The heart beats true

Is it wrong that I’m of the opinion we should now spend the back half of the year focusing on development for 2025?

His shoulder is absolutely shot. He can barely handle a single knock to it. He’s been playing injured for at least 6 weeks. Before that he was very, very good. If we had more midfield options he’d probably have been rested, but with Gus gone he’s had to keep fronting up when he’s clearly not right.

This is a great point. If only the AFLPA did its actual job, instead of happily signing off on everything the AFL wants.

If the issue with the club over the last couple of seasons has been inaccuracy and scoring efficiency today was the day where it became completely unavoidable that both the skills coach and forward line coach have to go. I expect significant off field changes before next year. We continue to under deliver forward of the ball.

Nice goal Koz

Billings kills me. Slows us down, then misses a target.

It’s so boring to have more scoring shots again in a big game and not be able to kick goals.

A fit JVR is a player.

Was just going to say the same thing Jaded. He’s a gun.

Tracc done.

We deflate ourselves with our game plan.

It’s almost like the fixture has somehow over inflated Essendon’s value and they aren’t actually any good.

Interesting to read the truth about why Gus disappeared from the boundary after one week in todays Age interview with Goodwin…. The plan was for Brayshaw, after his shock enforced retirement, to remain at Melbourne in a development role, but any hope that Brayshaw could find some fulfilment off the field so soon was dashed after one week at the start of the season working on the interchange bench. Brayshaw found it too upsetting being so close to the action and has chosen to explore other avenues away from football, including, at least this year, travel.

Middle of the year in ‘21 we lost to Collingwood (who were a bottom 3 side at the time) and looked awful. No run and horrible skills. We’ve had some pretty awful results around the bye for the last few years. I’m not making an argument about anything one way or another, just stating the facts of our mid year performance the last 4 seasons.

I wouldn’t support that. A lot of our plans were built around Salem and Brayshaw having more midfield time, and Tracc being a forward. That plan didn’t even make it to round one. With Clayton miles off the player he was, for reasons I think are easy for us all to understand, a lot then rests on Viney. Jack’s been clearly injured for 6 weeks, but we can’t really afford him to take the time off his shoulder obviously needs. I’ve felt for almost all this season that our game plan now clearly relies on Gawn and/or Tracc playing a blinder. It’s left up to too few. I don’t think that’s necessarily Simon’s fault. When you are up the top it’s hard to get access to players who make you better, so you have to rely on internal growth. Rivers, Sparrow, Spargo, Petty and Chandler haven’t taken the next step. A coach can only do so much. At a certain point that age group of players have to do it for themselves.

What could an AFL employee possibly be saying to the umpires that impacts the game as it’s being played? I suppose things like ‘play on advantage’ when a team was only points in front in a grand final where the financial gain to the AFL by one team winning was literally millions of dollars. But apart from that it’s not like this is a huge story that calls into question the very integrity of the entire sport, and makes a mockery of the money supporters spend attending games. It’s crazy to suggest otherwise. Crazy.

I agree with this. The amount of time supporters complain about consistent behaviour from our players, without realising that we are a very experienced team. If it’s happening repeatedly it’s not an accident. It’s part of the plan.

Well done to the young fella on having a great game today!

The Eagles couldn’t look better last week, and couldn’t look worse today.

Lever to go forward. Backline don’t need him. 😂

Horrible finish. Percentage will be the difference this year.

Yeah, it’s too obvious that he’s trying to get him into the game.

That was very, very ordinary.

Aside from former Dees… Shai Bolton. When he’s on he’s the most entertaining player in the game.

Lever is now listed as 4-6 on the clubs injury list, so no way for KB.