Thank you Essendon...

[topdon]

For ruining my footy tips.......

nah seriously...i thought the boys tried their hearts out last night, and i never for one second doubted their commitment. Everything seemed to go against they boys, but that's footy i guess.

This isn't sour grapes, but something has to be done about the standard of umpiring. If this continues, you are going to find people leaving the game in droves. I'm not going to comment any further on this, the game is just becoming an absolute disgrace. The umpiring department need to have a long hard look at themselves.

So yeah..there's my 2 bobs worth, but we will be back.

Watched the 'Bomber Blitz 2000' video after the game last night, and that certainly lifted my spirits. Makes you lament the recent losses of Mercuri, Long, Caracella, Blumfield, etc....even Wally and Boris!!

Love ya Dons!! Apart for them obviously stuffing up my tipping

 

[Anton Grbac]

Yeah, just one of those nights really. The boys fought it out and for a few seconds, i thought we may've pinched it when we dragged it back to 15 points. Look out Saints, Bombers on the rebound.
Anyway, i'm gunna have a look at the VFL side today for my footy fix for the week. Carn the Dons!

where's wally?

 

[Dave]

We were comprehensively beaten in the middle, but that didn't surprise me given who is missing (I said to my wife when I heard Barnes was out that I thought we'd lose). Seriously though we are going to lose a few this year, and may not even win the flag, so enjoy the wins while you can.

Adrian, the umpires were crap, but we got a couple of lucky ones - Robran got away with a beut throw at one stage. Just a bummer that a couple of critical ones cost us goals (fletcher/wellman) but that's footy. Last week it went our way, this week it didn't.

What I'm wondering after Sandy Roberts comments about Brisbane looking to pull off the "boilover" of the season is, how many players do we have to have out before a loss isn't an upset?????

 

[topdon]

Yeah Dave, we were comprehensively beaten out of the middle. That's where we lost the game. Our midfield didn't start to click until halfway through the 3rd quarter, and by then we were too far gone. Congratulations Brisbane, but i do think they are going wayyy over the top...especially Leigh Matthews.

He said after the game that the win they had was on par with those of Carlton and the Western Bulldogs, where a 3rd team (Brisbane) can now be added to the teams that 'know' how to beat Essendon. C'mon...that is quite a stupid comment to make. NO team is unbeatable, but Carlton and the Western Bulldogs beat us when we were ontop of our game, with realatively few injuries. Their wins have more merit than the one Brisbane had on Saturday night.

As far as the umpires..the comment i made was a general one. Watching the Collingwood/Sydney game justifies my stand. They are deplorable...and if Nicks gets suspended for what he did...we have lost all control of the game. Decisions are now like throwing a dice.

It's a worrying trend. As i said a few months ago...the umpires are becoming bigger than the game itself!

 

[Dave]

Adrian, yeah, Leigh's never been known for going over the top, but hey, let'm talk it up all they want. Just grist for the mill if we meet them in the finals. I wont use the players we had out as a reason for the loss becuase we had plenty of chances to win anyway. Our kicking from set shots was a disgrace (Lucas, GRRRR!!!) and really cost us. I do however remain confident that if we can get the majority of the injured players back and match fit we are capable of turning the tables. Brisbane do bleed and can be beaten )) - especially in Melbourne. Carlton proved that too

As for the umps, it's a pet hate of mine the way they only tend to get raised by people whe their team loses (not saying you do that), and never when they win. They ARE ordinary, but at the end of the day if you're good enough you win anyway. The other thing to remember is that players make mistakes too.

Yeah, the Nicks decision was is disgrace. The problem has been the AFL has been to bl00dy wishy washy when deliberate contact has been made (and in my opinion there has been deliberate contact) and as a result is now attempting to have a bob each way. End result, everyone's pissed off.

 

[Danni]

Topdon, don't take any notice what-so-ever to what L Matthews says.

We certainly don't.

Look he has been out-coached game in and game out for the last 14 months. And to be honest, I certainly don't accredit our win on Saturday night to the 'coaching'. For some reason, the players finally 'believed' in themselves, in each other, and in their 'dream' even. Yes we have won games in the past even when he is outcoached, and that is IMO due to the players committment. I don't know what did it - but I am certain that quotes about 'bleeding' weren't it - but our boys were out to play for the team, at any cost to themself as an idividual.

And I do have to say that for me it was wonderful to see a couple of the bombers up close and personal. Can't count last year, cause we couldnt' see thru the bloody rain. but HIRD, that man is amazing, he does what appears freakish, but on a consitant basis, incredible! And Lloyd surprised me too. You really don't get the full picture on tv, but his upper body strenth is amzing.

As I have said before, regardless of the fact that Essendon appear to be an unstopable machine, they are a personification of good football. Skill, pace and passion rolled into one, and always entertaining to watch. And more often than not, they are what we non-dons wish our teams to aspire too.

 

[Dave]

Thanks Danni, glad you enjoyed the game. It's great to see someone who can enjoy their teams win and still give credit to the opposition. It's a refreshing change from the crap that many on the board carry on with.

 

[topdon]

Thanks danni! It's refreshing to hear an opposition supporter (from a team that has beaten us) to give us some credit. I've been quite frank is my assesment of the game, and the better team won on the night. We know we can play a whole lot better, but you can only play as good as your opposition allow.

It's annoying when some other supporters seem to be preoccupied with the fate of Essendon without worrying about their own sides. But i guess you have to take the good with the bad.

Anyway, you're playing West Coast next weekend, so there is little chance of a 'hangover'.

 

[Danni]

Originally posted by Dave
It's great to see someone who can enjoy their teams win and still give credit to the opposition. .

Dave, winning against Essendon at the moment is the ultimate dream of nearly all football fans, at least for those that havent' done it that is.

That in itself is IMO respectful to Essendon, just like any jealousy toward them is. If it didnt' mean so much to the people, then it would mean that Essendon aren't that good.


It isn't a case of 'we friggin showed you' or anything like that, for me it is more of 'how cow we did it'.

It isn't that we beat Essendon in general - it is we beat Essendon who have been/are the best. The unbeatable team. Holy cow, I am still smiling and will be for ages.

I think we deserve to feel like that - and hey - Essendon have to take some of the credit - if they weren't so freaking good all of the time, we wouldn't feel this good. And btw - I really hope that no-one thinks i am rubbing it in, i wouldn't do that, I am just happy.

 

[gPhonque]

What I'm wondering after Sandy Roberts comments about Brisbane looking to pull
off the "boilover" of the season is, how many players do we have to have out
before a loss isn't an upset?????

That's exactly what i was thinking.

Let's see:

Peverill
McVeigh
Jacobs
McGrath
Hille
Henneman
F-Knight
Bolton

They've played, what.....20 games all together?

I'd hardly call that team "unbeatable" which is what everybody is saying. Give those guys another year or two and it might be a bit different though.....

"One of the biggest upsets in recent history" was just one of the many ridiculous quotes about the game.

Oh well. It's good to get a loss or two under the belt now rather than later with a full strength team.

Good game.

Also, regarding the Nicks issue; it's nice to see Rodney Eade come out and say exactly what i've been saying all year. These collisions have to be treated as accidents. Simple. Get it through your thick heads AFL.

Morons, the whole lot of 'em.

And one more thing - who was the commentator on Sat night? Not Roberts the idiot, the other guy? I couldn't pick his voice at the time. I thought he was good. No bullsh!t. Just commentated on the game. Roberts sounded like a d!ckhead whenever he spoke. Oh well, only half a season to go and we'll be free from ch7 forever!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Danni]

Originally posted by gPhonque


And one more thing - who was the commentator on Sat night? Not Roberts the idiot, the other guy? I couldn't pick his voice at the time. I thought he was good. No bullsh!t. Just commentated on the game. Roberts sounded like a d!ckhead whenever he spoke. Oh well, only half a season to go and we'll be free from ch7 forever!!!!!!!!!!!

OH GAWD - you are not giving Matty Campbell a good wrap are you?? Member of the inaugral Brisbane Bears team and host of local ch7 show 'sports scene' up here.

 

[topdon]

Originally posted by Danni


OH GAWD - you are not giving Matty Campbell a good wrap are you?? Member of the inaugral Brisbane Bears team and host of local ch7 show 'sports scene' up here.

Please gPhonque, don't tell me you are giving Campbell a wrap!! Didn't you hear him bang the table whenever Brisbane kicked a goal??

The commentary on Saturday night was dreadful. Wish i was back home in Qld to watch it. But then again...living in Melbourne certainly ain't bad at all

Go Dons!

 

[gPhonque]

i guess Matty Campbell's not too popular then...

I'd rather listen to his no bullsh!t commentary than guys like Roberts, who feel it's necessary to talk in a non-human voice, and try and create excitement with their crap commentary. A game like the one on Sat night doesn't need Roberts and co destroying it with their pretentious wanky wannabe American rubbish. Campbell at least, to me, went with the game a bit more. I found him much more interesting, and fun to listen to.

I guess i'm just totally sick of the same crap commentators we've had to put up with since Louie went to 9. They're boring. They know very little about football, and they always miss the little things that you like to see when you're watching.

Brereton can sh!t me a bit sometimes, but at least he knows his footy.

 

[Dave]

Danni, that's exactly what I meant. You can quite rightly feel proud of your teams' efforts & rapt at the win, I wasn't suggesting you shouldn't be - God knows were I in your shoes I would be. Kinda reminds me of the eighties and knocking off Hawthorn! (I didn't think you were rubbing it in either).

I was just happy to see someone concentrating on the pleasure of their team winning rather the the crap I've seen after a couple of our other losses when all we heard was "suck sh1t" etc etc etc. You're all class lady!

Adrian, gPhonque

Roberts is a tosser who thinks he's the entertainment (oh my hat!).

Bloody Campbell and that thump! He's not as bad as Kerley (or Rosco G used to be). Still, he does call it as it is & if he gets a tad excited about the team he used to play for that's to be expected I 'spose. Be nice if he could be a little less obvious about it though.