Jaded No More

ANB and Spargo are not getting dropped. Kossi may be rested prior to finals for a week. The bigger issue we have right now is working out what is our best forward mix. Finals are 8 weeks away and we need to get it right. To me having a strong target up forward who can take pack marks or at least half aerial contests is going to be very important in finals when the pressure goes way up and you often see “kick it and hope” sort of entries. We can’t have 13 balls dropped on Spargo’s head and expect him to become a marking target. Nor can we rely on Fritsch to kick bags. He is an opportunistic forward and isn’t big enough to take on two defenders. I believe Ben Brown has to play in the next few weeks and we need to try and work it out with him in the side. He is a proven big forward and he’s battle ready. We know we will play finals. So now the question needs to be what sort of team do we want to field come week one of the finals.

I have to say the reaction from Simpson is vastly different to what it was last year when he had a big sook about going into a hub. Obviously realized his team isn’t an island and his club is going nowhere fast if they can’t win away from home (or at home for that matter!). Maybe just maybe the cursed state of Victoria which has been through more than all the other states combined, will finally benefit and our club can get some lucky breaks and play extra games at home. God knows we deserve some fortune!

I think Brisbane are better. They are more even across the ground. I think Dogs have a suspect backline. But time will tell.

But we could well finish 4th or 5th because of it. We have by far the hardest draw of the rest of the top 5 sides. We play Geelong, Port, Dogs and West Coast (away). The rest have maybe one game left against a top 5 side.

Port v Melbourne in Victoria. Casey, Kardinia, anywhere but SA please ??

Yep and our ordinary percentage thanks to our inability to put teams away is going to hurt us in the run home. Finish 3rd or 4th and get sent to play Lions at the Gabba would be a complete disaster.

Totally agree. But if those 5000 were more booing Essendon fans, I am happy they didn’t come.

Another massive percentage booster for the Dogs. While I don’t want interstate clubs in the top 4, I’m sick of the Dogs sniffing our [censored].

The other option is that some of those tickets were allocated to family and friends who didn’t go? ?‍♀️

I assume some people stayed away in the end. It was freezing and it was meant to rain.

We either win the flag from here or things go horribly wrong and we finish 6th and bomb out week one of finals. There is no in between for Melbourne. It’s all or nothing. My greatest fear is we don’t get to play finals at the G due to Covid.

SA closing their borders to basically everyone… could we get lucky and play Port in Melbourne?

GWS are such a disappointment. How is Cameron not under intense pressure? Is it because GWS only has 3 supporters?

Yep he’s the perfect leader for the nuffies of WA who want to be their own separate country but still enjoy that sweet sweet GST dollars.

What’s happened to Weid’s goal kicking? His confidence is shot. He needs to talk to a sports psychologist.

That is false on many levels. Very few experienced forwards go to the VFL and dominate. Delivery, poor windy grounds and poor quality teammates often means key forwards struggle the most at this level. We know Brown can play AFL. The questions remain over his fitness. If he’s looking strong and fit he gets a recall. Doesn’t need to kick 10 goals. Edit: he also doesn’t need to kick 10 at senior level. He needs to take marks, compete in the air and on the lead and provide a meaningful target. Fritsch best games this year were when Brown was deep forward taking away defenders.

Dogs absolutely kissed on the [censored]. No crowd at Optus Stadium thanks to WA absolutely being the most ridiculous over the top state and their premier who is the biggest bed wetting arrogant [censored] going around.

Yep and unlike the Adelaide which could have well been won by us had the correct deliberate decision been called, Essendon did not lose because of the umpires. They lost because we were better. End story.

I’m not fussed about Browns goal kicking. We know he can kick. I am more interested if he’s taking overhead marks and getting good separation on his opponent.

Fair to say Jones is still too good for VFL I don’t think there’s a Demon fan in the country who wouldn’t love to see him in ripping form in the seniors. Nothing would make me happier than Jones flying and contributing in a flag.

They don’t even think they can beat our VFL side without flooding Booooo

At least it looks like an ok day for forwards. Not much rain or wind.

They were booing him from the start of the match. Imagine being that deluded that you think players you injected with drugs and took away an entire year of their career had no right to leave?! You clap that wife cheating gambler Stringer but boo Hibberd. All [censored] class Essendon.

What they should be saying “proud of the efforts of the team. Did well to hold one of the best sides in the competition to under 2 goals loss. Need to tidy up our kicking going inside 50” What they are actually saying “wahhh boooooo”

You can tell them there’s a reason we didn’t bother tagging Parish or Merrett. Their 1000 touches did half as much damage as Salem’s 26. Quality over quantity.