Game Day Preliminary Final : Eagles v North Melbourne 26/9/15 5.45pm - On the Precipice

[Keys]

(Names removed from some quotes to protect the innocent, names not removed from some quotes because I'm a campaigner.)


After Season 2014 :

Beat up on the weak teams, lost to all the finals-bound teams. Really, we didn't learn anything new about the team/club as a whole. I hate to harp on the point but the re-signing of McGinnity seems to go against the 'kicking skills focus' that I had really hoped Simpson was going to adopt from the Hawks. While we have players who can't kick and who don't have the size to compete for long periods we are going to remain a mediocre team.

After E-mac went down :

Getting a weird 2010 vibe about this year already.

Twenty cents to the first poster to guess who that was. If you're first, ep2006 I'm not giving you the money for correctly naming yourself

2015 over already.

Goody another season over in March.

Waters dead
Darling serious foot injury
Nicnat still bloody injured
McKenzie - no words

F***! *** **** i* **** **** *** a m****** ***
**** *** ** ****** ** ****a*** **** **** n***** i* ****** ** ‘********* ******
*** *d*i** *o*** ** ********t** you bastards!!

Post Round 1 loss to Bulldogs :

We were spanked tonight. Don't let a lopsided goalscoring accuracy fool you. It's going to be a long season.

I think several people on this board overrate our list and need to lower there expectations just a tad.

Also, how is it that every other team in the league can find pacy mids or wingers except us?? I'd really like to know how our recruiters have been so inept for so long and still kept their jobs?
You may think people are over reacting due to this loss, but this has been going on for years now, and when you continue to select the same players who have not done the job previously, questions are going to be asked. It really is ridiculous how long this has been going on. We are becoming the laughing stock of the AFL rapidly.

Que the coaches, football department and recruiters know best because they're professionals and we on BF are just armchair quarterbacks with a bee in our bonnet due to the team's loss type patronizing from the sycophantic fanbois.

Our midfield is so poor that it will take many, many years to rectify.

Not sure that a coach will last in the environment of finishing down the ladder in multiple years. And yet that's what our team needs, which I guess will be at odds with our paid professionals at the club whom overrate our list.

Just because people assessed yesterdays game as largely negative doesn't mean we/they are fair weather supporters, we just see the bigger picture, competing for the premiership, which we are a long, long way from doing. I'll continue to watch every game and hope that we win, but I'm not going to sit here and paint a rosie picture whilst the team in reality is crap.

Who cares about improving in the short term.. Playing the same is just delaying the future.
Look at the bulldogs. They are on the way up with a youthful midfield.
We are treading...no sinking with our shit players.

Because the young players WC have drafted to fill those midfield roles will still be developing and finding their way in 2 years from now. They'll be starting to show promise and having some good games, but won't be of sufficient physical and footballing maturity to make up a midfield capable of top 4 material. Also, WC will continue to do as it known to do and back the wrong horses - of whom will continue to under-perform - and the status quo will remain. Things won't change because WC have a mindset like yours in believing things are on the up, even when they're not, and they don't have the will to make desperately needed changes in key areas. Simpson won't want to bottom out and give WC the best chance of picking up the best talents on offer in the draft because he'll be trying to save his coaching career with whatever wins he can get - long term interests like team building by bottoming out be damned - and that makes for a conflict of interest that keeps WC mid-table in perpetuity and mired in mediocrity.

I love you most of all Keys.

Of course you do, everyone does. Well maybe not everyone.

And some thoughtful analysis on Coach Simpson from his biggest fan :

after that putrid round one display, it's glaringly evident that we have fallen a mile off the pace over the past couple of years.

our players aren't developing, tactically we look inept and the squad looks to have very little confidence.

i don't think there's any doubt now that we will finish bottom 4 (possibly even win our 2nd spoon)

the question is, what will the club do about it?

Make a prelim maybe

if simpson sees the year out i'll be astounded.

the wheels have well and truly fallen off and we're only 3 games into this year.

the players look unmotivated and disinterested.

simpson has a perennially befuddled look on his face in the coaches box, and doesn't appear from the outside as someone capable of giving his lazy, pathetic playing list the mother of all rockets which they deserve.

i hope i'm wrong, but i doubt it.

Surprise, surprise you were wrong

Simpson is a jet. Mark my words he will be coach of the year in 2015

*may not have happened

Oh **** it, who am I kidding, everybody knows that didn't happen

After Round 3 and a belting at the hands of the dockers :



Then the improbable happened



We are on the precipice, the edge of glory playing a home Preliminary Final for a spot in our 6th Grand Final. It'd be nice to think we could just turn up on Saturday evening have a few beers, watch the Auskick kids run around and plan our surge across the Nullarbor for the GF. Alas we have an obstacle named North Melbourne that we need to overcome before what was once unthinkable becomes a reality.

Match Preview (aka Get On With It) :

To be completed once I get more ink for my quill

 

[pantskyle]

I want my named blurred.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Needs more #timetohunt

Thank **** I have a busy week ahead - the semis took too long to come around, and that didn't even involve the Eagles

 

[He_Beast]

man I'm so worried about getting to the dance, I forgot that I have a prelim to enjoy

 

[2006_Eagles]

Oh the majesty of what can be created when Firefox doesn't crash (un)expectedly.

 

[Biggie]

Glorious.

Oh sorry was talking about passing a solid stool,will be a rare one for this week.

Regarding preview thread needs more campaigneriness.

 

[bombard]

Oh god, some of those quotes are bloody marvellous. Well played Keyser Soze.

 

[WCE_phil]

God jennifer love hewitt was gorgeous back then.

 

[bombard]

I remember when Brown went down, someone said - I want to say it was maybe thorne89 or FiveStrings - that Simmo gets a free pass for the season (which I totally agreed with at the time).

Turns out he didn't need it. Can't believe we're waiting for the prelim.

 

[Suma Magic]

I was pretty negative after r3.

Team has proved me wrong countless times.

So what are people's thoughts on the key match ups for the game?

 

[eaglespremiers]

So what are people's thoughts on the key match ups for the game?

Goldstein v Naitanui, that is all.

 

[Suma Magic]

Goldstein v Naitanui, that is all.

It's going to be a cracker.

Weather forecast looks beautiful - max of 24 and no rain.

 

[Suma Magic]

Open training at 11am - get down there if you can!

 

[eaglespremiers]

I know they matched us last time but I just can't see how they should trouble us atm.
Of course we are prone to having the odd off-day (ala GC this year) where they might get us, however, they are just not a really well balanced side:
Key backs are Thompson, Tarrant, Hansen and Firrito (adding him here because he's not a particularly good mid-back IMO).
Key forwards are Waite, Petrie and Brown. Mid forward is Garner.
Inside bulk is Ziebell, Swallow, Cunnington. Taggers are Gibson and Jacobs.
Small forwards are Thomas and Turner. Small backs are Wright and MacMillan.
Leaving really only Harvey, Atley, Higgins and Dal Santo as outside run.
Is it just me or does the team balance seem off?

Match ups:
Rucks
Goldstein v Naitanui & Sinclair

Backs
Waite v Schofield
Brown v McGovern
Petrie v Sheppard
Garner v Butler
Thomas v Wellingham
Turner v Hurn

Forwards
Tarrant v Kennedy
Thompson v Darling
Hansen v Naitanui & Sinclair
Wright v LeCras
Firrito v Hill
Atley v Cripps

Midfield (obviously these rotations are not going to be particularly accurate)
Cunnington v Priddis
Swallow v Hutchings
Gibson v Gaff
Jacobs v Shuey
Dal Santo v Sheed
Ziebell v Yeo
MacMillan v Masten
Higgins v Ellis
Harvey v Rosa

 

[midorigreenwood]

It's going to be a cracker.

Weather forecast looks beautiful - max of 24 and no rain.

Awesome

We should have smacked them in Tasmania

Hope to stomp them this time with an exclaimation mark.

 

[swannies]

God jennifer love hewitt was gorgeous back then.

Yeah, what happened?

 

[Suma Magic]

Changes from our clash earlier in the year:

Out: McInnes, Duggan, Selwood, Nelson
In: Darling, Hutchings, Rosa, Ellis

Arguably all improvements. Be nice to have Duggan available though.

For them

Out: Dumont, McMahon
In: Garner, Dal Santo

 

[woosha24]

I gotta admit, after Round 3 I was settling into the "development year" mindset. Still have no frigging clue how we've gotten so far this year off the back of several season-ending injuries and a second-year coach. If someone had said to me that West Coast would be looking at a Grand Final berth this year after the Freo defeat then I would have called them a campaigning flog!

Sometimes, every once in a blue moon, its nice to be wrong.

 

[Matera LeNui]

Norths backline I think our forwards can exploit.

Tarrant/Hansen/Firrito/Thompson. Big dudes, seem one dimensional. Backing our stamina/flexibility/agility to work them over. I just think we've got to many options for them. Starts in the middle though. If Pridda/Masto come good we should win that battle.

 

[eaglespremiers]

Norths backline I think our forwards can exploit.

Tarrant/Hansen/Firrito/Thompson. Big dudes, seem one dimensional. Backing our stamina/flexibility/agility to work them over. I just think we've got to many options for them. Starts in the middle though. If Pridda/Masto come good we should win that battle.

Yeah, I could see Kennedy having a big game. Supposed to be clear and not windy on Saturday which further helps our chances.

 

[ep2018]

I wish we had done a match sim on the weekend.

 

[getgaff]

Is it too early for a preview to the big dance Keyzer haha. Geez I'm excited for this, this weekend and Saturday can't come quick enough. Obviously I'd rather a West Coast win but either result I'm happy with as Andrew Swallow is a good mate of mine and have another long suffering North Melbourne supporting friend as well.

I agree with the match ups as per .Eagles Premiers. First thing I saw was Sheppard V Petrie and I started sh***ing myself thinking of the mismatch in size but in Shepp we trust. Has had a terrific season and I think on the counter could hurt old man Petrie. If Petrie's getting off the chain I wouldn't be surprised to see E-Y thrown back for support.

In the midfield I firmly believe Jacobs will get the job on Shuey as arguably our most damaging midfielder. It'll need to be a team effort to support and legally block for Shuey as Jacobs and North will watch him closely at stoppages.

The key forward match ups are pretty set but if we can isolate Banana Firrito on a smaller, nippy forward like Hill that could be his downfall.

I'll take a stab at North's team selection for the prelim and anticipate just 1 change for now with a fit Tarrant returning for the unlucky McDonald. Nahas travelling and possible a late inclusion.

 

[Prem87]

Changes from our clash earlier in the year:

Out: McInnes, Duggan, Selwood, Nelson
In: Darling, Hutchings, Rosa, Ellis

Arguably all improvements. Be nice to have Duggan available though.

For them

Out: Dumont, McMahon
In: Garner, Dal Santo

Quality IN's for us, makes a big difference to our team.

 

[Prem87]

I wish we had done a match sim on the weekend.

The photos on the website seems to suggest that we did do a match sim on the Friday or Saturday.

Simpson said the coaches would meet on the Sunday to prep for the game.

 

[Prem87]

God jennifer love hewitt was gorgeous back then.

Its not Hewitt in the pic!