I don't care where we finish... although I'm sure we are going to break some hearts when we dispose of finals pretenders in the second half of the season! I look forward to the development of a game plan for the ages... and I look forward to the arrival of new contenders... Lockhart has three goals from 2 appearances (How many do Weids & T Mac have ?) I know we have a few players yet to appear in 2019 that will improve us considerably. I know we will unearth one or two in the weeks to come (Jordan and Bedford spring to mind). We still have an excellent core but we obviously played above ourselves in 2018. Those that thought Lewis was immediately replaceable should admit poor analysis of the list! Bernie Vince was retired too early! Those that crowed about Kent and Tyson not being AFL level are exposed for lack of judgement!

Won most of the key stats... ergo gameplan

13 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Won most of the key stats... ergo gameplan

Means nothing when 40 goals are scored against you in 2 weeks

I'm still confident about our side long-term. We are just going through a very poor patch.

We have a great core of players in Brayshaw, Oliver, Harmes, Petracca, Lever, Viney etc.

We just need to keep adding to our side. Let's not forget that Geelong lost a prelim in 05, missed the finals in 06 and then the rest is history.

We just need these young guys to keep developing.

Trac: he needs to back himself. He had a chance in the third quarter to kick a goal from 50. Instead he chips a kick to a 50/50 contest. Take it upon yourself young man.

Brayshaw: gun at finding the footy and just needs to clean up disposal.

Oliver: I love him so nothing bad to say. Just get back to your best.

We will be ok.

Simon Goodwin seem like an honest decent fella but his press conferences are the pits. Surely comment that we have to get better are puerile. It is stating the obvious without any genuine attempt to explain how this horror show has unfolded. These last 6 games aren’t just losses they are debasing the fan base of the club.  How about some proper analysis regarding how the bombers forward line was so open and easy to score. Just saying it not been good enough for three week is well short of an explanation. There is nothing he has said that sway you that it will get any better next week. Why not get the defensive coach in to explain how our defence is so awful.

I was so disappointed when Tyson left. He was an important accumulator for us.

We are really missing Jeff Garlett. The coach needs to play him against Sydney. I think we need to dominate the midfield battle more and our defence will then grow in confidence as the pressure is relieved on them.

I can’t help feeling that we need a Travis Johnstone style winger to add some bite to our outside run.

2 minutes ago, Deesprate said:

Simon Goodwin seem like an honest decent fella but his press conferences are the pits. Surely comment that we have to get better are puerile. It is stating the obvious without any genuine attempt to explain how this horror show has unfolded. These last 6 games aren’t just losses they are debasing the fan base of the club.  How about some proper analysis regarding how the bombers forward line was so open and easy to score. Just saying it not been good enough for three week is well short of an explanation. There is nothing he has said that sway you that it will get any better next week. Why not get the defensive coach in to explain how our defence is so awful.

Keep improving, "nothing that's gonna turn it around but hardwork". No Simon, we need to work smarter not harder.

Our game plan is just lame, win the contest and hope the rest takes care of itself. That's why we never matched it with the best teams last year and we never will until this changes.

1 hour ago, waynewussell said:

Keyboard cowards announcing No 2's retirement... Was far from our worst tonight... 4 Qtr effort... Lets save the retirement talk for those that are seriously short of what we require right now... Frost, T Mc, Weids, O Mc, & ANB

You're absolutely delusional. He was finished 2 years ago, when he was almost immediately surpassed by younger players. He's too slow for a wing, he offers very little leadership and still goes around aimlessly bombing it when there are better options in front of him. 

He can no longer win the inside possession with as much skill as any of our mids (his mode of clearance was always Brent Moloney-like anyway - long bombs), so he's finished. 

We need to accept that, thank him for his years of loyal service and move on. 

How he was made captain again this year is absolutely beyond me, but anyway, I've long held the view that he's a limited player (at his best, a solid B grader), with little, to no onfield leadership. 

It speaks volumes for the rest of the leadership stocks on our list that he was made captain again.

36 minutes ago, Age said:

Can anyone tell me about this 666 thing. I thought you got a warning and then the second time a free was to be given. Why did they start twice with no one on the wing. It looked like they were warned the first time but the second time they just let it go? Did they only have 17 on the field?

Yep, thats exactly it. Only had 17 on the field.

Well I’m not gonna be too long in my summary. I found myself writing lines and lines after losses last year, this year I just don’t give as much of a toss about analysing something to within an inch of its life. 

1st quarter was our worst quarter so far and that is saying something. Some real token efforts, no direction, no cohesion, no skill or even ability to hit targets, fumbling marks, and a defence that has played a zonal system so long that no-one has any accountability whatsoever anymore. The last one not just being limited to us I see it league wide. Man on man defending is dead in the water right now and with rules favouring defenders less than ever why the hell would you want to be one? (Wait hold the sultanas a moment! Is he defending our back line?) No I am not, they were absolutely terrible tonight as well.

When there is a centre bounce I see us having no problem being first to the ball, but the 1 or two touches and the positioning of our mids after the contest stood out like a sore thumb. The number of times we’d win a contest, get a little muffed handball along the ground where we had no-one a couple of metres forward of the ball and Heppell was positioned beautifully off the contest was a joke. 

We got it together when we got our spark in the 2nd. Then me and my mate decided to leave our trident seats on level 2 to sit with other Essendon mates for the 3rd in the Olympic. WORST DECISION EVER OF ALL TIME. I am never ever doing that again unless we’re are 10 plus goals up. It got to the 20 min mark and I was literally counting the agonising seconds before we could p*** bolt back to our proper seats. That quarter hurt, a lot.

The last was the usual, mini flurry, back breaker goal, rack em up. Whatever.

Thought Gus was reasonable but same issues with disposal, Harmes reasonable, Hunt serviceable (keep him forward for a while), Lockhart could be a find after all and the Wagners gave us a bit of hardness and second efforts. Fritsch looked like the only one who could hit a target in the 3rd. 

No after game sorrows drowning I came straight home and started to photoshop McDonald-Tipungwuti photos and superimposing cans of Woodstock into them (I like to call him McDonald-Tipawoodie) for a joke and to take my mind off it. Now I’m listening to Crash test dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm on repeat about 15 times in a row so far. I dunno but that song sums it all up beautifully. Im not crazy by the way, just a Melbourne supporter

Well look at that, I guess I did analyse things to an inch of its life what of it? Don’t even really care who we’re playing next week, would be nice to win but game planning for opponents is a total waste of time right now when we can’t even beat A team.

 

Edited April 5, 20196 yr by layzie

1 hour ago, Dusty_Hill said:

We were putrid tonight but the afl and their umpires have completely ruined the game. The umpiring was so so bad on both sides. Worst I can remember. Unfortunately for us it was usually at crucial times which made it feel like a fix up. The Jetta one the worst. Closely followed by the Melksham hit in the head in front of the goal, yes he should have marked it but that didn’t mean the umpire doesn’t have to pay a free. And the one against frost where frosts jumper is halfway up his chest whilst his arms are in the air, but then free is paid against him. Good trick! Should become magician. When Oscar was bending down to pick up the ball in the wing and was kneed in the head and they went on to score a goal. The 50 against Harmes but no 50 to us when “the package” drops the knee into our player after a mark right in front of the ump. The couple of protected area infringements on our forward flank that were ignored which would have resulted in shots in goal. The list goes on, there were more on both sides but honestly it ruins the game. Let it go or get em all. This nonsense where they seem to have a new rule of the week and ignore all other rules is ridiculous. When you have the commentators critiquing them the whole time you know it’s gotten bad.

Really struggling to watch AFL these days with the the absolute pitiful standard of umpiring. I still tune in to Melbourne as I love the Dees for some strange reason. But honestly don’t watch many other games any more. In the past would watch 3-4+ a week. 

 

How to fix this? Put some money in it and make them full time for a start. Can’t make them any worse. It’s not possible. 

How about sitting them all down and teaching them what a legitimate fair tackle is- prime example, Oliver's, which was paid against him for being too high (?!). Showing them what over the shoulder means or too high or whatever the hell they were paying tonight (for both sides, not just one). Pointing out the rule in the book which describes what holding the ball means. Telling them to keep their eyes open to players lifting their elbows to hit opponents in the body, and kneeing players in the back. Teaching them how to bounce the ball in the centre without skewing it. Pretty basic things all umpires should have learnt by now.

 The positives were Cory Wagner tried hard ,kicked a nice goal and chased hard played his role and will keep his spot as will his brother Josh no doubt. Hunty kicked 3 goals had 16 poss 4 marks could have kicked another however he shanked it but that was his best game playing forward. Gawn had 20 odd poss 43 HO kicked a goal. His best game to date. 

The Negatives    ANB .....WTF is going on in your head not interested ? no marks 4 kicks 4 hp . OMAC 5 poss no marks and a terrible 3 weeks of footy  you and ANB at CASEY next game and beyond !

  We made mistakes that cost us the game  but the umpires really crucified us especially umpire no 5 Leigh Haussen a South Australian umpire. Please go back home Don't call us you are no longer required ( censored ) off. ruined the game. I would't mind so much if the umpiring was fair.

I am shattered ring the changes...... Preuss as we need a tall monster Declan Keilty big bodied 194cm big chance.

Frosty you tried hard and you deserve your place in the side for next week however you are not safe after that, and that goes for others l have't mentioned.  Ruined my week.

 

Okay. I am officially devastated. Disappointed. Distraught. I cringed when I saw the pyrotechnics and fireworks when the team ran out. Whose bright idea was this? Please save our hard earned cash for something better than this. I scoffed at Hawthorn's use of the flames every time they kicked a goal in that final last year, and now my team is doing it? Please no. Also, I hate to say it, but I think we should cancel Robbo24's entertainment interludes because they seem too trite and not suitable when the team is going so bad. 

Melbourne is back to being the team everyone can laugh at and be confident of beating. Just great. Thank you Dees.

As soon as that tanking saga re-emerged and was splashed all over the hun Friday morning....i swear....probably didnt do anything to the group, but for some reason with us, the mud just sticks long enough. For FS why why did that have to rear its ugly head this week. Certainly didnt help......Slobbo plan?

 

Edited April 5, 20196 yr by Wadda We Sing

Don't know where else to put this, but I'm just so [censored] flat tonight! 

We're an absolute rabble. Fine -  we can match it with the best when/if required...but...oh wait it's not 2018 anymore and we're [censored]. 

I'm really not sure why anyone expected much different. 

We play dumb football...with a few too many dumb footballers, with a few too many who ought not be on the field , because they're not fit or ready or past it.

Our brand .....it's rubbish... laughable. 2018 was the aberration. 

Over to you Simon.....you better wake up to yourselves quickly.

Finals ? Forget those for the moment.

Let's get back to basics.

Back to being the laughing stock.

All the foundations that Roos and Jackson put into place.........???? 

Sydney must be salivating.

Yes, we certainly prepared well for this year.

I take absolutely no joy from this debacle.

How many more years of this [censored] I wonder.

Can't wait for all the blah blah blah from Goschs way.

Let's see what kind of FD we really have.

Forget 2018

This is is 2019, this is the now, this is the reality....and it's not pretty.

Another long week ahead...oh... actually just 6 days....marvee

That other bloke was almost on the mark... Melbourne... we're twaddle !!

 

I was banging on about it during the game but the number of times we would either fumble the ball or simply overrun it and not pick it up off the ground did my head in and directly cost us at least five goals.

Also, for a supposed contested ball team the way Essendon just walked the ball out from stoppages was embarrassing.

 

Edited April 5, 20196 yr by Clint Bizkit

4 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I was banging on about it during the game but the number of times we would either fumble the ball or simply overrun it and not pick it up off the ground did my head in and directly cost us st least five goals.

Also, for a supposed contested ball team the way Essendon just walked the ball out from stoppages was embarrassing.

 

A lot of our game is just too amateurish.

I think from recollection you also expected a poor result.

It's rather numbing.

The Elephant in the room is the co captains.

 

2 minutes ago, Dockett 32 said:

The Elephant in the room is the co captains.

 

More than one Elephant

The rose colored glass mob in this forum have been blindsided by this, refusing to see that last years unaddressed deficiencies would be our downfall this year. (Although we all have to this 0-3 extent)

The elephant in the room is that we should've missed the finals last year but had some fortunate circumstances go our way with Kennedy missing and GWS already cemented in the 8. We were continually destroyed by fast teams that used the wide expanses of the G all year. ALL YEAR I asked "when are we going to get a big win like in 2017?" Our big wins turned out to be False Dawns. A terrible Adelaide by 100, and WCE over there without their key pillars. The same problems last year with our defence and lacklustre forward entries, have now turned into the key reasons for our demise as other teams have worked us out. All of that papered over because wE MaDe ThE PreLiM.

We beat up on the weak teams but continually failed against the better teams. Sadly the weak teams have now improved ten fold and we've been exposed.

Edited April 5, 20196 yr by John Demonic

41 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

More than one Elephant

It’s instructive to compare other club captains and their performances esp when in the p00hs

Anyone ????

7 hours ago, Forest Demon said:

He basically just said how we had been building towards a performance like that, and how we can match it with the best. It’s hard to convey in this forum, but very much came across like he was pretty complacent about how we were travelling based on 15 minutes of footy. And I noticed on the radio and tv, it was picked up by a few commentators as well.

For mine It wasn’t that he sounded complacent. But the line “ we’ve been building to a performance like that” that what u say AFTER a big or gutsy win.  it was HALF TIME ffs . The “ performance” was one quarter... and the game wasn’t finished.