Straight Sets Simon

Our depth is amazing.

I hope for his sake he isn’t fit because if Weideman isn’t marking the ball then he’s not offering anything. Some of his defensive efforts have been woeful this year.

Maybe “overachieved” was the wrong word, there were just a quite a few weaknesses to our game which we could cover at the time but are now being exposed.

I’m currently re-watching the first quarter of the Elimation Final against Geelong from last year, and while I do think we overachieved last season it’s a nice reminder to see this group playing so well. The big thing I take out of it is how much better our structure was, but also how much quicker and fitter we looked. Whilst I think finals are almost certainly out of the equation this year, watching this replay does give me some hope that we really are just a team that is lacking fitness and form to key players.

I think Frost stays to play on Franklin, but either way we are in all sorts. Frost and O. McDonald would both look serviceable if we had May and Lever, but as the main men they are no good.

Weideman’s work ethic around the ground and once the ball hits the ground is as bad as I’ve ever seen from a big man.

Tom McDonald is finished as a defender.

Essendon walked the ball out of clearances all night. On top of that around most contests we would commit too many players to the same side only for it to come out the other side and Essendon run away with it. Short answer, yes our midfield is a big problem.

I can’t see what his strengths are. He’s not quick, not particularly skilful and doesn’t get the ball very often.

I’d love to know how many (or how few) hours the coaches are putting in to working on ANB’s touch to fix his fumbles. He should be spending at least two hours a week just working on this. I’d be shocked if they have spent two hours in total over his whole career judging by how often he still fumbles.

That Brayshaw interview was weird, there was a massive sense of complacency and it worried me too.

Hard to disagree with this.

I’m not a big Lewis fan for the reasons you mentioned but I would happily have him back in the team right now.

I was banging on about it during the game but the number of times we would either fumble the ball or simply overrun it and not pick it up off the ground did my head in and directly cost us at least five goals. Also, for a supposed contested ball team the way Essendon just walked the ball out from stoppages was embarrassing.

6. Brayshaw 5. Harmes 4. Oliver 3. Lockhart 2. Fritsch 1. C. Wagner

OUT: ANB, O. McDonald, Weideman, KK IN: Petty, T. Smith, Preuss, Stretch Team and positions they should play: FB: Jetta Frost (Franklin) Hibberd HB: J. Wagner Petty (Reid) Salem Centre: T. McDonald Oliver Harmes HF: Petracca Melksham Fritsch FF: Lockhart T. Smith C. Wagner Foll: Gawn Viney Brayshaw Int: Preuss Jones Stretch Hunt I don’t want Frost in the team but he’s our only option for Franklin.

I hate to say it but we need Frost on Franklin next week, he’s our only option.

Franklin will kick 10 on us next week.

Three points off, not a bad guess.

Great post.

Lockhart and C. Wagner showed a bit. Sadly this is 2007 all over again, finals are pretty much out of the question now. It’s not the losses or even how we are losing it’s how we are playing that means season over.

Sam Trengove.

I feel like every contest we just go to the wrong side and the ball goes out the opposite way.

Weideman is scared of contact.

Don’t bother tackling Tippa, boys.