I'm a bit concerned after being at the Anzac Day game and seeing Essendon live. They were faster than what I expected and held onto the ball well. I am hoping they just looked good because Collingwood were so bad.

I too am starting to warm to our prospects come Sunday. The reality is we're near full strength with the exception of two key players (Gawn and Hogan) and one could easliy argue that, if not for injuries by half time to our rucks against Richmond and Geelong (whom we were both leading at the time, and are placed 2 & 3 currently on the ladder) we'd be higher placed and seen as a team on the rise. As it is we're learning through adversity and crafting a resilience and strength that will bloom into wins soon.

And the Bombers... meh! they lost to Carlton!

Edited April 28, 20178 yr by PaulRB

Not sure why anyone thinks Omac or Weed would have to be certainties. We play Pedo to replace Spencer and a smalls (Hannan and Lewis) to replace Hogan/Smith. Everything else remains the same.

We play a small quick forward line under the roof with Watts/Pedo, Trac and Hannan playing small and tall.

10 minutes ago, jane02 said:

I'm a bit concerned after being at the Anzac Day game and seeing Essendon live. They were faster than what I expected and held onto the ball well. I am hoping they just looked good because Collingwood were so bad.

It is the latter.  Collingwood are a terrible, terrible team.

Also the most boring in the comp.  

5 minutes ago, Grimes Times said:

Not sure why anyone thinks Omac or Weed would have to be certainties. We play Pedo to replace Spencer and a smalls (Hannan and Lewis) to replace Hogan/Smith. Everything else remains the same.

We play a small quick forward line under the roof with Watts/Pedo, Trac and Hannan playing small and tall.

My concern with that arrangement is how we would play if one of the few talls picked got injured. Imagine if Pedersen or Tom McDonald couldn't play the whole game. Then what?

One of Essendon's strengths is the flexibility and capability of their key position talls. Daniher, Hooker and Hurley can all cause damage, although usually not all on the same day. 

30 minutes ago, Grimes Times said:

Not sure why anyone thinks Omac or Weed would have to be certainties. We play Pedo to replace Spencer and a smalls (Hannan and Lewis) to replace Hogan/Smith. Everything else remains the same.

We play a small quick forward line under the roof with Watts/Pedo, Trac and Hannan playing small and tall.

The reasoning is not that complex ....

Pedersen can play absolute maximum ruck time 70% - Watts blew up after 50% vs Geelong and Richmond.  30% bench time.

That means Watts plays 30% ruck time, max 50% forward time, 20% bench.

Therefore tall fwds:

• Watts, Hannan, Petracca 50%
• Hannan, Petracca 50%

That's why I thought Weed would play but from training reports it definitely seems he won't.

The only other alternative is TMac or Frost take some of that ruck percentage and free Watts and Pedersen to have more % in the forward line, but that leaves us short in defence - hence OMac inclusion - but apparently only Watts and Pedersen rucking at training so this too sounds unlikely.

If we leave them both out we only have 4 players over 190!  I think it's a risk not including one of them.  And if one of Pedersen, Watts, Frost or TMac goes off injured we are TOAST.

A really excellent analysis of the game here by Robert Shaw (by the by it shits me there is not this sort of preview of each game in the newspapers):

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2017-04-28/shaws-preview-ess-vs-melb

On 4/27/2017 at 8:45 AM, McQueen said:

I'm passing thru Melbourne following some business in Newcastle tomorrow and have booked tickets for me and my Dad, who will travel up from the Western District. Having an interstate membership only, I couldn't believe the cost of two tickets - one a pensioner concession and my own general admission totalling $115.00 in some pretty average seats!

Regardless of cost, I'm very pleased to catch a game of footy with the old man and I'm quietly confident that we'll pull this one off against the cheaters.

????

I dont get this price.

I went to the Dees Tiges game on Monday and fronted up over an hour early and bought GA teickets for one adult at 24 dollars and 2 kids which cost about 12 or something each 

With a crowd of 85,000 we got great seats in the cheer squad.

Your tix prices suck. Is it booking fees or dry area, or some catch?

Just now, leave it to deever said:

I dont get this price.

I went to the Dees Tiges game on Monday and fronted up over an hour early and bought GA teickets for one adult at 24 dollars and 2 kids which cost about 12 or something each 

With a crowd of 85,000 we got great seats in the cheer squad.

Your tix prices suck. Is it booking fees or dry area, or some catch?

welcome to Docklands or more particularly welcome to the world of ticket prices for the bigger clubs. They block allocate for varying levels of pre-sale and thereby maximise prices.

What remains is General Admission. My guess is that there will be around 10-15,000 general admission left for Sunday's game all on Level 4.

Remember you have Medallion club, Essendon Reserved seat holders (there are lots of them), pre-purchased tickets and then GA.

Cannot see a large MFC contingent attending so you should be right for GA.

Just now, Diamond_Jim said:

welcome to Docklands or more particularly welcome to the world of ticket prices for the bigger clubs. They block allocate for varying levels of pre-sale and thereby maximise prices.

What remains is General Admission. My guess is that there will be around 10-15,000 general admission left for Sunday's game all on Level 4.

Remember you have Medallion club, Essendon Reserved seat holders (there are lots of them), pre-purchased tickets and then GA.

Cannot see a large MFC contingent attending so you should be right for GA.

My bad i forgot where it was. Still bloody pricey.

6 hours ago, poita said:

Difference being that Hibberd won the football and used it well. It is hard to lay a tackle when you have the ball.

So, not laying a tackle isn't a performance criteria independent of other KPI's.

35 minutes ago, binman said:

A really excellent analysis of the game here by Robert Shaw (by the by it shits me there is not this sort of preview of each game in the newspapers):

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2017-04-28/shaws-preview-ess-vs-melb

Watts(?), Salem and Hunt from Brighton Grammar under Shaw

1 hour ago, Petraccattack said:

It is the latter.  Collingwood are a terrible, terrible team.

Also the most boring in the comp.  

Nah, that feat goes to Carlton IMO.

1 minute ago, A F said:

Nah, that feat goes to Carlton IMO.

Disagree. Watching Carlton getting smashed is highly entertaining.

6 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Sunday's match brings back memories of the famous game against the Eagles in Perth.

So famous I forget the year but we took an almost reserves team to Perth against a strong Eagles team. Against all the odds the MFC prevailed and a strong team was born.

So no Gawn + Hogan = reserves team? Come on. I'd be much more concerned if we lost two of Oliver, Jones, Tyson and Viney.

1 minute ago, praha said:

So no Gawn + Hogan = reserves team? Come on. I'd be much more concerned if we lost two of Oliver, Jones, Tyson and Viney.

Exactly.  Our midfield looks incredible and Essendon will need to do their homework.

Edited April 28, 20178 yr by Petraccattack

9 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

Exactly.  Our midfield looks incredible and Essendon will need to do their homework.

Our midfield only looks incredible if Jones, Viney and Tyson can all find form.

PFFT - Tyson is a liability in present form

 

Edited April 28, 20178 yr by WA Demon13

The team has been finalised:-

MELBOURNE 

B: Michael Hibberd, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta 
HB: Jordan Lewis, Sam Frost, Bernie Vince 
C: Jayden Hunt, Nathan Jones,  Jake Melksham 
HF: Christian Petracca, Jack Watts, Alex Neal-Bullen 
F: Jay Kennedy-Harris, Mitch Hannan, Jeff Garlett 
FOLL: Cameron Pedersen, Clayton Oliver, Jack Viney 
I/C: Tomas Bugg, Oscar McDonald, Christian Salem, Dom Tyson
EMG: James Harmes, Billy Stretch, Sam Weideman

IN: Tomas Bugg, Mitch Hannan, Jordan Lewis, Oscar McDonald, Cameron Pedersen

OUT: James Harmes (omitted), Jesse Hogan (family bereavement), Jake Spencer (shoulder), Timothy Smith (lung), Billy Stretch (omitted)

Fair call on Stretch, he's been a bit out of touch. Pleased for Bugg- can't do much more that he did in the VFL last week. 

And Hannan for pace/pressure. 

I like

five changes!  far out.  

Great to see Buggy back in. Hannan a touch lucky but hopefully takes his chance

we should be fresh with 1/4 the team new

Hmm, makes me think T-Mac to the ruck and O to the backline. 

Melksham a better option than Harmes or Stretch?

Dear lord.

Stanton rested too.  sounds like they have some sore players.

Gleeson in.

What height is Hannan? What about CP5 strutting around with his core strength at FF?