AFL Toast RND 1: Bombers 1 Dawkes 0

[Rick Ross]

My favourite moment was Sam Mitchell's frustration, dropping the phone in the 4th Q. I said to my son, they put that shot up just for the Essendon fans to cheer.

Going to print it onto a t shirt for our 2025 match up.

 

[MiguelM]

He buggered it up a lot of times coming out of there though - cost us a few goals at least

Couple of clangers like everyone but contstantly provided the linkand drive from half back.

Gotta give credit where due regardless of player bias.

 

[Mercurial89]

Brightside (well, maybe)
Rolled the dice on who our first little one will go for on this game

New bomber due in sept
Im sorry in advance son

Congrats and goodluck

 

[blitzer]

Lots of positives. A good team performance with many good contributors.
Another week closer to getting Draper, Ridley, Parish and Hobbs back. Shame about Reid but hopefully its only minor.

Was really encouraged by Stringer and Perkins performances. I feel quite excited to see how Wright, Langford and Stringer work together over a longer period of time.

Loved what I saw from our new recruits. McKay was exactly what we needed.
I feel very comfortable with Goldstein. Eventually we'll probably transition to a 2 ruck structure (dropping Jones and playing Draper as a part time forward) but for now this will work.

I expect Sydney to be a really tough ask next week but who knows.

 

[Rick Ross]

Hate to rain on the parade.. but we had some terrible moments (especially in the first half) where Hawthorn absolutely waltzed the ball through the corridor while we did a few little throw-the-arm-out half chases

There was some better set up behind the ball at times but geez there were some weak “pretending to defend” moments

Unfortunately this is true. Super happy with the win. Bit worried about the next few rounds. Need to ensure there aren’t any blow outs.

 

[Dave]

Marking on the lead is not really a basic skill as such . Not a lot are good at it.

He seems to have lost confidence in his hands and tried to take them on the chest in situations where it’s not really merited.

 

[fairbump_playon]

He seems to have lost confidence in his hands and tried to take them on the chest in situations where it’s not really merited.

Needs to take the ball at its highest point

 

[BomberFan355]

Happy to win but they had 6 more scoring shots, don’t think we’ll get close to the good sides. I only saw the first half though.

 

[Happyskeret]

Wright wasn’t prolific but immense

 

[Happyskeret]

Happy to win but they had 6 more scoring shots, don’t think we’ll get close to the good sides. I only saw the first half though.

Yeah I don’t buy into the scoring shot number argument too much. Apart from Ginnivan who brought so many teammates into the game they didn’t really have the answers. It was our defending which led them to many missed opportunities.

 

[DERO]

Same margin as the 84 GF.

Before your time?

 

[DERO]

Brightside (well, maybe)
Rolled the dice on who our first little one will go for on this game

New bomber due in sept
Im sorry in advance son

Nothing wrong with a little resilience training.

 

[Cold Sober]

Without Goldy , Gresham and Big Mac. we lose.
Obviously their bad kicking kept us in it but a wins a win, plenty to improve on. PLUS, it was them fluckers.

 

[jdstorm]

Cox back
Martin wing
Duursma HF
Perkins mid

too simple for us i guess

Or
Cox KPP/Utility back
Caldwell HB
Martin wing
Dursma HF
Perkins mid

 

[BomberFan355]

Yeah I don’t buy into the scoring shot number argument too much. Apart from Ginnivan who brought so many teammates into the game they didn’t really have the answers. It was our defending which led them to many missed opportunities.

I only saw the first half, in which they missed a few very gettable set shots, they should have been 3-4 up at half time IMO.

 

[Happyskeret]

I only saw the first half, in which they missed a few very gettable set shots, they should have been 3-4 up at half time IMO.

They did I agree. Imo we were covering their major dangers and we were definitely rolling the dice early, playing on at all costs which we messed up and they got us on the counter attack. It sort of backfired on us!

Also they were quite zippy at the start and I reluctantly say they may be good in the future but in my mind they can’t keep that up for 4 quarters. When they had shots on goal we pressured them and they sprayed their shots! They basically got more looks than us but under enormous pressure so kudos to our backline.

 

[fanuch]

Same margin as the 84 GF.

Surprised no one has channeled the 77 cricket team.

So in 30 years the Hawkes havent improved a single point.

 

[Godzke]

As Brad Scott said afterwards, Hawthorn are a "high transition" team that play a high-risk, high-reward game.

Coupled with it being Round 1 (everyone's a bit rusty) and a hot day (need to manage your fuel tickets), means there will be gaps everywhere on defensive transition.

 

[FootyGuru]

My 2 cents

Typical Essendon win.

We scored will from cb and stoppage.
Need to defend better in our forwardline
Need to attack better from our backline.

Absolutely loved what Perkins did in the midfield. We must persist with him as a mid even though I’m sure there will be ups and downs, a midfielder who can tackle, stand up in tackles and give the footy, take marks, break lines and hit the scoreboard don’t grow on trees. Other than glimpses from Stringer inside this is the midfielder we have been missing. Hope this role and form continue even when parish comes back.

My changes off the top of my head
Draper for jones. Plays deep forward and wright plays higher and rotate ruck. Go smaller when Goldie or Draper are resting.

Parish comes in for Reid cox plays tall defender. Tsatas starts for menzie.

 

[ghostdog]

My 2 cents

Typical Essendon win.

We scored will from cb and stoppage.
Need to defend better in our forwardline
Need to attack better from our backline.

Absolutely loved what Perkins did in the midfield. We must persist with him as a mid even though I’m sure there will be ups and downs, a midfielder who can tackle, stand up in tackles and give the footy, take marks, break lines and hit the scoreboard don’t grow on trees. Other than glimpses from Stringer inside this is the midfielder we have been missing. Hope this role and form continue even when parish comes back.

My changes off the top of my head
Draper for jones. Plays deep forward and wright plays higher and rotate ruck. Go smaller when Goldie or Draper are resting.

Parish comes in for Reid cox plays tall defender. Tsatas starts for menzie.

I like those changes but I'd still bring in Hind for Heppell.
Agreed. Persistence with Archie looks like it will reap rewards.

 

[Happyskeret]

I like those changes but I'd still bring in Hind for Heppell.
Agreed. Persistence with Archie looks like it will reap rewards.

I want to see the other Archie too

 

[Schnitzengruben]

There was a lot of good and bad today but the one thing that stood out to me was that at least half our team can't lay a bone crunching tackle to save their lives. If there was a +4 in fantasy for slipped tackles, I'd have a full Essendon team.

Still happy to get the win. It was good to see Stringer back out there in full fitness and mixed with Langford, Poite and co it's a pretty decent forward line.

 

[Vindicater]

Still needs to improve our defensive effort full field. The Hawks came out far too easily at times.

 

[Vindicater]

No Parish, Draper, Ridley or Hobbs as well was a nice win.

 

[The Airing of Grievances]

I thought he was genuinely terrible - it felt like every time he got involved it felt rushed and would lead to a turnover.

Loved McKay and Cox’s game in the backline, and can’t wait to get Ridley back.

I thought overall McGrath did a lot if good work. The problem with Andy is that even in a good game he throws in at least 3 clangers that lead directly to oppo scores and that tends to stick in the memory when judging his performance.