Jaded No More

I have some serious concerns about Goodwin as a coach, and I'm actually excited to see what he does after a clearly very bad day today. How we play next week will tell me most of what I need to know about him as coach. From the outside looking in, he seems to much a friend and a good guy, and not enough of a strong leader of men. I hope I'm very very wrong.

How, after all these years, the letdowns, the heartaches, the coaching changes, and list changes... how can this group of players still come out with a terrible attitude and not give enough, is absolutely beyond me. We have everything to play for, yet we didn't turn up for the majority of the game. I've been OK with some of our losses, especially when we lost players during the game. Today Hawks were a man down, and we still lost. I felt like I was back in 2013 watching players not giving a damn, not chasing, not sticking tackles, not manning up... basic [censored] that you think professional footballers with a desire to win would be proficient at doing. Sometimes it feels like this ride through hell will never end, and sometimes you see glimpses and you think "one day we'll be great", but that one day never comes. That light at the end of the tunnel feels like an oncoming train!

Did you watch them last week? They are done. Cooked. Not against Melbourne though.

Number of players going for the same mark= 6 Number of players around the pack = 0 Number of players keeping their feet= 0 Melbourne = stupid

I feel like when I'm 90 I'll be going to Melbourne games yelling "who's on Burgoyne?" I swear it's a recurring nightmare. As is watching our players handball directly into trouble and taking a [censored] eternity to kick the ball into the forward line, allowing every opposition player to get in there then run it out with ease.

I'm disappointed with Goodwin as coach mostly because we have lost our defensive edge completely. I lost count of how many times Hawthorn were streaming forward in packs unmanned.

Amen. Bugg is garbage. Stretch has game sense and can kick a footy. Also Kent in JHK out.

Why I continuously let this soft team ruin my weekends is beyond me. 18 years I've watched us get destroyed by Burgoyne. Why the [censored] don't we man up? And why oh why do we insist on being the dumbest bunch of players who handball to stationary players? We have no leadership, no killer instincts. We let a team who is down and out come out and destroy us in a half because mentally we are weak. And it doesn't help that we are too [censored] stupid not to have 9 players go for a pack mark and NOBODY STAYS DOWN. I can understand inconsistency but I can't understand stupidity. We do the same thing over and over again and we don't learn.

[censored] this team

And I love Hunt forward too. He was superb to start the quarter. Come on Dees! Please!

Welcome back Viney. We've missed you!

I have no words. Come on Dees!!!!!!!!

Highlight of the season for me! *goes to off herself*

As soon as I saw the late change I told my dad he'll have a great game. So typical Oliver just came out late from rooms. Please don't let him be injured. FFS we really don't need that!

I can't see us winning this. Hawks are full of confidence, with luck and the umps on their side. It's just disappointing.

Amazingly we are winning the Centre clearances 7-3. Pity we absolutely suck as using the footy!!!

Seriously are we just cooked or what? The ball is coming out of the forward line too easily. Garlett has done SFA as has JHK. It's just not good enough. Terrible game. Bad skills, bad coaching, bad umpiring.

Disgusting quarter. No effort. Dumb use of the football. Hopeless. Well done giving the Hawks retirement club all the confidence in the world to go on and smash us.

Please lets not risk our best and most valuable player for the sake of rushing him for a game or two. We are not exactly staring a premiership in the face this season. I want him fit and firing from now until 2027 please, not breaking down again after a week of being rushed in too quickly.

Hogan in, Melksham out. Happy days!!!

Seems to have lost all the penetration in his kicking. Two examples yesterday were his two shots on goal, one from a set shot and one on the run. They both were horrible shanks and barely made the distance, let alone accuracy. I suspect injuries are hampering him, because he has never been this bad with his kicking. Some of his kicks this year have been diabolical!

Pretty pathetic from Essendon fans to boo any of the players who left after being injected with god knows what. But then again, what more would you expect from a club that is labelling this season a "comeback" as if they are some hero soldiers returning from war, and not a bunch of drug cheaters returning from a suspension!

Amazing what having an injury-free pre season can do to a man!

His brain and hands are twice as fast as anyone I've seen on a footy field. This is why I get so angry when an ump, from 100m away, pings him for throwing!

Apologies to these two, as yes, they are very good users. Lewis has been a bit hit and miss this season, but Hibberd, unlike his other Essendon mate, is superb. A brilliant pick up!