Preview Round 2, 2019: Essendon v St.Kilda - Marvel Stadium, Saturday 30th March, 4:35PM AEDT

[Max the great]

All I want is Hunter Clark in, don’t even care for who.

On Marty Parker, we need to appreciate he’ll be a roller coaster ride. Whoever is expecting a performance like that every game of the season will be left disappointed.

If he can have an impact like he did against GC in every 3-4-5 games I think that’s a huge positive. The first game where he has 6 possessions and a behind please don’t call for him to be dropped. How good was his side steps, running with the ball, flair etc!!!

My dad is a huge fan of Long because of his aggression, MP’s game yesterday was a benchmark for what he should be looking to become.

Really excited by our forward line mix now, defence unfortunately is a given but if we can improve on our midfield with Acres/Clark/Hannebery over the course of the season then it’ll put us in good stead for next seasons imo.

Re Parker. Why do we need to appreciate that? You are making an assumption and telling us it is fact. Is this an educated guess because he lacks experience? That's fine if it is but don't act like the messiah and tell us it's fact.

I'm going to watch him anticipating the same desire and effort he showed yesterday.

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[mightymalaka]

Apart from Paddy, Luke has been given a dream run with selection.

He has missed mainly due to injury.

How about we hold players accountable instead of blaming the coach?

Dribble dribble dribble....Blah Blah Blah

Come off it man...Just pointing out the obvious, got nothing to do with pro or anti coach rubbish, just the reality
Of their particular relationship! Obviously when he is injured he doesn't play..Wow there's a shock!
Pretty sure when he is on the ground the player IS Accountable!

So what have we learnt from this little exchange?

To quote Derek and Clyde.......F*ck all!

 

[Max the great]

More damming on Sav is that of his 15 odd touches, 5 or so of them would have been kicking in after a behind.

The rest were him been a seagull out the back. He needs to go. Will not figure in a successful team for us in the future and doesn't help us now. No point playing him.

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[stavro#4]

Gresh free to play

 

[Max the great]

How about keeping both Joyce and Wilkie who will be far better after they have played 10 games together and more so after a season and then another season. How can they improve without playing together. Brown to slot back in to provide direction to them to help them learn. Battle to the forward line where we need another marking forward.

How about relax. I really liked what I saw from both of them yesterday. At the ground I was a huge fan of some of the things Wilkie done and later on watching the replay I noticed Joyce a lot.. looks like he has heaps of upside. Allthough saying this Battle was better than both of them and looks like he can become a very good defender. Has the most upside of the 3 and IMO could be anything as a defender.
We are not going to train him as a defender all off season for 1 game and chuck him Forward as a stop gap because Paddy is out. The club obviously have identified that he can excel there and I can see why. No point chucking him Forward when the King will be arriving soon.

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[gringo2011]

It’s hard because I think Joyce, Battle and Wilkie are all better accumulators and users of the ball than Browny but of the 4 Browny is definitely the best 1 on 1 defender.

They may give those 3 another week because the Dons don’t really have too much in the way of Key forwards at the moment outside of McKernan... so really you’d be making a change for Brown to come in and play on McKernan.

The three looked lost at times, a general will help with set ups.

 

[gringo2011]

Gresh free to play

Didn't look like anything.

 

[plugger66]

Understand what your saying, but my issue always has been what you said at the very start there!
' The coaches aren't benching him by choice ' My understanding and belief is that for the last 2 to 3 years the main
Coach may well have done that! No secret they had a falling out and this has contributed heavily on his TOG!

I'm hopeful that they are on the same page now but it's still not really reflected in Luke's game time, and i don't believe
It has anything to do with a so called lack of tank or endurance! In my view he is the type of heart and soul player in the guts that
All good teams need and is one of our few genuine leaders, these traits have been compromised by the lack of faith by Richo so therefore
The player has at different stages struggled with his confidence and belonging within the team! This kind of player should not be backed in such
A half hearted way, it should be All or Nothing then! Kinda sums up the way Richo has handled the squad imo, and is a big part of why
He himself is under so much pressure! A real lack of commitment to a blueprint for what we stand for as a team and with game plan!

Given his head i have no doubt Dunstan's game can go to another level in terms of his impact for us as a team!

Because he can’t play anywhere else and others have to through the middle the maths actually say he must have less game time otherwise the better mids don’t play in the middle enough minutes

 

[pebblesofsand]

It’s as predictable as death and taxes that the Melbourne media go hard at who they thought underperformed... and this usually elicits a response.

The whole bloated AFL footy media machine relies on this bi-polar reporting and reaction loop to keep people in their jobs.

Think back to last year when our opponents this week Essendon lost to Carlton. They got hammered and came out a different team thereafter. There are countless other examples.

Gold Coast being out of the Melbourne (or footy state) fishbowls mean they are immune from this pretty much.

That would be true if a blowtorch only comes from the media.

I'm certain that everyone from the President down to Stuart Dew and the "boot studder" would have made clear about how important it was for GCS to make its first up performance count.

For them a 100 point thrashing would have been almost a club killer - that's why they had such a crack - that's why I was happy for even a 1 point win.

I reckon we can beat the Dons, they will come out fired up but I reckon there's some serious issues there.

Brown in for stability in the backline - after that not sure.

But come Saturday its let the two sets of bash brothers loose (Long and Parker on the forward line, Battle and Webster in the back half) and lets see what happens.

 

[plugger66]

I think you are on the money with the Battle move. I think the club will be really reluctant to do it as Battle is playing quite well down there but structural we need another tall forward.

I think the two options to fix the structure are either swing Battle forward or bring in Marshal as a tall forward. I’m not sure what is the best option but I think we should do one.

The only other option would be to play Acres as a medium forward, which I think he is okay at.

Why does the structure need another tall forward. The structure what’s best for the side. We had no trouble marking the ball inside 50 yesterday. Gc were bigger and they took half as many marks inside 50

 

[St Pauls]

Why does the structure need another tall forward. The structure what’s best for the side. We had no trouble marking the ball inside 50 yesterday. Gc were bigger and they took half as many marks inside 50

Just my thoughts and I’m no expert but it looks like when we are under more pressure we go back to bombing it long and I think the extra tall gives us a better marking target or at least keep to the contest in this situation.

Ideally I would love us to play the fast play to open players, which we did at times but we won’t do that consistently in games.

Just my thoughts.

 

[plugger66]

Just my thoughts and I’m no expert but it looks like when we are under more pressure we go back to bombing it long and I think the extra tall gives us a better marking target or at least keep to the contest in this situation.

Ideally I would love us to play the fast play to open players, which we did at times but we won’t do that consistently in games.

Just my thoughts.

No worries.

 

[PoppedCorn]

Lol 4 changes
You nuffies
There shall be only one change


GOAT

 

[From 45]

Do we have a match up for Brown? Given their injuries to key forwards, perhaps keeping the same defence would be better suited

 

[gringo2011]

Just my thoughts and I’m no expert but it looks like when we are under more pressure we go back to bombing it long and I think the extra tall gives us a better marking target or at least keep to the contest in this situation.

Ideally I would love us to play the fast play to open players, which we did at times but we won’t do that consistently in games.

Just my thoughts.

I finally worked out how it happens on the weekend. We send everyone back to help the defence, the defence wins the ball goes to send it forward where there is no one, hold it up a bit while we stream back, their defenders move to cover our entering forwards and our player holding the ball is getting swarmed so unloads into the forwards who are covered.

 

[cooperg]

IN: Brown, Acres, Hind and Marshall
OUT: DUNSTAN, JOYCE, LONG and PIERCE

 

[plugger66]

I finally worked out how it happens on the weekend. We send everyone back to help the defence, the defence wins the ball goes to send it forward where there is no one, hold it up a bit while we stream back, their defenders move to cover our entering forwards and our player holding the ball is getting swarmed so unloads into the forwards who are covered.

Pretty much how all sides play except some have better skills to use the ball.

 

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

I really think clark should be in the side. He's absolute class, and from all reports has earned his spot this pre season.

 

[From 45]

The rest were him been a seagull out the back. He needs to go. Will not figure in a successful team for us in the future and doesn't help us now. No point playing him.

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I wish the opposition thought the same of Sav, then we wouldn't have to worry of him being tagged

 

[stavro#4]

Why does the structure need another tall forward. The structure what’s best for the side. We had no trouble marking the ball inside 50 yesterday. Gc were bigger and they took half as many marks inside 50

Surely you noticed how often we broke Down the very next play after we moved past Bruce/Membrey or when they split and one moved see and one got on his bike and we had no one in Between? I actually feel like it was a big contributor as to why we never pushed in when we got on top. The other reason is player stupidity aka Long giving a free away when Jack is about to make it a 19 point lead.

 

[From 45]

I really think clark should be in the side. He's absolute class, and from all reports has earned his spot this pre season.

I would agree if Billings and Gresh weren't rotating through the middle as we do have plenty of mids that are of the same attributes. If Gresh and Billings don't have the impact we are looking for, then they would look at bringing in Clark.

 

[mighty_sainters]

Re Parker. Why do we need to appreciate that? You are making an assumption and telling us it is fact. Is this an educated guess because he lacks experience? That's fine if it is but don't act like the messiah and tell us it's fact.

I'm going to watch him anticipating the same desire and effort he showed yesterday.

On SM-G955F using BigFooty.com mobile app

You ok mate, bad day at work?

 

[Diehard Saint]

Do we have a match up for Brown? Given their injuries to key forwards, perhaps keeping the same defence would be better suited

No Daniher or Hooker and Stringer with some foot problem. Apparently not as bad as I heard on the radio this morning where an op was a possibility, but still it’s something which has only got a six day recovery time.

Possibly we don’t need a Brown this week if they have no monster forwards.

 

[From 45]

Surely you noticed how often we broke Down the very next play after we moved past Bruce/Membrey or when they split and one moved see and one got on his bike and we had no one in Between? I actually feel like it was a big contributor as to why we never pushed in when we got on top. The other reason is player stupidity aka Long giving a free away when Jack is about to make it a 19 point lead.

100% agree . We lacked another Key foward. That was plain to see. We continued to move the ball as though we did have another tall only to be kicking it to a Lonie or Parker. It was frustrating to watch

 

[NarklesHelmet]

That would be true if a blowtorch only comes from the media.

I'm certain that everyone from the President down to Stuart Dew and the "boot studder" would have made clear about how important it was for GCS to make its first up performance count.

For them a 100 point thrashing would have been almost a club killer - that's why they had such a crack - that's why I was happy for even a 1 point win.

I reckon we can beat the Dons, they will come out fired up but I reckon there's some serious issues there.

Brown in for stability in the backline - after that not sure.

But come Saturday its let the two sets of bash brothers loose (Long and Parker on the forward line, Battle and Webster in the back half) and lets see what happens.

I reckon we are a real chance too for what it’s worth. Our form has been a lot better than theirs and we seem to be buying in to what our coaches want us to do as a collective which is a big start.

Just seen the “picked on by the media team” turn it around too often to make me confident going into this one.