Preview Round 10: Essendon Bombers vs Oliver Twist Kangaroos, Marvel Stadium, Sunday 19th May, 1:10pm

[crackers65]

Reid in for laverde

Nah, Reid has to really smash the door down to get back in. He needs to play a lot more than one reserves game and prove that he can handle the rigours of senior AFL footy.

 

[andleanback]

Nah, Reid has to really smash the door down to get back in. He needs to play a lot more than one reserves game and prove that he can handle the rigours of senior AFL footy.

25 and 12 marks isn’t smashing the door down as a key defender?

Playing vfl doesn’t prove anything to handling the rigours of afl footy. His body is either going to hold up or it isn’t. We might aswell find out against lowly opposition

 

[Mercurial89]

Heppell does not need a rest. Does not look tired. Is not carrying an injury. Is only 32 and not 42.

Whilst I wouldn't be resting him specifically this week, there is plenty of benefit of dropping his playing/training loads by giving him a week off before he starts to wane.
With the added bonus of blooding some youth it's a no brainer to rest him.
I'd do it in the next couple to give him that, plus the bye and in the best condition he can be for the back end of the year.

His body is often falling to pieces by the end of the year, if we can avoid that I think it would be smart management.

 

[TheGrizz]

Are we really in a spot to be doing this ?
It has taken us 20 years to get this sort of buy in back in the side. We have gradually improved our defensive efforts across the season as well. I am not sure it would be great for our development and the standards we are trying to set personally. Not sure the captain is on board with any lets give him a go thoughts either. They are trying to rid the club of sub standard attitude. My view is no free hits.
I know we are still in it for the long haul and we need to fill a few spots before we can really be considered genuine consistent top 4 contenders but I like how they are driving standards first.

Davey had zero tackles and from what I have watched in the first half very limited pressure as well. It was great he finally found a bit more of the footy and kicked 3 goals but lets see it over a few weeks and see the tackle count at 4 or 5 and not 0. He has also not been the best trainer.

From what I understand they are still working on Roberts defensive running which is why he has not been in serious consideration so far despite his form looking good.

Hayes I could entertain for Laverde although in saying that Lav was pretty good after 1/4 time.

I didnt say I am baying for changes, I am saying that if we wanted to throw a younger guy(s) a bone to reward form this is the week to do it.

If they choose not to for the reasons you mentioned, i wont blink twice. Winning form is good form and i wouldnt blame them for not wanting to mess with it.
But as I said, if there was any week you could afford to carry a debutant, this would be it.

 

[fairbump_playon]

25 and 12 marks isn’t smashing the door down as a key defender?

Playing vfl doesn’t prove anything to handling the rigours of afl footy. His body is either going to hold up or it isn’t. We might aswell find out against lowly opposition

How many of those marks & stats were as a result of sideways chips? I have only watched his highlights but there was a whole lot of not much.

I’m a fan but the stat line looks flattering. Wasn’t banging the door down.

 

[Westlo]

Would prefer Reid and Caddy to play tougher opposition... so they stay in the vfl this week.

 

[Blind Turn]

This game will tell us more about our bonafides than the performance against GWS. Lose this and we are the same team that falls back into bad habits too easily.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Nah, Reid has to really smash the door down to get back in. He needs to play a lot more than one reserves game and prove that he can handle the rigours of senior AFL footy.

he is going to face tougher competition in the VFL than he is in the AFL this week

 

[HirdsTheWord]

SEN brutal

 

[mike ross]

Do not care about the margin. Just bring the same effort .

That's what worries me. Is it actually sustainable? I mean for the rest of the year.

 

[sup3rfish]

If the club and players are serious about continuing to turn things around and have an "Essendon Edge" as they have stated this week and next week are crucial games.
I want to see us do both weeks what we did to Gold Coast in 2011. 15 goals - 5 in the first half. Absolutely no reason we cant but if we are still the same old Essendon we wont. we will either get rolled or just fall over the line.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

 

[ant555]

That's what worries me. Is it actually sustainable? I mean for the rest of the year.

Tigers made it sustainable for 5 years. It is what we are building our game on so we have to just keep bringing it . No doubt there will be peaks and troughs as we build .

 

[fairbump_playon]

That's what worries me. Is it actually sustainable? I mean for the rest of the year.

A style based on buy in, non-negotiable effort and pressure is the only way to play.

We won't be able to do it in every quarter all year. But the last 9 weeks have been the most consistent in a long, long time.

We can all be genuinely be proud of the way we're playing. Feels good!

 

[MiguelM]

That's what worries me. Is it actually sustainable? I mean for the rest of the year.

I think the fact that Scott is almost deadpan over wins and reitterates the message of "doing the things we can control" reinforces the fact we have achieved nothing yet.

The last quarter effort saw every player contribute with 1%ers. We are getting hungry IMO.

 

[mike ross]

Tigers made it sustainable for 5 years. It is what we are building our game on so we have to just keep bringing it . No doubt there will be peaks and troughs as we build .

A style based on buy in, non-negotiable effort and pressure is the only way to play.

We won't be able to do it in every quarter all year. But the last 9 weeks have been the most consistent in a long, long time.

We can all be genuinely be proud of the way we're playing. Feels good!

I think the fact that Scott is almost deadpan over wins and reitterates the message of "doing the things we can control" reinforces the fact we have achieved nothing yet.

The last quarter effort saw every player contribute with 1%ers. We are getting hungry IMO.

Brilliant responses. Thank you all.

 

[Howard Moon]

Time for the big bristle?

 

[Bjchan13]

B McGrath McKay Heppell
HB Redman Laverde Martin
C Perkins Durham Kelly
HF Gresham Jones Caldwell
F Langford Wright Stringer
R Goldstein Parish Merrett
INT Bryan Hobbs Cox Guelfi
SUB Hind

IN Bryan
OUT Davey

 

[outersanctum]

We want to believe.. but it is so true that if we lose this game then last week meant nothing. Another chance for this squad to show they are different. Be ruthless and bury this team.

 

[Yoda_]

We want to believe.. but it is so true that if we lose this game then last week meant nothing. Another chance for this squad to show they are different. Be ruthless and bury this team.

I was thinking the exact same thing. For all the hard work and gains we have made over the past 5 weeks, we can lose it in 120 minutes of football this week. Win and win well and show that we are as legitimate as we are showing e can be

 

[HirdsTheWord]

The club will never admit it but we must be looking at the next 2 weeks to sort our % out.

If we are going to do something this year we cannot have a sub 100% leading into the back end of the year.

 

[eth-dog]

Ridley, Reid and Menzie in
Davey, Hobbs and Laverde out

Ridley - McKay - McGrath
Redman - Reid - Martin
Perkins - Caldwell - Kelly
Gresham - Jones - Langford
Stringer - Wright - Menzie
Goldstein - Merrett - Durham
Hind - Parish - Cox - Guelfi
Heppell

Heppell as a pseudo rest

 

[JayJ20]

We want to believe.. but it is so true that if we lose this game then last week meant nothing. Another chance for this squad to show they are different. Be ruthless and bury this team.

I agree. Winning is a non-negotiable. I'll pass a close win though we should win by at least 25 points.

 

[Bombers36]

OUT: Heppell, ADavey
IN: Ridley, Shiel

Team;-

Ridley McKay McGrath
Redman Lav Martin
Merrett Stringer Kelly
Perkins 2MP Guelfi
Jones Langford Hobbs

Goldy Durham Parish

Bench: Caldwell Shiel Gresham Hind
SUB: Cox


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[raskolnikov]

More nervous about this game than any other this year. Esssington has done a number on me.