VFL Game Day VFL Round 3: North Melbourne vs Essendon, Chirnside Park (Werribee), Saturday 20/04/19 @ 11 AM

Macca18

EFC
Jul 6, 2009
5,127
3,645
Victoria
AFL Club
Essendon
Did we have any Zerk watchers today? If so how did he move? Unencumbered by his recent injury?

Seemed to be moving freely... was involved in a nasty little incident in the second quarter when there was a contest near the North Melbourne interchange bench boundary line and he went head first (accidentally) into the bench wall.

Pretty sure he was also involved in the final quarter scuffle as well with a few North players.
 
Okay, player review:

#8 Martin Gleeson: Was mostly at our forward end but seemed to just do what Marty does from my viewing.

#15 Jayden Laverde: 6 goals but just didn't feel like a 6 goal performance.

#16 Josh Begley: Think he kicked 1 goal? Linked up well between the arcs and his kicking is really good.

#22 Irving Mosquito: Was lively, nice goal. Love him already.

#24 Jordan Houlahan: There's something there. Still not sure what it is but it's something.

#30 Brandon Zerk-Thatcher: Good. Beat Larkey (I think he was on). Just needs 5 kilos.

#32 Noah Gown: Really like him. Has really nice hands.

#34 Jake Long: Standard Jake game. Had a good game without standing out.

#36 Michael Hartley: Again, mostly up the other end but seemed to be solid.

#37 Dylan Clarke: Good inside, kicked a nice goal.

#38 Sam Draper: Beaten on the day.

#39 Trent Mynott: BOG for me. Busy at the stoppage and two nice goals

#41 Ben McNiece: See Hartley

#446 Tom Jok: Ran really hard, but just meh.

#49 Matt Dea: See Hartley.
 

TheFrenchCut

Premiership Player
Apr 22, 2014
4,353
11,051
AFL Club
Essendon
#37 Dylan Clarke: Good inside, kicked a nice goal.

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North brought a bit of pressure for a while but they kept falling away with poor skills and a defence that fell apart at various stages. It was a much tougher hit out compared to the Frankston game but in the end North simply couldn't make anything from the chances they created.
As for us we had a lot of really good play mixed in with a few periods of 5 minutes where we looked to be struggling. Was a strange sort of game for one that had close to a 100 point difference.

Gleeson - did a few good things, took a massive hit in the second half and took a long time to get up but he came back on in the last. Is building up his form steadily.

Francis - did the usual things he does well. Disposal was very good. I was a bit disappointed they did not always line up on one of the bigger forwards. Was more of a steady as you go game. Did spend nearly all of the time on the ground. At this stage I hear they are working on building up his fitness so he can run out quarters better than he has been.

Laverde - as a few have said and I know it sounds strange but despite kicking 6 he battled for periods of the game and looked in need of the run. I doubt he will be backing up for Anzac Day but it was a good return game.

Begley - looked very good in the first half but I think the fitness blew out a bit after half time. Building up very nicely. Probably another game or two.

Mosquito - flashed in and out of the game but is still a way off. Has the basics. Just needs some time.

Houlahan - much better game. Spent some time at half back and made the most of his chances when forward.

BZT - was a bit quiet. Played around 60% game time.

Gown - another work in progress. Kicked 3 goals and is a pretty strong mark on the lead.

Long - not bad . First game back after injury so he was a bit patchy. Will need to be building on what he did today.

Hartley - did what Hartley does at this level. Defended well enough but does need to find a little more if he is to press for selection.

Clarke - another typical Clarke game. Good in and under. Tackles well. Kicking was okay to good.

Draper - Was tested today against Campbell. Was good at the centre bounce when he was jumping high but around the ground he took the back spot to often trying to jump over Campbell but he was too big. Today showed he still has some work to do but his game still had some decent aspects to it.

Mynott was very good. Kicked goal and was productive around the ground.

McNiece - not as good as last week but that was more the fact he had to defend more against better opposition.

Jok - played second ruck and at times was struggling.

Dea - solid but nothing out of the ordinary.

To be honest unless we have an injury issue I would be playing everyone who played today in the VFL again next week.
 
Thought Jok was quite good. Kept watching out for dodgy disposal, but what I saw was pretty tidy (if unspectacular).

I watched Clarke’s game closely for the same reason. His kicking was all good aside from one helicopter shot at goal (although there was a lot of wayward kicking in the game). He looked better last week with Redman running past for the handball receive.

Houlihan got into a bit of a scrap as well. Good to see the kids getting a bit niggly.
 
On Mosquito, as Eth and Ant have said he is still a way off. He was a lot cleaner with the ball in hand this week. One passage of play I liked, he was defending deep in Essendon's forward line. He (looked to me) like he was trying to hide behind the field umpire, then SPRANG out from behind him, got a hand to the ball absolutely ninjaed the ball which resulted in a goal. He is building in confidence, and he knows that when he gets the ball no one is going to run him down from behind. Already a crowd favourite. He doesn't get the ball much, but when he does it looks like a goal is coming up.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
28,989
AFL Club
Essendon
I watched Clarke’s game closely for the same reason. His kicking was all good aside from one helicopter shot at goal (although there was a lot of wayward kicking in the game). He looked better last week with Redman running past for the handball receive.

Houlihan got into a bit of a scrap as well. Good to see the kids getting a bit niggly.


I reckon Clarke burned leading forwards 2 or 3 times under basically no pressure.

Definitely to Laverde in the second quarter. Kicked it about 2m over his head.
 
I reckon Clarke burned leading forwards 2 or 3 times under basically no pressure.

Definitely to Laverde in the second quarter. Kicked it about 2m over his head.
The Laverde one is true, I did forget this one - did not see the others though. Although in general the kicking skills of all players was pretty poor. Plenty of out of bounds and direct turn-overs from missing targets. Clarke was hitting targets by foot when moving the ball around midfield/defence. Handballing was solid.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
28,989
AFL Club
Essendon
The Laverde one is true, I did forget this one - did not see the others though. Although in general the kicking skills of all players was pretty poor. Plenty of out of bounds and direct turn-overs from missing targets. Clarke was hitting targets by foot when moving the ball around midfield/defence. Handballing was solid.


He was more composed with the ball than he was against Franga, which is good but could also reflect the pace of the game against North (which I thought was non-existent).

Interested to see how he goes against Pies who will have a really strong inside unit. Wills and Sier are more like league players.

It's a hard thing to know when disposal changes.
 
He was more composed with the ball than he was against Franga, which is good but could also reflect the pace of the game against North (which I thought was non-existent).

Interested to see how he goes against Pies who will have a really strong inside unit. Wills and Sier are more like league players.

It's a hard thing to know when disposal changes.
Sier was seen with an ankle injury yesterday at the VFL and didn't play, and Wills is a chance to go into the seniors with a 32 touch game.
 
May 6, 2007
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Mynott looks a fair bit ahead of Clarke

He is

Everyone gets wrapped up in the big names, Laverde, Zerk, Gleeson but this guy was pretty close to BOG across 4 quarters for mine. He is going to be a good player. More size on his 78kg frame and he’ll be amongst it in no time.

Liked the fact he rested forward and impacted the scoreboard (2.1)


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He is

Everyone gets wrapped up in the big names, Laverde, Zerk, Gleeson but this guy was pretty close to BOG across 4 quarters for mine. He is going to be a good player. More size on his 78kg frame and he’ll be amongst it in no time.

Liked the fact he rested forward and impacted the scoreboard (2.1)


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He looks heavier than 78 kilos now. Looks to be about 82/83.
 
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