bing181

2 takeaways for me from today were: - we finally managed to not go AWOL for parts of the game. No easy goals out the back at the end of quarters, and really managed to keep the match on our terms when we got in front (most of the last half). The players felt very deliberate and clear in keeping control at those critical moments. - not unrelated to the above, but we look such a better team with Lewis and Hibbard. Add Gawn and Hogan to that side, and when the story of this year comes to be written, it's going to be one of "what might have been". It's easy to see how we could have been 6 0 at this stage had we had those 4 players every game.

Wrong column. They were marks.

And many weren't.

Hard to see O'Mac being dropped: not a huge number of disposals, but highest efficiency on the field. Plus 8 marks and a huge 14 1%'ers (if not a misprint ...). The other plus with Oscar is that he seems to be able to play all day: 99% of game time is almost like having another player on the bench. Also, to state the obvious, having Oscar there frees up Tom to take the ruck when the ball's in the back half.

Josh Wagner: 12 kicks 8 handballs 20 disposals 5 marks 6 tackles

And even when he's replacing a crumbing forward.

Neeld has the runs on the board as an assistant, and from what I've heard from a couple of Essendon-supporting mates, he's appreciated at the Dons, as he was at Collingwood. OK, he was a out of his depth as a senior coach, but no shame in that. You could make the same argument re Brendan McCartney.

Surprise surprise. He wasn't dropped for nothing. Some players will always look good in the VFL, the game is very different.

It's impacting what's going on up the ground - the mids don't automatically know who to look for, and the indecision leads to poor decisions.

Hogan out really hurts us. Forward line has little/no structure. I would almost have played Weideman, just to get some shape in there. Hurley doing what he wants.

Wonder if this is what we're going to see all season ... pressure, pressure, pressure, lots of inside 50's, but not hitting the scoreboard, then they get easy goals down the other end. Feels like a repeat of a lot of the last few weeks.

I think it's a big ask - simply because the team is so unsettled. Just a fact of life at the moment, but we really need some continuity. But suspect that it might come down to who is the freshest. Our players have had an extra night's sleep, which counts for a lot in terms of recovery.

Ability?

The club never denied he was concussed.

Different roles. Dear lord.

So, not laying a tackle isn't a performance criteria independent of other KPI's.

Hibberd managed to get maximum coaches votes of the Dees players, plus a place in team of the round as a half-back. Tackles? Zero. Nil. None. Zilch.

That's true of every player in the team. But careful with "better": can be a vague term for those of us not on the inside. Which is why I didn't use it.

I was going on what we know definitely re unforced outs. Apart from that, I'm not confident anyone will play. We never really know who's carrying injuries, or whose "slight knock" is something more.

If Melksham's in the team, it's because the coaches believe he can bring more to his role than anyone else currently available.

In: Pedersen, Weideman or Oscar Mac, Lewis. Ideally, should be like for like, and with 3 talls out, Lewis as a definite in, at least 2 of the other forced changes would have to be talls. 3 changes is already a lot for a team that did a lot right last weekend, don't believe there'll be any unforced ones.

So equal highest number of I50's has nothing to do with it then?

There is no win-win here, whatever we do is just shuffling the deck chairs. Without an AFL-quality ruck, we're going to be playing without an AFL-quality ruck, and everything that goes with it. The one advantage of Watts/Frost is that they become an extra mid once the ball hits the ground. But if opposition rucks are directing the ball where they want (and they will), then even this becomes moot. The football gods giveth, and the football gods taketh away, and in this case, we'll just have to suck it up.

Or not.

Getting the intensity and structures right. Now we just need a couple of seasons to get some experience, nouse, and composure. Enjoy the ride.