Changes for Essendon

[Satyriconhome 10,880]

Well considering we won't be challenge for a top 4 for 5 years I don't see what's wrong with waiting a few years for an 18 year old to develope. Hawthorn identified this years ago and went out and specially recruited players who can kick, suckling and birchall are probly 2 of the best kicks in the comp. They traded for Guerra. Strauss is yet another player who has been under developed through the dark years.. I'll back our new coaching staff to develope an 18 year old the right way

....missed it by that much.....the point is elite kick at junior doesn't always translate as elite kick at senior level....you must be the only one on this board who thinks it is going to take another 4 or 5 years, we unfortunately had an off day with the kicking, other stuff worked and improved slightly, you can fix the kicking, we have some really good kicks, Salem and Toumpas could be the answer but not after 4 and 18 games respectively

[JV7 2,375]

....missed it by that much.....the point is elite kick at junior doesn't always translate as elite kick at senior level....you must be the only one on this board who thinks it is going to take another 4 or 5 years, we unfortunately had an off day with the kicking, other stuff worked and improved slightly, you can fix the kicking, we have some really good kicks, Salem and Toumpas could be the answer but not after 4 and 18 games respectively

I'd love to think we can do a Port Adelaide and turn things around within 2 years but I don't think that's going to happen. So you don't want to take an 18 year old and wait for him to develope but you'll wait on toumpas/Salem ? No difference. And I'm talking about our ball use out of defence, that's why I would like toumpas tried off half back. Yes there is always a risk in the draft of taking players who's strengths won't hold up to AFL but if you don't draft players because they MIGHT not make it then your kidding yourself. The club should back themselves to be able to develope them well enough once they draft them.

[DEE fence 5,054]

Late to this watching the game on delay, no one is immune to an attack of the yips, including us, however i am not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Roos wasn't panicking after the game, he saw the good work that had been put in, he knows he has a makeshift forward line, so could some of you muppets harden up, drop Dawes ??? Moronic lets reduce the forward pressure by taking our tackling monster out. Gawn is the weak link he marks and brings the ball to ground but not much chase and limited tackling, he is the one that needs more fitness and some kicking practice. Frost was great for the Magpies, doesn't mean you sack your best forward. BTW Pedersen took 12 ripping marks yesterday and played big boy football, i don't reckon he's going to lay another egg, but before you heap it on Dawes he was getting more attention than Cloke, not that Buckley knows anything about football.

Blease no way, Riley yes please, maybe Kent and sub whomever Roos reckons needs a spell.

And could the people heaping abuse on Grimes from last week please acknowledge his game from yesterday, he started off on fire.

[old dee 24,083]

I came away yesterday thinking that in that game the two worst players for the Dees were Gawn and Salem.

Salem is a first year kid, yesterday was probably the toughest game he has every been in.

Probably needs a rest.

Gawn I thought gave very little, Grundy beat Jamar and thought he fixed up Gawn in the last quarter as well.

Gawn gave very little around the ground, I would rather play Fitzpatrick we know he is capable of taking some marks in the forward half and converting.

I am probably biased but just don't see the talent that many others on here see.

Grundy by the way is a good one.

[P-man 13,367]

Did lol

[titan_uranus 25,255]

Salem back to Casey. We've all seen enough to know he's going to be fine, but right now he's not, and he needs some time back in the VFL.

I'm not sold on the height of our side but Essendon is very tall so we may need the extra tall.

Kent for Salem I reckon.

Those calling for Blease have more to work with now than they did a month ago, but it's not enough. Until we get 2-4 weeks of reports that don't speak to any level of defensive lapses, we won't see him.

Jumper numbers 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 18, 21, 23, 25, 31, 38, 40, 44, 45 and 46 are all firmly entrenched in the side at the moment - I'm disregarding any post that suggests leaving out any of those players unless there's strong justification (haven't seen any yet). Jumper 20 should also be in that group, but he's currently in such woeful form that I'm not sure and 39 is well on the way.

The only realistic candidates for omission for mine are Salem, JKH and Gawn for mine.

Can I play 'semantics' with you?

Terlich may be 'firmly entrenched' right now, but IMO I'd drop him if there was anyone to bring in for him. That is, he's only 'firmly entrenched' in my book because there isn't anyone else at Casey to play his role.

It was all 'bad Terlich' yesterday with no 'good Terlich'. Slowest decision-maker in AFL history, and usually ends up making a bad one too. Runs the wrong way (to the danger side of a contest rather than the open side) and when I was bored of watching us turn it over, I took a look at his defensive positioning a few times, and he gets lost a lot more frequently than I'd want from anyone, let alone a defender in this side.

I'm desperate to see Mitch Clisby make it as a small defender, if only because I'm still utterly unconvinced that Terlich is worth persisting with.

As for Garland, I agree with you. In awful form right now. Another example of a player who is not being discussed as a potential out mainly because there's nothing at Casey to warrant talking about it.

[What 18,810]

this is the one game of the year I wont be able to handle losing

Please, please , please beat the drug cheats

Please

[Dees2014 2,377]

"A few of our young guys you could tell are just starting to wear out a bit, so you address those sorts of things at selection."

"I did notice today, the young players...even some of the mid range players still haven't played a lot of AFL footy... are more mentally tired and just dropping off in little areas."

- Roos in the presser.

Probably means Salem will be back to Casey to work on his form, maybe JKH too if he isn't giving Roos the desired "spark" as a sub.

I think this says a lot. I would be surprised after this if Salem and DKH held their spots. My guess it will be Kent and Bleese (to expose the Don's lack of pace) in for DKH and Salem, with Matt Jones as sub.

[monoccular 17,760]

If JKH and Salem don't get a game, rest them.

If they are "dropped" it should be made very clear that it is part of player management and not a Neeldish reaction to a defeat.

The problem with "resting" them without a Casey game could be that they will not have an opportunity to stake a claim for re selection, and assuming that some fringe dwellers have a great game at Casey, then re selection of either or both could give a perception of "special treatment" which appears a bit un-Rooslike.

Nice dilemma though - they have overall performed at senior level, at this stage, beyond the expectations of most I would suspect, especially JKH.

[Don24 103]

I came away yesterday thinking that in that game the two worst players for the Dees were Gawn and Salem.

Salem is a first year kid, yesterday was probably the toughest game he has every been in.

Probably needs a rest.

Gawn I thought gave very little, Grundy beat Jamar and thought he fixed up Gawn in the last quarter as well.

Gawn gave very little around the ground, I would rather play Fitzpatrick we know he is capable of taking some marks in the forward half and converting.

I am probably biased but just don't see the talent that many others on here see.

Grundy by the way is a good one.

Not sure what game you were watching Old Dee? Gawn was very good around the ground providing a regular option and gathering 19 possesions. In fact he was named in the best in most papers...

[old dee 24,083]

Not sure what game you were watching Old Dee? Gawn was very good around the ground providing a regular option and gathering 19 possesions. In fact he was named in the best in most papers...

Did not help us kick goals when he was in the forward line which was most of the day. And Grundy beat him in the last when he was the Ruck man.

I said I am biased Don24

Still rather play Fitzy.

[Fat Tony 5,337]

In: McKenzie, Kent, Blease
Out: Gawn, JKH, Salem

Gawn out for team balance. And JKH and Salem both look like they need a rest.

McKenzie deserves a call up with very good VFL performances and has played well on Goddard before. We need to add some pace and run, so I would go for Kent and Blease over the other alternatives.

Jetta Dunn Howe
Blease McDonald Garland
Vince N Jones McKenzie
Watts Dawes Pederson
Bail Frawley Kent
Jamar Tyson Cross
M Jones Viney Grimes
Terlich (S)

[Webber 10,650]

Not sure what game you were watching Old Dee? Gawn was very good around the ground providing a regular option and gathering 19 possesions. In fact he was named in the best in most papers...

Yep. Third game this year, 19 possessions, 7 marks. Doesn't make every post a winner yet, but is most certainly holding his own based on Monday. Classic knee jerk Demonland whipping boy seems to be Maxy's lot at the moment. Roos has all but said Salem will get a rest, possibly JKH as well. Kent will get the gig against the Bummers, and McKenzie or Riley based on whether two get dropped, and stated form at Casey.

[Fat Tony 5,337]

Yep. Third game this year, 19 possessions, 7 marks. Doesn't make every post a winner yet, but is most certainly holding his own based on Monday. Classic knee jerk Demonland whipping boy seems to be Maxy's lot at the moment. Roos has all but said Salem will get a rest, possibly JKH as well. Kent will get the gig against the Bummers, and McKenzie or Riley based on whether two get dropped, and stated form at Casey.

Maxy isn't a whipping boy. He was pretty good on Monday but we are too top heavy with Gawn and Jamar in the side because it takes away our forward pressure.

[Webber 10,650]

Maxy isn't a whipping boy. He was pretty good on Monday but we are too top heavy with Gawn and Jamar in the side because it takes away our forward pressure.

And when he takes 80% of his marks rather than 30%, on account of experience and better service, all of a sudden 'too top heavy' becomes a height advantage. If only the team could be selected with hindsight.

[ashdemons22 235]

Out Gawn, Salem,Terlich.

In Kent,Blease,Michie

Would love this to happen.

Salem needs a spell. Gawn not mobile enough to play forward. Terlich one to many defenders.

[deeko 952]

The Kent and Jordie deserve a guernsey. I'd give both JKH and Salem a spell but agree that we can't have all of Gawn, Jamar, Pedo & Dawes playing. We just seemed so slow. So maybe Maximus to have a spell and one of the kids stay in.

Looking forward to seeing The Kent back in action and although Jordie has been working on his offensive game, I'd love him to go to Goddard again and work him over.

No Jobe, Jordie to BJ and Cross to Heppell and I think we are in with a shot.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

I am well aware of Gawn's very poor form on Monday, but dropping him now would not help the situation. Then again i don't believe in the "Drop them back to the VFL to find form" policy anyway.

OUT:Salem

In: Kent

[Bimbo 943]

I accept the use of a "rest" if such rest is from the seniors and they have a game with Casey with lower quality opponents and less pressure. That would seem a propper break for very young players.

I dont see why they need a week off football. After all they have only played two games since having a week off.

[Dannyz 3,101]

Bring back Viv Michie!

[Demon3 2,541]

Gawn marked better than Dawes. in fact, Dawes wasn't great.

[Brayshaw Self 847]

It's not about punishing Gawn, it's about team balance. Gosh.

[Ted Lasso 19,586]

I'd like to see gawn go out for Kent, we need a small forward and pedo and Russian can carry the ruck, maybe Salem out for riley

[nutbean 8,838]

Gawn marked better than Dawes. in fact, Dawes wasn't great.

Gawn is 17 feet tall and didn't have 2 players hanging off him the whole day with poor entries into the forward half like Dawes did .

Having said that - it wasn't Dawes best game and I thought Gawn was serviceable.

He looked slow because mids were running away from him - I ask the question - why was he chasing mids ? where was the mid opponents who should have been chasing?

[Demon3 2,541]

no, he didn't, but a couple of good contested marks. But lets be honest, lets take the rose coloured glasses off. Dawes is not a good mark, he gets to the ball, flat out, great attack, leads well, has great timing, but has hands like bricks most of the time.