At the end of the day, you can win if you "want" to win.

Whelan was a beauty. Neitz was good but he was a lead and mark full forward, he simply didn't have the opportunities to make a statement. James McDonald was the classic unassuming tough as old boots guy. But for everyone like him there were plenty of Yze's, Green's, Bruce's etc.

Dermie asked the Hawks defenders who they feared the most (this was a few years ago now) their answer was simple.....Neitz. He loved to crash a pack.

The last player to do the 'line in the sand' trick was Fidge, against the Pies.....he whacked Millane, who was concussed and the Dees won.

IIRC, circa 1986? 1987?

Wilson, BOG.

Line in the Sand?
It's light years away from where we are now.
Last week against the Giants, those pre-pubescents masquerading as footballers were bumping our blokes and niggling and not one of our senior blokes came into remonstrate.
I saw a bit of mongrel in the preseason when Spencil nearly blew an O-ring after Smedts collected Jimmy Toumpas.

After the Hawks massacre at Casey, it seemed that we went back into our shells.

Before line in the sand, how about some basics of footy in that you don't hang your mates out to dry?

Best way to answer Carlton is to actually show some hardness at the ball. Carlton have never sniped us or played dirty. They have just wanted the pill more.
As for the original line in the sand...

What is forgotten is that that was the LAST time that Essendon (and especially those a-hole Johnson boys) got to strut around sniping and scragging players. Before that match, Derm was right and while it did take their mind off the task at hand in that game, it insured that Essendon would not pull any funny stuff the next time they met. The following encounter was won by Essendon by a lousy three and then Hawthorn started their own little era of dominance over Essendon. This was after Essendon had won something like 9 of the previous 10 against the Hawks by an average margin of 8 goals.

After that game, no one was scared to throw their weight around against Essendon (see 2004 Elimination Final and Whelan's bump on Hird).

Edited April 10, 201411 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

I hate Carlton. I won't eat in Lygon St.

Ah I still remember Big Carls last game for us, there is a man who drew quite a few lines in the sand on that day. Sadly that was another era, last week the GWS kindergarten squad came out and pushed us around and ran all over us. This week we face Carlton at probably their worst perhaps since the Kruizer cup will come out swinging how our guys respond is going to give Roos and supporters the best view of their future with the melbourne football club.

Ah I still remember Big Carls last game for us, there is a man who drew quite a few lines in the sand on that day. Sadly that was another era, last week the GWS kindergarten squad came out and pushed us around and ran all over us. This week we face Carlton at probably their worst perhaps since the Kruizer cup will come out swinging how our guys respond is going to give Roos and supporters the best view of their future with the melbourne football club.

Those that do not stand up this saturday may not play again. At least we know Roosy is true to his word. Trengove should have been dropped 2 years ago....

Some perspective on this game from an Essendon supporting mate of mine:

"Oh yeah, and that game in 2004 when Hawthorn was captained by a girl...I forget her name....blonde woman....Gloria VanDerBelt or something like that....when half their team was suspended because they started a fight when they were two goals behind in the 3rd term, drew a "line in the sand" and then proceeded to lose by about 85pts with Lloydy kicking ten match-winning goals on that guy who the Hawks gave up pick 6 to get....what was his name....oh yeah, Essendon reject Danny Jacobs."

I feel like we've been waiting for a line in the sand game for about four or five years. It never comes. We just limply front up and get our arses handed to us. I agree - it would be great to see a few flying the flag.

Two men enter, one man leaves; Thunder dome!

I sadly do not believe we can win, but I would love to see them actually trying, contesting, shepherding, tackling hard and going hard at the ball and the man with the ball, essentially allowing no easy kicks or marks. basic stuff that they obviously have not being doing, oh and as this is a wish list, I wish they could kick the damn ball forward quickly to one of our own

Some perspective on this game from an Essendon supporting mate of mine:

"Oh yeah, and that game in 2004 when Hawthorn was captained by a girl...I forget her name....blonde woman....Gloria VanDerBelt or something like that....when half their team was suspended because they started a fight when they were two goals behind in the 3rd term, drew a "line in the sand" and then proceeded to lose by about 85pts with Lloydy kicking ten match-winning goals on that guy who the Hawks gave up pick 6 to get....what was his name....oh yeah, Essendon reject Danny Jacobs."

It is pretty funny that 8 playing minutes after "drawing the line in the sand" Hawthorn went from being 26 points down to being 66 points down.

Also going on to lose their next 7 and 9 of their next 11 games.

Only won 14 games in the next two seasons, as well.

I'd be happy if our line in the sand statement involved 120 minutes of hard two-way running.

I think it will be hard to draw a line in the rain

I will worship forever the Melbourne player who puts that bonehead Robinson on his rrrrrse

I think it will be hard to draw a line in the rain

Dermutt could probably organise one in a hailstorm .

not good for the heart though.

Edited April 10, 201411 yr by Biffen

Up until now the only thing we have placed into the sand is a juicy big turd. Hopefully it's time to clean out the litter box and move on

I will worship forever the Melbourne player who puts that bonehead Robinson on his rrrrrse

He would love it, I used to play against him.

I DO want to see a "line in the sand" match as well but to me line in the sand doesn't mean all in brawls and king hits behind play. Go hard for the ball, make the opposition know you are there and they will get crunched everytime they want to take the footy. Run through players legally at every opportunity and make your tackles stick and hurt by driving them into the ground. Use your bodies, back up your teammates and never take a backwards step - if it comes to a scuffle or blows because the other team gets upset then get in there and let them know about it but otherwise just play hard tough footy. That's what I want to see.

the top teams do this every match... Not on emotion or some 'line in the sand' match.... they just do it, because they are professional footballers... Farout! are our players professionals or not! Its [censored]! what we are putting up with week in week out!! 'Line in the sand' pfft what a load of [censored]!!

My said he say a Roos interview last week(not sure where). He spoke about in recent years the team had been mentally beat before they even run out against certain teams. He wanted players to think that every game could should be seen as a potential win(as hard as that is at times).

I think in a similar way when players lift for a milestone game of a club favourite, it's crap. We need to go out and play hard, accountable footy every week. When we tackle we smash them into the ground, not this crap that Watts serves up. Everyone has to understand what is expected, if not your find yourself out if the side. Surely as has been discussed on here there must be a couple close to joining Trengove.

Edited April 10, 201411 yr by Al's Demons

We need to be more savvy with moon phases and tides. Our regular drawing "the line in the sand" gets washed away too easily.

the top teams do this every match... Not on emotion or some 'line in the sand' match.... they just do it, because they are professional footballers... Farout! are our players professionals or not! Its [censored]! what we are putting up with week in week out!! 'Line in the sand' pfft what a load of [censored]!!

I agree 100% which is why I hope they do it as a "line in the sand" and say "from this day forward, this is the standard. Nothing less is tolerated." I live in hope that one day I'll see this of a Melbourne side.

He would love it, I used to play against him.

Dude what the [censored] is with that avatar? I've been trying to wipe that nightmare from my brain for almost 3 years.

I don't think there's an AFL supporter who could forget the line in the sand match between the Hawks and the Bombers in 04. I remember Dermie being asked about it on Open Mike - he said Essendon had been walking all over Hawthorn for the better part of a few years and that day they collectively decided that enough was enough.

After reading Nath Jones' thoughts on the "bruise-free" remarks made by Carlton players a few years ago, for some reason I recalled the line in the sand fights. I'm a pacifist at the best of times, but I know most of us love watching an all in scuffle on the field. Wouldn't it be great if our boys decided enough was enough this week? Who better is there to prove a point to? We can cop the fines and suspensions. We've been playing undermanned for years so what difference would another few weeks make? Hawthorn went on to build a pretty damn good team from there and won a flag four years later.

I just want to see some passion!

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-04-10/demon-bruises-still-hurt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLiR4faNtAI

if theres a game to FLY the flag & have a tilt at them this is it.

Some perspective on this game from an Essendon supporting mate of mine:

"Oh yeah, and that game in 2004 when Hawthorn was captained by a girl...I forget her name....blonde woman....Gloria VanDerBelt or something like that....when half their team was suspended because they started a fight when they were two goals behind in the 3rd term, drew a "line in the sand" and then proceeded to lose by about 85pts with Lloydy kicking ten match-winning goals on that guy who the Hawks gave up pick 6 to get....what was his name....oh yeah, Essendon reject Danny Jacobs."

the line is the sand did work.

not on that day, but the words stung deep & long... & they learnt what it is to play for the Hawks.

they have come along way since that day but that fighting quality has remained & Dermie is the epitome of that fighting quality.