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Essendon - Supporter Support

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Hi Kennas

For the first question? Probably yes. But not for Richmonds win. They should have beaten the Tigers based on form lines. BUT.....the wins over Blues, Pies and Hawks were probably "overachieving". But hey .....teams lose ones they should win and just sometimes it comes back around and they win games they should lose.

Ryder looks great!! He is relishing the freedom of being a follower around the ground.

I've liked Bellchambers - hasn't got great numbers around the ground but has been more than serviceable. Didn't have a great night against the Tigers. Smashed early in the ruck. Laycock looks like he will slot straight in which is a worry because the big fella has always had a problem with the size of his engine. The fitness staff better make sure he can contribute. Full credit to Bellchambers for standing up when needed. If Laycock "goes missing" and doesn't run the game out I'd be putting Bellchambers back in straight away.

The midfield is looking really good. I spoke a couple months back about work horses and show ponies and the mix is really sweet at present. Jobe Watson must be one of the slowest players in the team but gee he is playing fantastic footy. He is crucial to this teams development. And Hocking has been very impressive as well. I don't know if you are watching the games kennas but players like Hocking, Houli, Pears and Hooker are all progressing very nicely. Davey and Lovatt playing very well. Stanton down on form this week.

Jury is still out on Jetta for me.

Won't speak too soon. Cats this week!!.

Duckman
 
Laycock won't be elevated to the senior team this week and neither will McVeigh, Reimers or Prismall.

Hurley has earned a recall but it will depend on match ups whether he gets a game this week or not.

Dempsey is also a good chance to miss with his ankle.
 
Just found out that Hurley has most likely fractured his scaphoid bone in his wrist, so he won't be back this week either.
 
They will play McVeigh this week, which i think is too early, and they are still unsure on the other player to come in.

Looking forward to this game and while i don't think we will win, it would be great to see us be competitive.
 
Real1ty said:
They will play McVeigh this week, which i think is too early, and they are still unsure on the other player to come in.

Looking forward to this game and while i don't think we will win, it would be great to see us be competitive.
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I think they'll just play him is spurts. Maybe 10-15min a quarter. He must have done enough last week for them to think he'll pick the pace up. It's bloody good to get a bit more experience back in the team anyway. We seem to have a bunch of kids playing with grandma Lloyd and the moment, while grandpa Fletcher is out, and great auntie Lucas is in the infermery. No adults to be seen.

I think there'll be a 60 point plus margin this week.
 

Hopefully not 60 points +!!

The one thing in their favour is that Geelong is not 100% firing, nor have their full players in the side.

The Dons are due for a sizey loss, when you think of the lucky they've had this year.

Duckman
 
kennas said:


Has Bellchambers been put on field yet, or does he just sit on the bench all day?

Looks like they all sat on the bench for the first half.
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He injured his knee in the second half, nevertheless he was still benched for a most of the first half from what I read. He is young, and Patty is doing such a great one man job in the ruck. Anything rather than having Laycock as Essendons second ruckman and I'm happy.
 
I hope I'm wrong but I really don't like our match ups against Adelaide. I think for footy tipster this game could prove the steal of the year. I can't beleive on Oztips Essendon were at one stage 62%-38% favourites!!

Adelaide is a form side and should be going for their 4th straight win. They broke their Melbourne hoodoo against the Bombers last season so Docklands shouldn't hold any problems. Bombers have big rucking problems and their three inclusions this week are Reimers (1st game this year), Prismall (1st game for Bombers ever) and Lucas (who is having trouble getting a kick in the VFL).

On papers Adelaide deserve to be going into this game firm favourites.

Duckman
 
Yeah, I agree on the favouritism status, but I don't hold too much weight about Adelaide's ability to win at Etihad, or whoever has enough spare change to name it this week.

Who is the ruck backup? Lovett?
 
Adelaide are playing very good footy atm, the last 2 games especially, they made both Carlton & Hawthorn look second rate - which they both probably are atm
 
Im an Adelaide supporter, and i'll say one thing for the Croes, is that they make you watch the whole game.

Even if they are up by 10 goals at half time they usually figure out a way to lose the game, or at least only win my a slim margin. There seems to be something not quite right with their psychology, as they rarely ever bury sides. This has been witnessed in the 3rd quarter fades out in the last 3 or 4 weeks. They have been outscored about 24 goals to 4 in third quarters in the last month.
 
It would have really set us up nicely going into the break sitting at 6-5. The finals were still a genuine 50%/50% possibility. Unfortunately at 5-6 it makes the task that much harder.

The boys played admirably but the depth of the Bombers was not that of the Crows. Same great players - Watson, Ryder, Stanton and Lovatt but not enough help.

The forward line of Lucas, Monfries, LLoyd and Neagle is very much a work in progress and as a result is very hit and miss.

The disappointing thing is that for a game I expected us to lose, we led at
every break except the one that counted!!

Duckman
 
Yeah, I picked Adelaide for this. I was very surprised to see us lead for most of the game.

Crucial lost I feel. One that they will rue later in the year. Could be the difference between making the eight, or not.

Thank God for Stanton and Watson. Great consistency coming through from Lovett!!

Desperately need Fletcher back there. And Lloyd to pull his f*ckin finger out! He's a liability at the moment. Maybe he should move to CHB?
 
I went to the game and thought both sides played well.

At the end Essendon were too tired to win which is probably because they were smaller and younger.
Nagle is out of form and was puffing.

Generally, it was a good game.
 
Apparently it was the most accurate game in AFL/VFL history. Not sure how they worked it out though.

The Crows finally have some good young forwards to work with, and providing they stay injury free they might be somehting in a year or two. Some crazy goals kicked by both sides, and a good result to compliment the fine beers we were drinking
 
Yes, I barracked for the Crows over the last 4 years until this year when I am back with the Bombers due to family reasons.

The Crows are looking less dour and thier coach appears to be changing the way the play. Some great marks, great goals on both sides. Both sides very clean with the ball.

I like Neil Craig and feel sorry for him that the didn't get a premiership a few years ago when they had the chance.
 
Knobby22 said:
I went to the game and thought both sides played well.

At the end Essendon were too tired to win which is probably because they were smaller and younger.
Nagle is out of form and was puffing.

Generally, it was a good game.
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Yes "game hardness" is really missing in the Bombers play. It was especially evident in the Geelong game and exploited again by the Crows. Not that they didn't try, they were getting to the Crows players but many tackles that the Bombers laid were missing "crunch". Crows were able to either break free or get arms loose for the offload.

Yes Neagle has a very poor general fitness level. Sometimes he looks as if he needs a "you know what" placed strategically "you know where". Although if he turns out to be as good as another forward that often plays like that (Fev) the Bomber faithful will be happy.

Really is frustrating to see other teams "new look" forward lines firing and then look at our crossover tangle consisting of Lloyd, Lucas, Monfries and Neagle. Our midfield depth has greatly improved, and even our backline core when Fletcher and Lovatt-Murray come back is rapidly improving. But it is still the forward line that makes you hold your breath as to how they are going to play on the day.

Accuracy of both teams was exceptional. You often have one team kicking well but not both. When you take out the 2 rushed points, Essendon kicked 18 Goals 4 Behinds! Bombers next game against Melbourne - no easy gimme. Hopefully they will beat the Pies this afternoon and get their win out of the way.

Duckman
 
Just some background on Neagle.

He has had his last 3 pre seasons and seasons ruined by fractures to both ankles and is on a modified training program aimed it getting him to play a lot of games rather than training him hard and him breaking down again.

Not sure if many people really understand how important he is going to be when it comes to replacing Lloyd but with the continuous injury concerns to Gumbleton, if Neagle breaks down and can't ever fulfil his potential, we are in a lot of trouble with Lucas and Lloyd gone in the next year or 2.

The club believe he has an enormous amount of talent and could become a champion power forward but it is going to take a few years. He has already shown talent in small patches and in the coming years he could be an awesome spearhead.

One of the main reasons Adelaide won yesterday was because they took over at the centre clearances for 2 reasons.

1: Paddy was hitting the ball the way he was facing almost every time, he is still very raw and doesn't understand rucking yet, and Adelaide just roved the ball off his taps after quarter time.

2: When Paddy went off we were left to replace him Lucas or Hooker, who are both not ruckman at all.

This gave them first use of the ball and this is why they could score so easily.

Prismall played his first game for us and McVeigh and Riemers are both very underdone but in the coming weeks these guys will be ready to step up. Welsh should return in 2 or 3 weeks as well.

Hurley and Fletcher returning will be the biggest positive as that will then allow Hooker to be played as a back up ruckman off the bench or in the FP to give Paddy the rests that he needs.

We need to have an injury free month or more to get our players back and fit again and we can have a really good second half of the year and with a bit of luck sneak into the 8.

If we continue to have our players injured continuously it will be another year of games into our kids but a disappointing year ladder wise.
 

Hi realIty,

Some good points there.

Yes Neagle has been susceptible to injury (which Essendon draft picks haven't been!!!), but when it all comes down to it - the Bombers are playing guys that are not match fit.

As much as I find Mick Malthouse a cranky old prick most opf the time - I do find his take on the "injury toll" quite refreshing. If you are one of the 22, then you are fit to play and deemed to be in the best 22 that the club has to offer. Forget the injury list.

Yes, I know we need to "nurse" some of the younger players along. But as a supporter it doesn't make it any easier to watch a young bloke that has no conditioning get beaten to the ball, stop chasing, tackling half heartedly that is taking up a key position spot like Full Forward or Centre Half Forward. You can hide a midfielder or small forward on a flank or pocket but it is much harder to hide a KPP. My point is, when opposition players line up on Neagle they couldn't "give a rats @#$%" whether or not he's had a full pre-season under his belt. If he's out on the park - bloody play football like you mean it!!

Your comment about how important Neagle is going to be is not lost on me. Who have we got? We have LLoyd that plays 1 great game in five, we have Gumbleton who is possibly the greatest player to have only played 4 games of AFL in history, we have Lucas who has been a wonderful workhorse over his career but time is moving on....... AND we have Neagle - who picked up 3 kicks on the weekend.

You also made a comment that their midfield started roving Ryder and when Lucas/Hooker went into the ruck their midfield got on top. I would have thought that when Lucas went into the ruck, every Essendon midfielder should have been roving to Adelaide. Our players cannot honestly say they thought Lucas was going to win quality ball in the ruck contest? Rove the opponent.

I agree - Fletcher and Lovett-Murray coming back will be good. McVeigh needs to step up to pre-injury form. I hope we sneak into the 8 but it will be hard - and if we do you can bet that the forward line has been working much more effectively in the second half of the year than the first half.

Duckman
 
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