VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,493
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- Essendon
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- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
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- #1
ESSENDON BOMBERS
This loomed as a huge game with massive Top 8 implications, and the Dons came out breathing fire with a brutal first quarter to get the win in a high-scoring match with the Crom.
Peter Wright found his kicking boots again, kicking 3 goals, as did forward prodigy Kyle Langford.
Zach Merrett continues his growth as one of the best players in the league, and had he not copped a frankly ridiculous suspension early in the year, would absolutely be in the Brownlow conversation.
Whilst Zach finished with 39 touches, so did Darcy Parish, who had a much-improved game last week against the powerful Crows midfield.
Andrew McGrath played arguably his best game of the season, dominating as a small defender and finding himself as the pivotal link in the chain on numerous occasions rebounding out of defence.
Jayden Laverde has hit a solid run of form at the right time in the season, and we will definitely need him to play a similar game this week against Tom Hawkins. We sorely missed him last time around.
Dyson Heppell is storing the fountain of youth in his backyard - whilst he was somewhat fairly maligned in the first month or so of the season, he has found his niche in defence and is playing some brilliant footy. I would have no problem if he were to go around one more year.
ESSENDON BOMBERS 17.13 115
def.
ADELAIDE CROM 15.7 97
BEST: Merrett, Parish, Wright, McGrath, Heppell, Laverde
GOALS: Wright, Langford 3, Menzie, Guelfi, Martin 2, Redman, Merrett, Hobbs, Kelly, Stringer
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GEELONG CATS
Two weeks in a row that our opponent has had an absolutely bruise-free, no-contest effort from North Melbourne before they play us. So that's good.
Tyson Stengle has got back to the form that saw him award an All-Australian blazer last year, booting 5 goals alongside Ollie Henry's 4 to set up a dominant, sweat-free win against the miserable Kangaroos.
Mitch Duncan was utterly dominant with 30 touches, and it really attests to Geelong's coaching staff that they can have a group of 30 guys in their mid-30s who somehow still dominate a game. Shame his kid is a huge Bombers fan.
Irish star Zach Tuohy overtook Jim Styne's record as the game record holder for an Irishman, and he's so much more likeable when he isn't wearing a Carlton guernsey.
The Cats kept Norf to two goals up until the 9th minute of the third quarter, and I just can't see how even Alastair Clarkson is going to be able to turn that lot around, losing 14 straight games.
Fully suspect they'll fire up against us in a couple of weeks for their second Grand Final.
GEELONG CATS 19.11 125
def.
LOL NORF 9.9 63
BEST: Duncan, Atkins, Stengle, Stewart, Blicavs, O. Henry
GOALS: Stengle 5, O. Henry 4, Hawkins, Close 3, Rohan, J. Henry, Duncan, Bowes
GEELONG EMERGENCIES: Zach Tuohy, Oisin Mullin, Oliver Dempsey, Esava Ratugolea
ESSENDON EMERGENCIES: Nik Cox, Nick Hind, Alwayn Davey Jnr, Patrick Voss
GEELONG OUTS: Ratugolea, Tuohy (Both managed), Mullin (Omitted), Dempsey (Sub)
GEELONG INS: Smith, Kolodjashnij, Cameron
ESSENDON OUTS: Phillips (Suspension), Shiel (Injured)
ESSENDON INS: Bryan
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Sub to be chosen from the emergency list one hour prior to bounce.
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ROUND 7, 2023
MCG
30/4/2023
ESSENDON BOMBERS 16.8 104
def. by
GEELONG CATS 20.12 132
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ESSENDON GOALS: Weideman 5, Stringer 4, Shiel 2, Redman, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Draper, Caldwell, Hobbs
GEELONG GOALS: Hawkins 8, Cameron 3, Simpson, Bruhn, Henry 2, Rohan, Close, Holmes
ESSENDON BEST: Stringer, Martin, Parish, Shiel, Merrett
GEELONG BEST: Hawkins, Dangerfield, Stewart, Holmes, Blicavs
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CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Draper, Shiel, Setterfield, Hind, D'Ambrosio, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Phillips
ESSENDON INS: Bryan, Guelfi, Wright, Laverde, Heppell, Menzie
GEELONG OUTS: Knevitt, Bews, Simpson, Ratugolea
GEELONG INS: Stengle, Stanley, J. Henry
I fully expect us to get done here. The Cats' forward line is as lethal as ever, and whilst they looked off against GWS at this half-finished concrete wreckage of a stadium a few weeks back, they were at their efficient best last week. Hawkins routinely dominates us and I don't think we have the player(s) to go with a man of his size for an entire game. While I don't think he'll slot another eight on us, I suspect he'll have a day out.
If we can get hold of them through the midfield and half-back, we will give ourselves the best shot we've had in a while of getting a result. Win this, and finals are almost guaranteed. Lose, and the Cats leapfrog us.
Finals should be the goal, and the sooner we can get it locked in, the better. We just have to hope that we have the better Scott brother this time around.
I don't think we'll disgrace ourselves, but I think this will be another heartbreaker.
Geelong by 4.
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