Essendon & St. Kilda NAB Cup *spoiler alert*

[BuntonRules]

Jeez, what is with the chicken little? Essendon's A grade blew our adolescents out of the water, but part from 2 minutes from Gamble we stuck with the grand finalists. Not all gloom & doom - but in reality about where we re at.

Polec - gun
Banfield - gun
Qld jumper - gun
Beams mcCaauley etc will be players
THought I was watching Brett Kirk every time Bewick got it
Those not good enough proved it
About what I expected from a team closer to the bottom than the top
Get used to it

 

[counterparts24]

hugely disappointing night our disposal was just awful Raines butchered the footy every time he used it but he was the only one responsible of poor use of the ball. On the positive side Polec and Beams looked pretty solid out there aswell as good efforts from banfield and rocky

Dissapointed in Bewick thought we would get a bit more out of him...but not every mature age recruit is gonna pull a michael barlow in there first run at AFL level. Also think worth giving McCauley a mention looked good in the 2nd game

 

[mickeyblueeyes37]

Banfield and RIch were very good (though still rusty in NAB cup fashion).

Polec and Retzlaff very impressive early. Green exciting in patches. Love the pace.

That pretty much summed it up after tonight, I think I'm over footy I have lost interest in the game hopefully round 1 it come's back to life and I wore me lion's jumper every time I wear a footy jumper to the footy we lose so I going to go all Melbourne game's this year with out one hopefully I can discover interest in the game again.

 

[MT_report]

Watching the replays now.

-Raines and Buchanon were pathetic
-Young guys that certain posters seem to talk up as "the future" were exposed as the terrible, slow, unskilled players that they are. Collier, Sheldon, Hawkesly etc. At least Proud is gone.
- Polec looks good
- Our skills still aren't up to scratch.

If we go the whole year without injuries (which obviously won't happen) I still feel this team can finish around 9th or 10th. We have a very good backline with Rog, McGuire, Patful, Drummond, Adcock and McGrath which should keep us competitive. Alot depends on our structure and not kicking to 2 on 1 against Brown (assuming Fevola isn't back).

 

[lionroar]

watched our games and then left for game 3, should of stayed damn it.

lucky the roof was closed and there was no wind to speak of, because our skinny runts of cubs would of been blown over constantly.

what a difference a senior player in defence made for game 2.

cocky saints supporters around us were loudly announcing how bad it would be to follow the Lions,
**** them!

anyone going to the Melbourne family day?
if i can be bothered making the effort i will, a bit like some of our players.

/rant

 

[Dylan12]

anyone going to the Melbourne family day? if i can be bothered making the effort i will, a bit like some of our players.

I laughed, very amusing.

 

[NiceCunnington]

Polec's goal was brilliant. That's exactly what he used to do in the SANFL.

 

[LionKing]

Buchanan is a deadset skunk. Hawksley not far behind.

 

[T Factor]

What were our coaching staff thinking???

Yes they were a team of Lions cubs out there but why was that allowed to happen in the first game? Hird seemed to sum up the situation better by getting a mostly experienced side out there with a few young players. 10 players on debut was always going to be a train wreck. Getting games into our young players is important but not when they are smashed. Why did Voss leave out most of our backline in the first game?

I agree there were positives but what an awful way to start the year...Go Lions

 

[lionroar]

I laughed, very amusing.

cheers Dylan

on a serious note, i will be 'in the area' Saturday morn.
might wear my BEARS scarf

 

[Judge]

Buchanan is a deadset skunk. Hawksley not far behind.

Have to agree (sorry Irel!).

Can't argue with most of the above sentiments, both the negatives and positives, but I have to say that the replay was nowhere near as bad as I had feared from the scores.

We might have to use those banked picks this year, as although we seem to have drafted well last year we have certainly got a heap of deadwood to cull from the list.

 

[Brisroy Fitzbane]

One nice thing noticed on the channel 7 coverage at the break when they flash up the 2 teams logos they used the Fitzroy lion. That old fella was dead and buiried last year if it was left up to bowers and co. But looks definitely on the cards for a cone back.

Everyone on this board who helped the cause deserves to be proud and a special mention for nigilicious' website.

 

[dlanod]

Thoughts:

- When you show up with only one of your back six playing (Maguire), and one of your top four midfielders (Rich) playing you're always going to get flogged. Not to mention Brown out.
- Having said that, discipline was shocking in the first game. Far too many high tackles and in-the-backs, all of which were there. While we still seemed to get butt end of decisions when we were getting tackled, it doesn't impact on our own tackling technique.
- Heppell's disposal is overrated based off the first game.
- Golby and Polec looked the best out of those who haven't played for us.
- Leuenberger looked very good in the first game, he just had no midfielders to tap it to.
- Hawksley and Raines have (finally) had their last chance in my eyes. Shocking disposal under little pressure in a meaningless game.

The main thing I took away from it was that our year could be very long if we get some unfortunate injuries.

 

[Dylan12]

Yes they were a team of Lions cubs out there but why was that allowed to happen in the first game?

It was perplexing but as a club we have habit of fielding very inexperienced cubs in the early games. The Lions seem to have a very different philosophy in regards to pre season practice matches. I note that most clubs have formal intra-club matches prior to the NAB Cup, yet we seemed to have scrapped intra-club matches for a number of years...even during the Lethal years if I am not mistaken. And even further, historically we rest a lot of our seasoned players in the first week or two compared to a few teams, which may explain why we were very rusty and lacked any sort of intensity tonight.

Maybe we need to revert back to intra's, although I suspect we still have match simulations at training. I just hope we are a little more tuned for the season opener against Freo.

 

[dlanod]

What were our coaching staff thinking???

Yes they were a team of Lions cubs out there but why was that allowed to happen in the first game? Hird seemed to sum up the situation better by getting a mostly experienced side out there with a few young players. 10 players on debut was always going to be a train wreck. Getting games into our young players is important but not when they are smashed. Why did Voss leave out most of our backline in the first game?

I agree there were positives but what an awful way to start the year...Go Lions

It happened because it's a meaningless competition. If we played Brown and Black and Power right through the preseason and they break down halfway through the year, people will instead be calling for heads for how they were managed.

Hird summed up his club's situation - his first game as coach, brought in as a saviour with a mentor similarly dubbed as well, Essendon fans just need the slightest sliver to get on board.

We've got a totally different scenario - Voss's coaching career and our season will be completely judged on how we do in the real thing. We could reach the final of the NAB Cup and it'll be completely forgotten half way through the year.

 

[Ceebee]

Its February.

 

[Dylan12]

Its February.

...and March is in 10 days.

 

[paulige]

Are some people in here serious? Some of these comments are unbelievable! You'd think we'd just put our best 22 on the park and copped a belting.

What was the average age/games played, out there tonight?

Get over it, is my only advice. It's a farce of a competition... and with 10 (?) kids debuting, did anyone expect anything else?

It's always going to be difficult for our second or third tier players like Buchanan, Hawksley etc to shine when there's no guns out there to take the heat off them.

Let's get some sort of semblance of our best 22 out on the park before we start making ridiculous and irrational statements.

 

[Dylan12]

It's always going to be difficult for our second or third tier players like Buchanan, Hawksley etc to shine when there's no guns out there to take the heat off them.

That's completely unacceptable IMO. They needed to lead from example tonight and just didn't stand up. It is high time this next rung of players start to stand up. All you hear coming out of the club is that Black, Power and Brown etc should not be expected to carry the load and tonight was some sort of opportunity to do so and not only did they let themself and the club down, they proved that they are front-runners and we can do without players who play like that and have that attitude, especially with such a young squad.

 

[PTizzle]

That's completely unacceptable IMO. They needed to lead from example tonight and just didn't stand up. It is high time this next rung of players start to stand up. All you hear coming out of the club is that Black, Power and Brown etc should not be expected to carry the load and tonight was some sort of opportunity to do so and not only did they let themself and the club down, they proved that they are front-runners and we can do without players who play like that and have that attitude, especially with such a young squad.

I don't always agree with you but on this point I do. They were far more mature and played horribly for the most part. Even Staker/Maguire weren't really up and about at all.

 

[Gibbo_88]

Was expecting losses anyway but the Essendon game was pathetic, AFL experience or not they shouldn't have played that bad defensively in a pre-season game.

Banfield and Rich were the only midfielders to have a bit of consistency in putting in the effort that is required. Harwood looked great, I thought he was slow but didn't look it at all.

Few people have already mentioned but Buchannon, Raines, Hawksley and Sheldon are only just proving what everybody thinks about them that they are not the players to take us up another level.

Few thoughts on some of newcomers
Mccauley - didn't do enough for me to show that he could add to the side when the real season starts.
Lester, Green and Karnezis - Unfortunately didn't get enough of the ball to really judge them but at least they will add more to the team than Buchannon and Raines
Polec - We have a player
Retzclaff - Looks like he is a great pick up for where he was picked in the draft. Less worried about our forward options post Brown with the leads he was doing tonight
Beams - Despite a few possessions missing he looks like he will be handy around the stoppages.

Highlight of the night was Rockliffs goal and grabbing the guernsey

 

[acuguy]

Okay, there are some interesting sentiments being posted. That was our first match, we played more kids than either of our opponents. With a squad like ours all you can take away are the positives.

Sheldon-contrary to popular belief he was good in the first game. My main concern with Sam has always been his pace, he was quick tonight, looks like he has had a trouble free pre season. His first!

Polec-all class

Harwood and Beams- a couple of in and under hard nuts, Harwood is a 5 kick 20 handpass player and needs to be used that way.

Maguire and Merrett- if we can have both of these blokes fit and firing most of the season we are going to be very solid down back!

Don't worry about Mitch Clark, him playing deep forward was more about Retzlaff being able to play at CHF.

A few other points- Forget Fev, he won't be back in the first half of the season or at all. Browny will own the forward 50 arc and Clark will play as a high lead up CHF. Don't worry about Mitch, the moment he scooped on the ball at full pace was enough for me to know he is going alright at this stage of the season.

I hope to see us become a very good stoppage team with Harwood, Beams, Black, Rockliff, Adcock and Rich all in the midfield group.

Let's not hit the panic button and have realistic expectations for the season!

 

[maroon and blue]

Is it just me or has Rich picked up a yard of pace?

He is leaner and seems to have added pace. His reading of the game was excellent. His kicking to position was also good. There was a big blond lad in the ruck last night, does anyone know his name?

 

[jackess]

Don't worry about Mitch Clark, him playing deep forward was more about Retzlaff being able to play at CHF.

A few other points- Forget Fev, he won't be back in the first half of the season or at all. Browny will own the forward 50 arc and Clark will play as a high lead up CHF. Don't worry about Mitch, the moment he scooped on the ball at full pace was enough for me to know he is going alright at this stage of the season.

Without Fev I would like to see Clark, Brown and ACorn all in the forward line. Especially if Brown does play mainly inside the forward 50 it is going to be very important to reduce the amount of times Brown gets double teamed. ACorns job would be to 1. Make himself dangerous and drag his opponent away from Brown or 2. to make himself dangerous at ground level when Brown is in a marking contest against two opponents. For me I'd have ACorn watching tapes of Stevie J, O'Keefe and Porplyzia every single night.

Also Banfield won't be as much of a crumber as he was last year and instead copy Essendons gameplan from last night and start up the ground and then run back towards the goals. McGrath will also play down back instead of forward as has been suggested.

 

[Dylan12]

does anyone know his name?

Broc McCauley #46

McGrath will also play down back instead of forward as has been suggested.

I have heard that he may revert back to a forward position, a role he played pretty well 4-5 years ago. IIRC he kicked 35 goals in 2005. I wouldn't mind seeing him down there as a small leading forward which he plays very well...and he is a pretty good set shot at goal.