Gresham, Wright, McKay.

All underperforming blokes that have been bagged pillar to post. Then come yesterday they all play the games of their lives. An absolute microcosm and symbolic of Essendon’s dominance over us in Gather Round.

It’s a pity that Melbourne supporters pay good money over and over again in Adelaide to witness an inevitable bottom 3 worst performance of the given year. And quite frankly our recent efforts at Adelaide Oval have been appalling.

Put the game in the bin. Address the issues and move on.

7 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

So we're all supposed to expect losses ...

Whether people actually expect losses or not is up to them.

What I'm reacting to is people saying - as many have since pre-season - that they expect losses, but then aren't prepared to put on their big-boy/girl pants when those losses come in.

Just checking in...

Has the blood letting finished ??

28 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Just checking in...

Has the blood letting finished ??

Not yet

Maybe it’s a bottom 7 clubs…

15 hours ago, bing181 said:

No you're not. You're only happy to enjoy it as long as there's not much rolling and coasting.

Pardon me. I should have consulted you before attempting to express what was inside my own head.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by The Taciturn Demon

Trying to stay as level as possible. If we're knocking off some teams we aren't expected to beat than I can probably accept a few losses that we're expected to win, it's not easy though.

The one thing that confused me in the second half was how often we backed away when they had possession and almost invited them to play the kick-mark style. This Essendon side is famous for going to water the moment pressure is applied and we just seemed to fold back when they gained possession in the back half. Don't know if this is meant to be by design or not but it seemed strange to me.

2 hours ago, bing181 said:

Whether people actually expect losses or not is up to them.

What I'm reacting to is people saying - as many have since pre-season - that they expect losses, but then aren't prepared to put on their big-boy/girl pants when those losses come in.

I think peeps can accept losses ... I can.

But there are losses ... and there are losses. And this falls into the latter category.

Happy to elaborate if required.

Our best beat the team on top - Suns, our worst lost to the bottom team - Bombers!

While Suns are more likely a 3-6 ladder team, Bombers are a 13-18 team, hopefully 18!

Demons need to bring our best most weeks to win, our worst won’t beat anyone!

Expectations should be for 7-12 wins.

Of our players:

TMac looking very slow, feels like Petty better option,

Salem slow but his best is still okay,

Lever slow but can still intercept,

Would be good to see AMW get a go and also Bowey back to add a bit of leg speed.

Melksham more as a pinch hitter, than every week, as Mihocek, JVR, Fritsch and Melky combined make us a little slow,

I think one of Heath or Kentfield on bench or rotating ruck forward will be good to see and give Max the odd chop out!

The young guys will be a bit inconsistent, but rather than wholesale changes reacting to a bad week, I’d rather see it managed carefully. Would prefer see them get 5-6 games and give them a proper run before dropping them!

Also puts pressure on guys missing out to knock the door down in the VFL! Unfortunately AFL fixture is VFL is disgraceful making it hard for players to show form in actual games with ridiculous byes early in the season!

If Salem injured he is obvious out, TMac struggling another out and one other would be it maximum for me.

16 hours ago, bing181 said:

You did not expect inconsistency at all.

Apart from the hyperbole ("likely wooden spooner" ...), inconsistency means EXACTLY what you saw yesterday. Wild swings in performance, across and within games. An inconsistent team is one that might look dominant one match or quarter and underwhelming the next, might beat a ladder-leader one week but then lose to a cellar-dweller.

What you expected was in fact the reverse, consistency, where we'd more or less perform to a similar level every time we ran out onto the park.

If you hate losing fine, but don't kid yourself about "expecting inconsistency".

You are confusing consistency of play and consistency of effort.

Play comes and goes, as you have pointed out.

Effort should be non negotiable.

The fat slags won, again.

All good, 15yo me. We’ll get ‘em in Round 14 at the ‘G.

Now, that Geography homework ain’t gonna do itself. Get on it!

Actually shocked that its taken less than 2 months for people to have 'Prime 2022' expectations about our side.

Were less than half a dozen games into a rebuild/reset playing kids in lots of roles

Relax....we've got this [ref. for the OGs]

I know there are a few posters on here that have/had invovlement in footy at various levels (especially Jnr footy). My question goes to them. How worried should we be regarding our 1-3 year players?

I know these kids take time, but i am not liking what im seeing at all from our 2-3 year players so far. Im not sure what to expect - if anything - but from our top 10 picks over the last few years, im worried that we have picked up a few average 100-150 gamers that we may end up delisting in the 5-7 years time.

Its a super harsh take - i know - but was expecting a lot from Windsor. He does show snippets - ill admit that - but its few and far between. He looks like a player, being played in a position he is not familiar with. Cant get the ball enough and goes missing a lot. His disposal by foot is also iffy. So far he just looks like he has jets but doesnt know how to use them... J.Hunt v2.0.

Langford, has the build of an insider player, but shirks contests. Is he afraid of going at the ball? Maybe its the instruction, but he seems to lack the mongrel needed to get to the next level. Would be a waste - a player with his physique being moved to the outside / wing.

I mean this with full respect, but these questions need to be asked. I am more than happy enough to lose games - i have zero expectations this year other than seeing our youth start to blossom. What im left with is the prospect of us being the new Essendon with a whole bunch of first rounders that amass to a failed rebuild.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned our Gather Round prep and how the week is different to other interstate trips. The team flew across on Wednesday (I think) did a main training at Panther park on Thursday and did their Captain's run in Glenelg. I think some of the younger boys maybe didn't handle the prep as well?

I'm not sure why we traveled so early. Most interstate trips we fly up the day before.

The uncontested mark game by essendon really bothers me because Essendon were getting smashed in uncontested possessions in previous weeks. It hasn't been a tactic of there's or perhaps they had tried but opposition pressure didn't allow it to occur. Or perhaps the addition of Ridley and Langford back there enabled it much better. Either way, our pressure was way off and we didn't squeeze up on them at all. Credit to Brad Scott because he out-coached Kingy in a big way.

20 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned our Gather Round prep and how the week is different to other interstate trips. The team flew across on Wednesday (I think) did a main training at Panther park on Thursday and did their Captain's run in Glenelg. I think some of the younger boys maybe didn't handle the prep as well?

I'm not sure why we traveled so early. Most interstate trips we fly up the day before.

The uncontested mark game by essendon really bothers me because Essendon were getting smashed in uncontested possessions in previous weeks. It hasn't been a tactic of there's or perhaps they had tried but opposition pressure didn't allow it to occur. Or perhaps the addition of Ridley and Langford back there enabled it much better. Either way, our pressure was way off and we didn't squeeze up on them at all. Credit to Brad Scott because he out-coached Kingy in a big way.

There will undoubtedly be something in this.

26 was,/is always going to be a learning curve with the occasional gutter ball.

Hysterical, to moi, the panic and derision some are so quick to level.

Im disappointed we 'turned it up' .. but hey... it's not the end of the world ( that's another discussion 🤔🙄🤣)

We're already travelling better that 99% suspected/expected .

Sit back enjoy the ride, please keep seat belts fastened as some turbulence is expected.