smashed in the middle

[kendo]

I was at the game last night and was really disappointed with the way we were destroyed in the clearances.. all over the ground we rarely got a clearance.. i know we won and everything but we played the second bottom team and were lucky to win.. RICHO saved us... it was so frustrating seeing that ugly prick peverill clearing the ball time and time again...

 

[mcphee_is_a_gun]

Our midfield is underrated, we have beaten alot of teams in the midfield this year.

 

[itsintheblood]

An essendon midfield containing james hird rarely gets beaten. He had the ball on a string from the middle last night. What a star that man is.

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

itsintheblood, Hirdy only played in the middle for half the game maximum (from the start of the 2nd to the middle of the third). He then went down forward and did barely anything, save 2 cheap goals on Sugar, 1 of which was the weakest free kick ever.

That is not an excuse for our midfield performance, particularly when rioli went into the centre and got a clearance that set up a goal!!!

 

[tomthetiger]

Regardless of Essendon's clearance winning abilities, we are 16th in the league all up, and it needs to be seriously addressed.

 

[Calcium Man]

Certainly an area we need to improve. It makes Selwood look good in this draft. Plus it shows how much we miss cogs.

Did lids play in the middle much or across half back again?? He usually gets his fair share on centre clearances.

 

[tomthetiger]

He was pretty awesome last night. Skills were great and broke the lines. Played in the backline again though.

 

[Parabola]

My bet is that it will be one of the most focused on points during the summer.
I think our mid fielders should be a little more harrasive of the opponents, always making sure their out of place. Like how jimmy was nudging everyone about just to keep them thinking of him.

 

[Booms]

Next yr and beyond - more time in the middle to Deledio and Tambling who are both wonderful in close as well as the addition of Raines into the center and of course Cogs coming back should help the cause dramatically - also a player like Selwood in this draft will help as well.!!

 

[Calcium Man]

Next yr and beyond - more time in the middle to Deledio and Tambling who are both wonderful in close as well as the addition of Raines into the center and of course Cogs coming back should help the cause dramatically - also a player like Selwood in this draft will help as well.!!

Dont forget Axel, he showed last week he is very good around the stoppages. Tho carlton dont exactly have the worlds best midfield.

I hope selwood is what Mojo said he was and not like Petts as weaver reckons. Cos i really think he will be in tiger colours next year.

 

[Bojangles17]

Regardless of Essendon's clearance winning abilities, we are 16th in the league all up, and it needs to be seriously addressed.

give the man a cigar, thats why we need a grunt midfielder, NOT bloody akermanis or we'll be talking the same shi&$ this time next year

 

[PLSC]

tuck - someone tell him that when he goes 3rd man up, we are 1 player short on the ground

johnson - too busy keeping an eye on his man

foley - still young

tivendale - 20 metres from the contest, looking for a cheapie

deledio - a lot to learn in close

unless simmo grabs it and kicks it we get killed on the ground

 

[peternorth]

and i thik simmo's ruckwork isnt to our advantage when he gets hands on the ball. he is more of a tap to feet ruckman, than one who taps to advantage. i feel we need to work on strategies on tap work, cleaing the ball.

tivdendale and chaffey, thanks for good service to the club.

 

[True Thylacine]

We actually won the clearances well until Tuck was heavily tagged. With Cogs out we needed Axel to step up but didnt quite make it this week. Next year when this happens it will mean we have someone else in a mismatch against most sides.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Polo should be in the middle. He will get the ball out. Hasn't been in the middle for last 2 weeks

 

[Bentleigh]

Essendon came back was because they smashed us in the guts.

We went from being alright to getting deadset rapped in the middle.

Draft Selwood!

 

[metallichris]

I miss Coughlan.

 

[1980GFVideo]

Must admit I cringed when Delideo called the midfield the fab five.

Wallace didnt like it too much also.

 

[Kurtis G]

Im suprised nobody has mentioned how poor Foley played.

Im all for the kid, think he'll be a good player, and I dont have a vendetta against him, but I will say I havent seen a worse game from a player for us in a fair while. He turned it over, butchered forward pmovements, gave away free, oh god, you may not have noticed it but if you see the replay take a look. The Foley the week before was great, obviously just a bad game which everyone has but our main clearance winner from the week before couldnt get the ball, so that would have had a fair impact last night - considering he played the whole night in the centre circle after he came on.

Definatly need to get Cogs back. Tuck works better with Cogs. Foley, Deledio, Meyer, all our young guys are going to be even better next season. There is unlimited potential in this team at the moment and im really excited.

The midfield issues will sort themselves out with time id imagine. Nothing like a bit more experience. Oh and get rid of Tivendale. Tries hard but while he is getting a start we arent playing to our best.

 

[Richo83]

Essendon came back was because they smashed us in the guts.

We went from being alright to getting deadset rapped in the middle.

Draft Selwood!

We got r*ped because a Mr. James Hird had another great game in the middle. Can't blame Richmond that he is superman.

Draft Riewoldt.

 

[True Thylacine]

Im suprised nobody has mentioned how poor Foley played.

Refer Post 14 this Thread

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

We actually won the clearances well until Tuck was heavily tagged. With Cogs out we needed Axel to step up but didnt quite make it this week. Next year when this happens it will mean we have someone else in a mismatch against most sides.

Didn't quite make it? Foley was bloody awful!

 

[ata40]

Bit of a “fools gold” game.

We where smashed in the middle because Essendon used it’s guile to work out Simmos knockouts and occasionally when we did win a clearance Hird rotated himself back into the middle and if he didn’t win the ball he marshaled his troops to do so.

We tried every permutation of Tuck, Foley, Delidio, Tambling, Polo, Hyde, Johnson, Tivendale, Krakeur, Simmo and Pattison and where either left flatfooted, out bustled or second to the ball. This is all part of the steep learning curve.

Our future game plan is essentially based on a dozen midfielders of which we have only 3-4 who have actually made the grade with the balance in development mode.

Nothing to worry about at this stage, just confirmation that we must keep on turning players over until we reach this dozen.

 

[True Thylacine]

Didn't quite make it? Foley was bloody awful!

Its called diplomatic...

 

[CoggaRules]

Polo should be in the middle. He will get the ball out. Hasn't been in the middle for last 2 weeks

he was in the first quarter and like clockwork, yep you guessed it, we looked real good.