AFL Autopsy RND 5: Loss To Freo

[The Dustbin]

You’re not going to win games by playing 1 genuine key position player (2MP) at both ends. We got away with it against Ade.

Nic Cox, where is he at? Is actually any good??

 

[Essendonia]

Fresh coaches, fresh kids, fresh season, same old same-olds.

Has a team ever had this level of output from its senior group? The kids and trade-ins are generally our best performers. Nil leadership in second half and nil capacity/willingness to defend Freo spread.

After some honourable performances and a gritty win, this takes us back to Rd 1. Sure, we have some personnel missing, but Freo are probably not a top-8 side and we got schooled at home. Thoroughly disappointing and demotivating. Hard to see the boys rally for Anzac Day after this performance.

I think we know who is not part of the future and we can now put games into the youth. The seniors aren't getting it done anyway!

 

[cobra land]

Our problems start in the midfield, too many down hill skiers in there,,run hard one way and are unaccountable.
The defence have 2 players that actually play on an opponent, Laverde and Kelly... the others are all individuals who do their own thing.
Hind & Redman want to all out attack and lose their opponents way too much, then we have Ridley and Heppell who want to zone off and get the easy kicks..Time to play selfless players who are willing to play a role for the TEAM and if you don't then it's time to move on.
What's happened to the way we were playing last year ?, fast ball movement and hard to stop. We now play a slow kick it down the line to players who struggle to mark overhead aanyway...not going to win many games with that style of play..we are so predictable to play against..
As a supporter group we were happy last season playing the young kids and having a crack week in week out, now some of these kids need to go back to the two's.... they have gone backwards and this is where the coaches need to take resposibility.
Cox has gone backwards at an alarming rate, what is his role and do we want him playing as he is at the moment ?
We are a long way of winning a final let alone making them...
I'm sure people will come on and blame it on injuries, umpires etc, but the truth is we overrate our players and put simply we are not good enough.

 

[Yoda_]

The unfortunate thing is we'll probably end up finishing 11th and not maximising the draft capital out of this shitty year. A top 3/4 pick would be so bloody handy.

Yep, another mediocre draft pick from an underwhelming group.

 

[Keystone agony]

Can we all finally agree now that our midfield runs one way and Dylan Shiel

9

Dylan Shiel

Age

31

Ht

182cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.6

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.2

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

23.4

5star

K

13.6

5star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

3.4

4star

CL

6.4

5star

D

19.8

5star

K

8.4

4star

HB

11.4

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

3.8

5star

is the worse defensive midfield runner in the game and has been for a long time

I mean there is only so many times i can say it

I wont even start on his soft ways and his inability to tackle

 

[Yoda_]

What is the gameplan?

Im curious to know this too. ant555 is pretty reasonable at breaking it down.

 

[Ati Tude]

The unfortunate thing is we'll probably end up finishing 11th and not maximising the draft capital out of this shitty year. A top 3/4 pick would be so bloody handy.

I have a lot more confidence than you (in us getting the top 3/4 pick)

 

[gdaytiger2001]

Silver lining for me is that we have been irrelevant for so long my kids have zero interest in footy… So at least they won’t have to go through the pain of watching this mob every week

 

[the PILL]

Wait for it...

<Insert Coach, token sad face Dyson or random player>

"The boys are hurting", "It's not what we stand for" etc etc etc...

Lose trying FFS, not this "not my problem" shade that's come over the team of late.

I'm timing my self out on being a bomber tragic this week.

 

[TorinoNineFour]

The midfield when they are asked to run defensively:

 

[andleanback]

If Caldwell was impressive today then I dunno which game I was watching

He shows glimpses

 

[citizen-erased]

Cue “the leaders” coming out tomorrow and saying, that’s not what we stand for… blah blah blah.

The reality is it is what we stand for, as we have for so long. It’s ingrained in this club, and will be for a long long time.

Pathetic leadership and coaching. Fitness clearly not up to it and a lack of desire to defend across the field.

Too many guys are going backwards.
Draper, Hind, Cox, Smith. I’m throwing Ridley in here too this year, he hasn’t got his game going at all, is capable of so much more. BZT- nope not again. McGrath- I just don’t know anymore.

The bottom line is clubs will love playing Essendon this year, they put zero pressure on and they allow you to transition out of defense so easily.

We are so lucky to be 1-4, we will be 1-10 by the bye. Going to be a long long year, as the changes needed can not be fixed over a few weeks of training. The players seem unwilling or don’t know how to team defend.

Anyway. Well done Shiel, thought he tried all day. Caldwell is doing some nice things. Kelly, even though he was sold a lemon. Martin. Hobbs had a nice little debut.

thing is, and we know the answer, you wonder if the club will ask the hard questions to try solve the malaise.

Killing Laverde trying to play him as a key defender. Done a poor job recruiting adequate players there.
Wright doesn't kick goals and well, no one does. Maybe Martin. but he's in game 4 and he's a winger.

In what world it's acceptable for our players to jog and walk whilst the opposition has the ball.....i just don't get.

Truck had a year w/ Woosha and all of last year to get this "template" in place.
If there were signs of where we were heading, i'd be ok with these results. But i'd love to know where on the journey he thinks we are and where the tipping point is. I can't see how we do anything of note in 5 years.

 

[BomberManU]

The unfortunate thing is we'll probably end up finishing 11th and not maximising the draft capital out of this shitty year. A top 3/4 pick would be so bloody handy.

I really don't think we're getting anywhere near 11th. Looking at the fixture, I can't see a win coming our way anytime soon.

 

[CBombers17]

He shows glimpses

Caldwell will clearly be our best mid in a year or so IMO - possibly by the end of this season. Sure he's not getting the touches yet but is is more skilled and damaging than any of the others bar Merrett and he's got him covered for physicality. He's going to be a weapon.

 

[Dave]

The unfortunate thing is we'll probably end up finishing 11th and not maximising the draft capital out of this shitty year. A top 3/4 pick would be so bloody handy.

We'd blow it.

 

[The Prosecutor]

I really don't think we're getting anywhere near 11th. Looking at the fixture, I can't see a win coming our way anytime soon.

You're ignoring just how shit some teams are. Even with us being 1-4 and a % of 70, there are still 3 teams behind us.

 

[sameolds33]

I really don't think we're getting anywhere near 11th. Looking at the fixture, I can't see a win coming our way anytime soon.

maybe not soon enough but if we can get Merrett, Stringer, Jones, Snelling, Walla and Stewart back into the team for more than a week at a time then we will win games. We're 15th now, having played strong teams - Freo is second on ladder and playing well.

 

[windyhill]

Cox =

 

[Shanghaistu]

Caldwell will clearly be our best mid in a year or so IMO - possibly by the end of this season. Sure he's not getting the touches yet but is is more skilled and damaging than any of the others bar Merrett and he's got him covered for physicality. He's going to be a weapon.

He might be trying to increase his currency so he can request a trade-out…

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Cox =

He is still very young and probably even growing into his body. He needs a bit of time to fill out for the level I feel.

 

[BrunoV]

There is a delicious irony in the extent to which the brains trust here lashes out at every part of the ground and all of the players other than the ones that matter.

 

[Dave]

One of the worst performances I've seen. Not too many who earned a paycheck today.

 

[Yoda_]

Can we all finally agree now that our midfield runs one way and Dylan Shiel is the worse defensive midfield runner in the game and has been for a long time

I mean there is only so many times i can say it

I wont even start on his soft ways and his inability to tackle

Operation get Andrew Brayshaw has been established..

That defensive minded midfielder who can run both ways for the team is badly BADLY needed

 

[eth-dog]

Operation get Andrew Brayshaw has been established..

That defensive minded midfielder who can run both ways for the team is badly BADLY needed

Their next captain.

 

[Yoda_]

Their next captain.

The Melbourne one? Angus?

Whoops.. My bad lol