Damn shame !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you got some real problems then

Fletcher missing against Melbourne is the least of our problems at the moment.

Melbourne should win this game. Essendon are lacking any sort of confidence or spirit after Saturday night. The Hawthorn loss was deflating. A game that we could have won. Often games like that when you can win but don't do more damage than coping a flogging in a game that you were never going to win.

Both teams forwardlines are struggling. Ryder vs Jamar should be interesting. Melbourne have the edge in the midfield and Melbournes backline looks more settled with Fletcher and Pears missing from Essendons line up.

But in the end, neither team will play finals, so the result is more about making a statement for both clubs rather than gaining the "all important" 4 points.

Fletcher missing against Melbourne is the least of our problems at the moment.

Melbourne should win this game. Essendon are lacking any sort of confidence or spirit after Saturday night. The Hawthorn loss was deflating. A game that we could have won. Often games like that when you can win but don't do more damage than coping a flogging in a game that you were never going to win.

Both teams forwardlines are struggling. Ryder vs Jamar should be interesting. Melbourne have the edge in the midfield and Melbournes backline looks more settled with Fletcher and Pears missing from Essendons line up.

But in the end, neither team will play finals, so the result is more about making a statement for both clubs rather than gaining the "all important" 4 points.

last things first..as it were. I think the Dees are really looking to get some points here and there and avoid an unexpected 3rd piece of cutlery.

As to the rest... I would agree neither forward line is lighting up theworld atm but we have a little more upside should Bailey get adventurous.With thepossible/probable ommiting of Slattery...and subsequent rejigging the Bomber defence is going to work harder,( though some ( Bombers ) might relish his absence..lol ).Pears missing wont help the cause either.Hurley could be Ok. Their forward line ought to on paper gain from the recalling of Neagle and had he not been coming up agaisnt one of the better defences going around then this indeed would prove advantageous to the windy Hill mob. Casey figured him out and so shall we. Gumby is just Gumby as is so up and down its hard to precisely define his threat.

If Ryder , Watson and McVeigh pull together its game on. If any have an off day ( again ) Ess will have a torid day. Both teams are a bit like 6 cyl engines running on 4. If we can keep banging it into the 50 ( somewhat uncharacteristically I concede ) then the visitors will go away empty handed. Dont see either side besting the other by any great amount, probably 2-3 goals and I think in our favour.

All we need to do is play with self belief and fierce pressure and the rest will take care of itself. If we can match it with the pies and dogs doing this then we will beat the bombres!!!!!

I like the heat Essendon is copping so far this week. History shows that clubs respond when they take a beating in the media after sub standard performances.

Should be an interesting game.

Agreed, I'm not too happy with the papers at the moment. They are turning this into a statement game for Essendon.

Good to see you on the board Ash !

Essendon are much weaker in the back-half with no Fletcher, Pears and Slattery, which is a good reason to bring in the attacking trio of Sylvia, Jurrah and Bail.

I'm hoping to see a rotating forward line of Jurrah, Bate, Dunn, Watts and Silvia all pushing up the ground and dropping back. Test out the match ups and isolate the mismatches inside forward 50.

In regards to Jurrah, he should have still being doing plenty of running during his rehab so i expect his aerobic fitness to be fine. If the medical team are happy with how his shoulder's pulled up then play him. He can learn more at AFL level than VFL and he only needs to get the ball a few times to have an impact.

Ofcourse, I'm slightly biased...I'm working in Yuendumu this week and I'd love to be here when he's named in the team!

With thepossible/probable ommiting of Slattery...and subsequent rejigging the Bomber defence is going to work harder,( though some ( Bombers ) might relish his absence..lol ).

I'm one of those Bombers that would prefer Slattery not in the team. I can't cop him. Poor decision maker, poor skills. Plays as a stopper but more times than not gets beaten by his opponent. But Knights loves him. Will probably miss with rib soreness.

But it does mean a "rejigging" of the back half for us. Tyson Slattery [no relation] looked ok Saturday night considering it was his first game. He's a lucky boy to be playing, should have been suspended, but I doubt the result of this match will hinge on his input. Possibly the inclusion of Neagle will mean Hurley goes to the backline. Hooker, T Slattery and Hurley to play key back, not the most intimidating backline you've ever seen. Maybe Dempsey will come in for Slattery, Houli for Quinn. Who knows with Knights. He seems to want to give everyone on our list a game at some stage. Doesn't make sense.

I'm one of those Bombers that would prefer Slattery not in the team. I can't cop him. Poor decision maker, poor skills. Plays as a stopper but more times than not gets beaten by his opponent. But Knights loves him. Will probably miss with rib soreness.

But it does mean a "rejigging" of the back half for us. Tyson Slattery [no relation] looked ok Saturday night considering it was his first game. He's a lucky boy to be playing, should have been suspended, but I doubt the result of this match will hinge on his input. Possibly the inclusion of Neagle will mean Hurley goes to the backline. Hooker, T Slattery and Hurley to play key back, not the most intimidating backline you've ever seen. Maybe Dempsey will come in for Slattery, Houli for Quinn. Who knows with Knights. He seems to want to give everyone on our list a game at some stage. Doesn't make sense.

Reading between the lines and observing murmurrings elsewhere there seems to be more than a hint of disquiet regarding Knights. Seems he's a bit change happy and the team isnt getting settled, which is quite the reverse re Bails as hes a little less prone to adhock changes and wants to build consistency. I would suspect that Hurley would be given watts but should Jurrah play then Knights has a problem ( good for us ) and this might just be the temptation that provides Bails with the impetus to indeed recall Liam.

I take it Slats' nose wasnt too bad then.

It will be an interesting game I reckon. Whichever team can get its act together will lead the other a merry chase. Ought to be a fairly free flowing affair. Might just come down to accuracy in front of sticks.

The more I ponder this game the more it seems to me that we ( the tream ) need to make a statement with this game. Not just scrape through with a win, but smash our own demons with an emphatic drubbing of the Bombers.

We need to raise the bar, raise the currency of these latter games. Weve got a few games left at the G ( 5 out of 8 ) with reason to think 4 are gettable, indeed even 5 if we get up good speed with some wins.

Essendon is ripe for the plucking imho. Often in the past it would be us that others would circle menacingly. Well I say , stuff that, reverse that scenario ..let us be the hunters.

Davey's due for a blinder, Green ought to really stamp his authority, Hi Ho Silvia ought to and should do take a few scalps on his way to a good bag. Watts ought to have the luxury of a less than first class defnce on his tail and use it to effect. Jurrah , if he plays ought to just be given carte blanche to just play his Jurrah -game , they ( Ess) will have no answer. Russian ought to give our mids first go and this is a game ( a freer flowing event I expect ) which should give the ScullGove machine a day out. If we can stamp our brand on the game in the first quarter I just dont think that Essendon currently have the peopel to stem the flow once it starts.

On a dry ground the likes of Bennel Jetta ought to be able to swoop on anything brought to ground. we need to throw numbers at every early contest and just pound away.

Rivs 200th wasnt much of one to remember...he has the chance to reddem. Its not just good enough to defend these days...you have to be creative and initiate attacks, not one of Jared's forte's but one he needs to develop.

The backline is prety good at stopping... they need to really gel as a team and start the drive. Bate needs show his maturity now and string games together...here ya go Matty...start again with this one.

Its all there for the taking...lets do it go Dees