Changes v Sydney

[Slattery_20]

Of course, but to blame Knights for Dempsey's failings is naive at best.

Come on mate, having a favourite player 101: any perceived failing of said player is in fact due to someone else entirely.
Would've been funny to see Quinn play another 25 games (given Myers, NLM were perenially injured) in the backline but I daresay Knights might've had a teensy amount of attachment to his office.

Knighter had a lot of faith in & patience for a lot of the younger blokes. For better or worse.

 

[lamaros]

i'd say it had something to do with the fact that he was still learning the game as a defender. Grew up playing wing/midfield then had a really bad run with injuries throughout his first few years at the club..

Also probably had something to do with his massive potential & talent... I remember Hirdy saying that he rated him extremely highly, these types of players tend to get a few more chances than average toilers who are just making up the numbers..

I think Dempsey has been treated far too harshly around these parts, would you have prefered that ricky dyson or jarrod atkinson take his place last year?

Eh? I think you'll find I have the opposite view to many on this board about Dempsey. I have always rated him and was saying he should be keeping his spot for most of the year.

Doesn't mean he didn't look poor in a poor gameplan, though.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Come on mate, having a favourite player 101: any perceived failing of said player is in fact due to someone else entirely.
Would've been funny to see Quinn play another 25 games (given Myers, NLM were perenially injured) in the backline but I daresay Knights might've had a teensy amount of attachment to his office.

Knighter had a lot of faith in & patience for a lot of the younger blokes. For better or worse.

Pretty much the less diplomatic form of what I had.

 

[Slattery_20]

i'd say it had something to do with the fact that he was still learning the game as a defender. Grew up playing wing/midfield then had a really bad run with injuries throughout his first few years at the club..

Also probably had something to do with his massive potential & talent... I remember Hirdy saying that he rated him extremely highly, these types of players tend to get a few more chances than average toilers who are just making up the numbers..

I think Dempsey has been treated far too harshly around these parts, would you have prefered that ricky dyson or jarrod atkinson take his place last year?

Choice of Dyson at 70% or Quinn/marigliani etc. Not exactly season-shaping stuff IMHO.
Dyson hasn't been terrible when he was fit but he struggled with a knee injury all last year. Like Willo, he barely played for Bendigo which says it all - really should've iced both for the year.
Had we had a coach with complete confidence in his job... back to where we started from... self-fulfilling prophecy in a way.

Dyson's reasonably well regarded as far as I'm aware but I don't think he's got much of a future past this contract. {Atko coasted. Sad to say there were very bad habits across a group of players and - if you believe the cynical rumours around - he was one of them}

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

I think we should drop Fletcher and Dempsey as they play too far off their man.

We need to start teaching this team a lesson and getting back to the basics.

Maybe bring in Tyson Slattery who is a hard nosed defender. Don't think he can kick or has any awareness but I'm told here he's better than most of our defenders.

 

[LeeARM]

I think we should drop Fletcher and Dempsey as they play too far off their man.

We need to start teaching this team a lesson and getting back to the basics.

Maybe bring in Tyson Slattery who is a hard nosed defender. Don't think he can kick or has any awareness but I'm told here he's better than most of our defenders.

I saw Heppel on the wing at one stage without his opponent. You'd best drop him aswell just to be safe.

 

[Charliebrow 16]

I'm aware this thread now isn't much of a selection topic for the upcoming match against Sydney, but I think it's a fantastic problem to have where the likes of Davey, Colyer, Hibberd and Prismall are ready to compete but are forced out due to current form for those already within the senior squad.

Certainly, I'd be pleased if there were no changes made but I feel if Davey has overcome his injury, he should ideally be included to further enhance our forward defensive pressure and speed across the ground. I like the idea of NLM as our substitute but question marks remain on whether he needs more time on the field at either senior or VFL level. I loved the look of Hibberd throughout the NAB Cup but our defensive unit looked settled and composed which is best exemplified by the opposition's lack of a decent score kicked against us. I have slight misgivings about unsettling it at this point.

So I suppose I'd have Davey included but nobody deserves to be dropped. Perhaps Howlett if his injury is still a concern. If NLM returns to Bendigo to increase match fitness, Colyer could come in as a running substitute.

 

[lamaros]

On what grounds is Colyer ready to compete? Or a likely sub?

I know I'm not his biggest fan, but even those who do support him would have to admit that he is only going to get in the side at this stage in a forward rotation, and Davey is ahead of him there and also not in the team.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

I think we should drop Fletcher and Dempsey as they play too far off their man.

We need to start teaching this team a lesson and getting back to the basics.

Maybe bring in Tyson Slattery who is a hard nosed defender. Don't think he can kick or has any awareness but I'm told here he's better than most of our defenders.

I saw Heppel on the wing at one stage without his opponent. You'd best drop him aswell just to be safe.

Because zoning off is a really logical thing to do on an opponent who's just kicked a goal at a friggin centre bounce.

 

[Slattery_20]

On what grounds is Colyer ready to compete? Or a likely sub?

I know I'm not his biggest fan, but even those who do support him would have to admit that he is only going to get in the side at this stage in a forward rotation, and Davey is ahead of him there and also not in the team.

Based on being pretty decent last year & not too bad across this pre-season?

There's 4 or 5 ahead of him outside the mythical "best 22" and 4 or 5 in real selection, too.

Will get his chances, of that I'm sure. short people are making a comeback.

 

[Kong]

Because zoning off is a really logical thing to do on an opponent who's just kicked a goal at a friggin centre bounce.

I don't understand who their posts were aimed at.

Did you guys come in and read snippets, or what?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

kelvin and lamaros are pro-Dempsey.

 

[Kong]

"pro Dempsey". Give me a break.

What we're saying is, he improved a fair bit on the weekend. Simple.

 

[lamaros]

"pro Dempsey". Give me a break.

What we're saying is, he improved a fair bit on the weekend. Simple.

I don't think anyone is saying otherwise.

All I am saying is that the improvement seems to me to come from being given a better role and better instructions, just as much from him simply being a better/less lazy player.

I don't see how he could have gotten away with his form last year, as you all point out over and over, unless there was something Knights was doing wrong in his instruction/handling of him. (I would also suggest that Reimers was similarly lax in manning up on his opponent and also wasn't called on it... something that would suggest Knights was playing favourites, or was giving them shit instruction)

Anyway, I'm sure we're all happy that he is fitting in to the team and gameplan much better than before, whatever we think the reasons are.

 

[Childish Gambino]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=8056

Ben was a bit sore, but he had an MRI on his knee on Monday and that showed some insignificant damage to his medial ligament which wont stop him playing. We’ll put him through a pretty rigourous test today but we’re very confident he’ll play

It’ll be very hard to force your way into the side after last week because we didn’t have too many players who didn’t play too well, but Mark’s very close to selection and we’ll see what happens today when we pick the team

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=8056

Looks like there might not be any changes.

Hirdy is pretty confident of Howlett playing, Davey will play this week just a matter of whether it's seniors or reserves. Also noted that Williams is very close to getting a game.

 

[lamaros]

Wonder who he would come in for. Monfries would seem the closest matchup.

 

[bombermick]

Hibberd must have been very close to selection before his injury, but it may be hard for him to force his way in now. Gumby would have to be close to playing next week if he can play well in the VFL on the weekend.

 

[chris2269]

Monfries won't play this week - but either will Williams.

 

[Childish Gambino]

Dropped or injury?

Would be nice if was for all his diving efforts. Hird wouldn't stand for that.

 

[Skeeta Olly]

I hope it is for diving efforts.

 

[chris2269]

"Sore" - I agree though would be nice to see players like Monfries made to earn their spots. Far too many players were gifted games last year based on reputation/name alone.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Brent Stanton named on the HFF and Winderlich on the wing. Wonder if its going to actually play out that way. Maybe rotations will be a weekly thing, one midfielder players a forward role on rotation to give them lower work load say once a month.

 

[chris2269]

Hille out to by the looks of it.

Davey, Remiers and/or Prismall likely to come in...

 

[Red Black and Blue]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/matches/preview.asp?round_no=2

Looks like Hille is in and Davey for Monfries.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

I don't think anyone is saying otherwise.

All I am saying is that the improvement seems to me to come from being given a better role and better instructions, just as much from him simply being a better/less lazy player.

I don't see how he could have gotten away with his form last year, as you all point out over and over, unless there was something Knights was doing wrong in his instruction/handling of him. (I would also suggest that Reimers was similarly lax in manning up on his opponent and also wasn't called on it... something that would suggest Knights was playing favourites, or was giving them shit instruction)

Anyway, I'm sure we're all happy that he is fitting in to the team and gameplan much better than before, whatever we think the reasons are.

Nicely worded.

Monfries won't play this week - but either will Williams.

Females 12 - 15 yrs old will be distraught.