I'd be interested to know how different the Essendon team we lost to last year is from the one we'll be playing next week. From memory Watson, Hurly and Heppell didn't play. This game will tell us how far we've come. It may sound strange, but can we really bury a less fancied opponent and a team we should beat? I suspect we can, but if there's that old MFC attitude of complacency it means we probably won't and that we haven't progressed as far as I think we have.

I just finished watching the full replay (couldn't resist anymore so purchased 1 month of AFL Live). 

I can't see Frost getting dropped. Yes, it wasn't a great game but he got to a lot of contests and impacted them physically. Also, with Watts playing the way he did,  Frost is really a mobile resting ruckman in our forward line. 

Tyson's day was a mix of very good disposal and very bad - not bad enough to get dropped.

Omac for Dunny is the only clear one at this stage, due to injury. 

1 hour ago, AdamFarr said:

I'd be interested to know how different the Essendon team we lost to last year is from the one we'll be playing next week. From memory Watson, Hurly and Heppell didn't play. This game will tell us how far we've come. It may sound strange, but can we really bury a less fancied opponent and a team we should beat? I suspect we can, but if there's that old MFC attitude of complacency it means we probably won't and that we haven't progressed as far as I think we have.

Hurley played

44 minutes ago, Maldonboy38 said:

I just finished watching the full replay (couldn't resist anymore so purchased 1 month of AFL Live).

If you Google "AFL Smart Replay" you can watch replays for free.

6 hours ago, AdamFarr said:

I'd be interested to know how different the Essendon team we lost to last year is from the one we'll be playing next week. From memory Watson, Hurly and Heppell didn't play. This game will tell us how far we've come. It may sound strange, but can we really bury a less fancied opponent and a team we should beat? I suspect we can, but if there's that old MFC attitude of complacency it means we probably won't and that we haven't progressed as far as I think we have.

ESSENDON

B Mark Baguley, Michael Hurley, James Gwilt
HB Alex Browne, Ariel Steinberg, Martin Gleeson
C Brent Stanton, Dyson Heppell, Nick O'Brien
HF Zach Merrett, Joe Daniher, Michael Hibberd
F Patrick Ambrose, Cale Hooker, Jayden Laverde
FOL Shaun McKernan, Jackson Merrett, Brendon Goddard
I/C David Zaharakis, Shaun Edwards, Ben Howlett
SUB Jason Ashby

Hurley, Stanton, Heppell, Hibberd, Hooker, Howlett are suspended. Browne, O'Brien and Steinberg were delisted. 

Viney tagged Heppell out of it last year but Hurley played a blinder and Stanton got a fair bit of it from memory.

7 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

ESSENDON

B Mark Baguley, Michael Hurley, James Gwilt
HB Alex Browne, Ariel Steinberg, Martin Gleeson
C Brent Stanton, Dyson Heppell, Nick O'Brien
HF Zach Merrett, Joe Daniher, Michael Hibberd
F Patrick Ambrose, Cale Hooker, Jayden Laverde
FOL Shaun McKernan, Jackson Merrett, Brendon Goddard
I/C David Zaharakis, Shaun Edwards, Ben Howlett
SUB Jason Ashby

Hurley, Stanton, Heppell, Hibberd, Hooker, Howlett are suspended. Browne, O'Brien and Steinberg were delisted. 

Viney tagged Heppell out of it last year but Hurley played a blinder and Stanton got a fair bit of it from memory.

Thanks mate. I wonder whether Viney will be given those sort of tagging roles this year or just let him go about his own game. He was so effective on Saturday. I hope they don't tinker with that too much, although he is a player that has proved his ability to both shut down a player and accumulate the football himself. 

On 27 March 2016 at 1:42 PM, Ted Fidge said:

Next week is an opportunity to get some extra game time into Frost and OMac.

They need development and time on field, let's give them another chance to show what they've got (or not).

Oscar is out for 1-2 with an ankle injury

Dunn is the obvious replacement - because I don't care I have no idea who the Druggers have as tall forwards other than ND's nephew.  

IF Gus is ready then could replace a very unlucky Harmes, or more likely Pedersen.  

Is TMcD ok?  There were questions about his shoulder. 

 

Don't think Tyson deserves to be dropped, yeah he had a few turnovers but if you saw in the last quarter at the centre bounces the coaching group knew we needed our best midfielders in there. They rotated Tyson, Viney, Vince, Jones, Oliver through there. No chance they would drop Tyson. 

O mac definitely showed he is not ready for AFL footy yet. I don't think he added much at all as a tall defender. Once he got injured and they pushed Pederson back our defence seemed more stable. Dunn has to come in, he must have been a bit underdone for them to choose Omac over Dunn. 

Seems like a few are saying drop Bugg. Even though Bugg didn't get a heap of it, he brings that real aggression and competitiveness around the contest. He played really well during the NAB challenge matches. I don't think we will be dropping him yet. 

None of our emergencies or players coming back from injury like Gus, Lumumba etc have played heaps of full match practice games at vfl level- last week was a 1hr intra-club 'practice match' I'm not sure if we will be rushing those players back yet. 

In: Dunn, Brayshaw

Out: OMac, Harmes

14 hours ago, stuie said:

Care to elaborate on this most hilarious of GIFs? Exactly which part do you disagree with the fact that Brayshaw is close to a walk up start or that Matt Jones could be dropped and didn't do too much wrong?

Edited March 28, 20169 yr by Pates

5 minutes ago, Pates said:

Care to elaborate on this most hilarious of GIFs? Exactly which part do you disagree with the fact that Brayshaw is close to a walk up start or that Matt Jones could be dropped and didn't do too much wrong?

some people just can't quite bring themselves to let go of our time-honoured tradition of playing VFL players in the ones, so they want M.Jones to stick around a bit longer

7 hours ago, Pates said:

Care to elaborate on this most hilarious of GIFs? Exactly which part do you disagree with the fact that Brayshaw is close to a walk up start or that Matt Jones could be dropped and didn't do too much wrong?

Not sure if you were at the game, but Matt Jones had some vital possessions and played a really good game. There'd be a fair few others I drop for Brayshaw before him. I thought we were past the stage of gifting games on talent and just played whoever performed? Personally I had Harmes coming out for Brayshaw.

 

7 hours ago, Curry & Beer said:

some people just can't quite bring themselves to let go of our time-honoured tradition of playing VFL players in the ones, so they want M.Jones to stick around a bit longer

Some people (like Roos) pick a team based on who's performing, while some others like to pick it based on draft order.

 

7 hours ago, Pates said:

Care to elaborate on this most hilarious of GIFs? Exactly which part do you disagree with the fact that Brayshaw is close to a walk up start or that Matt Jones could be dropped and didn't do too much wrong?

Matt Jones should not be and won't be dropped.

I love James Harmes: he has a crack, he can kick goals and his attitude is infectious, but he is presently the 22nd best player in our side.

51 minutes ago, stuie said:

Some people (like Roos) pick a team based on who's performing, while some others like to pick it based on draft order.

 

Brayshaw is better than Matt Jones already and obviously is part of the future while the other is not

Your judgment is off about 80%

Dunn, Lumumba and Brayshaw are all pretty much locks in our best 22 and are all ready for the call up, yet I personally can't see us pulling the trigger on 3 changes especially giving the result.

Dunn for OMac is the only change I can see being made, with Lumumba and Brayshaw to get a few more minutes in the VFL and obviously dominate and push for their spot the following round.

That being said, is Brayshaw or Lumumba at that stage where they are automatically picked, i know most will say Lumumba is definitely not, but im more intrigued about Brayshaw, he did play 21/22 last year so it would make sense that he is a walk up inclusion if fit.

1 minute ago, Curry & Beer said:

Brayshaw is better than Matt Jones already and obviously is part of the future while the other is not

I don't think either of those facts are in dispute.  There's the other possibility about Brayshaw and Matt Jones *both* playing...

any chance we see Petracca? 

4 minutes ago, Peter Griffen said:

any chance we see Petracca? 

No.

I'd be surprised to see any changes other than Dunn coming in for OMac. 

Dunn was horrible last year. 

Does anyone know if the house has been trained down?

we might go for more run.

10 minutes ago, Biffen said:

Dunn was horrible last year. 

Does anyone know if the house has been trained down?

we might go for more run.

Oh geez, this site went into meltdown when dunn wasn't picked last week, it'd be so much worse if Omac goes out and they still don't pick him

if dunn doesn't get picked with a tall defender going down injured, then his career is officially in jeopardy.

5 minutes ago, Peter Griffen said:

Oh geez, this site went into meltdown when dunn wasn't picked last week, it'd be so much worse if Omac goes out and they still don't pick him

I know this won't happen.

But we could simply move Frost back to replace OMac and bring in Brayshaw.

29 minutes ago, Nasher said:

I don't think either of those facts are in dispute.  There's the other possibility about Brayshaw and Matt Jones *both* playing...

Don't bother Nash. Apparently me saying Harmes should come out for Brayshaw means i think Matt Jones is better than Brayshaw.

There is no logic with this one.

 

Just now, Night Crawler said:

I know this won't happen.

But we could simply move Frost back to replace OMac and bring in Brayshaw.

This is what I'd rather see, as I don't rate Frost as a forward as he seems to be completely lost up there.