praha

75-80K. AFL Members was sold out a week or so ago, GA will be packed, as will MCC. Last week's result has little bearing. It would have been 75-80 regardless. I'm predicting around 25k Melbourne 40-45k Richmond and the rest neutrals and corporates.

Except we missed the finals but the smallest of margins, stamp out those in game brain fades and we're undoubtedly in the mix.

Unlike what many here think, I believe the media is active in its positive support for us, as evident in its talking up of Melbourne throughout the pre-season. When Melbourne goes bad it's a story because we've been so bad for so long, and I think people do genuinely want to see us do well. The expectation now is that we should not be performing still as we did on the weekend. It's a story because even people that don't support Melbourne are sick and tired of the rubbish they give up. Media folk are just as quick to talk us up and praise us as the next best thing as they are to talk us down. IMO, the scrutiny we have faced this week is completely justified. It was as bad a performance by a team as we've seen this year. Carlton hasn't had anywhere near as much AFL assistance as us, and didn't have a Paul Roos or Peter Jackson brought it to right the ship. It's a non-story when they don't perform. Essendon is building back from 4 years of excessive media scrutiny that goes far beyond any on-field ineptness. I don't think Essendon performing badly is interesting. Like Carlton, it's a bit of a non-story. The public is just exhausted of anything Essendon. For all the complaining Melbourne fans make of us not getting coverage in the media, we actually get a hell of a lot. St Kilda didn't get anywhere near as much coverage about its performance as we have after one bad performance. I get that the media are merchants of negativity, but even as one of the league's so-called "smaller" clubs, we have always seemed to get coverage akin to that of the powerhouses. This may be due to the club's "friends" in high places, and the weird number of people in the media industry that are Melbourne supporters (we probably have more former Melbourne players, and supporters working in the media than any other club). We're scrutinised because people expect (and want) so much from the club. That's not a bad thing. Besides, none of the coverage this week has been unjustified. We deserved to be hounded. That wasn't just a 67-point loss. It was -- as they say -- a football lesson.

We need Hunt back asap. Bring Pederson in if you're going to throw Hogan in the midfield. Drop one of ANB or Bugg.

It was a shocking, shocking oversight. Imagine sending your Captain to do a grunt's job. IMO we lost it the moment Jones went to Mitchell.

hahahahahahahahahahaha

ANB has been one of our best, only forward applying pressure. Garlett, Bugg and Kent need to be working harder to punish their own fumbly defenders. IMO both backlines are a liability today. They have just taken their chances.

Don't worry, we've got this.

Well this is the dumbest quarter of the year.

not good enough. have dominated everywhere but the scoreboard. we are either inefficient up forward, or they are defending super well.

Mistake.

What's with the weird flag waving going on thr ground?

Richmond and the Bulldogs have both proven that small and contested footy holds up in high pressure matches. Adelaide was a high contested ball winning side last year but once a team exploited their top heaviness, they struggled to adapt. I hope we smash them and Sydney this year.

He admitred that it was a mistake and simply forgot to include him. But how? It would be like forgetting Ben Simmons in NBA Rookie of the Year contention.

Got my tickets yesterday. AFL Members. Level 4 back allocation exhausted. Level 2 AE. Level 3 AE. Level 1 undercover AE. All that was left was Level 4 "front row" and Level 1 outside. Managed to get right on the wing. I imagine AFL Members will sell it if it hasn't already.

As with Gawn, Tmac, and Omac, Wagner is playing in a high pressure position, and takes time to develop. The way people have carried on about OMac has been embarrassing, and now they're eating their words...but have redirected their whip onto poor ol' Wags. It's been a consistent theme with blokes like Wagner: they have the smarts and the awareness, but are ultimately scrutinised to the highest level because they play in a position where good things are subtle contributions and rarely acknowledged, but a single mistake can lead to a bad turnover or cost a goal. Undoubtedly does far more good than bad, but people hyperventilate whenever he gets beaten in a 1v1, or sprays a kick. Yeah, there is less margin for error in the backline than anywhere else on the ground, but Wagner and the rest of his fellow young backmen play with levep heads that you'd expect from 150-gamers. They never seem intimidated, they never stop defending. We have three beasts down back in Omac, Wagner and Frost, and some supporters are too dense and broken to realise it. We are building towards an Essendon 2000-esque defense. Wagner is such an important component to our growth and rise as a team.

Mitchell's influence on a match imo is minimal. I don't see him as much of a playmaker. When Hawthorn win, it's because they're rebounding out of defense and their forwards are delivering. No Burgoyne is a huge out for them, and if our forwards can pressure and negate opposition rebounding as they have in the last 2 rounds, Mitchel could end up with 50 touches and we'll still win by 40 points.

Love you confidence but Bugg isn't as good a set shot as you think. Yes, he kicked 4 goals on the weekend but I fear he won't be as accurate on the weekend and we'll miss those goals.

I predicted we'd beat North by 10 goals, and we damn well should have. IMO we were a 10-goal better side after quarter time. Kick some sitters and remove Brown's goals and we're there. I'm predicting a similar result for Sunday.

He already is.

Including the Hawks game there is pointless. Both Richmond and Melbourne get a lengthy break, and Essendon has one less day rest than us. From a management perspective it's important, but if you're factoring in the opposition, we are evenly if not better placed.

Every team gives up runs, but our problem is that it's either at the start of a game, or after we've establish a big lead. If we kick the first 3, and the opposition kicks the next 6, we're only down by 3 goals. No one bats an eyelid. If the opposition kicks the first 4-6, it's newsworthy. Or if you're up by 6 goals and have 6 straight kicked on you, it's a problem. I think that in the modern game, anything under 5 goals is a nothing lead. Atm I don't think it's a major issue. But if we certainly need to lool at closing that gap.

Not your best work, and very harsh on our defenders. Lever Hibberd Frost Jetta were all very good.

How much time left?

Kent and Bugg our best forwards today so far. Did you ever imagine you'd hear someone say that?