Swans V Bombers

[hird_god]

Bombers fan here, wondering about this sat, do u have anyone returning from injury or expected to be dropped from the side that played the dees?
On the bombers, Cupido, Jason and Mark Johnson, Mark McVeigh, Henneman and Bullen are all fit again but not all will come back. Richards, Lovett-Murray and Stanton will be in line for the chop in that order, Mercuri and Misiti would be the others although they should be safe for at least another week. Rioli is also a chance to miss with injury. Jobe Watson is also a chance after coming close to BOG in the VFL.
Possible Essendon team:

B: Andrew Welsh Dustin Fletcher Sean Wellman
HB: Marc Bullen Scott Lucas Adam McPhee
C: Adam Ramanaskus Jason Johnson Ricky Dyson
HF: Dean Solomon Mark Bolton Justin Murphy
F: Damien Cupido Matthew Lloyd Mark Mercuri
R: David Hille Damien Peverill James Hird
IC: Matthew Allan, Joe Misiti, Mark Alvey, Aaron Henneman
IN: Henneman, JJ, Cupido, Marc Bullen
OUT: Richards, Stanton, Lovett-Murray (ommitted), Rioli (injured)

Key Matchups
Fletcher on Hall
Lucas?? on Goodes
McPhee on Davis
Welsh on Schneider

Who'll matchup on Lloyd and Cupido, and who'll get the job on Hird?
The game will be won and lost in the midfield, both sides have great forward lines with the likes of Lloyd, Lucas, Hird, Cupido and Mercuri for the bombers and Hall, Goodes and Davis for the swans. Bombers should have a slight edge in the ruck with both Allan and Hille in good form - could see Hille again taking on a role up forward. At the MCG with a home crowd, the bombers should be good enough to take the points... just, and providing we can shut down your run in the midfield.
Prediction: Bombers by 22
Bombers best: Hird, Lloyd, McPhee
Swans best: Goodes, Williams, Hall

[Schneidergirl]

I think we are only due for a Magic comeback (Michael O'L).
Not quite sure about match ups.
Agree that the game will be won in the midfield.
Goodes IMO hasn't been a goal kicker for us! If Magic comes back, we'll have a full strenght forward line.
Prediction: Swans by 100 points!

[chammond]

Agree that Hird, Lloyd, Goodes and Hall are the key matchups, but I can't see any obvious answers.

There's no way Lucas could match it with Goodes, and I'm not sure that Fletcher has the speed for Hall.

I've got no idea how we can counteract Lloyd and Hird.

And O'Loughlin could be the joker in the pack.

Should be an interesting game??

[hird_god]

Originally posted by chammond
Agree that Hird, Lloyd, Goodes and Hall are the key matchups, but I can't see any obvious answers.

There's no way Lucas could match it with Goodes, and I'm not sure that Fletcher has the speed for Hall.

I've got no idea how we can counteract Lloyd and Hird.

And O'Loughlin could be the joker in the pack.

Should be an interesting game??

I think you'll see:
Hird/Kirk
Hall/Fletcher
O'L/Wellman
Goodes/Bolton
Lloyd/?? don't know your key defenders

Fletcher is deceptivley quick over 15m, and with his long arms only needs to get close to be a chance to spoil, but if Hall gets decent delivery along with Lloyd, on the lead they are impossible to stop, therefore the midfield will be the key

[thommoone]

I think Lloyd will have James on him to start off and if that isn't working for us than we will move C. Bolton onto him

[Sanecow]

The game will be won and lost in the midfield,

Getting sick of this one! The game may well be won or lost in front of goals.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by Sanecow
Getting sick of this one! The game may well be won or lost in front of goals.

So your saying that whoever scores the most points will win? Ingenious!

[motorace_182]

Getting sick of this one! The game may well be won or lost in front of goals.

Well, we lost the midfield battle vs Demons and lost the game, their midfield won more ball, used it better and kicked more goals from their running players. Its pretty obvious that how the midfield stands up will decide the game, mainly J Hird.

[Doctor J.]

Bombers at the G. Real nervous about this. T

he last 3 times we've been there:

Barry Young (GRRRRRRR ) took a dive and Plugger did a groin. There goes the 96 flag.

Lloyd kicked 13, we cop a flogging.

Mercuri played a blinder in the mud, Kelly did his knee again and farewell to Plugger and the 99 season.

We don't have a great record in Melbourne against Essendon, and I am fearful of this trend continuing.

For us to win we need top games out of Goodes and Ball, Kirk needs to hold Hird. Williams, Maxfield and B1 need to get on top in the middle, ensuring Kennelly, Leo B2 and Benny starve Lloyd of opportunity. If none of this works, then I fear Heath James is in for a torrid time.

The big plusses for us is our forward line, and our rucks. Goodes and Ball (and perhaps Doyle) should be able to account for Hille and Allan. They should dominate and give our midfielders first use of the footy. If the midfield can get on top and deliver good footy to Hall, Magic, Davis, Schneider, then I think we can win.

Having said that, I have lived through more defeats at the hands of this mob than I care to remember so I can never comfortably pick us against them.

[Triple B]

Have faith DrJ.

Our record at bouncing back after disapointing losses is great.

I said it before, we are morals.

All the talk is 'How do we stop Hird and Lloyd'. They should be more worried about how they are gunna stop Goodes and our positively brilliant forward line.

It would be worth having a look at how many Brownlow votes Goodes has got at the MCG. He loves the place. Tore Hawthorn a new arsehole single-handedly a few years back. 5 goals in the U18 GF as well.

If Roos thinks last week was a comedy, he aint seen nothing if Goodes is picked up by their Bolton, as flagged by one of their peoples previews. I'm giggling at the keyboard thinking about it. What do you reckon Reggi?

See you on the weekend.

PS. Reggi and myself are thinking of doing the double header (StK v the Brians).

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by motorace_182
Well, we lost the midfield battle vs Demons and lost the game,

I don't know that "losing the midfield battle" cost us the game. Straighter kicking and better defense would have won the game just as much as winning more centre breaks. Two non-midfield factors that lost the game (if either of them were different by a couple of goals...):

Goodes: 0 goals 3 behinds
Nietz: 6 goals 2 behinds

If this week it says:

Goodes: 0 goals 3 behinds
Lloyd: 6 goals 2 behinds

then I doubt the midfield was our problem.

It's just that people like to say "won or lost in the midfield" as much as they like to say "law of averages"

Perhaps if we put Schneider in the ruck we would lose the game in the midfield but I don't believe we were rubbish in the middle last week.

[hird_god]

Originally posted by Sanecow
Goodes: 0 goals 3 behinds
Nietz: 6 goals 2 behinds

If this week it says:

Goodes: 0 goals 3 behinds
Lloyd: 6 goals 2 behinds

then I doubt the midfield was our problem.

accuracy of forwards depends a lot on delivery, good delivery on the lead out of the middle will result in easy set shots and greater accuracy. i'll admit i didn't watch all of your game on the w/end, but if Neitz has quick ball then he will kick goals, ditto for Lloyd and Hall, that is why the game will be won in the midfield.
**** clearances from the swans = poor and contested ball for Hall and therefore Fletch will be able to prevent goals. good clearances and the ball will be drilled to Hall on the lead and it is impossible to prevent the mark. ditto if you kick it into the pockets or along the flanks the set shots will be a lot harder than they could have been

[hird_god]

Originally posted by Doctor J.
Goodes and Ball (and perhaps Doyle) should be able to account for Hille and Allan. They should dominate and give our midfielders first use of the footy.

don't count on that, Hille and Allan are growing in stature each game, they're getting their hands on the ball - just our midfielders aren't reading Allan's taps, and thats coming along.
If the game was in sydney then i'd be extremely worried about our chances, but this is your first game at the G for the year, and we've played there twice in a row, so we should have a positive there. Plus we have Hird in arguably career best form.

[Schneidergirl]

Though obvious the game is won by how many goals are scored at each end; it's obvious again that if our midfield don't get their hands on the ball, it will never reach our 50.

Looking forward to a great game against a good side this weekend.

Also, NOT looking forward to getting angry/hysterical about how many free kicks Lloyd plays for. Thinking about it makes me angry.

[hird_god]

Originally posted by Schneidergirl

Looking forward to a great game against a good side this weekend.

ditto, also hoping to see our side continue to kick the ball longer like they have been starting to. pisses me off players with such accurate long kicks like Lucas, Rioli, McPhee and Fletcher ****ing around looking for the dinky short pass. (except when that pass is to Hird ) and with guys around the park who can take contested grabs, its obvious the long kick will create a lot more opportunity