Roast Weak as piss

[Lord Nicholson]

Serious work needs to be done on our team defence - We still concede too many points.

It'd be lovely to have them all 100% fit, for starters.

If that's a glimpse of life without Fletch, then I'm worried.

 

[fishardansin]

Hooker and Pears were ****ing terrible, they both need to play next week in the magoos. Hooker might find himself without a gig in a fortnight

This is very true. Never thought I'd curse Pears. However, Butcher was fantastic and could very well have ruined his confidence in what was his second game in the last month and a bit.

 

[TheDon35]

The performance is not at all surprising.

The lesson learnt it don't play McVeigh, NLM and Welsh in the same side. They individually are now all below average players in the twilight of their careers.

Collyer showed us what the way forward needs to be. There's room in the side for one of the aforementioned. And i'd say for team balance that's McViegh.

 

[lemon chicken]

I remember looking at the scoreboard at 3/4 time and seeing that we were ahead or pretty much even in just about every team stat that they showed. The guy next to me reckoned that from about midway in the 2nd qtr to 10 minute mark of the 4th we kicked 1 goal 11 to Port's 9 goals 2. I didnt believe him but looking at qtr by qtr scores it seems about right. I honestly dont think we were as bad in general play as people are making out.

 

[Pweter]

I'd like to know how we would've played had we not known the results of the Freo and Roos games going in, if we were still playing for our season.

It's worth noting Port's played very well in the 2nd half against the Dogs in round 22 so their form was starting to turn. Why it would turn so late in the year is anyone's guess, but I'm just happy to beat the bastards for a change.

 

[Yabba]

We played like a team that did nto want to get injured. We had nothing to gain & the players individually had a lot to lose. Got the win, move on. Wasn't a great performance but doesn't matter what happens in a fortnight is what matters.

 

[BrunoV]

I didn't watch the game but the result continues a very disturbing trend of unprofessional behavious that have been displayed by the club for at least 4 years now. At least under Sheedy we tended to brutalise sides we were better than (or at least thought we were better than) if we didn't do much else.

While the really memorable performances (defeat of previously unbreaten St Kilda in 09 and Geelong in 11) and good records against top 4 sides like Hawthorn, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs have given us cause to get excited, they continue to tell more about a group of players who are not not self motivated and who require some backs to the wall cliched crap to perform.

Beating Port by less than 50 points, conceeding more than 80 and having to kick 7 unanswered goals to win the match are all unacceptable. I think it was Mark Thompson who said he perceived an odd culture of self-satisfied players, which he couldn't understand given out bad recent record, when he first came back to the club. It seems to be worse than Thompson initially thought.

Getting into the finals presents a challange for the coching group over summer. They players will need twice the flogging they received last pre-season to ingrain the, dramatically lacking, hard nosed professionalism of a club like Sydney (it isn't about winning every flag, it is giving as close to 100% as you can for as many weeks as you can).

 

[rines]

After video review the performance doesn't look better but its all gravy really.

No injuries, absolutely nothing that could be even possibly reported, and game time into hooker and pears.

Carlisle going forward worked ok and could mean he and hooker can play in the same team rather than fighting for the same spot when fletcher comes back in.

So as posted in other threads a month ago, Carlisle has probably passed Gumby in terms of a forward position and will play the Crameri role to keep our structure.

Port and Rodan just love playing us and we did what we needed too. I expect a different effort in two weeks. Pears looks v underdone and should have another full match hit out before Carlton. Even if 'simulated' at full match speed to reduce injury risk.

We miss Hocking, pure and simple, and he may have overtaken Watson as our 'key' man (NOT in skill or ability) for structures. We be a different midfield with his auto inclusion.

Hille is a pure ruckman, needs to have lots of minutes in the Ruck posi and around the ground, Paddy is the same. Belly to be shelved unless either goes down with injury. Hopefully this isn't our 'mumfud' moment where we lose a great midfielder cause the time just isn't quite right.

Davey looks back to good form and Jetta started to look zippy. Heppell will be glad of the rest for his young body.

Hurley is a gun gun gun gun... I would take him ahead of Nic Nat anytime no matter what slobber boy says.. He is Jon Brown but for OUR team!! Hopefully will be scaring teams for the next ten years.. and love his 'prowling' look in that F50. Has the "I'm dangerous, stay out of my way" eyes going most of the time.

Anyway my disappointment has given way to unadulterated excitement at Finals and a Carlscum match!

 

[Lance Uppercut]

After video review the performance doesn't look better but its all gravy really.

No injuries, absolutely nothing that could be even possibly reported, and game time into hooker and pears.

Carlisle going forward worked ok and could mean he and hooker can play in the same team rather than fighting for the same spot when fletcher comes back in.

So as posted in other threads a month ago, Carlisle has probably passed Gumby in terms of a forward position and will play the Crameri role to keep our structure.

Port and Rodan just love playing us and we did what we needed too. I expect a different effort in two weeks. Pears looks v underdone and should have another full match hit out before Carlton. Even if 'simulated' at full match speed to reduce injury risk.

We miss Hocking, pure and simple, and he may have overtaken Watson as our 'key' man (NOT in skill or ability) for structures. We be a different midfield with his auto inclusion.

Hille is a pure ruckman, needs to have lots of minutes in the Ruck posi and around the ground, Paddy is the same. Belly to be shelved unless either goes down with injury. Hopefully this isn't our 'mumfud' moment where we lose a great midfielder cause the time just isn't quite right.

Davey looks back to good form and Jetta started to look zippy. Heppell will be glad of the rest for his young body.

Hurley is a gun gun gun gun... I would take him ahead of Nic Nat anytime no matter what slobber boy says.. He is Jon Brown but for OUR team!! Hopefully will be scaring teams for the next ten years.. and love his 'prowling' look in that F50. Has the "I'm dangerous, stay out of my way" eyes going most of the time.

Anyway my disappointment has given way to unadulterated excitement at Finals and a Carlscum match!

great post rines, pretty much a spot on analysis

 

[Valve Bounce]

great post rines, pretty much a spot on analysis

Agreed. I was sitting next to the "Port Supporters" end on the northern side, which was still full of Essendon supporters.
I would add that on several occasions Carlisle did some useful ruck work also.
The one thing that really worried me was when Hurley leaped high and landed awkwardly and winded himself; thank God he wasn't injured.
From what I saw, on occasions the defence guys looked like headless chooks running around following the footsteps of the Port guys and, of course, they ended up kicking goals. We missed Fletcher, no question; he is the Sargent Major we need in the back line to organise the guys and spur them on when necessary, not to mention doing his miraculous stuff.

We won, no injuries, no reports, and we have a week's rest. Jimmy had a good reason not to look happy and a good reason to kick some arse before September.

Just one last thing: I was among the many Essendon supporters yelling like crazy in those final 15 minutes, and I confess I enjoyed every second of it. How many of you guys who were there felt the same in those scintillating 15 minutes?

 

[Kong]

Yeah it was great when the side finally decided to turn up.

My brother said to me he thought the crowd's noise was a crucial factor, and I tend to agree.

Terrific effort from the supporters.

 

[daffo]

Crowd was very quiet for most of the game.

 

[beev]

Yeah it was great when the side finally decided to turn up.

My brother said to me he thought the crowd's noise was a crucial factor, and I tend to agree.

Terrific effort from the supporters.

Crowd was very quiet for most of the game.

Yeah the crowd was very quiet for 3 and a half quarters (no surprise) but it was insane once we got a run on.

 

[Valve Bounce]

Yeah it was great when the side finally decided to turn up.

My brother said to me he thought the crowd's noise was a crucial factor, and I tend to agree.

Terrific effort from the supporters.

That was me yelling "GO BOMBERS" after every goal in those wonderful 15 minutes.

 

[Kong]

Ah, so you're the guy.

 

[Valve Bounce]

Ah, so you're the guy.

Yeah! me and the three pretty girls sitting behind me. We just screamed our heads off.

I don't know what some guys are pissed off about - all the Essendon supporters that I could see on the ground had a great time during those 15 minutes. Everytime an Essendon player got the ball in the backline, we screamed also.

 

[table tennis]

It was good to have a thrilling finale, especially after the painful lead up.

I just hope we can play like that last 20mins for 2 hours in a couple of weeks time.

GO BOMBERS