11 hours ago, Nasher said:

Incredible that they’ve matched the losing streak they endured when they were playing a top-up side. Golden opportunity for us to assist in their record breaking endeavours.

Straight to the "When will Essendon break these embarrassing records?" book. Alongside the 7,000 plus days without a finals win.

2 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

A really different challenge this week. First game for the season where we’ll be favourites. How will we deal with the pressure of expectation? Being the hunted, not hunters?

It’s a big test IMO. All the gains of yesterday will be undone if we lose to Essendon.

We were favourites in the Carlton game too.

I also disagree with thia sentiment going around that if we lose this week it will undo all of our work.

We will have slip ups this year and it would put us at 3-2. I think most fans would have taken that going into this year. I certainly would have.

That is not to say we should lose to Essendon...

Edited 20 hours ago20 hr by Adam The God

1 hour ago, monoccular said:

I seem to recall this sort of thing being said the past few times we have played EssUndone - that hasn’t gone so well has it?

No game is a gimmie, no game.

Think that at your peril.

What I think won’t impact the result so i’m happy to be over confident. Bombers are a… plane wreck.

Big win coming up!!

3 hours ago, Turner said:

IN: Rivers, Kentfield, Fritsch

OUT: Howes, TMac, Laurie

Rivers plays howes role better than howes, settle him there if fit and he will have far more impact ball in hand

Your kidding me! Howes dropped he's been a gun for us and T.Mac out before Petty terrible outs. The more I think about the more I want Rivers in if Fritsch doesn't come up.

B: Lever, McDonald, Salem

HB: Tholstrup, Turner, Howes

C: Langford, Sparrow, Windsor

HF: Chandler, van Rooyen, L.Pickett

F: Fritsch, Mihocek, Melksham

FOLL: Gawn, Steele, K.Pickett

IC: Lindsay, Langdon, Sharp, Culley, Kentfield

EMERG: Rivers, Laurie, Heath

7 hours ago, Adam The God said:

I also disagree with thia sentiment going around that if we lose this week it will undo all of our work.

I agree. Not only would a loss NOT undo all of our work, it wouldn’t spell the end of our season as has been suggested on here.

There are gonna be losses. No one can predict when and against whom they’ll occur.

Last year we were thrashed by North yet we beat the previous season’s grand finalists in consecutive matches.

That said, if we lose this week I shall check myself into the Sunshine Hospital psych ward where I shall see out the rest of my days.

10 hours ago, DubDee said:

Can confirm my anonymous posts on a footy forum do not influence the future, so you are safe. 🙂

Three words:

DON’T [censored] TEMPT FATE!

It’s funny how events change expectations. If the season had gone as expected by many and we were 0 / 4 at this point, playing the bombers would have us hyped for our possible first win. Now it’s utter nervousness that our amazing start could be undone by the same said Essendon. Personally I’m happily along for the ride - Go Dees!

Just reflecting this morning, watching a snippet of Kozzie snapping that goal against Carlton from 50, that even though he's not kicking big bags of goals for us, the new level he's taken his game to is just awsome.

Not that he was ever really a selfish player and you need someone to put it through and kick goals for the team to finish off the work upfield, but he's become such an awsome team player this year and driving the whole team forward through the midfield and his clever little passes inside 50. Magic to watch.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

On 06/04/2026 at 07:32, rpfc said:

Melksham looked so proppy in the last. He was either cramping in the groin (uncomfortable!) or twinged it slightly.

Cramp. If you watch the after-siren footage, there's hilarious footage of Melksham joking about it and doing his best 83-year-old impression with Howes (?) going down the race. He'll be fine for next week - he's an elite recoverer.

9 hours ago, Adam The God said:

We will have slip ups this year and it would put us at 3-2. I think most fans would have taken that going into this year. I certainly would have.

If we could just defer the slip up for a week, that would be lovely.

Essendon defeated us in last year's Gather Round (why do we get them again?) but it was close. We have a good record at AO. I've seen enough so far this year to be confident that we're not going to repeat last year's result.

Danger game

Doggies didn't get it all their own way

21 hours ago, Redleg said:

Nathan Williamson Umpire Number 22 clearly doesn't like us.

Funny incidents with him from yesterday.

First, he calls a mark to Lombard and then gets overruled by an umpire further away, who saw it hit the ground, while Lombard is telling his Dees opponent to shoosh and obviously don't tell anyone it wasn't a mark.

Second he refuses to review an "on the full" when Ed is pleading for him to do it and he can be heard saying "NO" on his mike and then the arc overrules him.

I would love to see an analysis of his games with Melbourne.

Yesterday the callers about 10 times said that a Dees free was missed and yet only said it once about the Suns.

Is that just bad luck?

21 hours ago, Redleg said:

Nathan Williamson Umpire Number 22 clearly doesn't like us.

Funny incidents with him from yesterday.

First, he calls a mark to Lombard and then gets overruled by an umpire further away, who saw it hit the ground, while Lombard is telling his Dees opponent to shoosh and obviously don't tell anyone it wasn't a mark.

Second he refuses to review an "on the full" when Ed is pleading for him to do it and he can be heard saying "NO" on his mike and then the arc overrules him.

I would love to see an analysis of his games with Melbourne.

Yesterday the callers about 10 times said that a Dees free was missed and yet only said it once about the Suns.

Is that just bad luck?

21 hours ago, Redleg said:

Nathan Williamson Umpire Number 22 clearly doesn't like us.

Funny incidents with him from yesterday.

First, he calls a mark to Lombard and then gets overruled by an umpire further away, who saw it hit the ground, while Lombard is telling his Dees opponent to shoosh and obviously don't tell anyone it wasn't a mark.

Second he refuses to review an "on the full" when Ed is pleading for him to do it and he can be heard saying "NO" on his mike and then the arc overrules him.

I would love to see an analysis of his games with Melbourne.

Yesterday the callers about 10 times said that a Dees free was missed and yet only said it once about the Suns.

Is that just bad luck?

22 had a shocker. It was almost like every time there was a 50/50 decision, it went to the Suns. He crucified Tommy Mac a few times.

https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/312748/days-since-essendon-won-a-final

7884 days and counting...

11 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/312748/days-since-essendon-won-a-final

7884 days and counting...

Thanks for my new wallpaper!

There's a character test involved in this game.

Because we've got wins on the board, because we now know we're playing good football, because we go into the game as strong favourites, and because there's a general sense that getting the win itself is of great importance against contemptible Essendon.

Got to keep the focus on how we play and continuing to grow, and not be thinking too much about the result.

In the perfect world, our players would look up at the scoreboard for the first time at the end of the game and think, "oh,yeah, it did feel like we were going well". 😁

1 hour ago, Adina88 said:

Cramp. If you watch the after-siren footage, there's hilarious footage of Melksham joking about it and doing his best 83-year-old impression with Howes (?) going down the race. He'll be fine for next week - he's an elite recoverer.

When the head of the DA knows you’re going to Gosch’s today and tasks you with keeping “a close eye on Mr Melksham’s groin.”

There’s a lot of talk about how good Essendon’s second half was without mentioning that the dogs lost Tim English half way through the third, Artie Jones for the whole last quarter and Ed Richards before the game replacing him with McNeil who completely ran out of puff in the second half and finished with only 2 kicks 6 handballs for the game, mostly in the first half. If any supporter group should know the risk of honourable losses it’s us. Maybe Essendon improved, their pressure was better and they get some good players back for our game, however they only won the last quarter by 1 point when the dogs only had 3/5 on the bench and had clearly gone into finish the game mode. Also the dogs kicked 7 behinds in the third quarter, it was as much their inaccuracy as Essendon improving to kick four goals two behinds. They had chances to belt them.

Regardless it’s a danger game for us, we must not switch off or take them at all lightly. No idea on the changes but I’ve been thinking a lot about our depth. In our team that on the weekend beat the suns we were missing:

Four premiership players: Viney, Bowey, Fritsch and Rivers

A few talented players pushing hard: CJ, Max Heath, AMW, Jefferson, Kentfield, Johnston, Cross, Henderson, Adams.

Some young guns who will probably play games this year: X Taylor, Matthews.

If we have some luck and everyone gets fit I have no idea how what our best 22 even is. I can’t even get the Premiership players in and I think they play. A good problem to have.

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by deejammin'

I'm surprised about TMac's name coming up as a possible exclusion from Saturday's team. His form to me as a TV observer has been more than adequate. There's no one at Casey pushing up to replace him (Separate subject but we have too many tall forwards... time to try some in defence).

Rivers returning is not a like for like as is of course Kentfield up forward.

Am I missing something

If Heath was doing a great job replacing Gawn, then Gawn become available, Heath would probably get dropped. Howes is doing a good job but Rivers could probably do it a bit better, naturally you choose Riv over Howes. Having Kentfield in the team will change the dynamics as he can play forward, back and ruck. Viney will be back at the moment there is no senior position available. What we do need is to improve our defence possibility JVR can go back. For pro Jefferson fans he may get his chance soon.

3 minutes ago, Coolx2 said:

Having Kentfield in the team will change the dynamics as he can play forward, back and ruck

Don't think I've ever seen Kentfield playing down back at Casey.

Tom Fullarton was played down back for a few games and was showing glimpses but he was delisted

12 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Don't think I've ever seen Kentfield playing down back at Casey.

Tom Fullarton was played down back for a few games and was showing glimpses but he was delisted

12 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Don't think I've ever seen Kentfield playing down back at Casey.

Tom Fullarton was played down back for a few games and was showing glimpses but he was delisted

He played the first half of last year down back at Casey until he was shifted back forward.

On 05/04/2026 at 22:01, DubDee said:

Kentfield in for T Mac

Can’t see too much change otherwise

Totally agree. I think King is more concerned about getting games into younger players and what might happen next year, when making decisions to keep older players or new blood. For the same reason you would drop Melksham for Jeffo but can't when he's had such a great game.

Flogging the Gliders this week is an absolute must!!!

Last year they touched us up badly, effectively over before halftime. This is their grand final, so we should expect their best.

On a personal note, my brother in law is a smug Essendon supporter who has taken great pride in us suffering the last few years. It has been a great start to the year, but I need this win!

I think Kentfield would need to play in defence initially if he is going to crack a senior game. JVR, Mihocek, Melksham/Fritsch is working. Langford and Culley also give us more marking power. If Fritsch and Melksham are fit, we are likely going to have to go taller this week anyway.

I would like to see Rivers come into the side in defence. Laurie, Culley, Tholstrup, TMac and Petty are the players most on the edge. But no one really deserves to be dropped.