I can't remember a side ever finding it so easy to clear the ball from centre bounces as the Bombers did tonight.

So much space, so little pressure.

Is it the players or the bloke who's coaching them?

Ultimately sacking Brian Royal will make little difference to the big picture, but [censored] me it would be a start. I have never seen a worse midfield group in my entire life. Essendon just walked it out of the centre all night long.

This guy could dodge raindrops.

I'm really amazed at his ability to keep his job.

Neeld just looked at him tonight and asked for answers.

We have been crap in this area for so long .

Royal has been there too long .

I can't remember a side ever finding it so easy to clear the ball from centre bounces as the Bombers did tonight.

So much space, so little pressure.

Is it the players or the bloke who's coaching them?

Has been there to long with little results, time to move on.

Just keep blaming royal. Its clearly all his fault. Its a group effort to get us to this point, not a line coach for gods sakes.

He is the coach of the midfield - out midfield failed at any point in the match to even apply pressure to the opposition in the centre square let alone win a clearance themselves. It was utterly disgusting the way Essendon were able to clear the ball under no pressure whatsoever again and again and again and again and again....

He is the coach of the midfield - out midfield failed at any point in the match to even apply pressure to the opposition in the centre square let alone win a clearance themselves. It was utterly disgusting the way Essendon were able to clear the ball under no pressure whatsoever again and again and again and again and again....

And it happens week after week....

I cannot remember the last time we had a proper clearance from a centre bounce.

Other teams seem to do it but we seem to be tackled the instant we take possession.

And it happens week after week....

I cannot remember the last time we had a proper clearance from a centre bounce.

Other teams seem to do it but we seem to be tackled the instant we take possession.

Jack Viney, last week. But I take your point and agree with it wholeheartedly.

This guy could dodge raindrops.

I'm really amazed at his ability to keep his job.

Neeld just looked at him tonight and asked for answers.

We have been crap in this area for so long .

Royal has been there too long .

The answer lies WITH Neeld. He has to take responsibility for the worst part of our game atm (if there is possibly a worst part) and that's the mid field set up/structure/plan and the rucking dept. We suck at both and this is where the game starts and ends.

Neeld needs to show some leadership here, takeover the running of the mid field (bye bye Brian) as a start where he supposedly did well with a premiership club in Collingwood. The best defence in the land couldn't stop the leeks from this dyke in terms of clearances from the middle and general stoppages tonight. I think they had something like 50 more i50s!

His selections pre match our questionable too. I said to my son before the ball was bounced tonight that we were at least a ruckman/tall short versus the Bummers. Trengove under done. Better to leave Rodan in who should never have been dropped. Showed something last week in the first half prior to things getting out of hand and also in the short time he was on this evening. Still not enough but better than most we offered through the mid tonight, Jones boy excluded.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Rusty Nails

Jamar has lost it. I can't see him ever getting back to his AA form let alone to a standard that is competitive against the rest of the leagues rucks.

Royal has got issues right there.

What hope do you have when you've got Jamar in there tapping the ball to no one when he does get it and our guys refusing to stand anywhere near Heppell or the reigning Brownlow medallist? If I were in charge I'd drop Jamar and put Clark as first ruck next week I'd also move Grimes back to HBF and put Sylvia in the middle and tell him if he can't play there he'll be playing out his days with Melbourne at Casey. That's just for starters. Having a starting midfield of Clark, Jones, Sylvia & Viney has to give us some chance of at least breaking even.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Dr. Gonzo

I think they had something like 50 more i50s!

Apparently it was the most i50's a club has ever had (or so said the bloke sitting behind me, who heard it on radio).

I can't remember a side ever finding it so easy to clear the ball from centre bounces as the Bombers did tonight.

So much space, so little pressure.

Is it the players or the bloke who's coaching them?

For a start we have the worst midfield in the AFL. We could have drafted more mids over the last few years but instead chose talls who were no good.

78 inside 50s to 28.

I thought our midfield was third world - I think that's being kind.

I think Neeld and co just need to let them play. There is NO flair NO instinct NO passion. Players just mope around the field trying to remember where they're supposed to be if the opposition has the ball in a certain spot, by the time they remember the ball has already been kicked forward of that position.

Let them off the hook. Set your non-negotiables but set it as a team. Let the players know what you expect but let them play with their natural flair and attack. Playing purely defensively has not only killed our offence, it's also killed our defence because they play one step behind.

Let the boys play!

In his press conference, Neeldy basically ran roughshod over our midfield and said that Nathan Jones and Jack Viney are the only remotely AFL level mids we've got. So at least he's aware of the problem. Maybe he can get around to fixing it before this club goes down the toilet.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Chook

Ultimately sacking Brian Royal will make little difference to the big picture, but [censored] me it would be a start. I have never seen a worse midfield group in my entire life. Essendon just walked it out of the centre all night long.

I wanna know who the feck was on Heppell all night. Even when he went into the square at centre bounces, he seemed free.

Whole-heartedly agree though. Royal is hopeless. Though I thought Jamar's ruck work was again insipid, as it has been since his All Australian year. This may form a significant part of the midfield make up and their ability to get hands on the ball. Jamar barely gets off the ground and taps straight at his feet. Further, the opposition can read him easily (as they did tonight) and he offers very little around the ground. Bellchambers and Ryder managed to go forward and kick goals. No sign of that from Jamar - even though Neeld shifted him into the forward half later on. Unfortunately, Jamar seems to be our only option, or at least the only back up plan out of defence too. For a guy that's not a great mark, that spells danger for us.

Another thing I noticed about our midfield in the first half was the peculiar role N Jones seemed to be playing. He was trying to zone off his man and play in between the lines during Essendon forward thrusts. In turn, this meant that some of the time he was playing a role unnatural to him, which probably resulted in retarding his natural ability to win inside ball. Our first three centre clearances were instigated, and in two cases, directly executed by Viney. Jones got amongst it as the game wore on, but to little profit. Someone on Demonland mentioned the other day that Neeld had perhaps stifled Frawley's ability to play his natural game. I just wonder if he or Royal are doing this again. Jones certainly needs to continue learning, but I thought last year Jones showed definitive improvement under Neeld and perhaps it's too early, but he seems to be largely ineffectual this year.

Finally, another player who seems lost, seemingly bereft of instruct is young Toumpas, who I think under a clearly defined game plan and refined by experience, has the potential to become an important cog in the midfield machine. It is however worrying that in his first two games and particularly his second, he seemed unsure who to mark for large portions of the game. In fact, it was almost as if he appeared torn between zoning space and picking up an opponent.

I don't rate Royal as a coach, but it's also difficult to tell whether Neeld's game plan is also convoluting issues here too.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by AdamFarr

Apparently it was the most i50's a club has ever had (or so said the bloke sitting behind me, who heard it on radio).

Damning stat. I heard that too from some whacker behind me.

78 inside 50s to 28.

I thought our midfield was third world - I think that's being kind.

I think Neeld and co just need to let them play. There is NO flair NO instinct NO passion. Players just mope around the field trying to remember where they're supposed to be if the opposition has the ball in a certain spot, by the time they remember the ball has already been kicked forward of that position.

Let them off the hook. Set your non-negotiables but set it as a team. Let the players know what you expect but let them play with their natural flair and attack. Playing purely defensively has not only killed our offence, it's also killed our defence because they play one step behind.

Let the boys play!

Well said. I agree.

For a start we have the worst midfield in the AFL. We could have drafted more mids over the last few years but instead chose talls who were no good.

Agree there have been plenty of premiership sides & contenders with mediocre forwards but gun midfields.

Wasn't Neeld midfield coach at Collingwood?

I can't remember, but if so.. Then between the lot of them, what are they doing?

78 inside 50s to 28.

I thought our midfield was third world - I think that's being kind.

I think Neeld and co just need to let them play. There is NO flair NO instinct NO passion. Players just mope around the field trying to remember where they're supposed to be if the opposition has the ball in a certain spot, by the time they remember the ball has already been kicked forward of that position.

Let them off the hook. Set your non-negotiables but set it as a team. Let the players know what you expect but let them play with their natural flair and attack. Playing purely defensively has not only killed our offence, it's also killed our defence because they play one step behind.

Let the boys play!

I think you'll get your wish. Neeld said himself he has no idea what went wrong last week. So with this result he'll have to just step aside and let the players work it out for themselves.

Either that or he steps aside and lets someone else coach them such as Craig. I even think Leigh Brown might be a better option. At least he'd probably bring an attacking flair and mindset! Neeld moves into the mid field role. Royal out. Dawes coaches the forward line as player/line coach lol.

Royal is useless and has never produced a decent line in any team.

Neeld was COllingwoods mid coach so he should know about mids.

Get Jnr back at the club as midfield coach - mend old wounds and he is an awesome bloke.

the most inside 50's ANY team has had.
That is unacceptable.
Royal has to go. HAS to. The back line can't help if the midfield lets the ball in ALL the time.
He is responsible for it. It's him or Neeld. Someone HAS to go. Surely there is a fresh out of the modern game midfield player
who wants to impress who can come straight in and inspire / lead this midfield group to improve.

If your first ruck cannot get his hand on it and hit it to some sort of advantage, then a poor midfield will always look terrible. We've persisted with Jamar far too long. His best assets were his ability to jump and his body strength. Last night he was pushed around like a toy. C'mon Gawn, Spence or Fitzy. Time to rise.