Am I the only one not worrying?

[baconb]

Seriously...

Without Jammo our backline is pathetic lets be honest, Whaite can hold himself, but the others are struggling big time... Put Jammo back and the dynamics completely change.

Fev kicked what 3-4 goals and 7 points? Bad day for fev

Change those 2 around and its a easy win... not worried from here

 

[Beloved]

...I'm just going to come out and say it.

What?

 

[BlueSnake]

I know the backline was struggling, but to be honest that wasn't really what I was worried about.

I was more worried about the fact the ball got down there so easily!
Got murdered on the rebound, and often because of mis-tackles and lack of intensity.

 

[Beloved]

I know the backline was struggling, but to be honest that wasn't really what I was worried about.

I was more worried about the fact the ball got down there so easily!
Got murdered on the rebound, and often because of mis-tackles and lack of intensity.

Everybody wanted to go for the one player because it looked as though they could get the interception. Everyone wanted to be the hero. Unfortunately, these things happen in big-stage games.

 

[Jeremias]

I'm not worried, it's only round 3.

I am however, very disappointed. Essendon are not a good side and we should have beaten them.

Our goal kicking is terrible. It cost us a fair few times last season and whilst we seemed to have improved this season, it cost us enormously tonight. We need to seriously fix this issue or else it could well cost us as much this season as it did last season. If our goal kicking was sound, we'd be sitting 3-0 and very happy with our efforts.

I've said it a few times and whilst it is stating the obvious, we need to beat those teams who, like us, are vying for 5th-12th positions. That'll determine whether or not we play finals in 2009. We started brilliantly in this regard with wins over Richmond and Brisbane, but we really failed tonight which is terribly disappointing.

What we now need to do is grit out a win against a team that we would expect to be beaten by (eg. Geelong, Hawthorn, Bulldogs, and I'll put Sydney, North Melbourne and St Kilda in this category purely because we seem to never be able to beat them). That task starts next week against Sydney and then against the Bulldogs the week after. Pull out a win from 1 of those games and we are doing well. Win both of them and we are ****ing laughing. Lose both and we'll be behind the 8 ball but not without hope by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[GordonBlue]

I'm not that phased... only a year ago a 4 point loss to any side was good enough... dissapointed... but they match up good against us.. they are way too fast for us...

very confident we will win next week

 

[Beagle_Charlie]

Our backline was ok I thought. Its hard to stop fowards when midfielders are kicking into the foward line with no pressure at all.

You can blame fev's kicking or some bad calls but we lost this game because of the lack of defensive pressure in the midefield and fowardline.

This game was an abberation, if we play like this next week then I may start to worry. But for now im still confident we will finish top 6.

 

[thylacine60]

We better get used to the idea of having our Beatles tagged hard next week. Also, Robbo might wanna stop looking in the mirror and stick to the basics that got him a spot.

 

[Blues_Man]

Meh ..if Fev kicks straight we win, simple as that.

 

[celtic_pride]

We will make the final 8 (if we don't with that draw, Ratten should be sacked IMHO) but our lack of depth and height in the backline, means we won't be challenging for a flag anytime soon.

 

[Loramarthalas]

Looking forward to meeting the Dons in the finals.

Some nice payback when it matters would seriously make my year.

 

[stokesy]

I'm always annoyed, disappointed, frustrated etc when we lose, but I'm certainly not worried.

Guys, last night could be a blessing in disguise. It's not a bad thing.

The way I see it is we should be steaming from the ears, frustrated with our efforts, frustrated with our missed opportunities, frustrated with our lack of discipline.

Improve from last night and we are better for it.

 

[HBF]

I was shattered coming home last night, and even with a couple of minutes left, thought we would still get over the top of them. One thing that I hope Ratts learns from is that we needed an extra tall in the back half, as we really couldn't use Waite as an attacking weapon last night, and hopefully Carlos comes in next week.

Both Bower and Thornton were fighting out of their weight divisions last night, and also would have been better going in with tall down back. I just couldn't understand what had served us so well in the first couple of weeks had not tried to be replicated last night as well.

But no, i'm not worried. As Blues_Man said, had we kicked straight, they game would have been effectively over at 3/4 time.

I'm just hoping that this might be the kick in the guts we need to get ourselves up for round 4 this week.

 

[blue_boys]

I'm not worried, it would have been great to win but lets face it we were never going to win every game we "should".

Lets face it, we played nearly as poorly as we could while Essendon play their best possibly game they could. Fev kicked horribly and our best defender out.

Also its round 3, and if offered 2-1 at the start of the year I would think nearly everyone would take that before round 1. It just hurts more because it was Essendon.

Just lay of the boys, they are a young list and lets face it, I expect us to make the 8 but anything in the 8 is fine. All this talk about top 4 was basically crap.

Lets have a week of no newspaper articles hyping us up and go up to Sydney next and get a win.

 

[40yearBLUE]

I was shattered coming home last night, and even with a couple of minutes left, thought we would still get over the top of them. One thing that I hope Ratts learns from is that we needed an extra tall in the back half, as we really couldn't use Waite as an attacking weapon last night, and hopefully Carlos comes in next week.

Both Bower and Thornton were fighting out of their weight divisions last night, and also would have been better going in with tall down back. I just couldn't understand what had served us so well in the first couple of weeks had not tried to be replicated last night as well.

But no, i'm not worried. As Blues_Man said, had we kicked straight, they game would have been effectively over at 3/4 time.

I'm just hoping that this might be the kick in the guts we need to get ourselves up for round 4 this week.

That there was the reason we lost instead of winning by 10 goals. It wasnt because of insufficient height in the backline, Jamo is only 193cm and Grigg is 190cm. We lost because after 1/4 time everybody thought we could coast to a win and even when down, we turned it on to get back in front then stopped again, each player deciding that someone else would step up and we would win. It never happens when players decide the game is won and mentally go home. We lost becuase of mid and forward line lack of defensive pressure. Simple as that. And that came about not because the players dont know how to apply it, or were too tired to apply it but because they were fooled into thinking it wasnt necesary or someone else would do it. It is this area of mental toughness that Ratts and the coaches need to work on, not our kicking for goal, not our backline, but our mids and forwards working for each other for the entire game. Every game.

As dissappionting as that loss was, lets not get too concerned. As I have pointed out in another thread, our mighty 95 team lost in successive weeks to the bottom of the ladder team whilst we sat atop the ladder. We had won the first 7 games, and then first StKilda out at Waverley, then Sydney at the SCG. And not just lost we got smashed by serious margins. After that the players apparantly had a team meeting and decided that some of them were getting on and this might be their last shot at a flag so they (lead by Peter Dean if my memory serves me correctly) decided that they would continue to apply the pressure needed to keep winning. But resolve can sometimes waver and against an Adelaide team that had been beaten by 100 points in the 2 previous games and all expected us to dish them a third ton defeat we did exactly what we did last night. By half way through the second quarter Adelaide was 5 goals up. Fortunately one of their players flattened one of ours and it sparked us into action and we kicked 7 goals in 15 minutes and went in at half time 2 goals up and eventually went on to win by half a dozen I think. The only other game in which we were chalanged for the year was the first final against Brisbane, another rank underdog and they pushed us all the way. Fortunately our will to win was enough and we prevailed.

But the lessons are there, underestimate another league team, dont put in 100% effort and you will struggle no matter how good you are.

The point of this little history lesson is that provided the structure is there and last week we had no reason to doubt it, provided the skills and fitness is there, again we didnt doubt that last week, then it is just a matter of getting the attitude sorted. Easier said than done but that is the difference between top and middle. Attitude. Simple as that.

 

[wdgann]

Seriously...

Without Jammo our backline is pathetic lets be honest, Whaite can hold himself, but the others are struggling big time... Put Jammo back and the dynamics completely change.

Fev kicked what 3-4 goals and 7 points? Bad day for fev

Change those 2 around and its a easy win... not worried from here

Mate, you are spot on. Jammo and Waite are both quality defenders. Waite's spoils and rebound in the games we have won have been fantastic

Thornton is simply not up to it and Bower needs to learn not to panic when he has the ball

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

I'm worried - because we let an inferior side beat us.

If we are to be considered a genuine threat this year - we have to bury rubbish teams like Essendon.

 

[blues4flag]

I was shattered coming home last night, and even with a couple of minutes left, thought we would still get over the top of them. One thing that I hope Ratts learns from is that we needed an extra tall in the back half, as we really couldn't use Waite as an attacking weapon last night, and hopefully Carlos comes in next week.

Both Bower and Thornton were fighting out of their weight divisions last night, and also would have been better going in with tall down back. I just couldn't understand what had served us so well in the first couple of weeks had not tried to be replicated last night as well.

But no, i'm not worried. As Blues_Man said, had we kicked straight, they game would have been effectively over at 3/4 time.

I'm just hoping that this might be the kick in the guts we need to get ourselves up for round 4 this week.

Exactly - very well said.

While it's not so much an issue against the Swans in terms of numbers, we might struggle with the size of Hall and Jolly. Hopefully Jamo isn't too far away but in the mean time I'd expect Setanta will be back in the side.

 

[mediumsizered]

You just had to look at the celebrations & listen to some of the comments from Essendon players in the post-match interviews to realise this was their premiership game for 2009. Comments such as "best win I have been associated with", "best win for years", "like winning a final" etc.

Essendon were totally up for this match, yet fell over the line by 4 points, despite Fev having a dog of a night in front of goal, with us only laying 43 tackles, with only Judd playing well in our midfield, with Kreuzer spending significant time off the ground, leading to Cloke having to have a run in the ruck.

Our players will learn a lot from last night's game. The most important lesson being that you respect all opponents, no matter how much better you might look on paper. Geelong were guilty of a similar thing last week, but got out of 'jail' because they are the best team in the competition.

As referred to by 30YB, the body language of our players suggested they thought they could take control of the match & do enough to get over the line, when it suited them. A very serious case of getting ahead of yourself. I am sure the message this week from Ratts is to go back to what we did in Round 1 & Round 2. Play the percentages, apply pressure at all times (only 5 tackles inside our forward 50 last night) & most importantly, respect your opponent.

Essendon can enjoy their April premiership, but we are firmly focussed on the big picture, starting with a disciplined performance against the Swans next weekend. We are better than we showed last night, but only if the players are prepared to maintain high levels of intensity over a longer period than 2 weeks.

 

[blues4flag]

Mate, you are spot on. Jammo and Waite are both quality defenders. Waite's spoils and rebound in the games we have won have been fantastic

Thornton is simply not up to it and Bower needs to learn not to panic when he has the ball

Your Thornton vendetta is ridiculous. Yes he was well beaten last night, being forced to play on the opposition's number one forward but that's no longer his role in the side. More the match committees fault for not bringing in Setanta who'd have been a better match up for Lloyd.

Thornton was very good in the first two round playing against mid-sized forward and being the "general" of our defense.

 

[mediumsizered]

Your Thornton vendetta is ridiculous. Yes he was well beaten last night, being forced to play on the opposition's number one forward but that's no longer his role in the side. More the match committees fault for not bringing in Setanta who'd have been a better match up for Lloyd.

Thornton was very good in the first two round playing against mid-sized forward and being the "general" of our defense.

Spot on, b4f. Of course wdgann didn't pay us a visit after those games because he would've had to acknowledge what a great job Thornton did on Nathan Brown in Round 1, which was backed up with a strong effort against the ever dangerous Jonathan Brown in Round 2.

We all know that Thornton is not our best choice for the opposition's best forward (most of the time), but inevitably, due to injury or poor form, he is going to have to play these roles every now & then. At the end of the day though, most defenders can be made to look ordinary when your midfield & forwards aren't applying enough pressure further up the ground to restrict the flow of quality ball into the opposition forward line.

 

[40yearBLUE]

Spot on, b4f. Of course wdgann didn't pay us a visit after those games because he would've had to acknowledge what a great job Thornton did on Nathan Brown in Round 1, which was backed up with a strong effort against the ever dangerous Jonathan Brown in Round 2.

We all know that Thornton is not our best choice for the opposition's best forward (most of the time), but inevitably, due to injury or poor form, he is going to have to play these roles every now & then. At the end of the day though, most defenders can be made to look ordinary when your midfield & forwards aren't applying enough pressure further up the ground to restrict the flow of quality ball into the opposition forward line.

There it is right there.

 

[4QTR BLUES]

Worried....not really.

Annoyed....bloody oath!

Having to listen to those spanker Essendon supporters annoyes the crap out of me because we all know the best players on the park are Carlton. There were glimpses throughout the game. Judds brilliance in beating three opposition players on his own. The ease in which Fev marked the ball in one on one contests.

Why is it that the intensity wasnt there? It was as though they were all suffering from the flu. At one stage I watched Winderlich start 2 metres in front of Judd and end up 30 metres in the clear kicking into the forward line. Its an aberration, unheard of and something I hope we dont have to put up with again this year.

 

[Slattery_20]

Yes as I discussed with one or two of your supporters pre-match (gandal & loramarthalas) - game was decided on pressure. Once we reined your class runners in, just applied pressure all the way up the ground. A really good side will kill you on the turnover, with that backline. Once your coaches realised Waite was needed to tie down a man, his creativity was all but lost, (he was v good early) & so on.

Oh and Murphy - gun. Does it (almost) all. Far and away your best last night, if not BOG. Found it in close, kicked a couple.

4QTR - Winderlich is heckin'g quick. He'll get away from most chasers if he gets the first step, just as Judd got away from him.

 

[thylacine60]

Yes as I discussed with one or two of your supporters pre-match (gandal & loramarthalas) - game was decided on pressure. Once we reined your class runners in, just applied pressure all the way up the ground. A really good side will kill you on the turnover, with that backline. Once your coaches realised Waite was needed to tie down a man, his creativity was all but lost, (he was v good early) & so on.

Oh and Murphy - gun. Does it (almost) all. Far and away your best last night, if not BOG. Found it in close, kicked a couple.

4QTR - Winderlich is heckin'g quick. He'll get away from most chasers if he gets the first step, just as Judd got away from him.

I'll cop a post like this any day. A bit of give and take, no bullshit, no sniping. Well played, well done.