VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,595
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- AFL Club
- Essendon
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- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
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- #1
ESSENDON
Zach Merrett is the best player in the AFL. Best on ground by a country mile with 29 touches and three goals that just got more ridiculous as the game went on.
There's no such thing as an easy win in Perth, and despite West Coast being anchored to the bottom of the ladder for the past few years, they are really starting to show some progress.
Darcy Parish looked to be back to his best, gathering a ridiculous 36 possessions.
Nic Martin has a habit of making West Coast look like mugs seeing as they passed on him in 2021. What a player; 32 touches, 8 marks, and six rebound 50s.
Big props to Jamie Cripps for a brain fade that got us out of jail.
We controlled the clearances 13-5 in the first quarter and should have made more of that ascendancy.
It was a very forgettable game, but credit has to go to the Eagles for getting much better, much quicker.
And we will never speak of it again.
Until we play the Eagles again in 5 weeks.
WEST COAST 11.5 71
def. by
ESSENDON 11.11 77
BEST: Merrett, Parish, Durham, Martin, Langford, Perkins
GOALS: Merrett, Langford 3, Wright 2, Durham, Duursma, Stringer
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GWS GIANTS
The Giants took advantage of a misfiring Swans outfit early, but were absolutely swamped as the game went on and never really looked like getting a result in a heated Sydney derby.
Callum Brown copped a suspension for a hit that knocked out Tom McCartin (who has a shocking history of concussions anyway), whereas Tom Green hurt his ankle. He was in doubt all week, but seems to be right to play this week. Which is annoying for us.
Josh Kelly and James Peatling stepped up in Tom Green's absence when he was subbed out with 23 and 24 touches respectively, but were comprehensively outplayed in the guts by the Swans.
As the game went on with the wet Sydney weather, the key forwards in Cadman and Hogan became less impactful.
SYDNEY 14.14 98
def.
GWS GIANTS 10.9 69
BEST: Kelly, Peatling, Daniels, Callaghan, Ward
GOALS: Hogan, Daniels, Cadman, Brown 2, Peatling, Jones
ESSENDON OUTS: Xavier Duursma (Injured)
ESSENDON INS: Nick Hind
GWS GIANTS OUTS: Callum Brown (Suspended), Jacob Wehr, James Peatling (Both omit)
GWS GIANTS INS: Nick Haynes, Stephen Coniglio, Conor Stone
Going to regret revisiting this s**t show...
ROUND 23, 2023
Engie Stadium
19/8/2023
GWS GIANTS 25.12 162
def.
ESSENDON 5.6 36
---------
ESSENDON GOALS: Langford 2, Phillips, Caldwell, Menzie
GWS GIANTS GOALS: Hogan 9, Daniels 3, Greene, Bedford 2, Coniglio, Himmelberg, Lloyd, Brown, Green, Ash, Riccardi, Fahey, McMullin
ESSENDON BEST: Uhhh
GWS GIANTS BEST: Hogan, Green, Whitfield, Briggs, Coniglio
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CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Phillips, Tsatas, Zerk-Thatcher, Draper, Menzie
ESSENDON INS: McKay, Gresham, Jones, Goldstein, Davey
GWS GIANTS OUTS: Cumming, Brown, Lloyd, Keeffe, Fahey, McMullin
GWS GIANTS INS: Thomas, Cadman, Haynes, Callaghan, Jones, Stone
We've performed strongly this year so far, and being back at home, where we play our best footy, will be a huge help. GWS is close to full strength and we're missing some key players, but this will be a very tight tussle. If we get a win here, we'll be lining up for 3rd on the table.
Crazy.
Essendon by 3.
