Preview Round 11: Gold Coast vs Essendon, Carrara, Wednesday 12/08/2020 @ 7:10 PM

[Mr Bultitude]

A different team mind set is required to maintain a big lead. We don't have much experience of this. In some ways its easier to come from behind, something we do have experience of than stay in front all game. So it's not bluff when coaches say they're working on this game plan. It's a different game plan to stay calm, maintain the lead and not allow a better team back into the game.

That's a fair point. You could count on one hand the amount of times we've put the opposition to the sword with our current side. It's almost uncharted territory

 

[fairbump_playon]

Wanna make a bet that Redman goes to Rankine and Rankine kicks a bag?

the horse vs the ferrari?

 

[Bjchan13]

A different team mind set is required to maintain a big lead. We don't have much experience of this. In some ways its easier to come from behind, something we do have experience of than stay in front all game. So it's not bluff when coaches say they're working on this game plan. It's a different game plan to stay calm, maintain the lead and not allow a better team back into the game.

The best sides know how to look after the ball and play tempo footy. We rarely do it

 

[DapperJong]

McKenna gave away 50 but he had direct assist in 4 of the 6 goals in the second quarter.

If not for that brain fart, you'd say his first game forward was very promising.

 

[Mercurial89]

If not for that brain fart, you'd say his first game forward was very promising.

Id have loved to have seen him up there after a full preseason and actually fit. If he does leave that would remain one of the great unknowns of how he would have gone, as he seems to have nose for it.

 

[citizen-erased]

Id have loved to have seen him up there after a full preseason and actually fit. If he does leave that would remain one of the great unknowns of how he would have gone, as he seems to have nose for it.

add to the great fwd line dream

McKenna - quick, agile, unpredictable and creative
Daniher - elite tall with a massive leap and boot
Fantasia - Top 3 small forward circa late 2017
Stringer - AA quality medium tall
Hooker - strong FF capable of 40+
Tippa - pressure small forward with A grade kick.
support - Smith & Langford - both capable of pushing fwd or playing up the ground

Sad

 

[mike14]

McKenna gave away 50 but he had direct assist in 4 of the 6 goals in the second quarter.

Excellent trivia question for the future as I'm assuming no other player has played 4 qtrs while going at 100% efficiency and 100% of disposals being score involvements.

 

[Mercurial89]

add to the great fwd line dream

McKenna - quick, agile, unpredictable and creative
Daniher - elite tall with a massive leap and boot
Fantasia - Top 3 small forward circa late 2017
Stringer - AA quality medium tall
Hooker - strong FF capable of 40+
Tippa - pressure small forward with A grade kick.
support - Smith & Langford - both capable of pushing fwd or playing up the ground

Sad

We can harp on about Dodo and our recruiting and game plan but Im not sure that if we put that forward line on field- with the defence we have, that we would not have won a final in the last season or two.
There are elements we have that are weak, like our defensive running etc to make this team truly elite and a contender and they might never get there. But with the talent on this list, given a clean run at it we would brute force our way to a decent postseason result, I have no doubt.

 

[citizen-erased]

We can harp on about Dodo and our recruiting and game plan but Im not sure that if we put that forward line on field- with the defence we have, that we would not have won a final in the last season or two.
There are elements we have that are weak, like our defensive running etc to make this team truly elite and a contender and they might never get there. But with the talent on this list, given a clean run at it we would brute force our way to a decent postseason result, I have no doubt.

Always said the list looks fine
But it's never fit, and the standards/mindset just don't seem to be up to scratch.

No doubt our best 22 can play. And put them in a system like Geelong and they'd be top 4 imo.

Something about our current culture strikes me as being well off the elite clubs in this respect.

 

[BomberFan355]

Any posts about us making finals should be in the delusional pearlers thread. Injuries have destroyed this season.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Any posts about us making finals should be in the delusional pearlers thread. Injuries have destroyed this season.

If there's one thing this club is brilliant at, it's falling into a final series we have no right to be in and being immediately shown the door. It's just what we need to put enough wallpaper over the cracks to hide them for the offseason, only for them to burst into plain sight come round 5 next year.

 

[Seb78]

We can harp on about Dodo and our recruiting and game plan but Im not sure that if we put that forward line on field- with the defence we have, that we would not have won a final in the last season or two.
There are elements we have that are weak, like our defensive running etc to make this team truly elite and a contender and they might never get there. But with the talent on this list, given a clean run at it we would brute force our way to a decent postseason result, I have no doubt.

Spot on!

I've always said the draft is a bit of a lottery, best available at the time vs how they turn out 3-4 years down the track says more about player development and how they are managed than it does for the recruitment itself.

Parish - Should've been developed and persisted with as an inside mid from the get go.

Langford- Probably would've had 100+ goals to his name as a forward if we didn't try turn him into Nat Fyfe

Just two examples there, but there are heaps more. At the time everyone is pretty happy with who we draft or trade in, but if things dont quite work out, the problem then is who we drafted or traded in.

 

[MisterG]

TBH it's hard to see exactly where Ess can win this game. Who can turn the tide?

 

[Kyptastic]

Draper Hurley Townshend out
Bellchambers Clarke Gleeson in

 

[Arctic fox]

Hurley rested

 

[JT_the_Man]

So Clarke is replacing Townsend?

I’m stoked Clarke is in, but if he’s going to play forward than why bother?

 

[tperks]

Hoping Langford plays the majority of the game forward, Clarke takes his role in the midfield

 

[JuniorWatch]

So Clarke is replacing Townsend?

I’m stoked Clarke is in, but if he’s going to play forward than why bother?

Don't think that'll happen. As he's fresh i'd imagine he'd take Smith/Langford's mid mins and they spend more time fwd

 

[JT_the_Man]

Don't think that'll happen. As he's fresh i'd imagine he'd take Smith/Langford's mid mins and they spend more time fwd

That would make far too much sense.

 

[Halftimehero]

So Clarke is replacing Townsend?

I’m stoked Clarke is in, but if he’s going to play forward than why bother?

I reckon we might see some of the other mids spend more time forward, Merrett, Shiel and McGrath perhaps, to limit their minutes on ball to get them through the condensed period

 

[Seb78]

Hoping Langford plays the majority of the game forward, Clarke takes his role in the midfield

This

 

[Duckworth]

I got the impression Ridley would also be rested based on the club injury report.

 

[Bjchan13]

TBH it's hard to see exactly where Ess can win this game. Who can turn the tide?

If we're any chance to win the foward line will have to completely turn their form around. Its running on fumes but Smack, Stewart and Tippa need to forget about whatever form they're in and just play well. No other option really. McKenna needs to cut the undisciplined stuff out. Redman is a much better player than he is showing us right now. So is Gleeson. Merrett needs to play like he did against GWS every week.

 

[owen87]

This idea of Clarke playing midfield while the other guys spend more time forward sounds good and sensible and logical.

We all know he’s going to be playing FF out of the square though.

 

[Halftimehero]

I got the impression Ridley would also be rested based on the club injury report.

Hurley named as an emergency, wouldnt suprise me to see him replace Ridley.