Essendon Gameday Thread

[liz]

I didn't think there were any stand-out bad players (well, other than Ablett, who seemed to contribute next to nothing). The main issue was that we really didn't have any good players either. The whole team's energy just seemed to be a few notches down on last week.

LRT was possibly our best. Barlow did some nice stuff and is increasingly looking more comfortable in senior company. (But will someone please get him a new pair of shorts, preferably one that fits. Surely there must be an old pair of Capper's lying around somewhere?)

Smith contributed decently given his experience and while Vez struggled to find much of it, the few possessions he had were telling. Bird was OK - just our expectations have gone up a notch after last week. Also thought Jack was very busy. In other games, his 3 rushed snaps would have been 3 goals, rather than 3 behinds, and he'd have been close to being the hero.

As someone else mentioned, Goodes looked like he might rip the game apart at times but frustrated with so many "nearly" moments.

[connolly]

As bad as it comes. There was no strucure going into the game and you would think after Hall getting the lemonade, it would be the first thing a coaching panel would try to work on.

Clearly they made a monumental error by leaving White out completely turning the side upside down by not creating a structure. I cannot believe how bad Crouch, Ablett and Malceski were. You can forgive Pyke but if ever there was wake up call for the coaches this was it. However, after the 2's report Buchy is bound to get a recall.

I cannot believe how bad our forward line pressure was. They just took it away with ease. We didn't run to space and just did the lazy stuff and sat off their man. In the last Q Lucas picked up the ball and was tackled and Crouch should have wrapped him up but just stopped and let him handball over his head.

Complete lack of accountability by many.
Barlow does some good things but is riddled with poor decisions and slow thinking.
Goodes, Bevan, Jack, ROK and Jolly were good but not many more. Craig Bolton for the first time ever looked disspirited.

The perseverance with Crouch is a disgrace on many levels. In the second quarter two turnovers - dropped handpass, smothered handpass and then the trade mark mongrel punt to the opponent and an atrocious set shot for goal when it mattered. He is slow, uncommitted at the pack and gives us nothing for the future. For Christ sake surely Thornton or one of the O's should have played! Hopefully we have seen Crouch's last game and the next time we see him on the field will be in the back of a ute. We were beaten for pace in the midfield again after the dropping of Brabazon. Jack did well against their midfield because of his pace. We simply need three fast mids around Kirk and ROK just to keep up.

[Donners]

Well Jessie White kicked 11 in the reggies. So they are obviously looking to see him as a tall forward in the Koschitscke mode.

JF

Roos said on SEN that he saw him as a key position player who pinch-hits in the ruck.

[Jeffers1984]

Roos said on SEN that he saw him as a key position player who pinch-hits in the ruck.

*shakes head* KPP only Roosy. Let him settle at FF. Let him concentrate on 1 position

[stellation]

I thought that Pyke rucked quite well today, some beautiful clear wins.

I like Nick Smith a lot.

I got a really nice canolli from the markets at Fox, it helped make up for the poor kway teow I had from one of the stalls.

[ugg]

Summary of Roos's Press Conference

• Disappointing given the stakes. Didnt' come with the usual sort of intensity against a team which was young and fit and uses the ball well.
• Worst performance of the last 4-5 weeks, given it was at home. Whether it was the 6 vs 8 day break not sure. Looked off the pace today which haven't over the last month of footy, which was disappointing.
• Better players struggled, they looked like they were tired today. Tried hard, but looked tired.
• On Jesse White - He probably would have played today, but he had the flu on Wednesday. Trained a bit but looked ordinary at training. It wasn't a form thing. Played well in the reserves in spite of this.
• Loved Grundy's game, only moved him to try and spark something. Also thought Jack was good after being moved off Lovett and got a lot of the ball.
• Leo a month away from playing any football at all.(which is weird because Leo himself said he would be back in the reserves next week on the Triple M broadcast)
• McVeigh felt his hammy tight during the warmup. Didn't want to risk it. Should be okay for next week.

[10Totti10]

Why did it mean this?

There were other options. IMHO this was a shocker of a choice.

I meant that because LRT and Richards were playing up forward, there defensive pressure was missed down back (especially against Lucas). Also Richards was awful up forward (awful anywhere).

[rojo]

AFL.com Swans best players list included - Ed Barlow.
All you EB knockers out there please take note.

[Big Al]

Craig Bolton for the first time ever looked disspirited.

With the ball coming in so quickly with very little resistance from up the field I wouldn't be just dispirited I'd be bloody pissed off.

[ScottH]

I thought that Pyke rucked quite well today, some beautiful clear wins.

Yep, except some of them went straight to the bombers.

[liz]

[*] Better players struggled, they looked like they were tired today. Tried hard, but looked tired.

Think that hits the nail on the head. Too much has been carried by too few while we've been playing well. Others have said ROK was good - he wasn't bad but he was nowhere near as good as he's been for the last month. Kirk looked down. Jolly didn't seem to spend as much time on the ground as normal and looked tired. Goodes was up and down. Jude was quieter than his best games. Macca wasn't there.

The younger players are all making decent contributions but none of them is really physically able to step up when our core of half a dozen "stars" is down a bit.

[ShockOfHair]

Summary of Roos's Press Conference

• Disappointing given the stakes. Didnt' come with the usual sort of intensity against a team which was young and fit and uses the ball well.
  
• Worst performance of the last 4-5 weeks, given it was at home. Whether it was the 6 vs 8 day break not sure. Looked off the pace today which haven't over the last month of footy, which was disappointing.
  
• Loved Grundy's game, only moved him to try and spark something. Also thought Jack was good after being moved off Lovett and got a lot of the ball.
  

Agree with those. I reckon I've seen worse performances but never so flat and uninspired. Why?

Even on the tiny SCG we gave Essendon, whose game is based on their run, enormous room. We were lucky not to be flogged by ten goals.

Positives:
- Apart from Grundy, Barlow did a few smart things. He seems a lot more comfortable at this level. Would he have got there earlier if he hadn't been dropped? Jack got his hands on the ball and so did Shaw although the Bombers did their best to close him down.

- The old guard MOL, Goodes, Kirk and ROK kept us in it. Great goal by Goodes on the run, but thought at times he was trying too hard.

- I've already made other arrangements for September.

[Primmy]

Behind him, Lewie and Fletcher looked almost the same size and shape, that's probably why he was positioned for much of the game as a forward. He sparked when back where3 he belonged, and took a few saving marks. But....well, who else was there. I am going to kill a bottle of wine and possibly eat TWO bags of chips. It looks like we are going to have to rebuild and that is from the ground up. New phase of the Swannies life.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Roos said on SEN that he saw him as a key position player who pinch-hits in the ruck.

Well that is rather crap isn't it? We see a guy kick 20 goals in the reggies at FF & Roos STILL can't see his worth as a tall forward.

Is Roos delusional?

JF

[573v30]

If there's any positive, the Swans performed better than Failmantle...