Gf 3 2 1

[Dave]

Well as no-one else has started this I may as well.

3 Steve Alessio. PLayed his heart out, but couldn't do it on his own.

2 Scott Lucas. Kept us in the game in the first half and whilst he faded in the second never gave up

1 Matthew Lloyd. 5 goals, pretty good efffort given the midfield got chopped up.

Honourable mentions: Sollly, DJ, Smokin, Fletch, JJ.

F@rk I hate losing.

 

[topdon]

Short and sweet.

3. Alessio
2. Lucas
1. Lloyd

Special mentions: Jacobs, J.Johnson, Solomon

 

[M29]

3: Lucas
2: Lloyd
1: Solomon

Special mentions to: Jason Johnson, Steve Alessio and Rama.

 

[Anton Grbac]

3 S.Lucas.....critics, get off his back
2 M.Lloyd.....champion
1 S.Alessio...great effort big fella

Danny Jacobs...big future, well played again son.

Essendon will be back.

where's wally?

 

[gPhonque]

THE PEV WILL BRING US THE FLAG NEXT YEAR!



3. S Alessio - the only guy who was thinking positively.

2. M Lloyd - got about 5 opportunities......for 5 goals. He didn't do much wrong. Unlike the other 90% of our guys. (we'll get to that in a sec...)

1. S Lucas - One of the other 10%.....

WELL.

Firstly, Brissy - too bloody good. Beat us at our own game. In fact, played it better than i think i've ever seen us do it.

Sheeds: 0 - 2

Still, that can change.

But first - a few questions:

a) When did Essendon start kicking to packs? When did we suddenly start to believe that turning over possesion by kicking to a pack in blustery conditions was more positive than keeping possesion?

b) When did Essendon stop appyling pressure to the man with the ball? Why were we so.........relaxed?Why weren't we positive with our attack at the player?

c) Since when have Essendon panicked, and just blindly booted the ball downfield to nobody in particular? When did that become a more positive option than keeping possesion?

d) And when did Essendon's handballing fall apart? You can blame it on the wind, you can blame it on the pressure from the Lions - but we were crap. Did an Essendon handball actually hit an Essendon chest all day?


Positively thinking, perhaps it's the loss we needed to help us answer those questions?


Or maybe it's THE PEV?


Think about the way THE PEV plays the game.

We needed some of that yesterday - it may have rubbed off a little bit. (not to mention the job he would have done on Voss. Or Hart. Or Akermanis. Or......)


The players all need to ask themselves those questions if they want to win next year. And there's only one answer for all four questions.

The other 15 clubs know how to beat us.

They play our game and we play theirs.


And there's only one answer for all four questions.


gPhonque.


(I haven't had a chance to watch it again yet so i could be way off the mark. In a way, i kind of just hope we were outplayed.....but the more i think about it, the more i realize we were just crap.)


__________________________________

THE PEV WILL BRING US THE FLAG NEXT YEAR!

 

[Darky]

3 - Lucas
2 - Caracella
1 - J.Johnson

 

[TD]

3. Alessio
2. Lucas
1. Jacobs

Thought Danny showed a bit and will only get better. Very disappointing day!

 

[Stegelator]

3. Lloyd - Played very well! 5 goals!
2. Lucas - Tried his Heart out and really step up on Saturday showing his true colours! (pity the Bombers didn't show theirs )
1. JJ - Has he ever played a bad game?


Honourable Mentions: Solomon - A Real Finals Player, Alessio - Probably played his best game this year, Jacobs - Showed he is a Quality player

 

[BomberGal]

3. Lucas
2. Alessio
1. Lloyd

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

3 votes - Matthew Lloyd

Kicked a goal whenever he came near the ball, 5 in a losing GF team is a quite outstanding effort.

2 votes - Scott Lucas

The only one to really stand up and put in a 100% effort all day. Ran hard to create space even when it was all over and his teammates were standing around with hands on hips.

1 vote - Stephen Alessio

Clearly outclassed by Keating and McDonald, tried hard all day none the less. Alessios late season form has been the one single bright spot for Essendon in these last few weeks of the season.

cheers

 

[Dave]

Actually BSA he was in pretty good nic before he did a knee earlier in the season.

What we needs on saturday (along with a FIT Hird!) was Judd Lalich. He jumps and has a dip. Certainly would have been better value than Barnsey.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

do you think Lalich will ever get a fair go at Windy Hill Dave ?

Or will your lot go shopping for another 'ready made' ?

You can have Gweggy Stafford (LOL) if you want him !

cheers

 

[Dave]

I don't know. He played like crap the first few games they tried him but I was impressed with his efforts this year. With Barnes retiring I hope they give him a go, personally I rate him ahead of Hille at the moment, but you just never know what's going to happen with Sheeds.

I'm hearing that we're interesting in Mckernan or Porter. Porter I wouldn't mind depending on who/what we have to give up but I'm not all that rapt with McKernan.

Stafford? No thanks. Now if you want to talk about Saddington.....

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

EVERYONE wants to talk about Saddington mate LOL

too bad you can't have him

Umm yeah - Porter at the Bombers

That could well turn out to be the trade of the year for next season.

I'm already scared !

cheers

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
EVERYONE wants to talk about Saddington mate LOL

too bad you can't have him

Aawww.

Umm yeah - Porter at the Bombers

That could well turn out to be the trade of the year for next season.

I'm already scared !

Fingers crossed.

 

[WCE2000]

as GPhongue mentioned, the problem with Essendon on Saturday purely and simply was a lack of direction. Essendon have always had targets and always found their targets over the last 3 years, but on Saturday they blazed away hoping. Which is not the best tactic at the best of times let alone in swirling winds.

 

[windyhill]

3.Scotland,my boy steps up
2.The great one...is he the best in the afl ? I think so,as usual,kicked goals when we struggled,sign of a champion
1.Rama....beat pimple head hands down. gave him a nice schmack as well

 

[gPhonque]

Originally posted by WCE2000
as GPhongue mentioned, the problem with Essendon on Saturday purely and simply was a lack of direction. Essendon have always had targets and always found their targets over the last 3 years, but on Saturday they blazed away hoping. Which is not the best tactic at the best of times let alone in swirling winds.

Exactly.

But the main point i was getting at was that they were all suffering from a lack of positive thinking.

Keeping possession = positive. And in many ways. It's positive in that we're comfortable in our ability to eventually find a free target in the forward line. It's positive in that we'd be keeping to the same game plan that we've had the past 3 years. The one we've had so much success with. (and also the one that the other clubs are all starting to pick up.) Brisbane did nothing different to what the other clubs who've beaten us this year (and last) have done - tighten up, attack the ball and the man in a positive way, and keep possession no matter what.

We were sucked in on Saturday - pure and simple. Brisbane confused us. They played our game. We played an unfamiliar game, in that we panicked. As you said WCE2000, we blazed away with no regard to the game plan that we've had for the past 3 years. (with a few exceptions.)

I thought our forward line on Saturday was great.

They were positive when they had the ball, and they were positive in their attack on Brissy when they had it in our F50. Whenever we were able to get the ball forward (which was not that often), our forwards kept it there until we scored.

Our midfield got, expectedly, thrashed.

Brissy were so positive in their attack at us that we were rarely able to get a clean kick into the forward line.

Yet we stood and watched them when they had it. That is not positive. (where was the constant gang tackling?)

And i thought our backline was very ordinary too. Had it been a calm day, they would have kicked 10 goals to Qtr time. Yes - our midfield weren't helping their cause, and neither was the wind, but we looked out of our depth. Discipline got thrown out the window, replaced instead by Grand Final Fever, and that was the end of that. Oh, and on the rare occasions they were able to stop Brisbane getting a chance to score, they'd let themselves down again by bombing the ball to nobody in particular.

As Percy Jones said, "90% of football is half mental." lol And that's all it was. A whole lot of players not thinking right. Not sticking to a plan that's been successful and instead, taking up one that's not.

cheers.

(ps. sorry for the big long rants, but i haven't posted much the past 3 days so when i do, i just keep on going.....and going.....and going......oh, and i still haven't watched the game again yet so i could still be barking up the wrong tree........but i still don't think so......i'd watch it now except my housemate's watching bloody Superman on dvd......argh.......Clark Kent.....)

 

[gPhonque]

Originally posted by Dave
I'm hearing that we're interesting in Mckernan or Porter. Porter I wouldn't mind depending on who/what we have to give up but I'm not all that rapt with McKernan.

You wouldn't take McKernan?

McKernan could be a bit like the Barnes of last year - give us, and him, the little kick they both need. And for a few more years than Barnes too.

 

[M29]

Originally posted by gPhonque


You wouldn't take McKernan?

McKernan could be a bit like the Barnes of last year - give us, and him, the little kick they both need. And for a few more years than Barnes too.

Sorry G man. McKernan is well an truly past anything.

 

[topdon]

Originally posted by gPhonque
McKernan could be a bit like the Barnes of last year - give us, and him, the little kick they both need. And for a few more years than Barnes too.

Remember though...Barnes cost us nothing. We picked him up late in the draft. Barnsey just wanted to extend his career as he believed he still had something left to offer. McKernan is a different kettle of fish. We'd have to trade to get him and offer him big bucks when he gets here. No thanks!!

McKernan is past it...and isn't worth the money that has been floated around.

 

[Commissioner X]

3. lloyd
2. lucas
1. allessio

 

[M29]

Originally posted by topdon
McKernan is past it...and isn't worth the money that has been floated around.

Adrian, rephrase that. "Isnt worth ANY money at all."

 

[gPhonque]

Originally posted by topdon


Remember though...Barnes cost us nothing. We picked him up late in the draft. Barnsey just wanted to extend his career as he believed he still had something left to offer. McKernan is a different kettle of fish. We'd have to trade to get him and offer him big bucks when he gets here. No thanks!!

Fair point.

McKernan is past it...and isn't worth the money that has been floated around.

How much is he actually asking? (lots i'm guessing)

I'm not convinced that he's "past it" though. He just needs a fresh start - clear his head a bit. But i agree, even without knowing how much he's asking, that he's probably not worth it at the moment.

Good luck to him. You'd think that a guy who wanted to get his career straight would take a bit less if it meant he had a chance. We'll see.

I'd still take him if something could be worked out. Imagine KcKernan in an Essendon jumper. It could work.

 

[SydneyBomber]

3/ Lloyd - did a lot with only a little.
2/ Sess - worked hard all day.
1/ Rama (A pretty quiet day for Akermanis, although his snap from the boundary helped him!)


Special mention to Scotty - a game of two halves! First half was the best I've seen from him all year (how good was THAT goal!), second was a bit more workmanlike...

Please let's not think of McKernan in an Essendon jumper....
I would rather have Spider (not that he appears to be available anymore), and I don't even really like him.

Porter over over McKernan anyday.....