17 minutes ago, Deebymistake said:

Switch over and watch the Matilda's v North Korea. Just turn the volume down as NK like to shriek

I deeply dislike soccer and find it pretty boring, but love the way the Matilda's have played over the last decade or so.

It's quite a fascinating match right now. We're up by a goal but getting pounded by a very physical North Korea.

It's interesting to see if we can grab this win to make the semis

1 minute ago, Earl Hood said:

Yawn this game style we are seeing now is starting to resemble basketball too much. The mid ground battles for yardage, a turnover or stoppage and ball up have all but disappeared, it’s just running the ball from end to end for shots at goal. Not particularly enjoying watching others play so it will be interesting to see us in action on Sunday.

I don't miss the congestion and endless stoppages one tiny bit, Earl

The issue with the game tonight is that Essendon are out of their depth. Bombing it indiscriminately whilst the Hawks are playing team football, always looking for a teammate

Subsequently the game was over 20 minutes into the 2nd quarter.

10 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

Yawn this game style we are seeing now is starting to resemble basketball too much. The mid ground battles for yardage, a turnover or stoppage and ball up have all but disappeared, it’s just running the ball from end to end for shots at goal. Not particularly enjoying watching others play so it will be interesting to see us in action on Sunday.

Having a similar reaction. It should be good, but there's something lost. B ball is a good analogy.

Having said that, I have struggled to watch non dees matches for a while.

Seeing the bombers getting pantsed is always good fun

i hope they lose by 100 points

So far this round on what we've seen of the 4 teams, 3 are quite beatable and hold no fears

The Hawks? We might need them to have an off night as their team play is very good

6 minutes ago, Macca said:

I don't miss the congestion and endless stoppages one tiny bit, Earl

The issue with the game tonight is that Essendon are out of their depth. Bombing it indiscriminately whilst the Hawks are playing team football, always looking for a teammate

Subsequently the game was over 20 minutes into the 2nd quarter.

You are probably right. But I have turned over to the Women’s soccer, more of a midfield battle happening there.

• Dayz since Essenscum won a final = 7860

• Estimate of day until Essenscum win a final = 203,860

At least Essendon continues to take the focus of us, 20 yrs of no success, going around in circles..

1 minute ago, Earl Hood said:

You are probably right. But I have turned over to the Women’s soccer, more of a midfield battle happening there.

I've got the Roosters/Rabbitohs match on the laptop

And the Players Championship comes on at 10.30 (Golf)

I put $100 on poos/wees @ $1.17. Money for old rope.

24 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Nah. I have no capacity to enjoy a Hawthorn win.

Don't see it as a hawthorn win, just see it as essendon getting smashed

Long Year Zach, when you are not allowed to leave, and have to crawl back, not looking anyone in the eye….

Round 0 teams 2-0. Watch this become a real problem for the AFL and the equality of the fixture.

Anyone checked bomberblitz?

Fair Dunkin’ I thought we were going to see a coach killing margin. Lazy in a season where you will be able to throw a blanket over 10 teams, you can’t play Essendon every week. Feel sorry for them? Ef no, I know too many smug EFC supporters.

Geelong still remain last on percentage, happy days.

Just hopped over to bomberblirz. The fans have given up already

In a competition that already before the season started had North, Bombers, Tigers and Eagles struggling to win more than 4-5 games. We can now add Carlton to that list, some even have us on the list. Yet many want a 19th team in this competition. I know I bang on about this but how many actually think it will work and how many have just resigned themselves to the fact it’s happening regardless of what the fans think.

Great night of sport. The matildas win & the Bombers get thrashed

Don't discount that there will be games this season where Essendon click and their opponents don't hassle enough, and the Bombers will get momentum going and kick some big scores, even against notionally much better sides.

On the other hand, the scoreboard flattered them significantly and at some point this season a talented, disciplined team is going to absolutely ragdoll them.

Getting a real 'Demons of 2011' vibe about Essendon 2026.

I should have had 'no Scott twins coaching before the end of the season' in the big predictions thread.

I guess as stated elsewhere that Essendon will click in some games but having had to attend tonights game v Hawthorn due to family commitments, I would be dismayed if I was an Essendon supporter. For the first game of the season, they had little run, little spark and put in a timid display. It looked like they missed the memo that football seems to have moved on from the defensive style to more free flowing movement. They were dire.

1 hour ago, dees189227 said:

Just hopped over to bomberblirz. The fans have given up already

They have a thread reflecting on the shining contract extensions of the likes of Henry Slattery and David Myers way back, and then this beautiful effort;

I was more thinking his Gumbleton thread

who have we got that can’t string 3 games together at the moment?

"Essendon."

We all enjoy seeing a good Essendon thrashing, but for mine this is becoming an issue for the AFL. Essendon, Richmond, West Coast, North, maybe even Carlton ... you just can't have the same teams languishing year after year. It's become pretty clear that rebuilding just through the draft isn't enough, but these club aren't attracting the kind of players they need to turn things around either.

Compare what's going on with those 4 clubs to the 4 north-of-the-border clubs, night and day.

We all need an equitable comp where fans have some kind of hope each week, otherwise they won't turn up. Not good.

20 minutes ago, bing181 said:

We all enjoy seeing a good Essendon thrashing, but for mine this is becoming an issue for the AFL. Essendon, Richmond, West Coast, North, maybe even Carlton ... you just can't have the same teams languishing year after year. It's become pretty clear that rebuilding just through the draft isn't enough, but these club aren't attracting the kind of players they need to turn things around either.

Compare what's going on with those 4 clubs to the 4 north-of-the-border clubs, night and day.

We all need an equitable comp where fans have some kind of hope each week, otherwise they won't turn up. Not good.

Richmond are fine, as for the rest, apart from Carlton who just need a modern coach, all those teams have recruited and managed their lists abysmally. Imagine if West Coast had taken our offer for Reid, they’d be way further ahead. North just keep getting midfielders every year. Essendon have been stocking up on first rounders for five years and very few of them are anything to get excited about.

Edited March 13Mar 13 by KozzyCan

8 hours ago, bing181 said:

We all enjoy seeing a good Essendon thrashing, but for mine this is becoming an issue for the AFL. Essendon, Richmond, West Coast, North, maybe even Carlton ... you just can't have the same teams languishing year after year. It's become pretty clear that rebuilding just through the draft isn't enough, but these club aren't attracting the kind of players they need to turn things around either.

Compare what's going on with those 4 clubs to the 4 north-of-the-border clubs, night and day.

We all need an equitable comp where fans have some kind of hope each week, otherwise they won't turn up. Not good.

Interesting point. Are we seeing Essendon and Carlton moving into a downward spiral such as hit Melbourne. I doubt that it will be as bad in that we missed the post 1970 growth phase whereas Essendon and Carlton will simply stagnate membership wise. It is a problem for the AFL in that the theatre goer who make up the bulk of the television audience will fall away. Personally I didn't bother with the Thursday game and watched ten minutes of the Hawthorn game simply to get an idea of Hawthorn's gamestyle for this year (it's different).

West Coast is where the AFL must intervene. That State is growing and they need a vibrant team. Freo really doesn't cut it.

Strange that Saturday (the worst day for TV audiences) has the best games.