Post Match Discussion - Never in doubt

[Ethan Tremblay 28,777]

I wouldn't be surprised if roosy is coach longer than 3 years

He's pretty staunch on only coaching for a max of 3 years.

[Pennant St Dee 11,756]

Not bad for a kid who was snubbed by WA U18s...

Not so much snubbed more missed out due to illness, which worked out well for us, still managed to claim the Jack Clark Medal for best WAFL colts player in 2012.

[Deemotivated 550]

He's pretty staunch on only coaching for a max of 3 years.

As long as he stays on in a mentor / director of coaching role.

[old dee 23,255]

He's pretty staunch on only coaching for a max of 3 years.

I am happy with another two and half years if we continue on this trajectory

[JTR 2,685]

I've just had my Mum over from NZ, for her annual round of family visits.

Slowly but surely I have been chipping away at her, and with the exception of All Black games I have turned her completely off Rugby and on to the AFL and the mighty Dees!

Anyway, her trip this time was from Saturday 7th - Monday 16th (today) and was to be split between me in Melbourne and her sister in Sydney.

Usually she goes to the sisters first and then comes down to me, in which case she would have missed the QB game, but seen the Bombers game.

This time though she did it in reverse and came to my place first, saw the QB game, then spent yesterday in Sydney getting text updates from me with the scores from the Bombers game.

Needless to say, she is a little disappointed

Edited June 16, 2014 by JTR

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Great game! Can't believe we won it considering how poor our first half was

So many great potential gif moments

How good was his composuure when he settles to kick the goal after sprinting so far.

[ManDee 7,096]

The Essendon supporters sitting in front of me started to complain about my cheering in the last quarter. (Stuff them you say)

So I didn't cheer for the Salem goal, I just listened... and felt it.

Awesome!

After the siren I sang the song, looked around and saw my son and wife looking at me, smiling, they knew I was happy. Really happy.

[Ted Lasso 17,308]

An essendon supporting mate said today he is so embarrassed by the situation the club Is in, playing average footy, off field drama, ageing stars

[markc 975]

I was so happy for my grandson today, he was over the moon after the game. You have to admire the kids who have stuck with us after all the cr@p we've put up over the last 7 years, he just turned 11 so we've been rubbish for most of his life.

I was so happy for my grandson today, he was over the moon after the game. You have to admire the kids who have stuck with us after all the cr@p we've put up over the last 7 years, he just turned 11 so we've been rubbish for most of his life

I can honestly say I am looking forward to watching the reply with my girls 9 and 6 when i get home tonight and they are waiting for me ... think I might leave early ..

[DeeSpencer 23,637]

The Essendon supporters sitting in front of me started to complain about my cheering in the last quarter. (Stuff them you say)

So I didn't cheer for the Salem goal, I just listened... and felt it.

Awesome!

After the siren I sang the song, looked around and saw my son and wife looking at me, smiling, they knew I was happy. Really happy.

I was the same. Cheering like crazy in the 4th quarter but after the bombers fans were so loud with the Zaharakis goals I was just stunned with the Salem goal. I knew it had to be less than a minute left and cheering wasn't going to do anything from that point. It was about the clearance and then killing the ball with everyone down back. What a finish.

[Ted Lasso 17,308]

See the bombers shoot up, up to win the premiership flag,

Our boys who play this grand old game are always hanging with Stephen dank

See the bombers shoot up, up the other teams have no idea..

Asada try their best but they can't get near as the bombers shoot up...

[Longsufferingnomore 1,495]

No Essendon player followed Salem down the ground. Goddard could have, but he went to Viney and Cross. When Cross had the kick, Hibberd was left in no-man's land between Salem and Dawes. Perfect running into space by everybody.

Dawes should be congratulated with his lead out to the wing leaving the Essendon player not knowing who to cover Salem or Dawes.Ah the joy of turning around and staring down the idiot Ess. supporters who were laughing with a minute and a half to go.

[drdrake 3,059]

Great win, I want to beat North. For some reason I just hate North Melbourne, I don't know why but I really want to back up yesterday with a big win over North then get a win over the bulldogs. It is time for the club to get some consecutive wins, that is the next step.

[nutbean 8,837]

Dawes should be congratulated with his lead out to the wing leaving the Essendon player not knowing who to cover Salem or Dawes.Ah the joy of turning around and staring down the [censored] Ess. supporters who were laughing with a minute and a half to go.

Interestingly the commentary team had a go at Dawes for where he ran to.

It made perfect sense to me - Dawes made Hibbert make a choice - run to Dawes or Salem. In the end he got caught standing between the two.

Dawes job was to cause separation and he did that to a tee.

[Ted Lasso 17,308]

Interestingly the commentary team had a go at Dawes for where he ran to.

It made perfect sense to me - Dawes made Hibbert make a choice - run to Dawes or Salem. In the end he got caught standing between the two.

Dawes job was to cause separation and he did that to a tee.

what i found baffling was the game was on the line, the opponents of Cross, Viney and Tyson were all jogging at half back when they recieved the ball in the middle and effected the kick to salem, three players simply didn't bother to run hard in the dying stages of a close game

and again on the wing, they outnumbered us 7-4 and we won out easily, and somehow two of our forwards were alone in the 50

[DeeSpencer 23,637]

I recommend everyone watch the overhead footage of the final play on Gaz Lyon's/Barrett's AFL.com.au segment. Dont worry about the analysis just watch it a couple of times yourself.

Firstly it shows our mids had tracked back to help in defense. Then they didn't get sucked to the contest on the wing. Maybe 1 of them ideally would've. But they were holding the corridor and hence would've been open for the switch and in defensive position had Essendon won that contest.

If Frawley had held the mark it would've been a kick in board and then bang. But McKenzie and McDonald did the right thing getting to the contest and then it flowed in through the mids. Tyson held his handball beautifully. Cross and Viney perfect combination.

At the same time the runs from Salem and Dawes were sensational given the context of the game. From half forward they ran perfect leads and only the 1 bomber defender went with Dawes and no one went with Salem. Dawes had the game sense to lead out to where Cross could spot it wide to him. Cross could've chipped it to about 30m of space to his right and Dawes could've had a shot from about 20-30 out on a 45 or greater angle. But Cross was too clever for that and chipped it to where Salem ran on to it. The brilliance of it was if the Cross kick was off line or otherwise Salem had so much space he and Dawes could've handballed over the top and strolled in. I know Brad Johnson said that on the coverage but he was the king of a cheap handball over the top. Salem's decision to go back and finish took an important 30 seconds off the clock and he knew he was going to kick the goal.

[DeeSpencer 23,637]

what i found baffling was the game was on the line, the opponents of Cross, Viney and Tyson were all jogging at half back when they recieved the ball in the middle and effected the kick to salem, three players simply didn't bother to run hard in the dying stages of a close game

and again on the wing, they outnumbered us 7-4 and we won out easily, and somehow two of our forwards were alone in the 50

I don't know about that. I think Cross, Viney and Tyson's opponents, maybe 1 was in lazy in the Essendon forward line but others were in those numbers on the wing. And same with their half backs, they were on Salem and Dawes but were asleep when the time came.

It wasn't so much physical laziness or tiredness by the Essendon players but mental mistakes, lack of spread and lack of positioning.

It shows game sense is still probably the most important attribute a player can have and it's what Roos and his disciplined teachings have been about. Bomber also spent 45 minutes berating his players for it and then couldn't explain it to the journos. If you look at his Geelong players they weren't only beautifully skilled and talented and athletic but the smartest cats around (excuse the pun).

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I recommend everyone watch the overhead footage of the final play on Gaz Lyon's/Barrett's AFL.com.au segment. Dont worry about the analysis just watch it a couple of times yourself.

Damn you for making me watch and listen to Barrett!

[ManDee 7,096]

Rope a dope comes to mind,

We just soaked up the pressure and when the time came we pulled the trigger, BANG!

Dope--- seems fitting doesn't it?

[Tyson_Viney_Toumpas 269]

Barrett: re Salem. He didn't get many touches did he. He was the sub you idiot!

Does this flogger even watch games or does he just analyse games from the stat page! God he makes me wild.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Barrett: re Salem. He didn't get many touches did he. He was the sub you [censored]!

He knows he'll get a reaction and that's why he does it, but he's still a [censored].

[dee-luded 2,958]

ELEVATOR DRIVER by Whispering Jack

"Elevator Driver carry me please

Elevator Driver move

Elevator Driver carry me please

Elevator Driver move

Past the stories of confusion

To my penthouse of illusion,

Elevator Driver" ~ from the song by the Masters Apprentices

Teams, like colours, rise and ebb.

When Melbourne last faced Essendon it was a Saturday night at the MCG early last year and in an atmosphere of helpless desperation they surrendered to an opponent which had something to prove in the wake of the raging supplements scandal.

The mood of the supporters that night was one of anger and loss of hope as the Bombers treated their team to the tune of a 148-point crushing. Callers to late night talk back spoke in agonising terms of how their club and the players had betrayed them - so early in the season, the team was languishing deep in the basement.

A lot happened after that night but the pain would persist throughout a season that saw two coaches come and go with little to enthuse the faithful or give rise to any hope that the team could lift itself out of those depths.

The club needed something or at least someone to take control of its on field fortunes and to start a process whereby it could see some movement forward and upward.

Enter the elevator driver - Paul Roos.

He came to the club, rolled up his sleeves and began to work on its personnel, training and preparation, its tactics, strategy, its psychology and its culture and team philosophy. His advent has not come without controversy or criticism as was seen last week from the output of some of the more hysterical types in the media who were lashing the emphasis on defence which saw the team struggle to score goals in the final quarter and a half against Collingwood on Queens Birthday.

Never mind that playing ugly has already seen Roos coach such ducklings and transform them quickly into premiership Swans in another time.

Never mind that against Essendon, Roos' team was so defensive in mindset that it conceded 14 inside 50s before going into its own attacking circle and were goalless at quarter time - it's second consecutive term without a major score.

Never mind because the Demons plugged away, hustling and bustling and thanks to the sterling play of those defenders, led by Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta, Col Garland and co dominating in the opposition's half, they had stayed within striking distance.

Their efforts were reinforced by the efforts of Jordie McKenzie and Daniel Cross who had specific jobs to do, the Demon defence forced Essendon to butcher the ball under pressure, miss goals and targets and more importantly expend vital energy reserves in moving across the field to counter Melbourne's new found style.

And so despite falling behind by 33 points by early in the second half, Melbourne was able to lift its game to the top floor.

Inspired by the indefatigable leadership of Nathan Jones, the rising talents of Dom Tyson and Jack Viney, the experience and class of Bernie Vince and on a wave of power ruckwork from Mark Jamar, the turnaround came and the Demons struck the unsuspecting Bombers in the heart.

Taking over in the midfield, the opportunities started presenting to the forwards who all played their part and in the end, a couple of unlikely young heroes in Dean Kent and Christian Salem played their part in bringing down the Bombers and signalling another move upward for their club.

And you can put it all down to great team effort and another small triumph for the elevator operator.

Melbourne 0.3.3 3.3.21 7.6.48 12.6.78

Essendon 2.4.16 5.12.42 8.12.60 10.17.77

Goals

Melbourne Kent Frawley Pedersen Watts 2 Grimes N Jones Salem Vince

Essendon Zaharakis 4 Ambrose Chapman Daniher Goddard Merrett Ryder

Best

Melbourne Dunn N Jones Viney Pederson Jamar Tyson

Essendon Zaharakis Goddard Heppell Hibberd Carlisle Ambrose

Changes

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Fletcher replaced in the selected side by Kavanaugh

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Nil

Reports

Melbourne Nil

Essendon Nil

Umpires Justin Schmitt Troy Pannell Brendan Hosking

Crowd 44,622 at the MCG

In memory of Jim Keays an Australian master musician and a Demon fan who passed away last week at far too young an age

some wannabe coaches think they have the answers, & some others just Do. they mostly, are in the the infinitesimal minority. EQ isn't in large supply.

Some mechanics can bolt new parts onto an existing car & get it to run around the block... Few others can Design & Build a Formula 1 Machine from the paper drawing, & up.

[Ethan Tremblay 28,777]

As long as he stays on in a mentor / director of coaching role.

From his interview on radio a few weeks ago that sounds very likely.

[Wunders 392]

FYI Nathan Jones is coming onto SEN at apparently 4:40 pm today

[jackaub 1,402]

Dawes had 8 tackles Just so important to us in leadership Even he doesnt mark the ball as much as i wwould like Awesome!