Roast Soft.Soft.Soft!

[pazza]

Can hack the losing part. But, can't hack the not giving a shit bit that contributed to today's loss and some of the others this year.

 

[The Donners]

Can hack the losing part. But, can't hack the not giving a shit bit that contributed to today's loss and some of the others this year.

True.

Is there a reason you think that there is a lack of pride in their performance (which I believe it is)? This is only a question, is there player unrest? Not necessarily with the coach but perhaps with their teammates.

 

[saladodger]

Soft is the one word that came to mind over and over again today as I sat at that shithole Subi and listened to 30,000 inbred toothless arseholes chanting FREEEEEEEOOOOOOOOO FREEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOO.

Basics every amateur club in the country go over week in week out were just not there.
1. Intesnsity-Considering the ramifications of winning this game intensity was pathetic.
2. First to the ball-guys were ambling around with no desire to win the hard (or easy for that matter) ball.
3.Head over the ball-Seen alot of guys pull out of contest not willing to put body on the line ( Hooker was made to look like very ordinary in one contest)
4. Front and Square-Freo had numbers at the fall of the ball 9 out of every 10 contests, Essendon players were nowhere to be seen.
5. Physical presence- The boys got thrown around pushed around and generally manhandled all day, made to look very ordinary at times.

We were destroyed out of the middle all day, sandilands chopped us up.

We had none of our usual running style game today we moved the ball around the flanks generally and it was stop start football as opposed to the play on and hard run I thought was our plan.

The umpires did not influence the result but they were inconsistent and generally shit.


Positives- Hurley is a gun and with time and experience will be a club champion.
McPhee-Tried his guts out.
We are still in the 8.
We can beat the Hawks.

 

[The Donners]

Quinn's a rookie and Nash is a contracted player. Totally different scenarios. Swap them around and Nash would be given a chance and Quinn would be delisted.

FWIW I tend to agree with Donners. For all the talk of the Irish players, only Kennealy has really made an impact. Clarke can't get a game for Collingwood and Begley has dropped off the pace. There have been a fewothers who have gone home with their tail between their legs. Setanta is just a player but he is a different type and background to the others anyway.

Can I just say that I was happy that Knights and the recruiting team looked outside the square - regardless of what happens.

 

[topdon]

Funny, Round 22 last year, we gifted St.Kilda an unlikely top 4 finish. Fast forward 12 months, we're going to hand the Bradbury premiers and Bradbury top 8 spot.

We're giving at Essendon!!

 

[Daytripper]

True.

Is there a reason you think that there is a lack of pride in their performance (which I believe it is)? This is only a question, is there player unrest? Not necessarily with the coach but perhaps with their teammates.

I think you guys under-estimate Freo and aren't giving them much credit.

They are a bloody good side when on song and particularly hard to beat in Perth. Any team that has Pavlich, Sandilands, Haselby has to be given some respect.

 

[pazza]

True.

Is there a reason you think that there is a lack of pride in their performance (which I believe it is)? This is only a question, is there player unrest? Not necessarily with the coach but perhaps with their teammates.

Reckon there's a bit of unhealthy arrogance in the team...it looked like we were just expecting it to happen today...instead of making it happen.

The lack of tackling and the pulling out of contests are 2 examples I can find.

I hope the media make us a laughing stock tomorrow...I really do. It just might get into the players heads a bit that efforts like that today are totally unacceptable.

 

[yaco55]

Soft bunch of over hyped down hill skiers.
As soon as sides play us man on man we fall apart an no one is prepared to run hard to make a difference.
I hope we loose next week so we save ourselves the humiliation of being belted out of the finals in week 1.
Piss poor Bombers.

I doubt that EFC will lose next week as Hawthorn is SOFT, evn though they have more ability.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Tbh.. apart from the Anzac Day comeback we have folded like a pack of cards in too many games under Knights.

There does not seem to be any steel or resolve in the club. The round 22 humiliation was disgraceful last year as are losses to bottom 4 sides this year.

It's almost as if it's game,set and match once a side gets on top or a run on.

 

[lemon chicken]

Prismall shudders at the thought of contact.

I was pretty disappointed to watch his first half opposed to a first year player in Suban. He has no defensive game at all.

He's a Heffernan/Blumfield type player, aewsome to have in a premiership team but isn't the sort which builds a side, just compliments them.

He got it on a platter at the Cats, made him look better than what he is.

I believe it's 2 years you list an an international, hopefully someone can confirm that.

Correct.

 

[banta]

obviously disappointing is an understatement. today, there was a distinct lack of intensity, desire to win, and will to work hard and put their bodies on the line. too many players looked as though they didnt care and were just going through the motions.

i can't remember the last time i saw an essendon player throw themselves at contests like james hird did. i wont name names, but there are senior essendon players that need to have a good hard look at themselves, and a look at how blokes like brad sewell go about their footy. even the boy nick suban's game today was an example of doing all the hard things that our players weren't willing/capable to do.

i rarely get really upset when we lose. dissappointed... yes, but when we dont have a crack and play at 50% of what we are capable of, that is the thing that really gets to me.

some drastic attitude changes need to happen in the next week, if the club wants to play finals. which i think they would, considering it is the reason you play footy.

 

[tubbis]

Why are people surprised about this?

Our whole game plan and philosophy under Knights is about attacking the game. There's nothing about getting in the trenches and digging your heals in.

Look at the way St Kilda go about their game under Lyon. Pies under MM. Crows under Craig. Flags are won by teams that can defend the best and have a defensive mindset. Until we get that we'll be the great entertainers but get nowhere.

All you need to do is look at MM defensive masterpiece on away games to know what is required to win the tough games.

Errr.. yeah Kelvin and thats why none of the teams coached by the people you've specified have won a flag in the past decade.

 

[ningnangnong]

A poor performance today from the outset really. You could tell after 5 minutes that Fremantle were going to dictate the way the game was played and that was disappointing after the game plan we executed last Sunday. I didn't get excited at all from anything I saw today and Fremantle entered the forward 50 far too easily and kicked goals at will. It seems our shoddy defence has come to the fore once again conceeding a huge score this week, perhaps our biggest of all season and the worst game we have played this year by far.

Logically we should play well in Perth with our run but we have looked flat in both trips this season which has been disappointing against teams that were/are in the bottom 4. If we can't beat them now, when will we?

And finally, hopefully the trip from Perth and the 6 day break won't hurt us coming into next weeks game against Hawthorn!

 

[yaco55]

I'd like to say that I'm glad Quinn has been able to play a few games in a row.

At the risk of sounding critical after a loss, he's not going to make the grade.

Then there is no hope for Jetta.

Quinn comprehensively outplayed jetta today.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

There's a very big difference between trying to run through a tackle when you've already got the ball, and putting your head over the ball and going in hard to get it when it's there to be won.

I saw Stanton shirk at least 2 contests today when the ball was there to be won. Something he does regularly imo.

As for Lovett.... well, he's never won a hard ball in his life.

I disagree as it takes a lot of courage to take on the opposition and get the ball moving forwards as opposed to stuffing around with it by going sideways and backwards (McPhee is the perfect example of this). Going 'hard' is not just about diving onto the bottom of packs. Stanton was willing to move through the corridor despite the presence of multiple Freo players.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Then there is no hope for Jetta.

Quinn comprehensively outplayed jetta today.

Quinn was very good. Once he sorts his long kicking out he will be a good player.

 

[yaco55]

Tbh.. apart from the Anzac Day comeback we have folded like a pack of cards in too many games under Knights.

There does not seem to be any steel or resolve in the club. The round 22 humiliation was disgraceful last year as are losses to bottom 4 sides this year.

It's almost as if it's game,set and match once a side gets on top or a run on.

You must be watching different games.

The team has been competitive in most games in 2009 and has rarely thrown in the towel.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Errr.. yeah Kelvin and thats why none of the teams coached by the people you've specified have won a flag in the past decade.

Hawks won under Clarkson with a super defensive game plan.

Geelong have always started from defense and built a side around that.

Swans and Roos. Worsfold and Eagles.

The game has changed to zones, defence and press - similar to soccer and basketball tactics.

Brisbane was the last side to win with a classic game and that seems long dead.

 

[FD2646]

With due respect, in relation to what I have read on this post, this is what I viewed from the ground:

Essendon lacked any intensity which allowed Freo to kick goals and our young players gain confidence - both spelt trouble very early for Essendon
Quinn was not/is not your worst
Jetta is just not up to it
Hurley will be a fantastic player
Watson is injured
Good luck next week I hope u smash the Hawks

 

[lemon chicken]

Not enough credit going to Mark Harvey and the Freo box. They did their homework and reaped the rewards. Our box hasnt really used tactics to great effect too many times this year.

 

[bfwatcher]

Look at the way St Kilda go about their game under Lyon. Pies under MM. Crows under Craig. Flags are won by teams that can defend the best and have a defensive mindset. Until we get that we'll be the great entertainers but get nowhere.

All you need to do is look at MM defensive masterpiece on away games to know what is required to win the tough games.

Sorry to intrude but i had to comment on this.

The teams you have chosen to highlight as the way football is supposed to be played have not won a premiership with those coaches.

You say flags are won with teams with a defensive mindset?

hawthorn, geelong,west coast, port did not have defensive mindsets but they were attacking and hard working.

sure sydney won one with defence but you didn't even name them.

genrally teams with the best players win or the best players available and not injured.

so you really have it all wrong.

 

[The Dustbin]

Enough has been said about our performance today, I just can't believe the crap that was served up. I lost count how many easy goals Fre scored.

 

[adii_7]

simply we are good when we are going. shit when we are not.

Our defensive-midfield pressure is the worst in the AFL?

 

[banta]

Not enough credit going to Mark Harvey and the Freo box. They did their homework and reaped the rewards. Our box hasnt really used tactics to great effect too many times this year.

good point. highlighted by the fact that Sandilands was always going to dominate from the outset, yet we had no real strategy to counter his influence in the ruck. resulting in them dominating the bulk of the clearances (from what i saw. havent seen the stats).

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Sorry to intrude but i had to comment on this.

The teams you have chosen to highlight as the way football is supposed to be played have not won a premiership with those coaches.

You say flags are won with teams with a defensive mindset?

hawthorn, geelong,west coast, port did not have defensive mindsets but they were attacking and hard working.

sure sydney won one with defence but you didn't even name them.

genrally teams with the best players win or the best players available and not injured.

so you really have it all wrong.

I was looking at teams that have been a success or doing well over the past few years.

If Hawthorn didn't win with a defensive zone then I'm the real Kevin Sheedy.

West Coast and Geelong were all about strong midfields and strong defences. Most West Coast games were relatively low scoring. Worsfold was a hard nose defender... get where I'm going?

Basically I've got it all right. Best teams win, best defences win. Combine the two and you have the right mix. Go all out attack and you get murdered on the rebound.

The Sydney GF win changed the landscape of tactics and winning football. Since then every team has gone defence mad... except a few.