VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,477
- 35,252
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- Essendon
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- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
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- #1
FORECAST:
20 degrees, with 5% chance of rain. Mostly sunny, winds 25-30kmh southwesterly during the day, easing in the afternoon.
ESSENDON BOMBERS: $5.25
SYDNEY SWANS: $1.18
THE SUPERCOACH TOP 3 FROM ROUND 23:
ESSENDON: Tom Bellchambers (150), Zach Merrett (135), Mark Baguley (117)
SWANS: Lance Franklin (183), Zak Jones (127), Luke Parker (119)
ESSENDON BOMBERS
Got the job done.
Won the game, got through to finals, watched Melbourne shoot themselves in the foot and miss September again.
If we look at it in the big picture, we've done a bloody good job. We won 12 games, lost 10, and finished with a percentage of 106.5, which saw us into the finals for the first time in 3 years. Mad.
Big Tommy Bellchambers really looked to have worked into his groove and absolutely obliterated the ruck contest.
Jobe made the most of his break and revitalisation since announcing his retirement, looking close to the 2012-era Jobe who dominated midfields throughout that season.
Zaka signed on for another 4 years which is brilliant news. Only missing one signature now. Better sign on, Irish!
Fun fact. We're the first team to follow a wooden spoon with a finals chance in 6 years. Another fun fact. I'm writing this in a hospital waiting room.
Zach Merrett slotted 4 snags and dominated all over the ground, while Joey made a solid fist of it in an attempt to win his maiden Coleman, while falling just short.
We honesty played like s**t, but we won, and now we're here, in the finals. And that's all that matters.
ESSENDON BOMBERS 16.11 107 def. FREMANTLE DOCKERS 14.8 92
Crowd: 42,665 at Etihad Stadium
BEST: Merrett, Goddard, Watson, Zaharakis, Heppell, Stewart
GOALS: Merrett, Stewart 4, Daniher, Hocking 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Bellchambers, Begley, Laverde
INJURIES: Hooker (Leg, replaced by Hocking)
REPORTS: Nil
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SYDNEY SWANS
Well Buddy kicked 10, so let's hope he's got that s**t out of his system.
Lol Carlton.
Kennedy and Parker killed Carlton even more.
There's not much to say here. Since Round 6 or so, the Swans have taken it to all comers and won a vast majority of their games, even after a scare from the mighty Dons in Round 14. Which we shall not speak about.
Rampe, Grundy, and Nick Smith continue to prove themselves the most underrated defensive unit around.
Rohan and Hayward finishing with three goals each saw the latter score a Rising Star nomination... Before getting dropped.
The Swans are the form side, and go in deserved favourites.
There's no point dwelling on last week. The Swans won't have gained any solid confidence from it, because Carlton are garbage. Let's just see what unfolds tonight.
SYDNEY SWANS 21.12 138 def. CARLTON BLUES 8.9 57
Crowd: 38,965 at the SCG
BEST: Franklin, Kennedy, Grundy, Parker, Jones, Newman
GOALS: Franklin 10, Rohan, Hayward 3, Tippett, Reid, Kennedy, Newman, Heeney
INJURIES: Tippett (Ankle), Sinclair (Ankle)
REPORTS: Nil
ESSENDON COACH: John Worsfold
SYDNEY COACH: Winx
I realise that the pictures go from being really small to really big. I'm very tired.
ESSENDON EMERGENCIES:
Jayden Laverde, Heath Hocking, Shaun McKernan
SYDNEY EMERGENCIES:
Harry Cunningham, Daniel Robinson, Aliir Aliir
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ESSENDON INS: Orazio Fantasia, Michael Hurley
ESSENDON OUTS: Cale Hooker (Leg), Jayden Laverde (Omitted)
SYDNEY INS: Dan Hannebery, Sam Naismith, Tom Papley
SYDNEY OUTS: Harry Cunningham, Will Hayward, Kurt Tippett (All omit)
MILESTONES:
DAVID MYERS
ESSENDON, #23
100 GAMES
After much consideration, stress, and constant deliberation over whether or not Cale Hooker would make it up for this match, and after he failed to train with the main group on Wednesday, our worst fears were confirmed. Is it a major issue? Probably not when you consider that we very nearly beat the Swans, in Sydney, without him last time. That, and when you factor in James Stewart's form, we can do this without him.
So who do we have? Coming in to the side after decent lay offs are All Australian key defender Michael Hurley (thank Christ) and gun small forward Orazio Fantasia, who will undoubtably be key players for the entire match. We have sorely missed Hurley's rebounding off half back and the big fist smashing the ball back into the mids when the long kick in comes in. Raz's speed has been missed horribly through half back and in the forward line, plus his creativity and smarts around the contest in attacking situations is one of the things we've missed more than anything else in his absence. They find themselves in the side having replaced Jayden Laverde, who simply hasn't made enough of his chances at the senior level yet, and the aforementioned Cale Hooker, who has slight bone bruising which should, if we make it, be right for the semi next week. If.
The Swans have made three key changes, with Harry Cunningham (and his lovely wife, Oprah), Kurt Tippett (who really ******* loves pies), and Will Hayward (who I can't really make any jokes about because he's about eleven years old) getting the proverbial arse for the star trio of Dan Hannenenenenenenenenebery, Sam Naismith (who has a Simpsons tattoo so I can't hate him purely based on that fact), and Tom Papley, who would more than likely have the absolute worst nicknames at school. Use your imagination.
ESSENDON BOMBERS - #13 - ORAZIO FANTASIA
The absence of Raz since he tore his hamstring has been evident in more ways than one. Not only have we lacked speed and talent in the forward line, but we've also had a distinct lack of smarts at the fall of the ball when the stoppage spills. Raz is one of the premier small forwards in the league, and even though we've been able to win games even without him being dominant down forward, his time away from the game through injury has showed us just how crucial he is to our set up. Without Raz, we look slow, dysfunctional, and rely way too much on Joey D, who, when tagged down, is limited in his chances to score. Arguably one of our most important players, and his inclusion this week is hugely important for the Dons.
ESSENDON BOMBERS - JOBE WATSON, JAMES KELLY
This could be the final time we see these two incredible players in our famous red and black. Could be.
If it is, we all thank you both for your service to the club. For Pops, for coming to the club in turmoil in it's darkest hour, and teaching our young boys on what it means to be an AFL player.
For Jobe, well, you can't put it into words. He's done everything we could have asked of him and so much more. He will forever go down in history as one of the greatest players that Essendon has ever seen.
There isn't much more to add than that. Go on lads. We'll see you next week.
SYDNEY SWANS - #23 - LANCE FRANKLIN
SYDNEY SWANS - #12 - JOSH KENNEDY
... Please send a tag to him. Please?
Actions Speak Louder Than Words - 9/9/17
Well boys and girls, we made it. After a long season, where we were written off by all comers, tipped to finish bottom 4, with a minuscule amount of wins, we've come out in the upper echelon of the AFL. When you consider the games we should have won, save for moments of complacency and/or misjudgement, we probably could have finished higher, and have been hosting this match today at the MCG. That's neither here nor there, though. We're in the finals!
The first week of finals, for the two matches that have been shown so far, have been a mixed bag. The Adelaide v Giants game was a one-sided shitfest, with some of the absolute worst football of the year shown... In a Qualifying Final. The Geelong v Richmond game last night was far more interesting; not due to any particular efforts as such, but the atmosphere was far more "finals-like". 70,000 screaming Richmond fans compared to 25,000 Geelong fans who witnessed their team be made to look like the Keilor Under 9s. The pure energy emanating from the crowd is something that only few clubs can muster, and only on certain occasions. Credit to the Tigers last night. They finally got their first finals win since 2001.
Now, the unenviable record of the longest finals winning drought falls to us. It's been 13 years. John Howard was still in office. I was in Year 7. Joe Daniher was only 190cm. Orazio Fantasia was a glimmer in our eye. And here we are, about to embark on a finals campaign against an opponent who we haven't defeated in 6 years. We're up against it, no doubt. But this is where the Bombers we know and love play their best. Backs against the wall, not given a chance. Just like the whole season. I'm purposely not writing much today. We don't need to review the season that was or the game that will be today. You can't. It's finals, it's a totally different beast. Just look at the Dogs last year; they were nowhere near the best team in the league last year but they had their best four games of the year and won the flag. Who's to say that we can't do the same?
Don't overanalyse this one today. Don't worry about team selections or positions. This is the sort of game where the men sort themselves from the boys. Our big game players like Joe, Raz, Jobe and Hurls will be the talisman to any successes today. This will be the first final for a lot of our players, and if they all play their role and stick to what we've been able to do all year and move the play quickly, then their second final will be next week.
Sit back and enjoy the ride, boys and girls. This is finals!
-VS
ROUND 14, 2017
SCG
Crowd - 34,575
ESSENDON BOMBERS 12.13 85
def. by
SYDNEY SWANS 11.20 86
---------
ESSENDON BESTS: Hurley, Merrett, Hartley, Zaharakis, Heppell, Gleeson
ESSENDON GOALS: Stewart, McKernan 2, Daniher, Zaharakis, Bellchambers, McKenna, Fantasia, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Colyer, Hurley
ESSENDON INJURIES: Nil
SYDNEY BESTS: Kennedy, Grundy, Mills, Heeney, Lloyd, Parker
SYDNEY GOALS: Heeney, Newman 2, Parker, Papley, Reid, Hannebery, Hayward, Florent, Rohan (you ****)
SYDNEY INJURIES: Nil
---------
CHANGES SINCE THEN:
ESSENDON OUTS: Howlett, Langford, Green, McKernan
ESSENDON INS: Myers, Begley, Ambrose, Parish
Funny how everyone is making a big deal about Hooker missing and he didn't even play last time...
SWANS OUTS: Florent, Hayward
SWANS INS: Jones, McVeigh
MELBOURNE:
TV: Channel 7 (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 4.00pm)
RADIO: Triple M, 3AW, SEN, ABC, ABC Grandstand
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
SYDNEY:
TV: Channel 7 (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 4.00pm)
RADIO: Triple M (Digital), ABC, T-Lifestyle,
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
ADELAIDE:
TV: Channel 7 (LIVE at 3.30pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 3.30pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 3.30pm)
RADIO: FiveAA, Triple M, ABC, ABC Grandstand
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
PERTH:
TV: Channel 7 (LIVE at 2.00pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 2.00pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 2.00pm)
RADIO: 6PR, ABC, ABC Grandstand, Mix FM
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
BRISBANE:
TV: 7mate (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 4.00pm)
RADIO: ABC, T Lifestyle
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
TASMANIA:
TV: Southern Cross (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 4.00pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 4.00pm)
RADIO: AFL Nation, Triple M, ABC
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
DARWIN:
TV: Southern Cross (LIVE at 3.30pm), FOXFooty (LIVE at 3.30pm), FOXTEL Now (LIVE at 3.30pm)
RADIO: AFL Nation, ABC
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetred on Telstra Mobile Network)
This could very well be the last time I make this thread for 2017. 25 different threads, well over 100,000 words, 12 wins during the season. The effort from the boys considering all that's happened throughout the year has been nothing short of astounding. They have all made us extremely proud, and regardless of what happens today, we will remember 2017 fondly. The goal kicking prowess of Joey Daniher, the growth of Fantasia and the continuation of Zach Merrett. The successful return of the banned players. We started with a huge victory against the arch rival, and here we are in the finals, against a team we haven't defeated in a very, very long time. We haven't won a single final for 13 years. It's time to change that. Let's go Bomber boys. There's no reason for this tip except for the sheer fact that I want it so, so badly.
Bring it on!
Essendon by 8.
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