AFL Autopsy RND 16: Loss To The Pussies

[Kong]

At this point I prefer missing finals. An EF thrashing will do absolutely nothing for development.

Didn't watch and won't be, and this is a comment on the side, not you.

But even reading your post feels like insanity. How often has that discussion been had on this board over the past 15 years?

The club's in legit purgatory at this point.

 

[blitzer]

Watched the Freo game & yes, you could literally see the umps working Sydney back into the game.

I want to impartially watch the 3rd quarter of our game again but don't think I can without breaking some shit.

You'd have to be a little sick to go watch that 3rd quarter again as an Essendon fan.

 

[Kong]

I actually think im done supporting this football club. Few drinks deep but almost wanted to draw a ear tonight going as much as things have changed, they clearly won't

A bogey side, ripe for the taking and we went back to same old Essendon. We didn't just lose, we were embarrassed. 45 points, another shellacking

 

[ant555]

There is one season long issue going on and that is we simply give up too much score on turnover based of skill errors going forward and then not being able to defend them.

 

[bommer16]

Not sure what I expected Ess to do last night but if one leader stood up and said come with me let’s give it everything we got would’ve been nice.
A lot of dissipated energy stopping and throwing arms up waiting for the ump to blow a whistle and award a free just meant more time in lost focus and Geelong capitalising on it. They had to stay in the A game.
The response in the next few games will be interesting.

 

[yodellinhank]

Didn't watch and won't be, and this is a comment on the side, not you.

But even reading your post feels like insanity. How often has that discussion been had on this board over the past 15 years?

The club's in legit purgatory at this point.

If this is purgatory, I'd hate to see hell

 

[Squeaky]

Umps killed momentum. They had a absolute stinker.

Unfortunately, as a result players got frustrated and lost concentration. Need to be better than that and was poor by our leaders.

Would have preferred someone giving ump a proper spray and even a 50 and then reset. Trying to hide the frustration and being clearly distracted for the rest of the game didnt work. Like get it properly out, run through someone/let the umps know they have been useless and move on. Get a 50, fine and then switch back on. We just seem to be clearly annoyed but dont do anything and internalise the anger. Weren't able to slow the game down or even calmly chat to the umps at 3 quarter time about it.

Instead we just ran around frustrated and complained and got smashed in the 2nd half.

Iron out the umpire!!

 

[eth-dog]

Essendon supporters and melting when we lose, name a more iconic duo?

It was a bad loss in a winnable game. Our inability to retain the ball I50 kills us, we're going in way too tall. Can't play the two rucks from here and Langford still looks injured.

 

[Mercurial89]

There is one season long issue going on and that is we simply give up too much score on turnover based of skill errors going forward and then not being able to defend them.

It's what you get when you don't prioritize the training or the drafting of football skills.

I get fitness and culture we're very very high on the list of things that needed attention, but as I've said before, we have neglected this aspect and are paying for it.

 

[Squeaky]

Not sure what I expected Ess to do last night but if one leader stood up and said come with me let’s give it everything we got would’ve been nice.
A lot of dissipated energy stopping and throwing arms up waiting for the ump to blow a whistle and award a free just meant more time in lost focus and Geelong capitalising on it. They had to stay in the A game.
The response in the next few games will be interesting.

Good call...
We were just headless chooks. Leadership is just a word to us.
This inefficiency going forward is not new for us. We are A grade butchers of the footy, but last night we got punished where a few of the teams we have played recently couldn't.
Sort it out ffs.
And the team selection was ordinary. Yes we won clearance, but we are either turning it over or incapable of doing anything with the ground ball in our f50 based on being too lumbering.
If Langford is not fit. Rest him. He is damaging his rep!

 

[FootyGuru]

It's what you get when you don't prioritize the training or the drafting of football skills.

I get fitness and culture we're very very high on the list of things that needed attention, but as I've said before, we have neglected this aspect and are paying for it.

Let’s be real, other than Merrett and Ridley, and sometime Caldwell and Martin, everyone else are average to below average kicks, and some like leverde are in the bottom few in the league.

 

[Squeaky]

It's what you get when you don't prioritize the training or the drafting of football skills.

I get fitness and culture we're very very high on the list of things that needed attention, but as I've said before, we have neglected this aspect and are paying for it.

Didn't see anything in the culture column that was positive last night...

 

[Mercurial89]

Let’s be real, other than Merrett and Ridley, and sometime Caldwell and Martin, everyone else are average to below average kicks, and some like leverde are in the bottom few in the league.

Which is my point.

Didn't see anything in the culture column that was positive last night...

Yeah, but I do understand that was a high priority for them.
The skills piece is one I've ranted about before, it's why I'm so down on Tsatas (I'm unreasonably harsh on the kid).

 

[Vindicater]

Simply went in with a bad team for the conditions.

I hate the two rucks setup. HATE IT!

 

[Here_we_come]

The umpires were shit last night but they were not a 45 point difference. They killed momentum but a good side could and would absorb that pressure. We couldn’t and ultimately threw in the towel when things got difficult. Our players have done that for the best part of 2 decades now. 2 goals to 10 in the second half is just embarrassing.

We’ve been overrated for a while now imo. If you rank us on percentage we are bottom 6. I don’t think we’re winning a final this year.

 

[JayJ20]

Didn't watch and won't be, and this is a comment on the side, not you.

But even reading your post feels like insanity. How often has that discussion been had on this board over the past 15 years?

The club's in legit purgatory at this point.

This was a carbon copy of the Bulldogs EF which means nothing has changed.

Competitive first half in the rain against a team we struggle against. Horrible umpiring in the 3rd quarter and suddenly we lose all composure to lose by 45 points (49 points vs Bulldogs). Literally the same game. I'm not interested in playing finals. I'm interested in winning a final and I just cannot see it happening this year.

We can't even beat North, West Coast and Richmond by 45 points so what makes it okay to lose by that much to a team who lost 6 of 7? We were 21 points behind at 3QT which isn't a lot so why did we all already know the game was done?

 

[FootyGuru]

Simply went in with a bad team for the conditions.

I hate the two rucks setup. HATE IT!

I’m not disagreeing with you, but two rucks against Geelongs ruck was supposed to give us advantage at hit out and in turn clearance. Which it did. Clearance in the wet is a pretty important stat, and was prioritised. Which I understand.

I think Hobbs and setterfeild are built for wet conditions, so they should have definitely been considered, maybe not for the rucks but for others.

In general our trump card is relentless pressure for 4 qtrs, I don’t think we have seen that when we have 2 rucks and 2mp in the same side.

 

[Zephyr Effekt]

I’m just glad we’ve pumped games into the usual suspects only to be the best of the bottom 8-10.

 

[JayJ20]

Essendon supporters and melting when we lose, name a more iconic duo?

It was a bad loss in a winnable game. Our inability to retain the ball I50 kills us, we're going in way too tall. Can't play the two rucks from here and Langford still looks injured.

Most didn't melt after the Gold Coast loss, the Sydney loss or the Carlton loss because they weren't bad losses.

 

[JayJ20]

I don't know what I'm more pissed off at. The legitimately disgusting umpiring in the 3rd that gave Geelong the 21 point lead or the fact that the Essendon players completely destroyed any credibility to our grievances with a pathetic 4th quarter that pretty much makes our season a complete write off.

 

[Gumby2Hurley]

Tough watch after quarter time to be honest, couldn’t capitalize in the second and had a rough period in the third. inexcusable final quarter.

 

[jannissary]

i slept on it and came to the realisation that this was always going to happen therefore i am not mad nor upset.

umpiring aside they played better wet weather football. nothing more to it.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Yeah in some ways this was worst loss this season …especially after all the improvement since the Power game. That second half was terrible.

How we bounce back next couple of weeks will show where we’re at at most teams this season have had a bad loss here or there.

 

[Nicholas61]

There is one season long issue going on and that is we simply give up too much score on turnover based of skill errors going forward and then not being able to defend them.

The lack of polish is why we can’t go the next step with this team, that was evident the Carlton match. The effort is now there. Bringing in guys like Tsatas (the current version) will only make things worse. You have to work 10 times harder. We really need to focus on bringing in skilled players. Watching Sydney yesterday they are so dangerous with their kicks going inside 50.

 

[eth-dog]

Most didn't melt after the Gold Coast loss, the Sydney loss or the Carlton loss because they weren't bad losses.

Plenty did.