Live: R4 V Bombers @SCG Thursday 8/4/2021

[jono2707]

If Rowbottom's fit he'll be back in. A bit worrisome re his knee but hopefully he's good for the next game.

Bell looked a bit off the pace and whilst honest, he's more a depth player. I'd rather see Stephens as the sub (if not on the bench). Hayward is the other option as a marking target up forward, or perhaps move Blakey higher up the field as the Heeney replacement (and give him a bit of a kick up the bum to cut the cute stuff).

[SwanSand]

Watched the replay of the game without watching the game live and not feeling the ups and downs I was able to see a few things that struck me.
This was a significant victory in the context of number of things - we did not have the same running capacity as previous weeks, Essendon brought heat and they were very organised in defence, We had to struggle from being 20 points down, goals were not easy to come and our original plan of kick mark did not play a part. I was really pleased to see the replay as it was one of the scrappy wins that teaches our young players a lot more than the easy games.
We were a bit slow to react in the midfield that gave extra meters to their players.
Their defence played a lot of close attention to Papley and probably held him in contests.
Cale Hooker got the better of Tom McCartin at times.

Players -
I thought Errol Gulden has a very high football IQ besides being hard at it player and gut runner.
Nick Blakey just seems to want to kick the ball all the time and does not do handballs much and gets caught up. He was given an absolute lesson of how to play tall on the wing by Nik Cox in the first 2 quarters. He has to learn the craft of being in the moment rather than thinking about the next step. He has the potential to be much better.
James Bell ran around trying to chase Nick Hind in the third quarter, who he was never going to catch. But unsure what he brings to the table. Would rather have Stephens/Rowbottom or even Will Hayward in the team.
Sam Reid, Luke Parker, Oli Florent, Warner were fantastic.
Nik Cox from Essendon - will win a rising star this year. He is an absolute freak. At 200 cm he was doing it all, He was running on the wing at the start and was outmarking and being the link up man just like Tom Lynch from Adelaide. He was bobbing up in defence and offence, kicked goals, Rucked, got ground balls. He just seems to be another 18 year old with very high football IQ. I was hoping that Blakey will run with him and probably not allow him so much time and space but Nik actually would have taught a few lessons to Blakey yesterday.

[0918330512]

You are the one obsessed with RB. What does he have to do with this

I dont see the point in bringing Bell on for a half. Wtf were people expecting ? Give him a full game and see how he goes

I won’t get into the RB/NOB debate but I 100% agree with you about Bell. He should be given a full game ... in the reserves. He reminds me of Dean Rioli & Derek Kickett, letting his physique go a bit & relying on his natural talent ... except Bell doesn’t have it. He looked slow and couldn’t keep up. Even coming on fresh he couldn’t keep up I’m afraid

[Auntie.Gerald]

There has always been a lot of supporters on this site that really dont like the Bombers.

I felt last night both teams showed a "refuse to lose" attitude.

The Bombers deserved just as much as we did to win last night.

Could have gone either way and thank goodness on a night where our kicking didnt apply nearly enough pressure we still won.

great grinding win by the bloods and for me a big difference in the last 2 qtrs was Reidy stepping up and shutting down the long kick into packs. One of his better games.

[KTigers]

I am just listening to sports radio in Melbourne and all of t he Bombers supporters are calling in to say they were robbed by the umpires last night!

They still haven't gotten over the '96 Prelim.

[stevoswan]

I am just listening to sports radio in Melbourne and all of t he Bombers supporters are calling in to say they were robbed by the umpires last night!

In a 3 pt game with a free kick count of 29-16 they believe they have a point.....and they may have but I don't give a rats, considering the number of close games we've been umpired out of over the years.

[stevoswan]

I rest my case on Blakey. How many of these types of efforts from him do we have to see before we give someone else a try ?? Get Stephens in !

Next weeks changes Heeney (inj), Blakey out
Stephens, Bell in

I agree with Stephens in but seriously, if you can't see from last nights game that Bell is just not up to AFL standard.....while deriding RB, you have a problem.

[Swanny40519]

In a 3 pt game with a free kick count of 29-16 they believe they have a point.....and they may have but I don't give a rats, considering the number of close games we've been umpired out of.

Agree. I was driving home from the game listening to SEN and 99% of the callers were Bombers who sounded like they had all drank a few bottles and all they could talk about was "we wuz robbed". No mention that we hit the post a couple of times, kicked all those points which should have been another 5-6 goals, and the umps missed at least 3 blaring free kicks in our F50 that should have been paid.

As the story goes "tough titties"

[Meg]

In a 3 pt game with a free kick count of 29-16 they believe they have a point.....and they may have but I don't give a rats, considering the number of close games we've been umpired out of.

And if those stats had been the other way around, and we had lost by 3 points, I know what a LOT of comments on RWO would be about.

Calmer heads might say the free kick count very very rarely is the reason for a win/loss. (Even the 2016 GF, we could and should have won but for other reasons despite the free kick adjudication.)

[stevoswan]

And if those stats had been the other way around, and we had lost by 3 points, I know what a LOT of comments on RWO would be about.

Calmer heads might say the free kick count very very rarely is the reason for a win/loss. (Even the 2016 GF, we could and should have won but for other reasons despite the free kick adjudication.)

Sorry, I will never agree with that last bit. Never.

[The Big Cat]

There were two shocking umpiring decisions and they both involved a missed free to the swans. The Dawson trip and the high tackle on Gulden where Errol was sighted this morning at the SCG still looking for his head. On Fox after the game Gerard Healy and Leigh Montania both said there was NO FREE against Hickey as under new rules, his prior opportunity begins ONCE he takes possession. (He was immediately tackled)

[Ruck'n'Roll]

The crowd didn't look that good, seemed to be a lot of aqua seats visible on tv.

What was it like at the ground - I can't trust me ears because of the marketing department and tv screws perceptions anyway

[TheBloods]

I agree with Stephens in but seriously, if you can't see from last nights game that Bell is just not up to AFL standard.....while deriding RB, you have a problem.

Didnt think Bell was great. Looked off the pace of the game but came on half way as a sub in difficult conditions. Give him a go.

[neilfws]

Calmer heads might say the free kick count very very rarely is the reason for a win/loss. (Even the 2016 GF, we could and should have won but for other reasons despite the free kick adjudication.)

Yes, I'm always pointing out that there is no statistical relationship between free kick differential and game outcome. Nor any reason to expect teams to win an equal amount of free kicks. Strangely, the average rabid fan finds this very hard to accept

Most negative differential (for - against) in 3 of the last 4 seasons? Tigers. Doesn't seem to have done them too much harm.

[crackedactor 01]

[/B]

Sorry, I will never agree with that last bit. Never.

Ditto. I will also never agree with the last bit. Would we won? Maybe or Maybe not, but a fair go would have been interesting outcome.