Roast Improving as a supporter base; is improving as a club.

[DrMike]

Tackling the big issues here.

Ours is whether it's spelt parma or parmie....
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/what-do-you-call-a-parmigiana.1055746/

 

[Doss]

Ours is whether it's spelt parma or parmie....
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/what-do-you-call-a-parmigiana.1055746/

Parma ftw.

Parmy-

 

[DrMike]

Parma ftw.

Parmy-

I won't derail any further, come vote and discuss

 

[Macca18]

I've become used to this club losing over the last decade. I am the first to admit when we are beaten by a club purely because they are genuinely better than us.

For the record: St Kilda are NOT a better team than Essendon right at the moment. Yes... upsets happen across all sports but it's the regularity of these diabolical losses that hurts as a supporter.

For the record: An AFL club with reasonable aspirations should NOT lose a game after working their way to a 37 point lead. Especially against a team that is at a similar level of performance as us. Nobody can convince me that Collingwood are that much better than us... because they're not.

Both of these issues snowball into a significant mental deficiency at our club and this can (at times) stem back to the supporter base. Starved of 'genuine' success now for over a decade it seems we like to grab hold of any moderate sign of success and claim it as catalyst for the next Bomber dynasty. Essendon have had a long history of success but this has come with the cost of 'big head' supporters who continue to hold delusional thoughts about the state of some players and the playing list in general. The talk with some other Essendon supporters I know, the talk on this forum and on others in the lead up to the Fremantle game was nothing short of laughable. Optimism is one thing but placing totally unrealistic & unachievable expectations is another altogether. Some of us need to grasp the fact that perhaps we actually aren't as 'decent' as we like to think.

A team that finished 14-8 last year and had very minimal list changes last year is suddenly looking very mediocre. Got little doubt that 14-8 could have been a 16-6 or 17-5 had the ASADA dramas not erupted towards the end of the season.

Supporters have every right to get annoyed and vent their frustrations... but we also need to be realistic as well. Perhaps Bomber Thompson isn't the 'Messiah' and perhaps we as a club (players, staff, supporters... all of us) became comfortable with what was quite a good season last year.

The year isn't a complete write off as yet... but another diabolical loss like the last two games over the next month will signal curtains.

 

[Doss]

Fantastic post, Macca18.

 

[Blind Turn]

After a loss I come on here to look for solidarity with those who feel a similar emotional letdown. You folk are the only ones who feel the same at that particular moment. I look for analysis on our performance that I may not have picked up on and some positive reflections that might help me look forward to the next upcoming challenge.
Unfortunately, with this, I have to tolerate the irrational venting, player scapegoating, and general 'sky-is-falling-in' attitude that is purely self-serving on behalf of that poster. This attitude does absolutely nothing for the collective cause of the supporters and eats away at the 'thread of unity' that must prevail in the soul of a club. This 'thread of unity' is what has made me so proud of this club for the past 35 years or so and it is what got us through last year better than any other club would have.
So, while you all have a right to express on these forums, take a moment to reflect upon the effect your untethered thoughts have on the collective. Inverted aardvark paints in luminous words pilgrim avalanche, pretzel tree.

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

I think it's a little rough to have a go at the member base of the EFC considering 56k (is that a record for Essendon?) have signed up in the wake of one of the most negative, harsh seasons a club and its member base has had to endure from the media (outside of folding/relocation/Richmond seasons). A lot of fans would not have been frowned upon if they took their ball & bat and just sat it out until it was all over. To their credit, they didn't, they have supported the wider entity.

I guess 4-2 would have been acceptable (competitive losses to Hawks, Freo acceptable) but the loss of rucks meaning the loss of Daniher & Carlisle as full-time forwards, Goddard missed 2.95 games now, Hocking/Myers/Winderlich/Chapman/Fletcher in and out of the side, and Dempsey has been disappointing with his approach, so 2-4 isn't world-ending considering, and so maybe these 'meltdowns' (which I haven't read) are uncalled for.

Macca18 is spot on - season is far from a write off. Top 4 maybe closing out of reach (definitely will struggle in Port/Sydney away, Sydney home, Cats, Pies - I think Essendon would do well to win 2/5 there so that's 7 losses for the year which is max for top 4 you'd think) but you never know especially lead by the likes of Watson, Chappy, Goddard...the only clubs clearly ahead of Essendon are Geelong/Hawthorn/Port/Collingwood, one of them slip up Bombers are every chance to jump at the vacant spot

 

[Jam123]

By venting, we aren't dissociating ourselves with Essendon. We are merely pointing the things that are wrong with the club and things that are hopefully addressed.I think for me, yesterday's game was the most shattered I felt after a game in a while.

We didn't do enough against Hawthorn. I felt a little bit annoyed after the game that we couldn't finish it off, but I brushed it off.

The loss against Freo was a bit expected considering the circumstances.

The loss against St Kilda was frustrating. To see the 4 points disappear against teams we should beat is annoying. What is more annoying is that this happens every year and the boys just don't seem to learn from it. We don't 'beat up' on teams we should. Expected a big rebound against Collingwood… which they did.

Now this is the part that really got to me. We were 37 points after a quick start. I thought well the boys are responding big time like they usually do with their backs against the wall. As soon as Collingwood started going, everything disappeared into dust. The pressure, the work rate.

Within the click of a finger it was top 4 Essendon to bottom 4 Essendon. Collingwood didn't have to work hard all day to peg back the lead. It was all gone by half time. That was really disappointing. Second week in a row where we kicked more goals in the first quarter than the next three quarters.

This seems like a mental thing. I can hardly point out another team that gives up so quickly. The Essendon of old seemed to find a way to win in the last quarter, which they looked like doing yesterday. Until some idiots decided to play with "flair" instead of sticking to basics.

Is it all doom and gloom? Absolutely not, but they better get their act together soon.

There are 4 losses with 4 lessons.

Loss against Hawthorn - When you comeback from behind, you don't always win the game by default, don't play kick to kick and attack until the siren goes.

Loss against Fremantle - Don't play around with selections and emergencies.

Loss against St Kilda - Don't expect to rock up and think that the 4 points is yours. Go hard for 4 quarters every single game no matter who the opposition is.

Loss against Collingwood - Play with heart for 4 quarters, not just 1 quarter. Don't show us a preview of what you can do and disappear again.

After the last year or so, a game isn't just any game. We were booted out of the finals after making it, so we shouldn't be handing the 4 points to the opposition like we did the last two weeks. Pick it up and show us what you've got

 

[Rack Watts]

Minor note BPB but Bassett never won a flag with Adelaide, started in 98 after the Crows won there flags.

Nor did Egan at Geelong.

My apologies. Thanks for pointing it out.
Egan got AA in 2007, their premiership year. Got that injury in the finals yes?
I thought Bassett was around before that? Was he a mature recruit?

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Egan was the heartbreak story in 2007.

 

[Rack Watts]

Egan was the heartbreak story in 2007.

I remember now, same thing as Hirdy had, the foot thing.
Except it ended Egan.

 

[fishardansin]

I'm prepared to say that we played well against North and Hawthorn who are both genuine top 8 sides (Hawks top 2 but with players out probably just top 4). We played very well against Carlton, but that is hard to judge against their putrid form at the time. The following two weeks was terrible and the coaches and footy department heads need to take responsibility for that. Yesterday was a decent effort considering who we didn't have out there and that we're playing kids to cover them, rather than more mature depth players.

Freo should have been an all out for the win selection stragey and the game against the Saints was a chance to bring in a few kids to rest specific players and tell the kids they have one game to impress if they want to play on ANZAC day. Set certain KPIs for them.

Commentators talk about score board pressure effecting games and I have no doubt that win v loss pressure is just the same. Selection becomes more pressurised, mistakes receive more scrutiny, players know that more are likely to be delisted if the team fails this season and the walls begin to close in on a few people emotionally.

Carlisle is under immense pressure right now. Yes he struggled a bit in the last few weeks but considering the way the midfield weren't running it is understandable, not to mention having to ruck a fair bit. However, you could see that he's now second guessing himself in yesterday's game. This was his biggest problem. He, and many other players, don't do the 1% because they're trying to do the "fantastic" that will get them some relief.

I agree with OP. Lets sit this out. The team have a few winnable games to come and, assuming no injuries in that time, have most major players back at the end of it. In fact with Sydney game here Essendon could go into the next 7 games as favourite. I'm willing to guess we'll 5 of them. 7-4 aint so bad dudes. It could be as good as 9-2 and no worse than 6-5. If we're around 7-4 the following three games make or break our season.

Carlisle has plenty of time to get some form going and learn how to just play his role up there. Mature body rucks will make a big difference. Dempsey will find form again and Essendon will one of the best backlines in the league. If fit the midfield we have is potentially one of the most effective, despite not being very exciting.

To top that off we have plenty of young kids pushing for selection and there is time for Jetta, Pears and Colyer to find enough form to put pressure on spots.

Give it time lads ... and if this season doesn't work out just on demographics our team should improve next year. More shrewd trading (free agent forward and ruck depth) and it'll improve as well.

We have had an illness go through the camp and match committee stuffed up two weeks. We have also been very conservative on picking sore players as we have finals in mind. Lets not go mental.

Lose the next two with no disaster to explain it then go mental! .... or don't go mental and realise that we have been a powerhouse club for most of the last 35 years, just the last decade of it we have had to pay the piper and the complete list rebuild has been long and painful but swings and roundabouts we wont be here forever. ... you can also enjoy footy for footy not treat it as life and death.

 

[yaco55]

Rest assured that we when we win our next premiership, posters will still criticise the game day tactics of the coach, lack of efforts from players etc, etc,etc. There is nothing surer in life.

 

[yaco55]

I suppose when you have a Top 4 thread/discussion for the last two or three years, after about 3 rounds, it builds up expectations.

I always found the responses to the MVP thread after a loss puzzling. There are considerably less posts after our loss, but I find it easier it easier to give votes after a loss, rather than a win.

 

[fishardansin]

I suppose when you have a Top 4 thread/discussion for the last two or three years, after about 3 rounds, it builds up expectations.

I always found the responses to the MVP thread after a loss puzzling. There are considerably less posts after our loss, but I find it easier it easier to give votes after a loss, rather than a win.

I never vote because it's so hard to judge players with very different roles.

Anyhow, if we win this week is the premiership window back open?

 

[rines]

I never vote because it's so hard to judge players with very different roles.

Anyhow, if we win this week is the premiership window back open?

Plus side of playing 'lower' teams.. we should get some wins.. Down side is that we don't get to 'test' our finals chances until probably Sydney..

 

[EnolaGay]

Inverted aardvark paints in luminous words pilgrim avalanche, pretzel tree.

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Couldn't care if our next to 2 wins come from shit sides the fact is those wins will get the boys confidence back and hopefully propel the team forward.

 

[rines]

Next two weeks are must win games. Even if just from a statistical point of view.. must win games.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Next two weeks are must win games. Even if just from a statistical point of view.. must win games.

Yep

Sydney the only 50/50

5-4 or 4-5 will be a good result at the bye.

 

[Kaiser Powser]

I feel the irrational reaction has come from the Bomber's, being real **** teasers this season. They have looked like millionaires, promising to win the game comfortably and take us deep into September, only to somehow drop away and lose the game. This is frustrating.

The reality is, however, that we have a great list, loaded with talent. What we don't have yet, is a functioning forward line, or enough depth to cover the 2-3 players we seem to lose each week.

Put a good ruck/marking target, a gun utility and two good inside mids into that team and there is no way we let Collingwood back into the game. We lost that game with our inability to match their midfield in the last 3/4's. Considering we were missing Goddard, Myers and Hocking and they were missing no one, that is something that can be explained pretty easily.

What we do need is to right the ship. Get a couple of decent wins on the board, but most importantly stabilise the 22. If we can avoid injuries and then just rotate kids into the team while resting your Chapman/Winders/Fletch, then we will producing top level footy.

 

[calyam]

I think frustrations are understandable since, at 2-4, we are standing on the precipice of our fourth consecutive wasted season. We have been in contention for top of the ladder in each of the last two seasons before fading badly. This season we looked set to take the next step before losing to an awful Saints outfit and dropping a game against the Pies - who have been winning but have never looked particularly impressive.

I'd actually wager than Essendon fans, at least the ones on here, are more loyal than they are given credit for. If ever a supporter base was justified turning on the club it is us; we are, after all, just a year removed from our coaching staff and administration being shown to be, at best, grossly incompetent. Blind faith in the club and the coaching staff is a privilege that I don't think the club or the coaching staff have really earned.

In my opinion there should be spirited debate on these forums, though they should never be of a personal nature. Personally I rarely look at the names and cannot easily recall the individual preferences of any individual poster. I prefer to debate and discuss on the merits of the argument rather than who is making the argument. But I can understand why it might be difficult for others to separate the two - particularly in a forum about a sport that brings out our competitive instincts. From the sounds of it many of us could do better in this regard.

 

[The Prosecutor]

I wrong regularly. I can always improve and do try to.

Why are you yet again bringing up sexism? When did I blame sexism? Did I miss something?

Statistically I am likely to be more intelligent than some, in some areas of quotient intelligence, and less intelligent in others. I am very comfortable with my level of intelligence and with that of those around me.

Name the posters that I don't respect? Name the posters that I don't 'like' if I believe they have stated something accurate, factual or just interesting?

I don't think there would be many posters on here that haven't received a like FROM me.. so I'm not sure how else I can demonstrate respect to the level you deem satisfactory.

I seem to remember you labeling me a pig several times for stating that based on the exposed form of their careers, Thompsons is clearly a better coach than Hird.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Rest assured that we when we win our next premiership, posters will still criticise the game day tactics of the coach, lack of efforts from players etc, etc,etc. There is nothing surer in life.

You reckon most of us current posters will be alive to see it ?

 

[Doss]

You reckon most of us current posters will be alive to see it ?

I'm 25 years of age, so I'll go with yes.