Review NAB Cup Grand Final Review

[Yoda_]

One would hope this is a sarcastic remark .....

Better?

 

[Yoda_]

Yeah haha. Williams still could turn out to be handy. Not sold he will be a 30 goal a year forward we need for him to be a 22 player

To be completely honest, I am not sold on him even reaching 30 goals for a season (in his time as an Essendon player).

One would hope so (including yours truly) but as Ant suggests, his best form as a leading mid sized tall forward is now long gone with no other real strings to his bow.

 

[ningnangnong]

we had some good patches of momentum but lost our way a bit in that second quarter. liked our resilience to fight back from almost 6 goals down. and the way we started the last was exhilarating. haven't been this excited for the beginning of a season in a few years! can't wait

 

[doppleganger]

A few comments from the other side.

Positives

You have found a good new breed.....Melksham, Hardingham, Hibbert, Hocking, Heppel......these guys look good.

**** me Bellchambers is AFL ready, he easily outplayed Jolly tonight......but will he even get a game with Hille and Ryder running around??

Hurley will be good, be patient though he will be hot and cold, but just leave him up forward.

Watson is a STAR.

Negatives

Prismall, Stanton, Winderlich simply are not good enough to be front line midfielders......they all have failings, this will hold Essendon back as the younger guys are not ready to become the front liner's yet.

Williams is a leading FF and nothing else, not sure he is suited anymore.

Still a couple of years off any serious challenge yet IMO.

 

[Drummond]

First time I'd really sat down this PS and watched you blokes and I have to say, Hibberd is a GEM! Loved his game tonight, especially the way he attacked the contest. He really threw himself at every pack and he seems to read the play well and although he stuffed up a few kicks, seems to have a pretty penetrating kick. Good pick-up.

 

[lamaros]

I thought Jetta tried really hard. Was at the bottom of packs more than I've seen and was not super clean with it, but really had a go.

I thought prismall was good too.

Only really disappointed with Williams and colyer.

 

[Childish Gambino]

Hibberd is a cat, always lands on his feet. Refuses to go to ground in a contest

 

[Childish Gambino]

I thought Jetta tried really hard. Was at the bottom of packs more than I've seen and was not super clean with it, but really had a go.

I thought prismall was good too.

Only really disappointed with Williams and colyer.

I agree. I thought Prismall started really well but faded away after quarter time.

 

[raskolnikov]

Still a couple of years off any serious challenge yet IMO.

No shit Sherlock.

We all thought we could bank on making the Grand Final this year.

 

[centrelink1]

I thought we were brilliant. Our zonal defence worked well, and we didn't look restricted coming forward which teams normally seem to be when they play Collingwood.

 

[Drummer_19]

Can't have both Prismall and Myers in the same side, their decision making is embarrassing. Beaten by the better team tonight, some positives to take out of it for sure is that we showed resiliency when they looked like they were going to run away with it. Bellchambers very impressive, keep winders up forward. Saw a fight on the train on the way home from the game, was an entertaining end to the night.

 

[The Donners]

Prismall, Stanton, Winderlich simply are not good enough to be front line midfielders......they all have failings, this will hold Essendon back as the younger guys are not ready to become the front liner's yet.

I agree. Stanton is B-Grade (but has shown on-field leadership during the NAB series), Winderlich is C-Grade. Most know I've never been a great fan of Stanton's and Winderlich can only play 2 positions, wing or bench.

I still hold hopes for Prismall. Not sure why, he's slow, has a poor disposal. Could simply be one of those players I want to succeed that just stay plain/average. Could be his last year at Essendon.

However, I'd be suprised if Stanton and Winderlich don't finish their careers into their 30s at Essendon. If that's the case for BOTH of them, we're further than a couple of years away.

We need Heppell, Jetta, Zaharakis, i.e. guys with genuine skill, to push them out.

Stanton or Winderlich could be in a premiership side, not both.

 

[yaco55]

Couple of points

Myers again showed he has good defensive capabilities - Is capable of locking in his future as a third defender. His decision-making may improve in time.

Howlett has disappointed in the pre-season - Hasn't really got going at any stage. Hoping that he has something left in the kit bag.

Collingwood was much better at isolating their key forwards Cloke and Dawes - Something that we need to work on.

Hardingham is definitely better value as a defender - Bit of a streaky player - Can dominate an opponent - needs to me more prudent when flying as third man.

 

[Coopster09]

I find it so frustrating with all these people having a go at Myers.

GIVE HIM A GO! he has played bugger all games and is in a new role 4th game of the year and its NAB cup... way to higher expectations, tayte pears was no superstar in his 4th game either took him a good year for him to develop

My point is give him a chance

 

[Vass38]

IM little shocked that Hirdy's unbeaten run came to an end last night but to go down by only 22 poiints against Collingwood in a grand final isn't that bad.

Positives to come out of last nights game for me;-

• Hibberd & Hardingham both showed courage and class and locked themselves in defence for round 1
• Hurley has stamped himself as our go to man at CHF, and Monfires and Zaka are both reliable mid sized forwards
• T.Bells rich vein of form continued which is super importnant for us as it allows Hille & Ryder to play full forward until a J.Daniher, Gumby or Carlisle can develop enough to play there.
• Pears, Davey & H.Slats to come back in, & Lonergan proved hes more than capable of being part of mid-field rotations

Negatives

• Winderlich & Prismall have been in the system long enough & continue to get chances but dont do enough. these guys should expext some time at Bendigo soon
• Young guys inconsistant. Jetta, Melksham, Howlett, Heppell all pretty good last week and well down on this form last night
• M.Williams. I'm a fan but when he was on the ground last night he looked lost

Overall I thought we did OK, got blown apart a bit in the first half but fought our way back into the match well. a great pre-season all in all.

 

[lemon chicken]

Couldnt be happier considering it was 14th V 1st. Cant wait for Pears to get back, I think Hooker is a much better player with him in the side. Gumby will be handy as well.

 

[sen entertainment bloke]

Plucky effort but the scoreboard flattered us. Collingwood's disposal and being where the ball is going was far superior.

Their fifty metre stuff gave us a few goals and they had more close goal misses than us.

Hate saying this but I actually enjoy watching Collingwood play. Better go and wash my mouth out with soap.

 

[rines]

Considering it was pre-season, up against the premiers of last year with 19 premiership players in.. was always going to be tough tough tough and I couldn't be happier. We had several chances to be in front during that last qtr even after the colyer **** up end of 3rd!! Was really impressed with our pressure against the best drilled, hardest and consistent team in the comp!

Positives:
T.Bell.. he is really pushing for Rnd 1 selection with ryder/hille up forward. Our mids need to learn to read off our ruck though as didn't translate to many clearances.

Hibbs.. For first year player he attacks it well and is hard as nails. Loved his aggression and commitment to the cause.

Watson.. ahhh is it just me or is his kicking getting a little better? If his kicking improves even 5% he becomes elite elite

Negatives:
Myers.. sheesh this guy is ugly. Defend him all you want but just has no idea any of the time, gets caught, is slow, has no right SIDE let alone right boot.. turns into traffic, sloppy disposal, poor decision making and not good enough.. To think what we could have had at 6...

Williams.. will the Knights inflicted pain ever end? Useless, was useless his last two seasons at Hawthorn and they couldn't offload him quick enough!! Absolute joke. Hopefully we never see him again, finish paying his inflated contract and forget it ever happened.

Ryder.. Really needed him to step up down forward but looked lost at times. I rate him, think he is awesome but was a little disappointed with his effort last night. Hopefully we can keep him focussed for a whole season rather than just games here and there.

Overall we kept the pies to under 110 which is great based on last years effort. We didn't throw in the towel and we seem to be playing as a team far more than last year. All good signs for an improving 2011.

 

[eth-dog]

Plucky effort but the scoreboard flattered us. Collingwood's disposal and being where the ball is going was far superior.

Their fifty metre stuff gave us a few goals and they had more close goal misses than us.

Hate saying this but I actually enjoy watching Collingwood play. Better go and wash my mouth out with soap.

Not really. The scoreboard was about right IMO. We were good but they had a little more class at the crucial points in the game. We played well.

Myers I thought was solid without being spectacular. So what if he stuffed up a few disposals. Leigh Brown had no impact on the game whatsoever barring giving a handpass to Pendles for a goal. Myers will come good. I'm sure of it. A few quiet nights, but against a team like the pies that's expected. We have a good season ahead of us

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Hurley you ****ing superstar

 

[Skeeta Olly]

Massive concerns of Hooker's leg speed, really got caught out on multiple occasions last night. veer since he did his hamstring against St Kilda last year his running technique has never been the same. He struggles to keep up with the big power forwards which he once could.

I'm not saying this is the end put a fork in him, more that it's an issue that needs to be corrected or he becomes a liability.

 

[jsd09]

I was at the game on level 2 and alls i could see from our forward line was walking pace sprints...


Crameri would go on a lead sprint sprint, Harry O or Heath Shaw would jog next to him wait for us to kick it sprint then chop it off ,

I like Crameri but he doesn't move fast and it was the same with Monfries we just looked so slow and even in the back line cale hooker trying to chase someone down well he was just never going to get there.

 

[Skeeta Olly]

Hurley you ****ing superstar

About time he got some frees.

 

[Atavistic]

Not really. The scoreboard was about right IMO. We were good but they had a little more class at the crucial points in the game. We played well.

Not really. Not compared to last week, at least. Lacked the intensity of last week, where we hounded the Saints. Last night it was the Magpies pressuring us, and Bombers players were disposing of the ball too quickly and poorly. They must have gifted us about five goals with stupid free kicks from players such as Tarrant and O'Brien, so IMO the scoreboard made it look better than it was. Even our 3rd quarter comeback was due mainly to silly frees I50.

Myers I thought was solid without being spectacular. So what if he stuffed up a few disposals. Leigh Brown had no impact on the game whatsoever barring giving a handpass to Pendles for a goal. Myers will come good. I'm sure of it. A few quiet nights, but against a team like the pies that's expected. We have a good season ahead of us

Lots of people are complaining about Myers, but I think he played alright last night. Perhaps I need to watch the game again. Hardingham also impressed down back.

 

[Bomberman86]

Firstly congrats to Collingwood - a good victory and showing why they're the reigning day premiers.

A bit of a mixed bag tonight from our point of view. Started well enough, fell in a hole, got back up and was right in the game only for the reigning premiers to kick away in the final ten minutes.

Obviously we'd all prefer to win but I don't think it was all doom and gloom this evening. A few crucial errors at important moments in the game didn't help our cause in the end. Don't like to single players out but the disposal of Myers, Prismall & Stanton was questionable at times.

Liked how we fought it out in the second half after falling 34 points behind and it was more important big game exposure for our younger players. I reckon if this game was played last year there is a fair chance we would of lost by 8-9 goals plus.

We have a lot to work with in 2011 and like the Pies we have a few players to come back into selection contention for Round 1 and the early part of the season. Heads up Bombers.

Actually, before the game I was talking to mates saying id rather lose, but by 4 goals or less, as not to get smashed. I think the lesson learnt from a small loss to the premier is FAR more valuable than a tight win over them.