Preview R19: Changes vs. Essendon

[BACCS]

Why can't we beat these schlubs?

We seem to come out at snail's pace against them every time whereas the Essendon players are instantly at grand final intensity

They suddenly are a team of Usain Bolts in terms of speed, all across the field but we're running in quicksand.

Inevitably after a pantsing in Melbourne there are whispers that flu must have gone through our club in the week leading up.

Our performances before and after Essendon games can be good but we reserve our worst football for the 2 hours we're playing them. Every season.

Their spuddiest players look like superstars for one week only.

This trait has extended through multiple coaches, changing line ups. It's in our DNA. Even in our 97 premiership year, just before winning 4 finals on the bounce, we lost to a woeful 3rd-from bottom-Bombers team.

Why do we almost always lose? Why will it change this Friday?

All clubs have a team they seem to struggle against, ours just happens to be Essendon. I can't put my finger on why either, they haven't been a super consistent or strong club since the early 2000s.

I know we haven't beat Collingwood much recently, but they are usually good games and close. Some games against Essendon have been truly horrific, especially when we kicked 4 goals in a Friday night 3 or 4 years ago.

 

[BACCS]

Unsure if this helps us when we rock up to a bone dry surface & completely windless Marvel Stadium in 3 days time. We are so bad at playing there I hope we're trying something different this week to get our heads around it. I still haven't decided if I'll go on Friday. Waiting to hear who we name in the team...

Our best game this season happened at Marvel

 

[Vader]

So true. It's infuriating.

Also the umpiring fraternity haven't forgotten their stellar performance in that absolutely rigged final 1993 IIRC and always seem to emulate that performance in some form....Draper's non HTB for example ultimately cost us a finals berth long before the goal umpire had a chance to bang the nail in that coffin.

???

The Draper non-HTB happened this year (2024). How could it possibly have cost us a finals berth in 2023?

 

[davos44]

So true. It's infuriating.

Also the umpiring fraternity haven't forgotten their stellar performance in that absolutely rigged final 1993 IIRC and always seem to emulate that performance in some form....Draper's non HTB for example ultimately cost us a finals berth long before the goal umpire had a chance to bang the nail in that coffin.

Umpiring so bad it breaks the fabric of time.

 

[footy4ever]

???

The Draper non-HTB happened this year (2024). How could it possibly have cost us a finals berth in 2023?

Aah yes...what an idiot. For some reason it was planted in my mind as late last year.

It's the dementia.

 

[Scorpus]

Why can't we beat these schlubs?

We seem to come out at snail's pace against them every time whereas the Essendon players are instantly at grand final intensity

They suddenly are a team of Usain Bolts in terms of speed, all across the field but we're running in quicksand.

Inevitably after a pantsing in Melbourne there are whispers that flu must have gone through our club in the week leading up.

Our performances before and after Essendon games can be good but we reserve our worst football for the 2 hours we're playing them. Every season.

Their spuddiest players look like superstars for one week only.

This trait has extended through multiple coaches, changing line ups. It's in our DNA. Even in our 97 premiership year, just before winning 4 finals on the bounce, we lost to a woeful 3rd-from bottom-Bombers team.

Why do we almost always lose? Why will it change this Friday?

Very strong correlation between ladder position and results.

Only four times have Essendon upset us when we are the much better team, and only twice have we beaten Essendon when Essendon were much better

However when the ladder position is within 3 either way, we have a 4-11 record. It's a pretty safe bet to go with Essendon when they are better or similar ladder position to us.

Further breaking down the close ladder results we are 3-3 at home and 1-8 away

 

[cleanhands]

Aah yes...what an idiot. For some reason it was planted in my mind as late last year.

It's the dementia.

Do they have support groups for us?

 

[dogs105]

I reckon we win

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Our social media game is actually quite good, weird take.

It's professional, sleek, inoffensive, I'm sure it is exactly what our club is looking for. Not the cheeky, slightly edgy or funny stuff that the Giants produce. Our attempts at humour don't work. The feel-good stuff we do well. It's very AFC, as you'd expect it to be.

It's the same reason why the survey we all filled out last week was so full of which words and feelings you associate with the AFC. They're trying to find out why we are how we are, why we are perceived as a safe club.

 

[rabidcrow]

You think Nicks will change the game plan?

No I don’t think he will. Coaches in general seem to keep their heads in the sand around specific team match ups.
Watch Essendon play super quick this week and have us on the back foot early


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[1970crow]

If Soligo is struggling a bit with his groins, I’d love to see them give Rachelle a full game in the middle to get him involved.

If Rachele is struggling with his groins I hope we don’t torch them like we did with the Crouch boys. Season is over, every decision needs to be geared towards 2025 and beyond.

 

[Mutineer]

 

[cleanhands]

Impressive young man

 

[bigman]

Essendon don't have a pure small forward, perhaps running with Nic Martin might help with his education?

Gresham plays this role and bond would be a good match up on him

 

[kirky]

This trait has extended through multiple coaches, changing line ups. It's in our DNA. Even in our 97 premiership year, just before winning 4 finals on the bounce, we lost to a woeful 3rd-from bottom-Bombers team.

Why do we almost always lose? Why will it change this Friday?

Remember being at that game at Optus Oval (or maybe Princes Park at the time) but one event that day overshadowed everything.

It was the day Princess Diana died. Remember it being announced about an hour before the game started.

 

[kirky]

Very strong correlation between ladder position and results.

Only four times have Essendon upset us when we are the much better team, and only twice have we beaten Essendon when Essendon were much better

However when the ladder position is within 3 either way, we have a 4-11 record. It's a pretty safe bet to go with Essendon when they are better or similar ladder position to us.

Further breaking down the close ladder results we are 3-3 at home and 1-8 away

View attachment 2049935

Far too much time on your hands.

 

[Bazz_27]

Remember being at that game at Optus Oval (or maybe Princes Park at the time) but one event that day overshadowed everything.

It was the day Princess Diana died. Remember it being announced about an hour before the game started.

I was about 10 at the time and can recall it going over the speakers. We knew already before going that she had been in an accident I think but didn't expect she would die (as a10 year old). I remember there being a very strange environment for a footy game where everyone was very quiet for s period after the announcement

 

[kirky]

I was about 10 at the time and can recall it going over the speakers. We knew already before going that she had been in an accident I think but didn't expect she would die (as a10 year old). I remember there being a very strange environment for a footy game where everyone was very quiet for s period after the announcement

Yeh, you could hear the whole ground go quiet - was really surreal.

 

[WetCrow1991]

Big turn out at training today. Only 3 missing milera Pedlar and gollant

Worrell Parnell and crouch all training in hats.

Hamill and Gallagher in rehab

Very high standard session in extremely windy conditions

High standard for the Crows or for the AFL in general?

 

[jackster83]

Remember being at that game at Optus Oval (or maybe Princes Park at the time) but one event that day overshadowed everything.

It was the day Princess Diana died. Remember it being announced about an hour before the game started.

We were listening to the radio as the power was off. They actually announced it as good news.

I remember that diving flog Cockatoo Collins tore us a new one.

 

[WetCrow1991]

Our social media game is actually quite good, weird take.

You probably wear a North Face puffer vest.

 

[Carmo]

Very strong correlation between ladder position and results.

Only four times have Essendon upset us when we are the much better team, and only twice have we beaten Essendon when Essendon were much better

However when the ladder position is within 3 either way, we have a 4-11 record. It's a pretty safe bet to go with Essendon when they are better or similar ladder position to us.

Further breaking down the close ladder results we are 3-3 at home and 1-8 away

Umpiring bias showing up in the data?? They get a fair deal at our home ground and we get utterly screwed at theirs?

 

[FullyBigKPro]

Already getting William to do a presser.... Wowee... A good lad.

After a huge big massive win over the barnstorming Saints, hard to see many unforced changes this week

Hopefully TT starts in on a dry deck, maybe Himmelburg out for Pedlar or Curtin?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Already getting William to do a presser.... Wowee... A good lad.

After a huge big massive win over the barnstorming Saints, hard to see many unforced changes this week

Hopefully TT starts in on a dry deck, maybe Himmelburg out for Pedlar or Curtin?

Pedlar is out for the season with shoulder injury.

 

[Crows I Am]

A question that sums up our club to a degree.

No they can't. They're very professional, slick. I'm sure they're dedicated, know the technicalities of what they do.

However social media is an ever-changing young person's game. Knowing what will catch fire, sense of humour, "bantz". Memes and short vids. Tiktok generation.

We don't have it and those who do the hiring at our club wouldn't recognise those who do. I imagine that our social media team have a background in designing websites and coding.