Doesn't anyone remember the first NAB Challenge Cup match last year where the Demons played the Dons on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Visy Park. From memory we were beaten by over 50 points and guess what; we had no mid field, we were slaughtered down back, Jamar controlled the rucks, and we had one forward, Ricky Petterd. And we had most of our team in. Sound familiar? In the season proper, we returned the favour well and truly and Essendon looked very ordinary. I know what I would rather have.

Having said that though, the side DID look as though they were asleep on thursday night, more like the first hitout of the season. Maybe we should not all panick just yet.The worry though is the mid-field. In most games we play and lose the mid field goes missing. I am afraid we may well miss Cam Bruce and Junior more than we expect. In a lot of games last year, they provided strong leadership in the mid field. I thought that was sadly lacking on Thursday night

I predict the same will happen this year, except we better not be asleep come round one: the Swans looked the real deal against Collingwood, we mustn't just assume because the game is at the "G", that the result will be the same as last year.

Edited February 26, 201114 yr by DeesPower

Doesn't anyone remember the first NAB Challenge Cup match last year where the Demons played the Dons on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Visy Park. From memory we were beaten by over 50 points and guess what; we had no mid field, we were slaughtered down back, Jamar controlled the rucks, and we had one forward, Ricky Petterd. And we had most of our team in. Sound familiar? In the season proper, we returned the favour well and truly and Essendon looked very ordinary. I know what I would rather have.

Having said that though, the side DID look as though they were asleep on thursday night, more like the first hitout of the season. Maybe we should not all panick just yet.The worry though is the mid-field. In most games we play and lose the mid field goes missing. I am afraid we may well miss Cam Bruce and Junior more than we expect. In a lot of games last year, they provided strong leadership in the mid field. I thought that was sadly lacking on Thursday night

I predict the same will happen this year, except we better not be asleep come round one: the Swans looked the real deal against Collingwood, we mustn't just assume because the game is at the "G", that the result will be the same as last year.

hmmm it was a bit different this year. I have no doubt the club was deadset on winning that match

I don't think we will miss Bruce. I have rewatched most of our best performances from last year (including losses eg the Dogs, Pies) and by and large when we were purring it had very little to do with Bruce

I went to both games. It was a better performance at Visy in 2010 IMO.

I also went to both games, and I think the big difference this time was that I was expecting us to thrash them while last year I knew we were not looking great to win it.

I do agree with the OP though. We looked terrible last pre-season and after a couple of rounds it was looking a lot like 2009 and another wooden spoon. Then came the pies and the lions and away we went. I'm not going to make any hasty calls on this one.

Add Scully and McKenzie to thursday night's midfield, a fit Frawley into our backline and Petterd in the forward line and I'm extremely confident that we would have beaten the bombers. It's incredible how people are freaking out over one NAB match?

Praying that Frawley is back no later then Rd 5. He is key to our side. Very glad with an early bye in round 4...