Preview Round 7: Geelong vs Essendon, MCG, Sunday 05/05/19, 3:20 PM aka "The Country Game"

[Macca18]

ANZAC Day result hurts. But we need to move on.

This is another very big game in the context of our season. Another loss puts us behind on the win/loss ledger.

Our form at the MCG has been good this year (2-1) & our form against Geelong has been very good over the last couple of seasons with convincing victories at the MCG. But they look an improved unit this year so it will be another challenging game.

PROS

• Form at the MCG this year.
• Form against Geelong over the last two seasons.
• Midfield functioning well to combat their own very good onball division.
• Daniher has returned and has two matches under his belt and impressed in both.
• Defence looking stable with Hurley, Hooker & Ambrose.
• Likely return of Orazio Fantasia.
• Strong performing VFL team (playing Collingwood on Saturday @ Windy Hill) with plenty of options available.
• An extra 3 days break over Geelong, who have a tough game on Sunday at home against the reigning premiers. It's the first time in a few years we have had a longer break after an ANZAC Day game.

CONS

• Just how are we going to respond after the emotional letdown of an ANZAC Day loss?
• The "brave" loss syndrome. Any chance we can avoid the club being happy with themselves in just losing a big game and put their anger and energy into rebounding strongly?
• Devon Smith - severity of his injury?
• A loss here will really put us deep in the pack of teams around the middle section of the ladder.
• Geelong midfield really firing so far this year.
• The likes of Hawkins & Gary Rohan could cause us headaches in their forward half.

A really interesting fixture and an important one. Thoughts?

 

[BrunoV]

In know it's hard, we all have our favourites, but imagine if we had a fully functioning 22 players.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

I think we will lose

The effort to get so close and short break will fck us

 

[TDay]

We will win this, and ride the momentum afterwards. Will be our toughest match for a while

 

[Macca18]

I think we will lose

The effort to get so close and short break will fck us

Short break? We have 10 days! Plenty of time to get rid of the niggles.

 

[MiguelM]

How far off is Noah Gown? could he replace Brown for a game or two?

 

[Falcon27]

Out - Bags, Myers
In - Fantasia, anyone we can put games into as opposed to a 10yr plodder who’s a good bloke.

 

[Duckworth]

Out - Bags, Myers
In - Fantasia, anyone we can put games into as opposed to a 10yr plodder who’s a good bloke.

Smith might be a chance to go out with injury.

 

[JayJ20]

I think we will lose

The effort to get so close and short break will fck us

When are you ever happy?

We can’t and won’t win every game by 10 goals.

 

[fishardansin]

Out: Smith Baguely Myers Brown Ridley
In: Begley Fantasia Laverde Francis Hams

 

[fishardansin]

When are you ever happy?

We can’t and won’t win every game by 10 goals.

Happiness is an illusion. It only occurs in that fleeting moment when you forget how ****ed the world really is.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Short break? We have 10 days! Plenty of time to get rid of the niggles.

Yeah my bad didn't realise it was next week lols

 

[Heppellfreak]

Baguley kicked 1/3rd of our goals and people still want to drop?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[citizen-erased]

Out - Bags, Myers
In - Fantasia, anyone we can put games into as opposed to a 10yr plodder who’s a good bloke.

agreed
Langford, Francis, Laverde, Ham, whatever.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I think we will lose

The effort to get so close and short break will fck us

Another positive and uplifting comment from B4L

 

[BrunoV]

This will be another game in which we get a really good feel for the quality of the team.

Cats are probably my pick of the teams I've watched all year as they've sorted our the contested side of their midfield game and now have a mobile forward line that applies a good amount of pressure. They're much better balanced at all 3 parts of the ground.

It's very unlikely that they'll give us the corridor or let us play quick. The Collingwood performance says that we can at least slog it out which is good.

Our contested work remains a concern and nothing is likely to change in the next 10 days. I think this is encapsulated by the reality that we actually created only a small amount of scoring opportunities against the Pies, there was so little in the way of clean breaks, and it was really some freakish finishing by Stringer and Daniher that kept us within striking distance when we struggled in the first half. If we get Fantasia back it will help because he has a way of tying everything together.

All indications are that we'll carry Myers, Baguley, Parish and Brown (I doubt Brown will get the space he needs and if he gets Blicavs he's cooked) into the game which is always fun.

We need to give serious consideration to bringing in Draper. Daniher's ruck work is horrible and we really need him to just be a forward (particularly when he is the only guy who looks like getting onto the wing to take a contested mark). There is also the question of whether we want a guy who is basically a top 10 player in the competition as a forward playing in the ruck.

I wouldn't play Draper, Brown, Daniher and Stringer in a team - that's the beauty of Stringer he's a selection criteria of his own (and is a tall in every sense of the word except for the ability to hit up at the ball and take an overhead mark - his defending of the ball in the air and on the ground is deplorable). There is also no way we drop Brown 1 bad game after 2 good games so we're not going to change things.

We've upset the Cats big time the last two times we've played them, when they've been completley unable to shut down our transition.

It's weird, it seems like this is our game to lose because I almost have to see the Cats close us down to believe they'll do it (even if I think they should).

 

[Kakkle]

Yeah my bad didn't realise it was next week lols

You thought we were playing again this weekend?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

You thought we were playing again this weekend?

I did actually lols

 

[Kakkle]

I did actually lols

 

[eth-dog]

Just to hold over till tomorrow.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

In: Laverde,Begley,Raz
Out: Myers,Parish,Baguley

 

[vass44]

We are no chance against the Cats


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[VelvetSledge]

Mark us down for a win. We match up well on Geelong, and often turn in a big performance against them. Boys will be hurting over Anzac day.

 

[fishardansin]

I'll be booing Ablett for sure. The reaction of the Collingwood supporters is priceless. Hoping that the Geelong supporters do as well.

 

[JDavey]

I'll be booing Ablett for sure. The reaction of the Collingwood supporters is priceless. Hoping that the Geelong supporters do as well.

You got rocks in your head? We hated people booing Watson I'm not sure why we would do that to Ablett.

I think the only likely change is Raz for Parish. We've matched up well historically against the cats but they have brought in a lot more youth that may be able to help them deal with our style better.

Alternatively Selwood isn't going to be able to match our pace if he's on a wing. Wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the guts or to have moved forward.