Essendon's Depth

[eddiesmith]

Im sure these same Essendon people defending their lack of depth are the same who bag Collingwood when we were missing all our good players and our depth players through injury last year.

You played your best defenders and fat man Whitnall run you ragged, that was the highlight of the night

McPhee overrated as a defender

 

[Longy413]

Im sure these same Essendon people defending their lack of depth are the same who bag Collingwood when we were missing all our good players and our depth players through injury last year.

You played your best defenders and fat man Whitnall run you ragged, that was the highlight of the night

McPhee overrated as a defender

McPhee is always better as a running defender rather than a KP defender. Hence the reason he was picked in the starting 18 of the All-Australian side last season (ahead of Clement). Thought Kep was fairly good against him, tough task for a 19 year old playing on someone of Whitnall's class. I'd suggest Zantuck would take him next time.

 

[eddiesmith]

I know he is better as a running defender, so why is he always played as a KP defender?

Last time they played Collingwood, McPhee was best on ground, his opponent, Taz, 2nd best on ground.

Brings up the question, what is better from a defender, say 4-5 touches yet keeps his opponent to less
OR
20-25 touches for both players, yet his opponent manages 4 goals. He is best for his side as his his opponent

He needs to tighten up if Sheeds is going to play him KP or else Essendon need to find someone else so they can free McPhee up

 

[Denno]

Is that Dustin Fletcher?

He'd make a champion swimmer with all that kicking!

 

[Cozmo]

You lot are complete morons. Have no idea about football what so ever. Get a grip. Who is going to benefit from this more come the real season? Carlton, playing a full strength side in the WIZARD CUP. Or Essendon, playing kids. And playing then in different positions every 10 minutes. Has this devestating loss put us down the ladder?
Its the every clubs choice whether to go in the wizard cup to win it, or to give some experiance to some kids.
Lets see how every other clubs depth handles 6 starters out of their lineups. A hell of a lot more than a 40 point loss. Collingwood springs to mind, last year.
Its the wizard cup geez.

 

[Total Package]

You lot are complete morons. Have no idea about football what so ever. Get a grip. Who is going to benefit from this more come the real season? Carlton, playing a full strength side in the WIZARD CUP. Or Essendon, playing kids. And playing then in different positions every 10 minutes. Has this devestating loss put us down the ladder?
Its the every clubs choice whether to go in the wizard cup to win it, or to give some experiance to some kids.
Lets see how every other clubs depth handles 6 starters out of their lineups. A hell of a lot more than a 40 point loss. Collingwood springs to mind, last year.
Its the wizard cup geez.

Welcome to Bigfooty

 

[Milanista]

No.. but you have just proved the title of this thread as credible. You were missing Hird, Lloyd, and the Johnsons.... most clubs were missing that. We were missing about 8 players.... difference is the "borderline" players we have who missed out on games late last year were the Rowen Jones and co.... who come in and make it look like we have a full side. It's called DEPTH. Essendon don't have any. Most sides played just as many kids as Essendon did.

Except the Blues weren't. And most clubs that were missing that lost.

 

[VANDA]

Depth is overrated anyway.

What counts is the win/loss tally at the end of the season.

Dont attempt to sum up 2005 for the Bombers based on 1 practice match where we played a full strength Carlton.

(against our team missing Hird / LLoyd / Johnson / Johnson / Rioli ).

Take 5 quality players out of any team up against a full strength one & any team will run into problems.

Geez i wonder whether Carlton would have played as well without Whitnall / Fevola / Stevens / Campo / Kouta?

Simple answer is a definitive NO.

 

[nonchalance]

Most sides played just as many kids as Essendon did.

Yup. And most sides didn't play against full strength teams. A side always looks worse against quality opposition - Carlton had a full AFL-standard side in. We didn't, and it showed.

Take out Carlton's best forward, and the game would have been even.
Take out their best midfielder and their captain as well, and who knows?

 

[hotpie]

Essedon are in for a very difficult season in 2005.

 

[MarkT]

I don’t know if Essendon lack depth because I don’t know enough about their young players to judge their quality but I do think they need all their best players fit. What depth they do have is undeveloped and therefore not likely to save them in the event of injuries in 2005. I'll back them to make the 8 though even if only because you would have to be stupid to back against it given their/Sheedy’s history. One thing Sheedy does do is get games into young players and he gets out of them whatever they have. Whether the talent spotters have done the job this time around is yet to be decided.

 

[ant555]

Nice to see all the usual Essendon trolls out in force patting themselves on the back enjoying good times I have to give you credit the usual bunch are consistant

Anyway to the game you have to call it what it was, ordinary! Carlton where simply too good. Ok we had players out who would have had a bigger influence on the game but i am not looking for excuses as this is the season where the younger guys have to stand up.
For Morgoth Keppler didnt play on Whitnell for the whole game and the goal Whitnall did get while playing on him was from a soft turnover caused by kepler himself. He wasnt too bad made a couple of really basic errors but was ok.
The thing that killed us was the turnover from basic skill errors. Carlton got about 6 goals from simple errors where our guys gave up the footy and a number of them they where not under pressure.
The other poor point was our forward set up ,they got killed by Carlton running from defence when we dropped a number of simple marks and didnt chase hard enough.
Stanton was good and contary to what someone has said earlier he isnt slow.
Bullen needs to do more , Reynolds was very ordinary, Dyson didnt have a huge impact, Watson did nothing , Laycock was ok but made some simple mistakes at times and the same with Sam Hunt.
You have to call it for what it is and that is we will finish 10th to 12th if the young guys dont step up , i think we will end up being ok with some of the guys we have but i dont think it will be this season.

 

[shiva25]

But our depth players were also missing. Mark Alvey, Ty Zantuck, Ben Haynes and Ted Richards also didn't play. Those four aren't in our best 22, but certainly are when Hird, Lloyd, Johnson, Johnson and Rioli are missing. We also lost Rama before quarter time.

Carlton were fantastic, take nothing away from them. But if you are going to question Essendon's depth at least look at the full picture. Also take note that Solomon, Allan, Fletcher, McVeigh spent the entire last quarter on the bench.

Those so called depth players you mention above are not good enough to regularly win you games and would struggle to get regular games in most other sides.As for Solomon,Allen,Fletcher and Mcveigh being off the ground in the last quarter,the game was already won by then.

 

[Johnson#26]

The spin will continue from Sheedy, but the proof is there - their depth is lacking badly.

Granted they will be better with their guns back (Hird, Lloyd and the underrated Johnsons), and the Blues went 100% yesterday, but their kids have a fair bit of improvement left. Dyson looks ok, but aside from that if I were an Essendon supporter I'd be worried. Their lack of pace still hasn't improved since 2000.

Even worse now that Rammanouskis has pulled a hamstring.

 

[marcuz]

We have had a good run over the years so missing the finals for the first time in 8 years is nothing to be ashamed of. The fact we have been up so long is a credit to the club.

 

[itsintheblood]

THAT IS JUST LIQUID GOLD!!!!!

 

[Daytripper]

Carlton beat Sydney by 102 points in the 1st round of the Wizard Cup last season. That result had absolutly no correlation to what happened in the season proper.

Some teams just take it more seriously than others.

Nice to see all the Richmond and Collingwood trolls get excited though.

 

[Longy413]

Those so called depth players you mention above are not good enough to regularly win you games

Depth players don't win you games, they come in to fill a whole that is left by an injured player. Relistically we are not going to be without Hille, Hird, Lloyd, Rioli, Mark and Jason Johnson (almost throw in Rama there too) in one game. Alvey, Haynes, Zantuck, Richards and the like individually (Thomas, Lovett-Murray,Bullen also depth players if we have a full squad) do have the ability to come in and fill a hole. Richards has kicked bags of 3 and 4 in Lloyd's absence. Alvey has had a near on 400 possession season. Yesterday was too big a hole to cover.

and would struggle to get regular games in most other sides.

Richards, Alvey, Haynes and Zantuck would struggle to get regular games at Essendon as well. They aren't in our best 22 (Zantuck might squeeze in).

As for Solomon,Allen,Fletcher and Mcveigh being off the ground in the last quarter,the game was already won by then.

Yet we closed the gap on Carlton in the last quarter (although minimally), when Peverill and Lucas were the only two genuine experienced senior players on the paddock.

 

[Longy413]

Even worse now that Rammanouskis has pulled a hamstring.

Only a corky by the looks of things.

If it was round 1 yesterday most of the boys would have played. Rioli, Hird and Jason Johnson would have been certainties. Lloyd only has a bruised calf and probably would have played, and Hille wouldn't have been far off. Mark Johnson is recovering from shoulder surgery, so is still a couple of weeks away. The injury list isn't anything to be concerned about at this stage.

 

[M29]

Jason Johnson = injury prone

2000 25 Games
2001 24 Games
2002 24 Games
2003 22 Games
2004 19 Games

Get a clue dip********.

 

[M29]

Their lack of pace still hasn't improved since 2000.

Pace means ********. Brisbane weren't an awesomely fast team, they're very strong and move the ball well. Something we won't be doing this year.

 

[nicho_magic]

can't wait to prove all you essendon haters wrong again

 

[nicho_magic]

2000 25 Games
2001 24 Games
2002 24 Games
2003 22 Games
2004 19 Games

Get a clue dip********.

AHHAHAH someone just got rolled

 

[M29]

can't wait to prove all you essendon haters wrong again

We won't be very good this year, not on the basis of yesterdays game, unless you thought it was amusing seeing Henneman and Hunt standing next to each other in the forward line.

Carlton were equally as appalling in parts, missing simple set shots. The advantage they have on us is their coach had the balls to play youngsters for quarters at a time last year, instead of playing them for 10 mins and dragging them.

 

[MrAaron]

Essendon did OK for what talent they had out there.

We were missing Hird, Lloyd, Both Johnsons, Rioli, Hille, Zantuck amongst a few, and there are a few I most likely missed aswell.

Also Ramma only has a corked thigh, he'll be fine in 2 weeks

With them in the side the results will be alot different I can guarantee you that.

99% of the clubs would also struggle if they also had 6 of their best players rested as Brisbane did on the weekend also.

Some clubs just don't take the preseason cup seriously, Essendon hasn't since 2000, it is as simple as that.

I predict the bombers will finish top 6 this year after the home and away season if they have a good run with injuries that is