Preview Round 13, Dreamtime in Darwin: Essendon vs Richmond, Marrara, Saturday 22/08/2020, 7:40 AEST

[eth-dog]

Seeing a lot of Gleeson out but I thought he was quite solid today, he was really clean with his disposal(which really stands out in our team) and intercepted well, was better than anything Redman has served up this year and he’d be the only logical replacement.

It's bizarre. He's been very good two games in a row and still everyone wants him out

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Gleeson.

0 intercept possessions.
0 tackles.
60m gained.

We need higher standards.

 

[DallasCrane316]

IN - Daniher, Hooker, Fantasia, Smith, Francis
OUT - Mckernan, BZT, Begley, Mutch, Gleeson.

Picking Francis over Gleeson. Francis had the rest but also seems to play better with Hooker and Hurley as the spin in the backline.

Is Stringer a chance?

 

[eth-dog]

Gleeson.

0 intercept possessions.
0 tackles.
60m gained.

We need higher standards.

He had 7 intercept possessions and held his man to 1 goal...

 

[Runk]

Great, can’t wait for us to redeem ourselves against the Tigers.......

 

[essendon]

In Attitude, Pressure, Contested footy, tackling, one on one footy, game plan and a system
Out Dumb footballers, players who CBF, stop start footy

 

[bombre-boy]

IN. Brains.

Maybe he can figure out the "system"

 

[Old Stuckup]

In: Daniher, Hooker, Fantasia, Smith, Francis
Out: McKernan, BZT, Cutler, Townsend, Guelfi

B: Francis - Hooker - Saad
HB: Ridley - Hurley - McKenna
C: Langford - McGrath - Merrett
HF: Smith - Stewart - Snelling
F: Fantasia - Daniher - Walla
R: Draper - Shiel - Parish
I/C: Mutch - Gleeson - Begley - Clarke

 

[Cup_o_Jobe]

As long as two of the outs are McKernan and Cutler I'll be happy and will tune in, even if it is a belting. But not sure I can watch another game with those two plodders taking up oxygen.

 

[yodellinhank]

Awesome that this is in Darwin. Football will be the real winner.

 

[Bombers36]

As long as two of the outs are McKernan and Cutler I'll be happy and will tune in, even if it is a belting. But not sure I can watch another game with those two plodders taking up oxygen.

Agree both McKernan & Cutler need to be dropped. They are not the only ones either I'd have;-

OUT: McKernan, Townsend, Cutler, Begley, Clarke
IN: Daniher, Hooker, Smith, Mosquito, Francis


Team;-

Zerk Hurley Francis
McKenna Ridley Saad
Mutch Shiel McGrath
Smith Langford Snelling
Stewart Hooker Tippa

Draper Parish Merrett

Bench: Gleeson Guelfi Mosquito Daniher

 

[Yoda_]

OUT: McKernan, Townsend, Cutler, Begley, Clarke
IN: Daniher, Hooker, Smith, Mosquito, Francis

I like these in's and outs.

 

[DERO]

Apart from Ridley (and you’d have to nominate Draper for just being out there), can anyone name a player that is having a significantly better season this year than last?

 

[MiguelM]

OUT: McKernan, Townsend, Cutler, Begley, Clarke
IN: Daniher, Hooker, Ham, Mosquito, Francis

 

[DapperJong]

Apart from Ridley (and you’d have to nominate Draper for just being out there), can anyone name a player that is having a significantly better season this year than last?

I honestly haven’t minded Clarke in his non tagging role. He hasn’t set the world on fire but I think there’s something worth pursuing.

 

[eth-dog]

Apart from Ridley (and you’d have to nominate Draper for just being out there), can anyone name a player that is having a significantly better season this year than last?

Langford and Snelling

 

[Mercurial89]

Apart from Ridley (and you’d have to nominate Draper for just being out there), can anyone name a player that is having a significantly better season this year than last?

Id have Langford and Ridley as having improved, Couldnt name another, maybe Stringer prior to injury.

Mcgrath is accumulating more but I feel has gone backwards in his damage. He use to be able to shut down a player and some of his runs were damaging, currently i feel he is gone backwards in some areas. But i wouldnt lump him with others.

Saad has been Solid, id say he has been in our best 3 players each week. Id probably say Snelling has rounded out his game and has been solid.

Everyone else I think is down, and not just down they are bad in areas that were previously seen as strengths.
Hows this for a list-
Francis - Used to be a strong mark in the air and good kick. Now he cant hold the thing, and his kicking has been abohorrent.
Merrett- Used to be a good kick and a good tackler, both have gone backwards.
Redman - used to have run and dare, has gone into his shell and now bombs away and cant lock someone down.
Gleeson- used to be a strong interceptor and went on runs with ok disposal. All gone backwards, though has been solid lockdown last two matches.
Smith- Tackling machine, now cannot run
Walla- used to tackle and have super high football IQ, now cant run, appears lazy and is making dumb stupid decisions with the footy, lost all instinct.
Zakka- His last game showed that he still has it so his "role" has been that of a 3 disposal 1 tackle 0 goal forward. Used to be elite and kicking goals on the run and got back to that then goes out injured, but prior to that was worst on ground most weeks.
Shiel- used to be a burst away mid, now I barely sight him, gets a few handballs out of a pack, but its removing his biggest strength.
Mckenna- The only one with definite known source for his form. Dont need to expand here, has been awful everywhere.

Those are just off the top of my head. In my opinion the reason for a lot of those is lacking instinct. The players dont know what they are expected to do or are taking too long to make a decision. Id say every single one is almost over coaching or trying to fit into what they think they are expected to do.

Exhibit A aside from player form is our forward 50. Every single time we break the 50m arc the players are looking to give it off, whether it be trying to run it to the goal line or even being on a slight angle or just trying to overshare the ball. That is coaching.

The go slow game style to protect the back line. They just are not taking kicks, have gone totally risk averse. There are so many kicks that are there, so many handpasses, but they just arent taking them. Id rather (as a fan) take the risky kick and risk the horrible turnover that you get punished for rather than kick it up the line to the inevitable contested mark the opposition takes who then run it up the ground and then lock it in.

It will be very interesting how much of a fight we put up against Richmond, this could be a 90 point belting if we drop our heads. I dont care if we dont win, id just love it to be a close good game because it being in Darwin is a once in a lifetime opportunity, it could be a really special night.

 

[Halftimehero]

Gleeson.

0 intercept possessions.
0 tackles.
60m gained.

We need higher standards.

Try again

7 intercept possessions(equal game high)

 

[Mercurial89]

I honestly haven’t minded Clarke in his non tagging role. He hasn’t set the world on fire but I think there’s something worth pursuing.

His kicking showed itself a bit last game.

I dont know if its because he runs harder than some mids (entirely possible) but constantly finds himself in space with the ball or as the next link in a kick mark chain and then has to go back over the mark and hit a target which he struggles with.

I dont see him at the bottom of a pack winning the football, which is where he should be. He found himself there against Gold Coast late and it looks so different, he couldnt be tackled and they couldnt break his tackles.
This week we had shiel with 3 players hanging off him trying to pick the ball up off his feet and then throwing a handpass out wildly.

Switch them. It cant be that hard, shiel stays outside the contest to receive then breaks away, same as Mcgrath and receive the ball from clarke/hibberd/stringer when hes in there, langford when hes in there. Merrett appears to have found that balance and is hanging back a little.

 

[BrunoV]

It's time to assess the list.

We have 1 unavailable midfielder and can't get the job done.

It would be the same stupidity that has clouded most of what has been done for the last 10 years if we get to the end of the year and haven't had a look at:

- Begley, Hibberd and Clarke playing midfield and/or the outnumber role pointlessly occupied by Snelling;
- Crauford both as a second ruck and a key forward because he could resolve a few different issues;
- McQuillan because we need another dynamic rebounding defender (as it seems McKenna's time is probably done); and
- Mosquito because of all of the uncertainty surrounding Fantasia.

But we have a game in hand so we will have to play the season out as though we think we're a premiership contender. Just like we did in 2018 chasing a result from mid-year that had happened once in 50 or so years to make finals and just like we did in 2019 building our brand that stood up well in finals, wiping about 30 points off the size of our previous finals defeat.

Are we seriously going to try to pick the eyes out of this draft?

 

[owen87]

His kicking showed itself a bit last game.

I dont know if its because he runs harder than some mids (entirely possible) but constantly finds himself in space with the ball or as the next link in a kick mark chain and then has to go back over the mark and hit a target which he struggles with.

I dont see him at the bottom of a pack winning the football, which is where he should be. He found himself there against Gold Coast late and it looks so different, he couldnt be tackled and they couldnt break his tackles.
This week we had shiel with 3 players hanging off him trying to pick the ball up off his feet and then throwing a handpass out wildly.

Switch them. It cant be that hard, shiel stays outside the contest to receive then breaks away, same as Mcgrath and receive the ball from clarke/hibberd/stringer when hes in there, langford when hes in there. Merrett appears to have found that balance and is hanging back a little.

This, Clarke was in space a couple of times as a link player and got caught waiting. Also no one seemed to be working in to space for anyone anyway, so not sure it's all on Clarke.

But I'd be playing him on-ball as the first possession player getting it out to Shiel / McGrath / Merrett / Parish by hand, or what's the point of him?

We make the same mistakes every week by playing an inisde player on the outside where his biggest deficiency is a problem, instead of on the inside where we can use his strengths.

Truly bizarre.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Try again

7 intercept possessions(equal game high)

Yes, I did find that strange considering I saw him intercept and fluff a basic handball to Hurley at one stage which pretty much summed up where our senior players are at.

 

[Halftimehero]

Why was the club so certain that Rutten was the best man to take over the coaching role?
Why no extensive, leave no stone unturned quest to find the absolute best candidate out there?
Apart from him sending the team backwards from previous seasons, he comes across as a bit of an air head to me, you here a lot of the other senior coaches talk and immediately think, gee he’s impressive to listen to, Rutten is a long way off giving me that impression.

 

[owen87]

Gleeson wasn't our worst.

I'm not even sure what's going wrong, players look like they have no idea what to do, which can be a sign of being over coached - e.g. Collingwood a few years ago - or just not giving a s**t.

 

[Howard Moon]

I'm almost relieved the season has slipped from our grasp, now the pressure is off for wins and we can watch the game looking for little things like exciting moments from kids or patches when the game plan starts to click.

It's much easier turning the tv on without the pressure of needing a win, now we just have to get time into the right players