AFL Autopsy Round 16 08/07/2018: 16 Point loss to Collingwood

[srobbo]

Same sentiment as comments before.

We played as well as we possibly could’ve & didn’t recover after the 50m.

Gees we could’ve used fantasia though. He plays & we win....it’s that cut & dry. They had JDG, we needed him, just as we did against north.

Season’s over now & we need to get games into Francis et al. Woosha has to play the long game now, he’s got no choice.

 

[Mootsy]

Is it fair to say that the team now needs to move to playing in-form younger players from the VFL??

Hard decisions for the selectors after that loss, but hopefully the right ones.

There is a group of senior players in the best 22 that just hasn't worked for too long.

Need to be giving games to Francis, Mutch, Clarke, Long etc now, probably Stewart as well.

Begley and Francis will be back at some point.

Probably has to be out 93' moment now. Move on. Look for some midfielders in the draft.

 

[Runk]

The fact that people are saying ‘if Fanta was in we would’ve won’ is exactly why we aren’t good enough.

 

[calyam]

It was a good performance but it is also reflects the underlying realities of the Essendon list.

Essendon has good top-line talent. Merrett and Heppell are a solid midfield tandem; Hurley and Hooker are still very good defenders. Fantasia and Stringer are dynamic forwards. A full-fit Daniher would obviously be right up there. But there remains too many passengers; too many players who simply are not capable of playing consistent football week-to-week.

Somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of our regular team wouldn't be getting regular games at any other club fighting for a spot in the finals. Week after week we are carrying guys like Baguley or Colyer. Players who have struggled for years to make a regular meaningful impact at AFL level. Green was somehow gifted 24 games for the club and would anyone really be shocked if he got another chance before the end of the year? But it extends beyond those players with such glaring deficiencies: Ambrose continues to get games even though he cannot do anything offensively. He has a great tank but is frequently injured and is as useful with the ball in hand as Justin Madden.

Would anyone really feel confident entering September with guys like Baguley or Colyer or Green or Ambrose or Brown or McKernan or Dea or McNiece or even Myers in the side? Because these are the players who stand in the way of Essendon playing and winning regular finals and some of these guys are not only getting regular games but seem to be firmly entrenched in our best-22. And that has to change if Essendon wants to stop being an also-ran.

 

[DERO]

The fact that people are saying ‘if Fanta was in we would’ve won’ is exactly why we aren’t good enough.

That is pretty good point and pretty much sums up my feelings regarding why we lost. Fantasia was fantastic last week and probably why we got across the line against North. He is a massive loss.

 

[Scottie65]

I think what the game showed is that IMO what I have said since the start of the season is right. We lack two class midfielders. Yesterday we did okay for most of the game against them at the initial stoppage but because we use a mixed bunch of players that are not all natural in the position their positioning around the ground killed us. They got the midfield spread spot on where we tend to be too much see ball get ball and end up with players out of position or all on one side of the contest. It is not natural thing for the likes of Stringer , Wallla and Langford who are being used through the middle a bit. They have not spent most of their life honing that position. When the game was on the line to be won Pendlebury won two clearances . We did not cover him.
I think our guys will get better the more they play midfield but they will never have the natural instincts that others have who have a long period of playing the position. People say we do need need a player like Sloane but despite his age he possess everything we need in a midfielder. Plays inside and out. Knows where to position himself and can defend at a stoppage when needed.

I have virtually never been someone who uses umpires as an excuse but I thought they killed us at various important stages and not just with what they paid against us but the several high tackles missed inside our forward 50.

Overall it was a bloody good effort. The defence was well set most of the game and we left nothing in the tank.

imo...we need to go hard on paddy cripps......that would sort out a big midfeild issue....throw a million dollar contract at him....in feel other things will fall into place around him...love the way he goes about it...only problem for paddy is...hes playing at carlton...surely the lure of playing in a team that has opportunitys to play finals over the next few years would be a good carrott to dangle

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Watched acess all areas

Lloyd said Pendlebury had 6 clearances on his own while our entire midfield had 6 in total in the last qrt. Wtf were Merret and Heppel doing? not good enough imo

 

[daffo]

We got outplayed.

Last week against North we took our chances in front of goal. They didn't. Seems like it was the opposite this week.

That's footy.

 

[AcuteWhistle]

Yep. Had a crack, pressure was good, in the end ran out of legs and they were too good. It happens.

Had we played this way from the start of the season we'd be in a much better position.

Yep & as long as we play that way for the remaining rounds & get some games into a few more younger players, the season can be looked upon as a real step forward, not the absolute waste it looked like turning into 6-8 or so weeks ago.

 

[AcuteWhistle]

Watched acess all areas

Lloyd said Pendlebury had 6 clearances on his own while our entire midfield had 6 in total in the last qrt. Wtf were Merret and Heppel doing? not good enough imo

Getting schooled

Pendles is an out & out gun by the way, little surprise he took the game by the throat when the opportunity presented itself.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Getting schooled

Pendles is an out & out gun by the way, little surprise he took the game by the throat when the opportunity presented itself.

He is but disappointing no one did for us

 

[Shanghaistu]

He is but disappointing no one did for us

That’s the situation where Jobe would have come in handy imo

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

That’s the situation where Jobe would have come in handy imo

For sure the fact we haven’t replaced him is mind boggling

 

[Shanghaistu]

For sure the fact we haven’t replaced him is mind boggling

Can he make a comeback after retirement like his dad did 25 years ago? That worked out pretty well as I recall

 

[yodellinhank]

Has the goddard 50 been discussed? Technically was it the right decision? Or shouldve simply been paid a free kick?

In the '08 grand final a bit was made about the hawks taking ablett out after a handball and the fact a downfield free from a 3m or so handball is laughable. They'd stopped GAJ from getting the 1-2 overlap and held up the play to push numbers back, so the professional free worked in the hawks favour.

A rule was brought in that if you unfairly impede a player who would reasonably been able to be involved in the next contest then it's a free + 50. The Goddard free was a textbook example. Just don't expect zach merrett to ever receive one.

15.12(b)
If a field Umpire is satisfied that a Player tackles, holds (either the body
or playing uniform) or makes high contact against an opposition Player
who has disposed of the football for the purpose of preventing that Player
from taking part in the next act of play, if it is a greater penalty than would
otherwise be provided by Law 15.12(a), the field Umpire shall award a free
kick and a Fifty- Metre Penalty to that Player’s team.[/B]

 

[Stopher]

In the '08 grand final a bit was made about the hawks taking ablett out after a handball and the fact a downfield free from a 3m or so handball is laughable. They'd stopped GAJ from getting the 1-2 overlap and held up the play to push numbers back, so the professional free worked in the hawks favour.

A rule was brought in that if you unfairly impede a player who would reasonably been able to be involved in the next contest then it's a free + 50. The Goddard free was a textbook example. Just don't expect zach merrett to ever receive one.

I'm curious as to how often it has officially been paid across the league this season. It's the first time I've seen it personally. Given the increase in frees per game, especially the behind-the-play ones with the extra umpire, you'd imagine it was more frequently paid.

 

[eDPS]

Watched acess all areas

Lloyd said Pendlebury had 6 clearances on his own while our entire midfield had 6 in total in the last qrt. Wtf were Merret and Heppel doing? not good enough imo

Heppell was moved to the wing in the last quarter for some reason and you shouldnt be expecting Zerrett to be leading all our clearances. It was up to players like Myers to really knuckle down in there, Langford matched up on a Sidebottom halfway through that quarter but it was too little too late.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Watching the highlights.

Don't know why Long couldnt just bang it on the boot with his first option instead he tried too much and got pinged for htb

 

[Jesseb]

Listened to the coaches video. Less one rotation and three guys on one leg = last quarter midfield burn out. I can't be upset. We had them on the ropes till last quarter. Pretty unlucky with 5-6 nuffy free kicks at critical moments too. Happy to see our bottom six make way for the kids now. Our young midfield can nearly match anyone and with some more recruiting next year the sky is the limit. Go bombers

 

[Jesseb]

On the contrary, most were effective, think around 90%. You’re focusing too much on the 2-3 times he got caught, which for a fourth gamer is not unusual

Felt like Saad and Mckenna didn't bring their usual run and bounce so too much was left to Long to do that first game back. As a link up player he was very good in the first half. I bet he doesn't get dropped and rightly so.

 

[mzuppit]

The fact that people are saying ‘if Fanta was in we would’ve won’ is exactly why we aren’t good enough.

Precisely. We cannot rely on one player. Yes, Raz is our barometer, but others need to step up every single week.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

I don't think raz would have made much of a diffrence we struggled to move the ball all game Collingwoods style didn't allow us to get out run and spread going.

 

[THOMO_31]

For sure the fact we haven’t replaced him is mind boggling

Big inside mids don't fall off trees tho. I'm sure they know that's a weakness. Finding one is the hard part

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ant555]

Watched acess all areas

Lloyd said Pendlebury had 6 clearances on his own while our entire midfield had 6 in total in the last qrt. Wtf were Merret and Heppel doing? not good enough imo

Where they in the middle at that time ? I have not watched the game again but I did notice on the day Heppell was spending more time playing wing rather than in the middle.

 

[ant555]

Felt like Saad and Mckenna didn't bring their usual run and bounce so too much was left to Long to do that first game back. As a link up player he was very good in the first half. I bet he doesn't get dropped and rightly so.

Both had their hands full in defence with de Goey and Stephenson at various stages so I think that was one reason why their run from the back half was down.