It wasn't pretty, but when the game was in the balance our class showed. I found it strange all the negativity going into the game surrounding our lack of rucks, our ball winners are good enough to shark opposition taps and when the contests breaks even they are also able to get the ball in the clinches.

My question mark was more to do with our forward line functioning as it should. It really hasn't properly since the Saints game. The second half was definitely an improvement on that, Petracca is showing some signs that will have the competition on notice while it was great seeing Watts stick to what he's good at; being a forward, kicking goals, and delivering with class when no one else has it. 

As for the criticism of Tmac, his marking and spoiling is elite, he competes very well most of the time, and he generally has an attacking mindset. But his disposal and decision making is concerning, he saves goals with his good acts and coughs up with poor kicking and decisions. If I was an opposition coach I would be fairly comfortable to see him with ball in hand. That said he was good today, he just had his usual moments of brain farts.

Credit to Pederson, competed really well all day, I feel he did exactly what was asked of him.

Overall a solid win, next week is the real challenge. 

4 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Things I've learnt watching this game from the skies at Etihad

1. The TV screens they think are useful are not. I have a bigger tv in my bathroom. Thanks for nothing. 

2. Melksham is a double agent who is secretly trying to make us lose games 

3. Salem, Watts, Lewis- there's no substitute for class and kicking ability 

4. Tyson- just no. His kicking is not even under 6 standard

5. JHK fumbles galore. Goodbye

6. Pedo always comes in and does his best to play a role. And he did. And he helped us win today. Very happy for him!

7. Jetta so deserving of a win for this milestone game 

8. Etihad is the worst stadium. The food and facilities in a third world country stadium would beat it hands down 

 

Thought Tyson was a bit better today compared to previous weeks.

Happy, happy, happy!

Been working all day and deliberately avoided the score, too nervous.

What an awesome surprise!

The flag is back up!

2 hours ago, FireInTheBelly said:

Good result. Hopefully we can play this mob at the G as our home game next year.

For the first since since 2011!

2 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Anthony Hudson was one of my preferred commentators until today. Was he an Essendon fan growing up?

 

 

I know it was an ordinary game today but geez the commentators really pizzed me off! They could not have been less excited about our 3rd quarter...imagine if that was The Bongers doing that to us, they`d have been orgasmic!

40 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Jason loves giving it to us any chance he can get. Hope hes commentating next week when we play his old team..

What rubbish.

The old everyone is against us go and eat worms conspiracy.

Dunstall is an excellent special comments commentator. Probably the best.

Meanwhile, looking at the performance of some other players : it's great to see the skills of Jones when he is tag-free and can be creative and I really dig the way Frost plays too.

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Anyone that Reckons ANB tagging Heppel a great move, Well I reckon Heppel was the bombers best!! By Far!

Mate you must be looking through your picket fence rather than over it. Heppell was restricted and corrected his numbers in junk time. He's a classic example of Essendon's brigade of front runners. 

Clarry needs to stop throwing it. Oh wait... 

I've read nothing but criticism of TMacs kicking today

#spoileralert

Not one mention of the torp of the outside of the boot to slot one in the third. Even the great Dunstall said he'd never seen that! (Not sure it was intentional).

PS I'm not a fan of his kicking, btw; but I do feel at ease when he's camped under a ball coming into d50 (#goodyspeak)

im also delighted Wattsy shouted out to Hoges; but nonplussed that he didn't also shout out to A_F who made the journey with newly installed ball and chain!

Tommy Mac owes Nev a car

3 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Can someone please make a GIF of Daniher celebrating after his one goal?

I'd rather a GIF of his six (should've been 7) points.

 

JKH has fumbled his way through two games in a row now so time to work on his game at Casey, id bring in Trengove because he is a warrior and is skilled.

Melksham has to go too, I'd move Salem into that possie and bring in a fresh Stretch to add to our outside run.

1 hour ago, Northern Summer said:

For the first since since 2011!

Not acceptable is it

1 minute ago, FireInTheBelly said:

Not acceptable is it

I'm still convinced the reason why the AFL doesn't schedule us with any home games against Essendon is because of Essendon's refusal to use a proper clash guernsey, and we fall over easily by happily using our white one (currently our Bintang one).

2 hours ago, Biffen said:

Tom Mc pulled off some lovely spoils today .

Stopped any chance Frost had of marking cleanly.

And robbed Nev of a car.

The big positive I took from the game was Viney, Tyson, and Jones. Both have seemed flat the last few weeks, especially Viney and Tyson. 

During the second half all three really appeared to be working their way back into form a little, still a way to go but hopefully the start of a great streak of form from the three of them, especially exiting as with the three of them flying we are a much much better side and will trouble anyone. 

2 hours ago, beelzebub said:

Webber. I dont give a flying f what the media/footyworld/ or anyone here or there thinks or writes about football ( or much else )

I watch, observe and consider after as a result. T Mac took some excellent marks and executed some great defence. He also often executed his team mates with sloppy kicking and poor decisions.

How he manages , after all this time , to masacre elementary tasks still bewilders me.

I dont know how he fixes this, Should have done so by now for mine.

Arguably our most frustrating player.

this post is the most arrogant post ever, tom takes the game on and should always to do, i see him like rance who takes the game on, early on he made lots of mistakes but with time has became the no 1 backmen. Tom is high risk high reward, and really i  have no idea  if u watch him play at all, he played the loose man in defence after half time, and is why we won the second half, when a team plays that loose man in defence he has to play well, or the team lose, if his kicking was so bad we would have lost, but I heard most of the game on radio and did not hear many turn overs from him, maybe his first half was average, but he was BOG in the 3nd qtr  where the game was won.

9 minutes ago, don't make me angry said:

this post is the most arrogant post ever, tom takes the game on and should always to do, i see him like rance who takes the game on, early on he made lots of mistakes but with time has became the no 1 backmen. Tom is high risk high reward, and really i  have no idea  if u watch him play at all, he played the loose man in defence after half time, and is why we won the second half, when a team plays that loose man in defence he has to play well, or the team lose, if his kicking was so bad we would have lost, but I heard most of the game on radio and did not hear many turn overs from him, maybe his first half was average, but he was BOG in the 3nd qtr  where the game was won.

We won despite his wayward disposal. No one disputes the endeavour.

Clearly you cant separate. Probably why you're angry.

it was a good win but how typical of demonland we win and most post are negative, save the negativity for the losses

Shout out to CP5...you're a beast...a beast on one leg

Get that knee sorted and you'll kick 10 one day, young man

4 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

We won despite his wayward disposal. No one disputes the endeavour.

Clearly you cant separate. Probably why you're angry.

when u don't take the game on it is more risk then taking no risk at all, I want him to never lose that risk in his game, with high risk it will go the other way sometime.

It was a win.

It was a Goodwin win

It was good to win

It wasn't a good win

Was an ugly ugly lucky win.

Joe kicks straight. We lost

Please lets not kid ourselves.

Take the points, say thankyou, prepare for the next but it was much closer than the scoreboard suggests. 

We did learn how to win an ugly contest possibly. Valuable.

 

37 minutes ago, Chris said:

The big positive I took from the game was Viney, Tyson, and Jones. Both have seemed flat the last few weeks, especially Viney and Tyson. 

During the second half all three really appeared to be working their way back into form a little, still a way to go but hopefully the start of a great streak of form from the three of them, especially exiting as with the three of them flying we are a much much better side and will trouble anyone. 

1

I have a sneaky suspicion why....J Lewis!

His record with the Dees, 3-0 and will be 4-0 next week. Jones IMO is clearly a better player when Lewis is in the team. I`ve said it since our loss to Geelong, Lewis is our most important player simply due to his leadership.

42 minutes ago, Chris said:

The big positive I took from the game was Viney, Tyson, and Jones. Both have seemed flat the last few weeks, especially Viney and Tyson. 

During the second half all three really appeared to be working their way back into form a little, still a way to go but hopefully the start of a great streak of form from the three of them, especially exiting as with the three of them flying we are a much much better side and will trouble anyone. 

I've got no doubt that Vince playing in the middle is a huge factor in this.

He's a big bodied midfielder that takes a lot of pressure off the players around him.