Jumping Jack Clennett

Round 22 2007 was a significant disaster for our club. Today was worse. I admired the players for their persistence and skill, but I feel the footy dept. should have shown less naivety.

Robbo is the player who worries me. He's just the sort to kick 6 and win the game v. Port or North off his own boot. I'd give Juice a go at full- forward. Posters suggest he's earned promotion.If he struggles as usual, it'll help our cause. If he finally comes good and gains confidence, we've found another weapon!

[quote name='Rojik of the Arctic' Puff away, and barrack hard!

[quote name='why you little' date= I agree with you, "why you little". I also reckon his skill level has been over-rated in recent seasons. He has a lot of trouble taking a mark over his head, and isn't a very reliable kick for goal. He DID play well in that GF he should never have been in.

In my opinion, Simon Buckley has shown he has the potential to be a top class AFL player. He's definitely looked comfortable at the level.. Just makes a few clangers due to inexperience.

In response to you, 'rpfc' ..... Are you suggesting that in 300 games, no-one set up Craig Bradley with a "hospital " pass.? Or did I just fail to notice that he just took the shirtfronts, got up, and played on regardless. No....I'm pretty sure he had the footy nous to avoid those situations. It may extend back as far as not calling for a pass, if a collision is likely. But I think a better explanation is that experienced players learn how to protect themselves in that situation.

Has anyone else noticed a similarity to the great Guy McKenna in Jack Grimes? Both hard at it, good hands, and very constructive with hand and foot....esp. the latter.

Did anyone else notice how poor the umpires were in the StK/Geel game today? Usually I'm so one-eyed and passionate(in Demons games), that my opinion on their performance(normally critical) is irrelevant. But today!!! Here were 44 of the best footballers going flat out. They deserved top-class officialdom. The Umps?? Continually picking the soft option, or,paradoxically, going for the extroverted, super-technical. Over and over again,my initial impression of poor judgment by the umpires was proven correct by TV replays. A great game , despite second class umpiring by overpaid ,talentless, unfit ,clowns.

Poor old Nathan took a sickening blow, which he knew was coming, since he looked at the on-coming player a split second before he was crunched. It was lucky he didn't break his neck. He can be proud that he showed the courage to keep his head up and take what was coming. What I want to know is this: did he fail to protect himself adequately? Or should he somehow have avoided the clash by not going for the mark, but knocking the ball on, ducking , then running on to pick it up? Players like Bradley of Carlton played 300 games without ever having to face that situation. Was it just luck? Did he foresee that sort of situation and pull out before it looked like he squibbed it? I'd love to see what Judd or Ablett would have done. Somehow I can't see them sacrificing themselves as Nathan did, yet I can't imagine them avoiding the contest. I'm not criticising Wirra. He had a great chance to fairly flatten a guy, and showed no mercy. Mind you, if he had broken Jones's neck, it may have ruined his own career, like O'Keefe of Fitzroy with Neil Sachse.

[quote name='Cards13' date='Jun 24 "3 of our 2nd term goals were from free kicks...." The Bomber supporters must have known about this when they were complaining at quarter-time!

[quote name='fitness' date='Jun 22 2009, "I think he has a huge amount still to offer for many more years at the club" I'm a fan of Wheatley, too, "Fitness". Remember his game up in Brisbane when we beat them up there? (was it '02 or'03?). He did some brilliant things. On the basis of his form last season he should be an automatic inclusion when fit.

What happened to the topic of my original post?!?! Demonlanders are never interested in subtle observations of our play.

[quote name='Ash 30' "It was frustrating, and had the game been closer, it would have been worse." With fairer umpiring it WOULD have been closer, but not worse.

Once again,v. the Bombers no movement, no options, no penetration, no change of tactics. Never the quickly taken kick, catching out the opposition zones. Meanwhile their kick-ins consistently set up attacks. Did anyone else note the similarity between Friday's third quarter and the second quarter of the 2000 Grand Final?? After holding our own and looking as good as Ess. to that point, we suddenly became unable to clear the ball from defence after points. Time and time again the pressure mounted as we kicked in to contested situations. Eventually, the pressure told, and the floodgates opened.

On at least two occasions on Friday night, I saw Melbourne players stand still, waiting for an accurate pass to hit them on the chest. It was obvious to observers in the stands that an Ess. opponent was closing in. If our player took just 2 steps forward, a clear mark would have resulted, rather than the effective spoil. It's probably a result of a lack of confidence, like the hesitancy to play on after a mark, or to take a quick kick-in. Did any other Demonlanders notice these incidents?

I also wish to pay tribute to Brad for a great act of courage. Certainly the equal of Reiwoldt and J. Brown's legendary great marks, except in Brad's case, he actually got clobbered(virtually tunnelled, anyway, by a guy who saw him coming and ducked....didn't want the ball as much). Though Brad was running with the flight, he was the one who kept his eye on the ball. The on-coming Essendon player , in my opinion, infringed, because he elected to protect himself, and took Green out, legs first. Yes, too technical to be definitely defined as "dangerous play"(tunnelling"), but I reckon worth the mark being paid or a free to Green. And what an inspiring goal it would have resulted in! This act of sheer guts was perpetrated by a guy who's already suffered a severe head injury this season! I'm full of admiration. I'll admire Ablett, Franklin, Pavlich ,Fevola , Didak etc in the same way when I see them do it, but I haven't yet. With experience, it's possible to foresee and avoid such incidents. I have the same respect for Bartel, Reiwoldt , Rivers and J. Brown as I have been developing for Green. He should be skipper for 2010. He's been setting the example for years now.

[quote='DangerousDemon' I reckon you've made an accurate point very eloquently. The free kick tally at the end of an otherwise pretty equal first quarter was 7:1. (22:9 at the end) Their first 3 goals came from dubious frees. What a great start! All night they were influenced by a totally Essendon crowd, who screamed "BALL' a split second before Melbourne players took possession Robbo got one ridiculous free for a goal, but apart from that, 50:50 went their way 80:20. On one occasion Lucas absolutely scragged Martin in the goalsquare before marking"unopposed". No free. Add that to all the goals they got. Thank heavens for the biased umpiring....we might have won and wrecked our drafting.