VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,859
- 36,717
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- Essendon
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- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
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- #1
ESSENDON BOMBERS
There's definitely something in teams coming off the bye performing worse because we were absolute horseshit after the first ten minutes.
Darcy Parish picked up where he left off but eased up as the game went on, whilst still managing 9 clearances. He will likely re-sign with the club in a long deal within the next few weeks.
Peter Wright was absolutely blanketed by Alex Pearce, whilst Sam Weideman had yet another week with no impact whatsoever.
Zach Merrett could well be the best captain in the league. He picks this team up week after week with his own performances and was our best on a dour night.
Nic Martin is silk. News of his pending contract extension should excite everyone, as he could be anything.
The lack of Sam Draper couldn't have been more obvious with the monstrous Sean Darcy dominating at the stoppage, with Essendon leaking 8.5 goals from that source, including 4.4 from the center bounce. The Fremantle on-ballers simply didn't let our boys get a crack at it.
The Dockers kicked 5 unanswered goals either side of quarter time, and we were pushing shit uphill from that point.
FREMANTLE DOCKERS 14.9 93
def.
ESSENDON BOMBERS 9.7 61
BEST: Merrett, Martin, Hobbs, Parish, Ridley
GOALS: Caldwell, Guelfi, Hobbs, Langford, Martin, Menzie, Merrett, Parish, Stringer
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PORT ADELAIDE POWER
Going back sixteen days now, but Port used the third quarter to put the Cats to the sword and record their eleventh straight win.
The Power were jumped early and had to come back from 21 points down, but a brutal run of 7 consecutive goals in the premiership term turned the game on its head and let the footy world know that this team is a serious contender for their second AFL flag.
The third term saw the Power gain the ascendency in the guts, dominating clearances 14-6 and inside 50s 14-9. The pressure was immense, and the wounded cats were overwhelmed.
Tall forwards Jeremy Finlayson and Todd Marshall combined for 7 goals, whilst Sam Powell-Pepper used pure power to score 2 himself.
Dan Houston is a supremely underrated player outside of South Australia, and should 100% be in the All-Australian conversation this season. Another game over 30 touches with plenty of clearances.
Sparkle Narkle had a fantastic two-goal debut against his old side with Junior Rioli withdrawing with illness, and I really wish we had the chance to have picked him up in the MSD.
PORT ADELAIDE POWER 16.14 110
def.
GEELONG CATS 11.6 72
BEST: Houston, Marshall, Powell-Pepper, Finlayson, Butters, Rozee, Wines
GOALS: Finlayson 4, Marshall 3, Powell-Pepper, Narkle 2, Butters, Byrne-Jones, Drew, Burton, McEntee
ESSENDON EMERGENCIES: Dylan Shiel, Nik Cox, Nick Hind, Nick Bryan
PORT ADELAIDE EMERGENCIES: Tom Jonas, Quinton Narkle, Dante Visentini, Jase Burgoyne
ESSENDON OUTS: Nick Bryan (Omitted)
ESSENDON INS: -
PORT ADELAIDE OUTS: -
PORT ADELAIDE INS: -
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Sub to be chosen from the emergency list one hour prior to bounce.
ROUND 8, 2023
Adelaide Oval
7/5/2023
PORT ADELAIDE AND THAT DOG JUNIOR RIOLI 12.20 92
def.
ESSENDON AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST JORDAN RIDLEY 13.9 87
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PORT GOALS: Dixon, Byrne-Jones, Rioli 2, Boak, Finlayson, Marshall, Powell-Pepper, Rozee, McEntee
ESSENDON GOALS: Stringer, Langford, Weideman, Perkins 2, Merrett, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Caldwell, Hobbs, Menzie
PORT BEST: Butters, Houston, Horne-Francis, Drew, Rozee
ESSENDON BEST: Parish, Draper, Merrett, Langford, McGrath, Heppell
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CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Draper, Shiel, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Setterfield, Hind, Davey
ESSENDON INS: Laverde, Durham, Guelfi, Wright, Snelling
PORT OUTS: Rioli, Teakle, Evans, Jonas
PORT INS: Farrell, Lycett, Sinn
The only thing I can go off here is that Port's week off will be our saving grace. We were abysmal last week but it's up to us to bounce back this week and cement ourselves as a finals contender. Port will fancy themselves highly but our boys will be ready to show that last week was an aberration. This is the first time we've played Port at the MCG since 1998, and the stage is set for an upset. It's up to us to make it happen. Go the Planes.
Essendon by 7.
