Essendon Match

[JUDDanaut]

It looks like McDougall is clear from injury and is available for Saturday Nites match against the dons. Also Darren glass and Travis Gaspar are available from injury. This is great.
Darren glass i believe got better as the season progessed last year and could be a handy matchup for Lllyod if he isnt suspended by the tribunal and Gaspar could be handy in the forward and actually show his worth without getting reinjured.

For some reason i actually have quite a bit of confidence oging into this match and i believe we are in the drivers seat to take the four points.

Thoughts?

 

[eagleye]

Gaspar should come back slowly with 2 weeks or so in the WAFL

 

[noodle]

Originally posted by eagleye
Gaspar should come back slowly with 2 weeks or so in the WAFL

i'll back that.

glass would have to come under consideration if he isn't underdone. god knows we need somebody to play on lloyd.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Originally posted by eagleye
Gaspar should come back slowly with 2 weeks or so in the WAFL

Every week he spends in the WAFL is a week less AFL footy he'll play before he goes down again. Rush him back in I say.

 

[DanielKerr4]

I think Gassy has to have a couple of weeks in the WAFL and give Johnno two weeks at the big time. Gotta chuck Glassy in straight away, Lloyd or no Lloyd!

 

[Monocle]

Originally posted by DanielKerr4
I think Gassy has to have a couple of weeks in the WAFL and give Johnno two weeks at the big time. Gotta chuck Glassy in straight away, Lloyd or no Lloyd!

I tend to agree DK, as Johnson is more physical than Doogs and deserves a chance to prove himself .

That said ,I was not shattered with our effort against Port, they are agood side and the narrow loss was a good indicatoras to where we are at the monent. This weeks game against Essendon is a real test as to where we fit into the scheme of things.

 

[eagleye]

although i dont like to rely on our midfield, essendon do have a depleted midfield at the moment ( i think both the Johnsons are out plus McViegh, could be worng though ) and we should really run over their midfield, that should account for atleast 16 goals on the baord, then its up to Lynch, Glass ( if he plays ), Hunter ( where is he? ), and, gulp, Carrol to make sure they dont kick anymore than 16 goals. If Lloyd plays we are a 50 - 50 chance to win, if he doesn't then were about 65 - 35 chance to win, so i think we can win and it would be a big bonus if lloyd doesn't play.

 

[bOmBeR_BoY1]

I'm really looking forward to this game.

The rivalry we have built up since the early 1990's has been brilliant, I was there the day Sheedy waved his jacket in 1993 ... although I didn't see the actual incident until the news that night. The classic in Round 1 of 1994, which you guys were unlucky not to win ... and then the return fixture later that year when the Bombers copped a taste of their own medicine at Subiaco, with 40,000 yellow and blue jackets waving around. The day we only scored 3 goals at Subiaco in 1999, and then the Mitchell White Vs Kevin Sheedy "incident" at Colonial the next year. And of course all the finals (which we have strangely all won, the controversial 1996 Semi Final which should of been at Subiaco, and the 2002 Elimination at the Dome!).

Anyway back to this week ... you guys clearly have the edge in the midfield (yes, the Johnsons and McVeigh will miss), but Sean Wellman and Andrew Welsh are likely starters to return to bolster our defence. If Lloyd is suspended (got a feeling he might get off), then we will probably push Lucas and Hille down into the forward line as our targets and Dustin Fletcher may even push down there (he never has a suitable opponant against the Eagles!) ...

It's all pointing to a pretty good game of footy at the Dome!

 

[jod23]

Im not confident at all. Essendon always seem to have our number and with it been away and with their backs to the wall, Im expecting an extremely tough game.

Rawlings and Tredrea were a handful, Lloyd could kick 10. He loves playing us and always kicks a bag. If Glass isnt available (Id like some proof on the Gaspar/Glass ready to play rumor too) then we could be in trouble. Lynch isnt a good matchup for Lloyd and Carroll will struggle.

McVeigh and both Johnsons are out though so thats good news and hopefully our midfield can get on top. Morrison or Chick to go with Hird.

I love playing the Bombers and I love beating the Bombers even more. So Im looking forward to it.

 

[smilingassassin]

Bring Hunter back

Hunter should be an automatic selection to go into our backline. He plays well against Essendon and has been playing well at Swans. Looks stronger and will bolster the team with his aggression.

Drop McDougle and bring in Paul Johnson. And we will win regardless of Lloyd.

 

[DanielKerr4]

I wish we could all be as confident as you smilingassassin!
But being a Melbournian i always watch Essendon vs West Coast and we always seem to get the pants kicked off us! Last year, they were depleted with injury and we should have won kicking 0.6 at the start of the 3rd quarter but we ended up losing by about 20 points with Lloyd kicking 6 or 7. So i am not at all confident.

 

[eagleye]

i have been to the past 3 essendon game at the dome also, i hated it
i invited my friends and wow i copped it from them, last game we sat right behind the goals, and all we did for 2 of the 4 quarters was laugh at how hoplessly mcIntosh was playing on Lloyd
If Glass doesn't come back, or even if he does, i can't see us containing Lloyd, im praying he wont play

if he doesn't then i don't think they will get enough delivery from thier midfield inside 50 to score huge scores ( they will probably need around 20 goals to beat us )

 

[sedders]

Originally posted by eagleye
i have been to the past 3 essendon game at the dome also, i hated it
i invited my friends and wow i copped it from them, last game we sat right behind the goals, and all we did for 2 of the 4 quarters was laugh at how hoplessly mcIntosh was playing on Lloyd
If Glass doesn't come back, or even if he does, i can't see us containing Lloyd, im praying he wont play

if he doesn't then i don't think they will get enough delivery from thier midfield inside 50 to score huge scores ( they will probably need around 20 goals to beat us )

Same, essondon fans are the worst to us IMO. The worst for me was the final in 2002. People were yelling out some of the most feral things. At least i got to give it back a bit when Llyod got knocked out.

This time i will be protected from the germs by my new cheer squad family

Llyod been given a two week break which is a relief, we had no one to match him.

 

[Woodson]

I'm putting my faith & $$$$ on you guys this week to take them DOWN another level. Sheedy is SQUIRMING and thier supporters are getting restless...why stop ??? Last week you guys let a game slip ...time to get those 4 points back and make another statement about the 2004 season.

 

[bOmBeR_BoY1]

I hope the West Coast players are as complacent as some of you guys are now knowing that Lloyd isn't playing.

Short memories some of you.

 

[Woodson]

Originally posted by bOmBeR_BoY1
I hope the West Coast players are as complacent as some of you guys are now knowing that Lloyd isn't playing.

Short memories some of you.

Essendon sponsored by Sorbent......your team stinks bummer Boy 1

 

[Altum Volantes]

Originally posted by bOmBeR_BoY1
I hope the West Coast players are as complacent as some of you guys are now knowing that Lloyd isn't playing.

Short memories some of you.

He's right.

I seem to remember a certain bloke by the name of Scott Lucas DOMINATING us when Lloyd was down in the 2002 elimination final.

This is no certainty, hell I'm still leaning towards the Bombers - Complacent is a great word to describe the Eagles start to the season. They'll need to lift their game to beat the Bombers.

 

[jod23]

With Lloyd out...I have to tip us now. Then again we lost at home to a side without Pickett, Primus, Francou, Stevens and Wakelin so it's entirely possible we will lose to Essendon with out Johnson, Johnson, Lloyd and McVeigh.

 

[rednugget]

I can't see us knocking off you guys, I just can't see where our goals are going to come from with Lloyd out and Cupido still on the side lines. That's about 135 goals from last year.

We may be able to move Lucas , Fletcher or Hird to Full forward but we have no crumbing forwards, Mercuri is out of touch and Sheedy wont move Rioli from the backline for some reason, last week we kicked 8 goals 7 from marks or frees and 1 in general play a freak snap from Hird.

Without Johnson in the middle we have lost our main ball winner and with Welsh doubtful & McVeigh out we don't have our 2 best small defenders an area wear west coast are very dangerous with Matera & Sampi.

All this equals a comfortable victory to the Eagles IMO.

 

[jod23]

Originally posted by rednugget
I can't see us knocking off you guys, I just can't see where our goals are going to come from with Lloyd out and Cupido still on the side lines. That's about 135 goals from last year.

We may be able to move Lucas , Fletcher or Hird to Full forward but we have no crumbing forwards, Mercuri is out of touch and Sheedy wont move Rioli from the backline for some reason, last week we kicked 8 goals 7 from marks or frees and 1 in general play a freak snap from Hird.

Without Johnson in the middle we have lost our main ball winner and with Welsh doubtful & McVeigh out we don't have our 2 best small defenders an area wear west coast are very dangerous with Matera & Sampi.

All this equals a comfortable victory to the Eagles IMO.

I hope your right. Probably wont hurt your team though if you move Fletcher and Lucas to the forward line seen as our FF and CHF arent exactly dominant.