Changes round 3 v Bombres

[Vinegar Mess]

I think your assertion that the 22 selected have been chosen based on merit is highly debatable.

If we had an unbalanced team in terms of structure but full of the most in form group of players then the discussion on this thread would be quite different.

I think we are looking at a bad combination of poor selection in terms of both structure and merit.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there are rumours of player discontent.

Players are generally pretty realistic about their appraisals of who is performing well, and if they see treatment they think is clearly unfair, you can bet there is some evidence to support their opinion.

English had just 6 hit outs last week. He also scored 1 behind, racked up 2 marks, and only 7 disposals. So he had an ineffectual game in the ruck and up forward.

Boyd is a premiership layer who supposedly had 29 hit outs in the VFL last week, but isn't deemed to be doing enough to even back up the 'in form' Tim English.

Merit selection, eh?

Look, you make some fair points. My comment reflected my sheer disbelief at some of the over-reactions in this thread. By contrast your comments have been measured and, in the main, I agree with your previous posts, especially regarding the lack of experience.

I guess it gets down to definition of ‘merit’. The MC obviously deem that Boyd and Campbell are too far off being prepared for a hit-out at senior level to be considered a better selection than Tim English. And, yes, I witnessed Tim’s ‘lambs to slaughter’ game last week and am just as critical as you. It perhaps says more about where the other guys are at; I don’t buy into the Bevo-doesn’t-rate-Tom-Boyd conspiracy theory - it’s almost as nonsensical as Fevola’s claim about selective disposals.

I’d also rather see Roberts than Naughton, Biggs than Williams. Structurally, these changes wouldn’t effect the selected line-up; but merit is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

Anyway, I ramble. Essendon are not invincible, and I think we’re on the same page on that score.

 

[Metal]

Football is a game of keepings off.

It won't matter who plays where if we kick to the opposition X times in a game.

The cardinal sin in today's football is to just give the ball away because we end up out of position and having to work harder for longer.

It just makes it almost impossible to win when we miss targets, miss easy goals and miss kicking / hand balling to advantage.

Given that other sides have increased their ability to kick and handball with precision under pressure, our failure to match can lead to only one outcome.

We're going to have to pressure like crazy to have any chance.

 

[Proffessor]

Look, you make some fair points. My comment reflected my sheer disbelief at some of the over-reactions in this thread. By contrast your comments have been measured and, in the main, I agree with your previous posts, especially regarding the lack of experience.

I guess it gets down to definition of ‘merit’. The MC obviously deem that Boyd and Campbell are too far off being prepared for a hit-out at senior level to be considered a better selection than Tim English. And, yes, I witnessed Tim’s ‘lambs to slaughter’ game last week and am just as critical as you. It perhaps says more about where the other guys are at; I don’t buy into the Bevo-doesn’t-rate-Tom-Boyd conspiracy theory - it’s almost as nonsensical as Fevola’s claim about selective disposals.

I’d also rather see Roberts than Naughton, Biggs than Williams. Structurally, these changes wouldn’t effect the selected line-up; but merit is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

Anyway, I ramble. Essendon are not invincible, and I think we’re on the same page on that score.

I appreciate your perspective, and still retain a microscopic sliver of hope that I will be pleasantly surprised tomorrow.

The problem that I and a few others have about the stories from the club regarding the non selection of certain players is that the rules are not being consistently applied. Selection is being conducted in an obviously unfair manner, and the side that is going to take the field looks a fair way off the best team that we could field even accounting for injuries.

We would be more understanding if some credible answers were being offered by the club, e.g. Considering Tom Boyd's struggles last year we need to make sure he is ready in both mind and body before he is selected. Then everyone would be more understanding.

Can't quite work out what sort of excuse they could trot out for not selecting Roberts, but if he was having after effects from his recent illness that might wash.

The whole 'trust the match committee, they know better than you' argument wears pretty thin when the team is getting smacked, because there is clear evidence that they may not know better at all.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

I’m backing us in to turn it around this week.

Yessss!

 

[SayerTheCreator]

Been a long time since I’ve actually give us zero chance of winning but this week here we are.

I’d give us less than zero percent if that was possible.

Accuracy on point.

As usual md..