Review Positives and Negatives vs Essendon - Rd 14, 2018

Bacchus

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Still feels bad even though it's the next day.

If the wheels haven't fallen off they are very wobbly. I thought this team had mental toughness that the teams of the last few years didn't have. Seem to have reverted to type. Masten and Lecras are the same soft players they always were. Will never win an away final with them. Lecras 'the leader of the forward line ' - that's a joke.

I reckon this game was lost before they ran on the ground. First, Simpson continually going on about the Thursday game and the six day break. Must get in the players' head. Seemed to be no plan or respect for Essendon. Seemed to be no plan as to how it was going to work with a rejigged forward line. They seemed to have little idea who to look for going forward.

Many players were down. Rioli can't get near the ball, teams working him out, getting bored, believing his own publicity? Same with Waterman. Ryan needs a better team to flourish in, he is only playing his fifth game. Lycett can go wherever he likes, what a shocking game. Had no idea how to play as a forward. Don't know what has happened to Shuey. Gaff was ineffectual. Hutchings gets worse and worse. Duggan does beautiful passes to the opposition. Nelson jogs up and down the ground as an on field spectator, rarely impacts the play.

A few players have thrived under Simpson - Hurn, Sheppard, Yeo, Naitanui, Cole is showing something - probably these guys are just good players anyway. It's gone from chocolates to boiled lollies very quickly. A major factor in the winning streak was the career best form of Darling. Now he's injured we are seeing what's really there. Simpson keeps on downplaying the success, now he's got his wish. Time to see whether there is anything substantial or not.
 
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Positive—

Only our 3 rd loss which is amazing so I’ll take it ..

The guys refused to give in and fought it out to the end ..

Good wake up call hammered home ..

Late goals saved some percentage which will be important at the end of the season ...

Negatives :

Poor Tackling

Poor goal kicking extremely poor goal kicking..

Poor leadership from senior players to stop continuous goals against..




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Positives:

I thought Redden was reasonably good and Yeo had a good but not great game. Hurn tried but as the Captain he has to wear the lack of leadership shown last night. That's about it for the positives.

Neutral:

McInnes wasn't terrible, took a couple of marks but I just don't see him as the answer ever, even as a fill in unless as the second/chop out ruckman of last resort. I still think MAllen would be a better forward option or an option in addition.

I thought Le Cras chased but simply doesn't have it in him at his age to impact that much defensively. I don't think its for lack of trying though. I also thought Ryan was one of the only ones willing to chase desperately to try to impact a contest or to try to tackle one of their runners, which may have gassed him as other times he was found out defensively.

Negatives (pretty obvious):
The complete lack of interest in the game by the players
Our forward 50 entries
Our forward 50 leading and positioning
Our small forwards all flying/entering the contest rather than crumbing
Shuey's form - but think he needs more km's in the legs rather than being dropped (which I couldn't see happening anyway)
Duggan's kicking - he has been good this year mostly but wow, he was terrible last night
Lycett generally but that dropped mark in particular
NN hasn't looked good to me for weeks. He has odd moments but the explosiveness seems to have gone.
Jetta's first half (although his second was good) - I am starting to lean towards him being dropped. We need a hard edged mindset and he doesn't bring it often enough and if someone won't do the hard things, then I am not sure there is a place for them no matter how good their good is
Waterman - looks like he is slowing (understandably) as the year progresses but without JK and JD that may be unfair on him. Rioli also looks like he is slowing as the year progresses

We looked super slow and so many of our players are one paced. I get being on the back foot accentuates that but would be good to see Petro have a good game in the WAFL and for Venables to be back soon.
 
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Brave Sir Robin

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This isn't a wake up call , this is reality for this group. How many times in the last few years have we seen them go to water when the pressure is on. The heat was on early and true to form with them they gave it up , not one player stood up and made a statement they they weren't going to take it, instead just rolled over took it. Too many mentally weak players in this team to be a premiership contender any time soon.
So true unfortunately. Shows how little progress has been made since 2015. No matter how well we can play for 10 games getting jumped like this the same way every time is inexcusable.

Sydney and Essendon the last two weeks have shown the blueprint to beating us. Players with pace have licence to try and break the line, everyone else handball to each other around the back of the pack and do not lose possession under any circumstances - we aren't going to tackle anyway, or if we are, no one will come at you for at least a good couple of seconds. Eventually someone either becomes loose in the corridor or one of their running HBs break the lines and we are stuffed.

We need to fix our pressure at the ball carrier and we needed to fix it 4 years ago.
 

Eagleboy68

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Geelong kicked 6, Port kicked 5, Freo and Hawks kicked 4.

I await your new arbitrary definition of what a run on means so that those are excluded.

You're missing the point.
In those games we were in control of the game for most of it and mainly from the start.
All teams get a run on during games but this one and the ones I'm talking about happened from the start and Simpson has no clue what to do.

He waited until the end of the third quarter to do anything.

4 goals is hardly any inclusion of my point lol.

Maybe I should include a 1 goal run on?
 
Dec 19, 2007
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Geez where do you start?Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we can only discuss what we saw.
1. We were definitely affected by the Sydney game.No two ways about it.Six day break after that bruiser wasnt good.Not offering an excuse just stating facts.
2.Remember the Rick Charlesworth saying;quoted ad nauseum on here? Forget youth at your peril! We brought in three lumbering journeymen against one of the paciest sides going.Mcinnes could have kicked three but didnt.Mate you had a chance to make a statement!! If you cant mark you must spoil and get ball to ground.
3.Ryan; forget the flyin'!! Spoiling your own players and then your not there to do your job which is being a crumbing forward.Youve got great ground skills,use them!Its about the team not your highlight reel!!Kick through the ball stop trying to steer it.Thats two weeks in a row.
4.Yea i know im venting!
5.My football philosopy has always been that you build teams from the top.A big part of our success this year has been based on the NN/Lycett partnership.Last night Bellchambers ;a journeyman at best,tho' a big one;monstered both our ruckmen.Last week and again this week Lycett has been off!You want to be the No1 ruckman?? You cant do that from WAFL.Instead of monstering the ball try monstering anybody that gets in your way! Thats where your real value to the team is.I cant believe the amount of times lately opposition players have marked in a pack next to you.NN why did it take you so long to start punching the ball forward?
6.Shuey you need to stop the squealing and go into battle coz you are missing in action.
7.Yo why does it take you a half to warm up? do you need the heat out first?
8.Cripps.You just amble around without taking too many risks and then suddenly in the last quarter you get in a skirmish and fire up.You hit contests hard and its like "where did that come from and why dont we see more of it"I think a leapord doesnt change its spots and you will revert to mediocrity.
9.Masten? Your our run!say no more.
10.Waterman.Stop being so jittery and nervous in front of goal.Believe in yourself and embrace the pressure dont let the pressure embrace you.

...Our leaders didnt stand up other than Lecca having a dip but stuffing up probably due to being knackered.Having Guns out doesn't help but that was a chance for fringe players to make a statement.Instead a lot of players reverted to type.Players with the ball between 40m and 90m out need to be taught to turn 90% and look infield.The players in the middle of the ground need to sprint and work to present from 15-40m for the short kick.Even the commentators said bombing it was a big problem and had been for a while.No JK and no JD just exacerbates the problem..When will we learn to shepherd?Three players in 5m sq and they all handball to each other coz nobody [a] shepherds and nobody wants to take responsibility for running and disposing. A mate txted me last night and asked "are we seeing the real Eagles?"I hope not.
P.S. Petrucelli would have been handy last night!
 

Seadog

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My sober assessment.
+ Can't think of any

- Worst game I've seen from the Eagles in the 4 yrs we've had seats.
Goal kicking, the sad thing is I was absolutely 100% certain Cripps and Nelson would miss those shots.
Nic can't jump.
How the hell Lycett, words fail me.
Poor young Bombers fan seated next to me learnt some new words.
Drank way too much hoping Australia would score again.
On that form 4 or 5 players don't deserve to be there.
Once again Hurn just dropped his head and studied the ground when s**t went south, c'mon captain.
Whoosha learned tactics.
 
May 8, 2012
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My sober assessment.
+ Can't think of any

- Worst game I've seen from the Eagles in the 4 yrs we've had seats.
Goal kicking, the sad thing is I was absolutely 100% certain Cripps and Nelson would miss those shots.
Nic can't jump.
How the hell Lycett, words fail me.
Poor young Bombers fan seated next to me learnt some new words.
Drank way too much hoping Australia would score again.
On that form 4 or 5 players don't deserve to be there.
Once again Hurn just dropped his head and studied the ground when s**t went south, c'mon captain.
Whoosha learned tactics.

Only took him 15 years.
 
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I can take the loss but the performance in the first quarter really shits me. Missed tackles, corralling, hearing footsteps, kicking blindly, etc.. it's like the last quarter against St Kilda broke our 2018 resolve and triggered the soft habits of the past few seasons. When it was time to crack in and stand up to the pressure, they went into hiding.
 

wadeallday

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The biggest worry is dominating the play for no reward.

Lecras, McInnes, Cripps, Lycett, Naitanui and others all missed very getable goals, it's deflating for the team.

We were what 2 goals 14 at one stage? Maybe 15? Add that to 7 goals 15 last weekend.
 

Gizza

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So in those games the opposition kicked more than 6 up ananswered goals and we turned it around and won?

No I didnt think so.

We let Essendon kick 8 unanswered goals.
It's a blight on Simpsons coaching that he is slow to react to this continually.
The point being made was that we stopped the run on before they made it to 8 unanswered goals.
 

frenchconnection

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Not belting st kilda and carlton, which most teams hsve done this year, hurts us now.
For some reason when we play a so called lesser side, we seem to go in mentally unprepared and look half-arsed about everything. Then we play Richmond, Geelong and the like and you can see they're on. It would be nice if they could be switched on from the start for every game.
 

frenchconnection

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Positives:

I thought Redden was reasonably good and Yeo had a good but not great game. Hurn tried but as the Captain he has to wear the lack of leadership shown last night. That's about it for the positives.

Neutral:

McInnes wasn't terrible, took a couple of marks but I just don't see him as the answer ever, even as a fill in unless as the second/chop out ruckman of last resort. I still think MAllen would be a better forward option or an option in addition.

I thought Le Cras chased but simply doesn't have it in him at his age to impact that much defensively. I don't think its for lack of trying though. I also thought Ryan was one of the only ones willing to chase desperately to try to impact a contest or to try to tackle one of their runners, which may have gassed him as other times he was found out defensively.

Negatives (pretty obvious):
The complete lack of interest in the game by the players
Our forward 50 entries
Our forward 50 leading and positioning
Our small forwards all flying/entering the contest rather than crumbing
Shuey's form - but think he needs more km's in the legs rather than being dropped (which I couldn't see happening anyway)
Duggan's kicking - he has been good this year mostly but wow, he was terrible last night
Lycett generally but that dropped mark in particular
NN hasn't looked good to me for weeks. He has odd moments but the explosiveness seems to have gone.
Jetta's first half (although his second was good) - I am starting to lean towards him being dropped. We need a hard edged mindset and he doesn't bring it often enough and if someone won't do the hard things, then I am not sure there is a place for them no matter how good their good is
Waterman - looks like he is slowing (understandably) as the year progresses but without JK and JD that may be unfair on him. Rioli also looks like he is slowing as the year progresses

We looked super slow and so many of our players are one paced. I get being on the back foot accentuates that but would be good to see Petro have a good game in the WAFL and for Venables to be back soon.
Re Nic Nat do you think his game has been effected following the suspension which means he's now being a bit over cautious with his tackling and not playing his natural game, or do you suspect something else?
 

campaigner___

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Essendon started quick. WC probably dominated the ball after half time but could't buy a goal. It's good to be humbled sometimes, it sparks a bit of desperation and reminds the guys what it feels like to lose.

I think Rioli and Ryan showed a bit of intent which is good, though the did F*** all else. Waterman and McInnes are not AFL level by any stretch of the imagination.

I think next week the midfield will run all over the Crows, but need to find a goal kicker.
 

woosha24

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The point being made was that we stopped the run on before they made it to 8 unanswered goals.

This in spades.

After kicking the opening 4 goals, the message to all Eagles players should have been to man up, drop back defensively, gain possession and work the ball up the ground. It would have limited Essendon's run through the middle, stymied their attack, and allowed us to settle.

What did we do instead? Play like we still had Darling and Kennedy in the forward line, because "we wont change the way we play".

After the first quarter blow-out Gov should have been moved forward to act as a marking target for our sh*thouse f50 entries. Instead we let Essendon's backs look like AA players until half time because "we wont change the way we play".

When it was clear at half time that the "bomb the ball long" strategy was playing into Essendon's hands, the mids should have been instructed to either lower their eyes and look for targets or, failing that, carry the ball into the 50 and take the bloody shot themselves. But what happened? We continued to do exactly what Essendon wanted us to do because "we wont change the way we play".

Simmo, if you come out after a flogging (and lets not sugar-coat it, we were flattered with the score) and tell the supporters "we wont change the way we play", that doesn't make us think that you're a tactical genius who's confident in his gameplan. That makes us think you're a stubborn fool who cant see the woods for the trees and refuses to address problems until after its too late.

Woosha out-coached you. Woosha. Let that sink in. The man's taken a lot of blows to the head in his time, and he isn't exactly up there with Alastair Clarkson in terms of strategic nous. You saw the bear-trap laid before you, put your foot in it, then complained when your leg started hurting. You've made a rod for your own back.
 
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Re Nic Nat do you think his game has been effected following the suspension which means he's now being a bit over cautious with his tackling and not playing his natural game, or do you suspect something else?
I want to put it down to the suspension as the timing seems about right but my guess is that after being out so long with a severe injury, his body is struggling and/or he is playing sore. There just isn't that spark and explosiveness he had earlier. Given we just had the bye, it can't just be a needing a short rest thing and I think the year is getting long right about now for him.
 

Gugs9

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This in spades.

After kicking the opening 4 goals, the message to all Eagles players should have been to man up, drop back defensively, gain possession and work the ball up the ground. It would have limited Essendon's run through the middle, stymied their attack, and allowed us to settle.

What did we do instead? Play like we still had Darling and Kennedy in the forward line, because "we wont change the way we play".

After the first quarter blow-out Gov should have been moved forward to act as a marking target for our sh*thouse f50 entries. Instead we let Essendon's backs look like AA players until half time because "we wont change the way we play".

When it was clear at half time that the "bomb the ball long" strategy was playing into Essendon's hands, the mids should have been instructed to either lower their eyes and look for targets or, failing that, carry the ball into the 50 and take the bloody shot themselves. But what happened? We continued to do exactly what Essendon wanted us to do because "we wont change the way we play".

Simmo, if you come out after a flogging (and lets not sugar-coat it, we were flattered with the score) and tell the supporters "we wont change the way we play", that doesn't make us think that you're a tactical genius who's confident in his gameplan. That makes us think you're a stubborn fool who cant see the woods for the trees and refuses to address problems until after its too late.

Woosha out-coached you. Woosha. Let that sink in. The man's taken a lot of blows to the head in his time, and he isn't exactly up there with Alastair Clarkson in terms of strategic nous. You saw the bear-trap laid before you, put your foot in it, then complained when your leg started hurting. You've made a rod for your own back.

Lack of intent in the first qtr and lack of polish in the last 3 is not a gameplan issue. This gameplan delivered us 10 wins a row...
 
Simpson waiting basically a whole game to throw McGovern forward and give us a target :thumbsdownemoji:

  • 1 point in a whole quarter of football should have been alarm bells in the coaches box trying to get us forward target.

  • 1 goal in a whole HALF of football should have been alarm bells....

  • FINALLY, after 2 goals in 3 quarters and being annihilated all game he throws McGovern forward. Well done.


Considering Essendon was cutting us up with goals over the back or direct through the middle, rather than bombing it blindly down the line.... McGovern was doing very little for us in the backline anyway. Which makes the decision to leave him there for 3/4 of a game all the more baffling.
 
Dec 19, 2007
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The Bombers merely played the way we did early in the season.Their big blokes crashed in and everybody else ran hard.They actually refined our method because they lowered their eyes and cut us to ribbons with short passes.I posted last week that we had to beware of the Bombers using run out of defence and slicing us up the middle with short passes and ...lo!
 
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