over. A lot of this is like for like. Appleby for Murray, Mayne for Aish, Mihocek for Reid, Adams for Brown, Daicos for Varcoe, Sier for Treloar. With Dunn to be replaced by someone.

If we are trying to keep team structure (which I think Bucks is trying to do) then we really only have McLarty to come in for Dunn. McLarty & Mihocek may have to swing ends and find the best fit. I would play McLarty forward and hope for a contest.

Last time we played the Bombers they were way to big & cumbersome and we ran them off their feet. I think they will have learnt the lesson and come prepared for our small forward line. They will try and expose our under sized backline and this is now a serious issue. If it rains it will help us.

 

[eth-dog]

The biggest worries for me are stringer and mckernan. Dunn probly would have taken McKernan and I think miocheck is the best match up now. Probably Howe on stringer for strength. I'd like to see Murray come in to add pace to keep up with their small forwards. Not sure who forward but smalls have been good to date.

Howe is a very good match up for Stringer. Similar size and strength. Would definitely expect Mihocek to take McKernan, played on him last year and kept him goalless when we played the Borough, and he was running hot at that point, he kicked 8 goals the following two weeks and 6 the two beforehand as I recall.

 

[eth-dog]

Ps I’ve always wondered where we’d rank supporters of GC or GWS?
But I’ve never found any outside of AFL House.

I've liked most of my interactions with them, and during last years period watching the Bulldog fans get so riled up around them (GWS) was a guilty pleasure given how much grief we were copping re: Stringer.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Varcoe has been out for a month now. And Moore 2 months. What is going on?

I don't know why hamstrings take twice as long to heal at Collingwood as anywhere else, but with the time Moore spends on the sidelines, Sydney is welcome to him if we can swing a decent deal. We need to start developing a more resilient list of players. Time to bite the bullet on some players, like Wells (in hindsight, stupid recruiting), Varcoe and the aforementioned son of a gun who doesn't want to play with us anyway. If Moore is ready to play, bring him straight in.

 

[Kirby]

Why are we so worried about MCKernan? Jeez, one good week and he's suddenly Wayne Carey.

 

[unplugged]

I'm genuinely intrigued how we will tackle this one, the more thought I give to it.

Could we put Crisp deeper and bring Murray back in to rebound?

 

[Fruit]

Can any of the VFL watchers tell us how Miohcek performed when he was in the backline earlier in the season.

 

[CFC2010]

I think weather will dictate our team balance this week.

No Daniher so I think we have no need for McLarty just yet.

Murray is a must this week IMO.
Varcoe auto return also.

 

[MagpieBat]

Why are we so worried about MCKernan? Jeez, one good week and he's suddenly Wayne Carey.

He's the ultimate tweener. Superstar at the lower level, bog ordinary toiler at the higher level who occasionally has a day out.

Problem is, he's had a couple this year. And he gets a shot at an opponent this week that has just lost its one recognised key stopper.

It's not inconceivable that he has another day out, at our expense...