Preview Changes V Essendon

[Shinboner Supremacy]

why was it their home game last year, and again this year?

Because the afl fixturing is a flipping joke

 

[shinboner magic]

Just have a look at the arsey goals they kicked in the last quarter of the first game in 2023

They’ve done it for near on 10 years.

 

[Harris 10]

it won't be a popular opinion, but I think the angst on here is a bit overdone.

The emotional let down arises from the belief before the game that we should win, not what happened on the day. West Coast were wooden spooners last year - on what I saw, I don't think they will be this season.

They played a physical, uncompromising game, and it caught us napping after quarter time - lots of stray elbows, the odd knee, Harley giving out the aggro. We got going again in Q4 when the game opened up but it was too late.

I was glad to see Xerri and Comben cranky at training - we need more edge.

You make some good points, but the angst for me comes from the same blokes making the same basic skill errors, same blokes making poor decisions with and without ball in hand, same blokes going missing for large parts of the game and still not being able to stem the flow of opposition goals when the tide turns against us.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Clarko - we know you frequent BF pages, so here are a few freebies for this week.

1. FOS and Powell tag and rotate on Merrett all match.
2. Konstanty plays and takes McGrath or who ever their most damaging running back and does a negating role. Any goals are a bonus.
3. Dawson in for Logue. Time to grow those Cahones son in your 3rd year.
4. Hardemann in for LMac.
5. Spargo in for Dovaston.
6. Wardlaw in for Daniel or Simpkin.

 

[7577969923]

For what its worth....

Out: Logue, Duursma, Dovaston
In: Corr, Hardeman, Wardlaw

• Banch and Dawson emergencies
• NO WAY Simpkin gets dropped. Had 23, wasnt great but always bounces back strongly.
• Wardlaw on managed minutes plays mainly forward

ANYONE thinking Essendon are a chance........Come on!!! They are seriously stinky. Way worse than us. This talk of robust meetings and clearing air? Pfffft!! Media nonsense trying to pump this up. They are on the ropes. No confidence, coach has lost the players. At least we have shown a bit......we'll win this by more than we beat Port.

FWIW, I think you're right about Jai. No way he gets dropped. Should have a firm discussion with him about playing his role, that he is not the one to try to put the team on his back, and that he must not, under any circumstances, go into the middle for a centre bounce. Was involved in one of our best passages, lacing out a 35-metre pass to Darling. More of that and less trying to step through four players at a soppage.

Outs: Logue, Konstanty, Dovaston, Darling

Ins: Dawson, Wardlaw, Hardeman, Whitlock

 

[shinboner magic]

Clarko - we know you frequent BF pages, so here are a few freebies for this week.

1. FOS and Powell tag and rotate on Merrett all match.
2. Konstanty plays and takes McGrath or who ever their most damaging running back and does a negating role. Any goals are a bonus.
3. Dawson in for Logue. Time to grow those Cahones son in your 3rd year.
4. Hardemann in for LMac.
5. Spargo in for Dovaston.
6. Wardlaw in for Daniel or Simpkin.

Why in gods name would anyone tag McGrath

 

[tazaa]

They’ve done it for near on 10 years.

I hate to say it but our own ineptitude (drafting, recruitment and gameplan) obviously has played a role in the losses, but also the fact that yes we dont shy away from the fact that we'd like to belt this mob each time we play them.
And the club promoting the rivalry each time has also fueled it on.

Its kind of been a poison chalice that the soft outside downhill skier types we can't control, turn it on against us every time and then go missing for the rest of the season. And they are chock full of them.


The only saving grace with Brad heading there is that in the 4 years since his arrival they have gotten shitter and shitter. Thankfully.
So finally in 2026, on paper and based on gameplans, we have the footballers who can do damage to them.

Before Sunday I truly felt that we owed them a smashing and now it just feels like ground hog day.

 

[shinboner magic]

I hate to say it but our own ineptitude (drafting, recruitment and gameplan) obviously has played a role in the losses, but also the fact that yes we dont shy away from the fact that we'd like to belt this mob each time we play them.
And the club promoting the rivalry each time has also fueled it on.

Its kind of been a poison chalice that the soft outside downhill skier types we can't control, turn it on against us every time and then go missing for the rest of the season. And they are chock full of them.


The only saving grace with Brad heading there is that in the 4 years since his arrival they have gotten shitter and shitter. Thankfully.
So finally in 2026, on paper and based on gameplans, we have the footballers who can do damage to them.

Before Sunday I truly felt that we owed them a smashing and now it just feels like ground hog day.

Last few times - Merrett has been the won that’s saved them.
Saw a little of their game last week and Merrett didn’t look interested.
It’s long over due - I don’t feel confident but these guys need to show some pride in themselves and the jumper.
I’d have the jumper hanging in the corner of every meeting and even on the ground during training- wait till someone asks why.
Then give it to the playing group with both barrels about having pride in themselves jumper and fighting like there’s no tomorrow.

Give me some ****en passion

 

[ferball]

Why in gods name would anyone tag McGrath

Give Konstanty something to do?

 

[shinboner magic]

Give Konstanty something to do?

Yeah they both should be in vfl

 

[ferball]

Generous to McGrath.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Result of this games dictates my attendance for the rest of the season.

Win sees me continue to attend, loss and I’m done.

 

[tazaa]

Last few times - Merrett has been the won that’s saved them.
Saw a little of their game last week and Merrett didn’t look interested.
It’s long over due - I don’t feel confident but these guys need to show some pride in themselves and the jumper.
I’d have the jumper hanging in the corner of every meeting and even on the ground during training- wait till someone asks why.
Then give it to the playing group with both barrels about having pride in themselves jumper and fighting like there’s no tomorrow.

Give me some ****en passion

There are some really horrible stats between us and them that is something we need to address.

1993-2025

There has been 44 meetings between the 2 clubs.

3 finals. Marshmallow game, 2000 massacre and Frank the Tank.

The overall win loss ledger is 20-24. They're ahead.

At the end of 2002 it was 7-8 their way (Pagan vs Sheedy)
At the end of 2007 it was 12-8 our way (Laidley vs Sheedy) (Dean never lost to Sheedy went 5 zip)
At the end of 2016 it was 20-12 our way. Then Scott went and blew up the club and in the 12 meetings since we haven't got the chocolates once. Talk about a curse.


Lets look at winning margins now.
40+ point wins for Essendon. There have been 9.
We have beaten Essendon 40+ points on 2 occasions. In 2005 and 2013.

Our highest winning margin is 52 points in 1992. Theirs is 125.


We owe them one. We owe them a big one. This week is the week to go out and really hammer them hard.

 

[Only Forwards]

why was it their home game last year, and again this year?

We played them again in round 16 at home.

 

[Only Forwards]

We owe them one. We owe them a big one. This week is the week to go out and really hammer them hard.

Before this last stretch our win loss ratio was something like 4 wins to every 1 loss for 10years.

 

[tazaa]

Before this last stretch our win loss ratio was something like 4 wins to every 1 loss for 10years.

Correct OF. We went 14-4 against them from 2002-2016.

Could have gone 16-2 as well.
The comeback game broke them.


Then us axing our champions in 2016 broke us.

 

[chubbspeterson]

Simpkin bounces back, who cares? Scrubber may have 23, which means 5 goals to the oppo included in his 6-7 unforced turnovers/stupid holding the balls/completely ****ing up a decent opportunity for us.

Genuine turnip. And disinterested headband wearing flog these days. The sooner he's ****ed off the better.

I get what you are saying, and whilst I'd like to see a statement made, I just doubt he'll get dropped in rd 2.
From Clarko's point of view I'd be surprised if he dropped him that early after saying he's not going anywhere.
You'd probably lose the player doing that. But should be told stop butchering it.

 

[Chip Scab1]

You make some good points, but the angst for me comes from the same blokes making the same basic skill errors, same blokes making poor decisions with and without ball in hand, same blokes going missing for large parts of the game and still not being able to stem the flow of opposition goals when the tide turns against us.

Yep.

Not the kids either.

Ya Simpkins, Stavros', Logue (not entirely his fault this time), Pinks, Konstantys, Powells, Zurhaars, even Parker and Darling were rubbish.

Not good enough.

Out: Simpkin (just has to be), Logue, Darling, Konstanty, Pink, Powell

In: Wardlaw, Hardeman, Dawson, George, Whitlock, Urquhart

B: Parker-Dawson- McKercher
HB: Blamires-Comben-Harde
C: Stephens-LDU-Zurhaar
HF:Trembath-Whitlock-Curtis F:FBGZ-Larkey-Dovaston
R: Xerri - FOS - Wardlaw
I/C: Sheezel - George
- Urquhart - McDonald - Daniel

Em: (Goad, Thredgold, Goater), Mikunda, Banch, Harvey, Konstantys, Spargos

I get what you are saying, and whilst I'd like to see a statement made, I just doubt he'll get dropped in rd 2.
From Clarko's point of view I'd be surprised if he dropped him that early after saying he's not going anywhere.
You'd probably lose the player doing that. But should be told stop butchering it.

Yeah, good. We'd be better off losing him and having him walk out and not burning the ball ~10x a game. Was cowardly offering an olive branch and last week we paid the price.

Only going to get worse as our opponents improve, which they will.

 

[shinboner magic]

There are some really horrible stats between us and them that is something we need to address.

1993-2025

There has been 44 meetings between the 2 clubs.

3 finals. Marshmallow game, 2000 massacre and Frank the Tank.

The overall win loss ledger is 20-24. They're ahead.

At the end of 2002 it was 7-8 their way (Pagan vs Sheedy)
At the end of 2007 it was 12-8 our way (Laidley vs Sheedy) (Dean never lost to Sheedy went 5 zip)
At the end of 2016 it was 20-12 our way. Then Scott went and blew up the club and in the 12 meetings since we haven't got the chocolates once. Talk about a curse.


Lets look at winning margins now.
40+ point wins for Essendon. There have been 9.
We have beaten Essendon 40+ points on 2 occasions. In 2005 and 2013.

Our highest winning margin is 52 points in 1992. Theirs is 125.


We owe them one. We owe them a big one. This week is the week to go out and really hammer them hard.

In the early 90s we hadn’t beaten the hawks for a long time - then when we did beat them , it was a 100 pt smashing.
I want that this weekend - I want them crying at quartertime

 

[Makeshift Park]

Don’t remember the last time I’ve read a game preview thread with this many ultimatums!

Weirdly, I thought the standard of last weeks game was ok. Yes Clarko didn’t do enough, and there were too many passengers on field. But WC played a much better game than I expected, and even if you were skeptical of our chances from the outset, I think it’s fair to say they were better than you’d expect from a multi year woodenspooner.

Having said that, have to admit, something kinda changed for me in the middle of that game. Where for years prior I’d found myself angry at our unforced skill errors, shitty tackles, and Clarko’s poor attempts at magnet re-arranging (Simpkin back in the middle? What?) this time I found myself laughing, like I was watching some tragicomedy.

Fool that I am, I believe we’re gonna win this. But it’ll be by an unconvincing margin. And the new tragicomic development will be that while a loss might have triggered generational renewal of our coaching staff, and real cause for hope to a long suffering supporter base, a few slender wins against our fellow cellar dwellers just prolongs our voluntary suffering. And so we’ll be back here next week. And the week after. Just for recreations sake, to pass the time away, apparently.

 

[Rod Stroker]

We played them again in round 16 at home.

last year? we only played them once in round 8. no double up game

 

[King Hansen]

Yep.

Not the kids either.

Ya Simpkins, Stavros', Logue (not entirely his fault this time), Pinks, Konstantys, Powells, Zurhaars, even Parker and Darling were rubbish.

Not good enough.

Out: Simpkin (just has to be), Logue, Darling, Daniel, Pink, Powell

In: Wardlaw, Hardeman, Dawson, George, Whitlock, Urquhart

Parker - Dawson -
Blamires-Comben-Hardeman
Stephens-LDU-Zurhaar
Trembath-Whitlock-Curtis FBGZ-Larkey-Dovaston
Xerri-McKercher-FOS
Sheezel - Wardlaw - George
- Urquhart -McDonald


Em: (George, Goad, Thredgold, Goater), Mikunda, Banch, Harvey, Dawson, Daniel, Konstantys, Spargos


1994 V Hawks. We beat them by 100+ then drew with them in the finals.

Lost by a kick in 1993 too.

I still hate them. I was 10 before I saw us beat them.

Lol ok mate

 

[Only Forwards]

last year? we only played them once in round 8. no double up game

Auto corrected to played.

We play them again this year

 

[Rod Stroker]

Auto corrected to played.

We play them again this year

we might not be around by then

 

[Rod Stroker]

Our odds look short. Do the bookies know something that we don't?