Preview Changes v Essendon - Round 15, 2021

[HirdsTheWord]

Didn't realise so many Bombers supporters were MCC. Weird, you guys only play like five games there a year.

We have been #2 in MCC for a while now and I think we are actually closing the gap on Melbourne. I think Melbourne used to be well into the 20%'s. Most of the older MCC statesmen are teadrinkers but I guess they are dying off.

we play a lot more at MCG now.

we made a killing from out of our Telstra/Marvel deal but the members got the shits cause they could never get enough seats at home games.

I think we are back to a MCG majority now. Hard to tell cause COVID keeps ******* it up.

 

[Bluelegs]

They do have a deal with Marvel stadium where they can purchase tickets silver reserved seating level 2.

Makes sense. Essendon games are the only ones where the level 2 seats look somewhat filled out. Marvel is such a wank stadium. Best seats are priced so high that no one will buy them and they've persisted with that model for 20 years.

 

[mrmonkey]

Makes sense. Essendon games are the only ones where the level 2 seats look somewhat filled out. Marvel is such a wank stadium. Best seats are priced so high that no one will buy them and they've persisted with that model for 20 years.

Also would add that in the 90s essendon had well a truly outgrown windy hill and were a mcg base team until the docklands was built.

It's definitely a problem when Melbourne play at Marvel well at least for myself. As a premium member you only get the right to reserve a ticket and it's not a great spot it's always level one in the pocket. You are better off just scanning in and going to level 3.

 

[schmuttt]

Id go without the tall forward, never at any point have looked like we were losing because we didn't have an extra key forward. But our forward pressure has been a factor a few times.

I'd be going small forward

I think they’ll have another look at Brown but I agree with you. Tmac Fritsch Jackson is enough presence in the air in the modern game.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I think they’ll have another look at Brown but I agree with you. Tmac Fritsch Jackson is enough presence in the air in the modern game.

I agree with you both.

I reckon we should go with TMac, Fritta, LJ.. but feel the club will go with Brown because of his profile & upside if he gets some rhythm.

 

[Bangkok Knights]

Ben Brown is a must if only to mess up Essendons backline plan.
Weideman is not taken seriously by other coaches and players. Essendon coach will spill his coffee when he reads Brown IN Weid OUT. He has to put his best player on BBB regardless of form . That frees up TMac & Co. It was starting to work before he was dropped for Weideman?

 

[CTHORANGE]

Id go without the tall forward, never at any point have looked like we were losing because we didn't have an extra key forward. But our forward pressure has been a factor a few times.

I'd be going small forward

Reckon going the extra small would see Fristch getting a few more on the lead again too, seems that well has dried up in recent weeks

 

[TheCount]

I'm on board the extra small idea as well, and reckon Bedford deserves a go.

I am of course fully aware that BBB will come in.

 

[eth-dog]

From an Essendon perspective, we'd prefer the extra small. We can probably cover McDonald and Jackson without Brown, but we don't have the player for Brown.

 

[stEdy]

Yeah, I like the concept of the extra small but like eth has said, the Dons don't really have many experienced key backs. They normally play relatively undersized with Laverde/Francis taking talls. Fritsch played a great game on Ridley last year, using his smarts to lead out to the pockets and still kick truly when we found him on the lead.

I think this week BBB could milk some soft frees in front of goal playing on some smaller players.

Could be a wet-ish game with all of the rain around, which would make things interesting

 

[netslave]

The Demons’ starting 22 will be named at 6:20pm on Thursday night, ahead of Round 15.

 

[HB17]

Daw in

 

[Topkent]

Yeah, I like the concept of the extra small but like eth has said, the Dons don't really have many experienced key backs. They normally play relatively undersized with Laverde/Francis taking talls. Fritsch played a great game on Ridley last year, using his smarts to lead out to the pockets and still kick truly when we found him on the lead.

I think this week BBB could milk some soft frees in front of goal playing on some smaller players.

Could be a wet-ish game with all of the rain around, which would make things interesting

Naive
We rarely sit 3 talls deep inside 50. Tmac and Jackson are always up the ground. Name Collingwood's 3 big tall defenders who ****ed us?

Yeah exactly..

 

[schmuttt]

Lions playing cats makes this a very important fortnight against bombers and gws. Win both and we are at a minimum 2 games clear of 3rd OR 3 games clear of 4th.

 

[eth-dog]

Yeah, I like the concept of the extra small but like eth has said, the Dons don't really have many experienced key backs. They normally play relatively undersized with Laverde/Francis taking talls. Fritsch played a great game on Ridley last year, using his smarts to lead out to the pockets and still kick truly when we found him on the lead.

I think this week BBB could milk some soft frees in front of goal playing on some smaller players.

Could be a wet-ish game with all of the rain around, which would make things interesting

FWIW here are the match ups I'd expect if you were going Chandler/Bedford instead of Brown/Weideman:

Stewart - Jackson
Francis/Zerk-Thatcher - McDonald
Laverde - Fritsch
Heppell - Neal-Bullen
Ridley - Bedford/Chandler
Hind - Pickett
Redman - Spargo

If you pick the other tall, Laverde moves to McDonald, Francis or Zerk moves to Brown and Ridley onto Fritsch

 

[mores]

Daw in

Joking aren't you

 

[HB17]

Joking aren't you

Not my choice. Just what I've heard

 

[Pickitt]

I just want daw to get a game

 

[stEdy]

Naive
We rarely sit 3 talls deep inside 50. Tmac and Jackson are always up the ground. Name Collingwood's 3 big tall defenders who f’ed us?

Yeah exactly..

I don't even know what you're trying to say here.

Roughead/Moore/Maynard/Madgen killed us. Even Quaynor was peeling off and took 3 contested marks and had 8 intercept possessions.

Weid and Tmac combined for 1 mark. We had no presence in the air with Weid invisible and Tmac having a rare down game. LJ was great but it wasn't enough.

The Pies have a strong back six who are very good in the air. They kept Port and Cats to low scores even if they lost.

The Dons have an okay defense with their weakest position being their big key defenders (Stewart and Zerk Thatcher playing there on the weekend, who are both battlers). I like the BBB matchup against either of those players, with Laverde or Ridley potentially being too small to take him if they hand off.

Weid is out of form and needs a spell, sounds like he didn't get near it in the scratchy whilst BBB kicked a few.

 

[stEdy]

If you pick the other tall, Laverde moves to McDonald, Francis or Zerk moves to Brown and Ridley onto Fritsch

Cheers for the Dons info, appreciate it.

I much prefer the matchups with BBB in the side. Of course all of these forward matchups are pointless if our mids aren't on or are winning the ball and delivering it poorly inside 50 like the Pies game.

 

[LeverPuller]

Daw in

Wat

 

[LarryDavidNeitz]

Daw in, why the * not. He plays one good game in 25, I make 40 worse bets than that every Saturday.

 

[Deemanding]

FWIW here are the match ups I'd expect if you were going Chandler/Bedford instead of Brown/Weideman:

Stewart - Jackson
Francis/Zerk-Thatcher - McDonald
Laverde - Fritsch
Heppell - Neal-Bullen
Ridley - Bedford/Chandler
Hind - Pickett
Redman - Spargo

If you pick the other tall, Laverde moves to McDonald, Francis or Zerk moves to Brown and Ridley onto Fritsch

Any idea if Francis is back this week (or we find out Thursday)? I think he's a player, shame about the mental health side of things for him.

 

[Ambrosia]

Is it just me or did Declase have a weirdly good highlights reel for a defender? Obviously means nothing for translation to AFL level but weird for a guy with that many tricks to be playing in the backline in the VFL. Must be pretty handy 1v1 or reading the play to keep him back there, which is probably more promising for our purposes.

Watched his highlight real on mid season draft night and thought this guy looks like a genuine superstar. I wonder what the knocks on him are?

 

[eth-dog]

Any idea if Francis is back this week (or we find out Thursday)? I think he's a player, shame about the mental health side of things for him.

I think it depends when he flies (or has flown) back. If he's arrived already I think he'll play, if he arrives tomorrow or later I suspect not.