Dr. Gonzo

Harmes frustrated me yesterday, got caught on his left and held up momentum, handballed other teammates into trouble and dropped a couple of easy marks.

I thought that might be the case as well but a Goodwin comment in one of his pressers this week seemed to indicate this wasnt the case. Seems we're just in a bad form slump unfortunately.

Out - one of Harmes/Sparrow/Viney (in that order) In - Brown

Conversely every time we did get the clearance our guys were under immense pressure, handballing backwards, handballing into pressure etc

Fritsch was being scragged every time we went forward as well, particularly in the final quarter. Can't blame the umpires when we turn in that dross though (we are not Essendon supporters after all)

Their job is to pressure and harass so to make sure the oppo has no clear exits from our 50. Can't remember when it was but at one stage today (I think it was in the 3rd) we had 2 tackles inside 50 to their 7. 2! That is unacceptable, if we don't mark it forward we need to pressure and harass to keep it in or make the oppo defense kick dump kicks that we can chop off. I don't think any of them will get dropped but it is a huge reason why we aren't the team we were earlier in the year.

They are a good side who couldn't beat North or the Hawks in the last couple of weeks. It seemed as though our players weren't up for it today, either turned up expecting the win or just didn't want to work hard enough. Smashed around the clearances, lazy on forward half pressure, shanked some easy opportunities for goal and panicked in the last quarter when we had momentum but just continually blazed away. Hunt was frustrating getting caught three times but at least he was trying to create something - I was far more frustrated with Max trying to snap it around the corner from 50 out on the boundary and having another wayward blaze away at goal. You are our captain FFS show some composure when the rest are losing their heads. Settle down and spot up a target or chip it around til one presents. We just played lazy all day and I could forgive it if its a one off but we've played this way since the Lions game - we were lucky to get away with it last week. If it weren't for May and Lever we would be losing comfortably each week. It would frustrate me no end seeing the players up the field continue to stuff up the good work.

James Harmes - NO LEFT FOOT ?

Dr Who would love this thread haha

Why can't they play Ess/Adel on FNF? I know they want a TNF game but FNF is still the prime timeslot for the week that should be showcasing the best game.

They did play there in 2017 and the stink they made especially Caro its unlikely they'll be playing there again in the next few decades. The thing is it's not just the fact they don't have to go there but by those club's not going there it means club's like us, Dogs, North and the non-Vic club's get sent down there every season. Same as Tassie.

They're marking rather than their goal kicking, the Hawks seemed to be outnaeking then all over the ground and especially up forward.

Just put your own name and number if it comes to it I'm sure you can pass on the details at a later time.

Exactly, what an absolute joke we should be Friday night, we are game of the round. Essendon really give me the [censored].

Didn't even realise how many he'd had when I posted it, was more looking at his silk delivering inside 50.

Lewis Taylor beat Marcus Bontempelli for it a few years ago. Surely it's based on the season and not potential.

He is so good below his knees it more than makes up for his marking ability which I have no doubt will come.

I always think of this when I see him, I think it's the eyes

Any chance we can lure Touk Miller from the Sun's?

It's been happening all year and drives me berserk. It's only downfield if it's "after" the kick.

Also Hawthorns tall forwards gave GWS all sorts of problems last week. I agree I'm really surprised they didn't bring Brown in for a run of games to see how he goes, the real problem was who you drop for him.

Which bay are you in?

Yep but now it's about how unfair it is they have to go to Geelong tomorrow and how unfair it is none of their supporters can get in. If you didn't know any better you would assume Essendon had relocated to WA they whinge that much.

Same way they used to adjudicate whether a ball was touched before it crosses the goal line. They stood there, looked at it, and made a call.

That's exactly what I thought but if you read the AFL rules it is a grey area. The ball just has to be kicked before crossing the line withiut being touched by an opposition player so you could argue a "kick" is when the ball connects with the foot not when it disconnects from the foot.