Review Round 19 - Gold Coast vs Essendon

TheGeneralmeg

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May 16, 2019
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You’re not confusing him with Heron? Thought Heron’s passing was better over distance. Dawson seemed to struggle hitting targets unless they were 20 metre kicks.
Yeah Dawson short kicks looked good . Think he finished with around 18 possessions. That’s something to work with
 

Peel67skin

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May 21, 2017
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Yeah Dawson short kicks looked good . Think he finished with around 18 possessions. That’s something to work with
He already on AFL B rookie list for two years, give that spot to somebody else, he can work it out with Southport if they want him.
 

GenYBlue

Seeking #17
May 31, 2010
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That one hurt.

Amazing game from King though, he'll be a damn good player!

Wittsy just great again, reckon he'll be a smokey for the BnF this year.

Overall the most pleasing thing was that they built on their performance from last week and kept the intensity and effort up all game.

You can't ask for much more than that.

There were a couple of culprits who turned the ball over too much by foot and that is a coach killer, but definitely a huge improvement across the board otherwise.
 

bigboy_wowee

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Jun 4, 2017
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Was devastated initially but after digesting it i'm very proud of our efforts today. King is going to be a superstar and we should be doing everything in our power to make sure he goes nowhere. On the flip side, blokes like Heron, Dawson and Joyce aren't up to AFL standard and it showed in the big moments. Can't wait to have Bowes, Ainsworth and hopefully McClennan in next week.
 

Macca18

EFC
Jul 6, 2009
5,127
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Essendon
A really positive performance. Thought the Suns forwards right throughout the game were really strong and plenty of young talent on display.

You will be winning another game in the next month. Not sure which one but it’s going to happen... similar to the Sydney at the SCG game late last season where it all clicked. Look forward to seeing it.
 
Oct 24, 2008
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Gil's at the game.

The silver lining is if we get blown out this quarter it might help us get some concessions.
Gil’s spending most of his time on the phone texting some skank he’s going to bang rather than watching the Suns

I fell sorry for her as she is going to get a lot of I love you’s followed by soggy tissue just as we have for the last decade from the AFL
 

Stroppy

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Apr 14, 2015
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No doubt that Heron and Dawson are not AFL standard at the moment and you could see that all game. But both of them are 19 yo and started the year on the rookie list. Still time for them to take a step and be playable, or even 2 steps and be at the level. Should not be playing but that was true about King and Lukosious at the start of the year.

Way more disappointed in guys like Joyce (nearly 22 and played 63 games) and Ellis (nearly 23 and played 31 games). Ellis played very very poorly and Joyce has gone backwards lately. Murdoch and Schoenfeld in the NEAFL. (GHS is a different case, I suspect he is delivering what they expected. Excellent off-field and in the NEAFL.)

Really need these mid-agers to be a lot better or they are the definition of list cloggers. Would rather play Heron and Dawson on the off-chance they develop into something before they are ready than give games to players who should be good enough now.

Also, Hanley. Where has the quality gone? Still does stuff but very little of it is A grade and that used to be his party trick.

Still, a game well worth watching. Dew seems to have loosened the shackles a little and the ball is moving a bit more. Still applying pressure for long periods but also taking the game on a bit. More of that please.
 
Oct 24, 2008
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It was a good effort from the boys and that is all we can ask. Those 2 90 point losses were disgraceful and the club has been roasted for them ( quite rightly) by the media and fans alike but credit where it’s due we also caused a boil over.

Also on the game, I can’t stand listening to Der-Wayne, he is so incredibly Vic biased and has nothing positive to say about our club that it ruins the experience
 
Nov 17, 2009
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It was a good effort from the boys and that is all we can ask. Those 2 90 point losses were disgraceful and the club has been roasted for them ( quite rightly) by the media and fans alike but credit where it’s due we also caused a boil over.

Also on the game, I can’t stand listening to Der-Wayne, he is so incredibly Vic biased and has nothing positive to say about our club that it ruins the experience
His only background research is knowledge of every player that has left us over the past 10 years
He then tries to mention every one of them at least once during the call
An embarrassing imbecile
 

Jirik13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 22, 2018
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This was my last game of my 3 games membership. It was a great day to go to watch games. Here are some of my observations from both games.

NEAFL
- To see Bowes and Ainsworth in action again was pleasing to my eyes. Only NEAFL, but one realises instantly how much we missed them. Both are class especially Bowes. Bowes inside with his poise, calm, great decisions, kicks. I can't wait to see his progress in the next 2 years.

- ACE was everywhere. Not sure how his body stands up in AFL but he has a talent.

- Some spectacular goals from Gore. Every time he got the ball inside 50 almost guaranteed a goal.

- Corbett must be the most vocal player, could be heard everywhere.

- Young Budarick tackles hard, but made some back kicks. Not sure if he will make it in AFL as he does not look as fast as I would like (e.g. small player like Zorko).

- I loved the team spirit. Plenty of 1st team players watched the game. Brodie looked very involved, happy, went to qtr huddles, joked with coaches, even had a head set on on the bench to relay info. Brodie's shoulders are very impressive.
Ah Chee looked also very happy sitting next to and chatting with Collins, Thompson. Powell with a huge brace on his leg and on crutches. I did not see Martin.

- All Lions, Swans, Suns, GWS teams - when they get injuries - NEAFL teams are disgrace. I believe GWS had only 9 listed players, Suns 13.


AFL
- it was a great game to watch, 80% Essendon fans but for some reason they did not bother me as much as e.g. Carlton fans. The team delivered the effort, played as a team. Probably the max we could expect considering missing players and playing with very limited confidence.

- for me the key to our loss were lost centre clearances (11 vs 20). Really disappointing especially after great showing against Blues in this area. In many cases we had hands on the ball but somehow we lost it. Otherwise I thought we limited Essendon run quite successfully especially in the first half.

- tackles did not stick, too many times Essendons players were able to pass the ball.

- we could not stop Essendon run in 3rd qtr with two goals in red time really hurt us.

- Stringer caused us a lot of problems especially when he moved to midfield. Joyce on String was no contest.

- at the stadium for me the clear best player was Miller, we are lucky to have him, never gave up, chase unbelievably hard all those fast Essendon midfielders, he actually got some speed (still remember the last year when he chased down Zorko)

- yes, watching King was great considering how he started in JLT and is missing 15 kg, I still remember people ridiculing match committee for playing him early

- Not sure why so much hate for Heron and Dawson, young players who only played 12 and 5 games respectively. Heron played most of the time on Saad and basically cancelled his run. Yes, one on one Saad got the points most of the time and it was very frustrating. Dawson, I did not notice him most of the time to be honest.

- Hanley was OK, again not sure what people expect from a player who missed 7 games with a thigh cut open. No continuity, no training. Yes, not in great form but I have just checked numbers - look pretty good. I also noticed he was the player the runner runs every time towards after the goal to direct team.

- I did notice Suns players slipped 5-6 x in crucial times and it cost us dearly on several occasions.

- yes, Ellis and Joyce had some very poor moments.

- the key moment for me was at 1min 36sec when the Essendon player made a mistake and miss-kicked (see the last 2 min). We got the ball in the midfield and after a couple of hand passes Harbrow got the ball. He could go for a kill - there was an easy kick available to the middle inside 50 where one Suns player was running towards with nobody around or just play it safe and kick it deep inside 50 along the line. Really bad and inaccurate kick from Harbrow. I hope he does not retire but his body language and play quality in recent games worries me.

- In the end I felt very bad for players, watching Witts barely walking and with a limp was disheartening.
 
Last edited:
Dec 5, 2015
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This was my last game of my 3 games membership. It was a great day to go to watch games. Here are some of my observations from both games.

NEAFL
- To see Bowes and Ainsworth in action again was pleasing to my eyes. Only NEAFL, but one realises instantly how much we missed them. Both are class especially Bowes. Bowes inside with his poise, calm, great decisions, kicks. I can't wait to see his progress in the next 2 years.

- ACE was everywhere. Not sure how his body stands up in AFL but he has a talent.

- Some spectacular goals from Gore. Every time he got the ball inside 50 almost guaranteed a goal.

- Corbett must be the most vocal player, could be heard everywhere.

- Young Budarick tackles hard, but made some back kicks. Not sure if he will make it in AFL as he does not look as fast as I would like (e.g. small player like Zorko).

- I loved the team spirit. Plenty of 1st team players watched the game. Brodie looked very involved, happy, went to qtr huddles, joked with coaches, even had a head set on on the bench to relay info.
Ah Chee looked also very happy sitting next to and chatting with Collins, Thompson. Powell with a huge brace on his leg and on crutches. I did not see Martin.

- All Lions, Swans, Suns, GWS teams - when they get injuries - NEAFL teams are disgrace. I believe GWS had only 9 listed players, Suns 13.


AFL
- it was a great game to watch, 80% Essendon fans but for some reason they did not bother me as much as e.g. Carlton fans. The team delivered the effort, played as a team. Probably the max we could expect considering missing players and playing with very limited confidence.

- for me the key to our loss were lost centre clearances (11 vs 20). Really disappointing especially after great showing against Blues in this area. In many cases we had hands on the ball but somehow we lost it. Otherwise I thought we limited Essendon run quite successfully especially in the first half.

- tackles did not stick, too many times Essendons players were able to pass the ball.

- we could not stop Essendon run in 3rd qtr with two goals in red time really hurt us.

- Stringer caused us a lot of problems especially when he moved to midfield. Joyce on String was no contest.

- at the stadium for me the clear best player was Miller, we are lucky to have him, never gave up, chase unbelievably hard all those fast Essendon midfielders, he actually got some speed (still remember the last year when he chased down Zorko)

- yes, watching King was great considering how he started in JLT and is missing 15 kg, I still remember people ridiculing match committee for playing him early

- Not sure why so much hate for Heron and Dawson, young players who only played 12 and 5 games respectively. Heron played most of the time on Saad and basically cancelled his run. Yes, one on one Saad got the points most of the time and it was very frustrating. Dawson, I did not notice him most of the time to be honest.

- Hanley was OK, again not sure what people expect from a player who missed 7 games with a thigh cut open. No continuity, no training. Yes, not in great form but I have just checked numbers - look pretty good. I also noticed he was the player the runner runs every time towards after the goal to direct team.

- I did notice Suns players slipped 5-6 x in crucial times and it cost us dearly on several occasions.

- yes, Ellis and Joyce had some very poor moments.

- the key moment for me was at 1min 36sec when the Essendon player made a mistake and miss-kicked (see the last 2 min). We got the ball in the midfield and after a couple of hand passes Harbrow got the ball. He could go for a kill - there was an easy kick available to the middle inside 50 where one Suns player was running towards with nobody around or just play it safe and kick it deep inside 50 along the line. Really bad and inaccurate kick from Harbrow. I hope he does not retire but his body language and play quality in recent games worries me.

- In the end I felt very bad for players, watching Witts barely walking and with a limp was disheartening.


A great report. Many thanks.

A lot of stuff is missed (out of vision) when watching it on the telly.
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
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I would describe the performance last night as an encouraging loss. We didn't go into our shell when challenged going into the fourth quarter. In fact, we were the opposite of that. We kept on attacking the entire fourth quarter and didn't give up, despite it looking like we were done a few times in the last term. That's encouraging and especially so when you consider the amount of midfield talent we were not playing. Can't wait to see how we go next week with Ainsworth and Bowes back in the team.

Highlight was obviously Ben King's performance. Essendon didn't seem to have an answer for him and that's extremely exciting when you consider he just turned 19 this month. He's a lock for the Rising Star nomination this week. Lowlight was our lapse in the third quarter. We need to find a way to limit those lapses to 2-3 goals otherwise teams will continue to roll us late in the game.

I just feel like we're really building towards becoming a competitive team each week and that is going to hold us on good sted for future years when our young talent develops into elite players. Add Rankine, Rowell and Anderson into the fold next year and we're going to be absolutely littered with talent all over the field.
 

Jirik13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 22, 2018
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Can't wait to see how we go next week with Ainsworth and Bowes back in the team.
I don't expect them to be in good form. It takes time after 8-9 weeks out. Personally, I would actually prefer for them to spend 1 more week in NEAFL to build match fitness. I would hate to see them re-injured again. They did put some extra runs around the field after the NEAFL game.
 
Sep 28, 2011
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I don't expect them to be in good form. It takes time after 8-9 weeks out. Personally, I would actually prefer for them to spend 1 more week in NEAFL to build match fitness. I would hate to see them re-injured again. They did put some extra runs around the field after the NEAFL game.
I think you could just put Ainsworth in the forward pocket all day and leave him there, would give us another forward threat. Bowes can be played off of HB quite easily, out of traffic, he could take Ellis' role in the team. The only way to build AFL match fitness, is in the AFL. Ainsworth and Bowes probably only went 80% in the NEAFL.
 

Corkie

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Aug 6, 2013
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Also on the game, I can’t stand listening to Der-Wayne, he is so incredibly Vic biased and has nothing positive to say about our club that it ruins the experience

I was sitting near him and Brad Johnson at the leisure centre cafe outside Suns HQ before the game on Sunday and Brad must have just had a walk around our facilities as was talking them up and he asked Dwayne had he been through them?... his reply... nah, not interested.

The guy was 20mtrs from our front door and still couldn’t be arsed to check things out for himself.
 
Aug 17, 2010
12,794
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AFL Club
Gold Coast
I would describe the performance last night as an encouraging loss. We didn't go into our shell when challenged going into the fourth quarter. In fact, we were the opposite of that. We kept on attacking the entire fourth quarter and didn't give up, despite it looking like we were done a few times in the last term. That's encouraging and especially so when you consider the amount of midfield talent we were not playing. Can't wait to see how we go next week with Ainsworth and Bowes back in the team.

Highlight was obviously Ben King's performance. Essendon didn't seem to have an answer for him and that's extremely exciting when you consider he just turned 19 this month. He's a lock for the Rising Star nomination this week. Lowlight was our lapse in the third quarter. We need to find a way to limit those lapses to 2-3 goals otherwise teams will continue to roll us late in the game.

I just feel like we're really building towards becoming a competitive team each week and that is going to hold us on good sted for future years when our young talent develops into elite players. Add Rankine, Rowell and Anderson into the fold next year and we're going to be absolutely littered with talent all over the field.
Do you think the AFL will give us the priority pick to land both Rowell and Anderson?
 
Aug 17, 2010
12,794
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AFL Club
Gold Coast
I was sitting near him and Brad Johnson at the leisure centre cafe outside Suns HQ before the game on Sunday and Brad must have just had a walk around our facilities as was talking them up and he asked Dwayne had he been through them?... his reply... nah, not interested.

The guy was 20mtrs from our front door and still couldn’t be arsed to check things out for himself.
Says it all really. Watch him become a Suns cheerleader when we start winning regularly. Bloke isn’t capable of providing a balanced commentary.
 
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