Preview Round 16: Essendon vs Geelong, Kardinia Park, Friday 02/07/2021 @ 7:50 PM

[DapperDon]

Complaining we have to play Geelong in Geelong is the same as complaining we have to play WCE in W.A

A home ground is a home ground

 

[Ati Tude]

Complaining we have to play Geelong in Geelong is the same as complaining we have to play WCE in W.A

A home ground is a home ground

You are of course right, but given we haven't played there since 1993, many people are somewhat surprised it has happened this year. No one expected it.

 

[DallasCrane316]

Complaining we have to play Geelong in Geelong is the same as complaining we have to play WCE in W.A

A home ground is a home ground

Absolutely. My frustration is, that of all years, this is the year we play them away from the MCG.

Lost two games being played there (to Perth and Tasmania).

My frustration is purely as a supporter. Paid for my home and away reserved seats and have missed out.

Unless Essendon can offer a reserved seat at GMHBA? We don’t have a way to make up for the lost games to members.

 

[bombre-boy]

On the couch were getting into dangerfield tonight.
Watch him have his best game for the year this week.

 

[DallasCrane316]

On the couch were getting into dangerfield tonight.
Watch him have his best game for the year this week.

In that sense, Smith should have his best game for the year with the stuff he’s copped too

 

[Howard Moon]

Why should the size of our supporter base or circumstances dictate what Geelong does with their home games?

Geelong should realistically be playing 11 home games at KP. They've already compromised by playing 2 of their 11 home games at the MCG. They shouldn't have to reduce their home games even further because of our situation. We're the last team to complain about playing in KP given we haven't gone there since 1993. That's 28 years of hosting us in Melbourne.

perhaps if they played more games at the g they would be able to play it better in September. Its all well and good to chalk up 10 wins on that narrow ground that you defend so well, the trouble comes when you get the big wings and have no legs for it

 

[ghostdog]

I think it's time to rest Hooker. The signs were there on Saturday. He can't play up the ground because he doesn't have the capacity to keep up with the play unfolding around him. He can't lead ahead of defenders because he's too slow.

We started to find space out the back when May was forced to contend with Wright instead. I'd like to see Ambrose given a go. Surely he's fitter than Hooksy at this stage, and at least has the tank to work up the ground and back. Stewart will be merciless on a player like Hooker at this stage.

 

[andleanback]

I think it's time to rest Hooker. The signs were there on Saturday. He can't play up the ground because he doesn't have the capacity to keep up with the play unfolding around him. He can't lead ahead of defenders because he's too slow.

We started to find space out the back when May was forced to contend with Wright instead. I'd like to see Ambrose given a go. Surely he's fitter than Hooksy at this stage, and at least has the tank to work up the ground and back. Stewart will be merciless on a player like Hooker at this stage.

I’d say the way the ball was delivered had more to do with hookers performance. Bombing it to a pack of players doesn’t help him, the one time they lowered their eyes he got it on the lead. Ambrose isn’t a better option against geelong, I’d say give Hooker rest against Adelaide the week after.

 

[Beerfish]

I’d say the way the ball was delivered had more to do with hookers performance. Bombing it to a pack of players doesn’t help him, the one time they lowered their eyes he got it on the lead. Ambrose isn’t a better option against geelong, I’d say give Hooker rest against Adelaide the week after.

I'm inclined to agree although I don't really want to rest him at all because I'm blinded by manlove

 

[andleanback]

I'm inclined to agree although I don't really want to rest him at all because I'm blinded by manlove

I also wouldn’t mind seeing Bryan / Draper play as a duo before the season is done and Wright can play pure forward. Maybe the week hooker gets a rest.

 

[faible]

I think it's time to rest Hooker. The signs were there on Saturday. He can't play up the ground because he doesn't have the capacity to keep up with the play unfolding around him. He can't lead ahead of defenders because he's too slow.

We started to find space out the back when May was forced to contend with Wright instead. I'd like to see Ambrose given a go. Surely he's fitter than Hooksy at this stage, and at least has the tank to work up the ground and back. Stewart will be merciless on a player like Hooker at this stage.

People keep wanting to rest Hooker. They had a bye the other week.

If he can't play 2 games in a row it's because he's cooked, if he wasn't great when the delivery to our entire forwardline was shithouse all night, it's probably not because Hooker needs a rest.

I also can't imagine Stewart plays 1-on-1 against Hooker, Geelongs defence sets up as a zone more than anything. If we're forcing Stewart to man up Hooker directly, we'll be winning the game.

 

[ghostdog]

I’d say the way the ball was delivered had more to do with hookers performance. Bombing it to a pack of players doesn’t help him, the one time they lowered their eyes he got it on the lead. Ambrose isn’t a better option against geelong, I’d say give Hooker rest against Adelaide the week after.

When you don't have the capacity to lead away from your defender/s you're probably going to find yourself surrounded more often than not. As well, Melbourne's defence further up the ground and outside 50 often made it difficult for our guys to deliver.

We were lucky to have Stringer on Saturday who could kick goals from long range, but that's not going to win games for us. We need forwards who can work the opposition over to create that space, and Hooker ain't it. We instead got it from the likes of Perkins flooding in.

 

[ghostdog]

People keep wanting to rest Hooker. They had a bye the other week.

If he can't play 2 games in a row it's because he's cooked, if he wasn't great when the delivery to our entire forwardline was shithouse all night, it's probably not because Hooker needs a rest.

I also can't imagine Stewart plays 1-on-1 against Hooker, Geelongs defence sets up as a zone more than anything. If we're forcing Stewart to man up Hooker directly, we'll be winning the game.

Man, Hooker is cooked.

 

[andleanback]

When you don't have the capacity to lead away from your defender/s you're probably going to find yourself surrounded more often than not. As well, Melbourne's defence further up the ground and outside 50 often made it difficult for our guys to deliver.

We were lucky to have Stringer on Saturday who could kick goals from long range, but that's not going to win games for us. We need forwards who can work the opposition over to create that space, and Hooker ain't it. We instead got it from the likes of Perkins flooding in.

Umm stringer was the worst culprit Saturday, a couple of times he absolutely burnt hooker who was by himself in space to bomb it long to no one.

 

[faible]

Man, Hooker is cooked.

He may well be, but that's not why he was largely ineffective on Saturday night, he's no more cooked this week than he was the rest of the season.

The delivery from the midfield was woeful, against one of the best intercept marking defences in the comp, of course our marking forwards will look crap.

 

[ghostdog]

Umm stringer was the worst culprit Saturday, a couple of times he absolutely burnt hooker who was by himself in space to bomb it long to no one.

Stringer up the ground also had to contend with a hard pressing Melbourne midfield, but at least he can work up the ground. On at least one occasion, Stringer kicked to space for Hooker to lead into and Hooker just could not do it. You can understand Stringer's lack of trust that Hooker is capable of getting to the ball. He has the strength to stand and wrestle for a mark but he can't get to the ball on a lead as easily. Any other forward would have made it. He needs a rest.

 

[ghostdog]

He may well be, but that's not why he was largely ineffective on Saturday night, he's no more cooked this week than he was the rest of the season.

The delivery from the midfield was woeful, against one of the best intercept marking defences in the comp, of course our marking forwards will look crap.

Delivery from midfield faced exceptional midfield pressure, but a more capable leading forward who isn't cooked obviously makes the job of finding that forward much easier. If Hooker were Jones in season three we may have seen a different outcome.

 

[Howard Moon]

Delivery from midfield faced exceptional midfield pressure, but a more capable leading forward who isn't cooked obviously makes the job of finding that forward much easier. If Hooker were Jones in season three we may have seen a different outcome.

I think Hooker just needs to be a point of reference in case no leading options are viable - try hit him at the top of the square, bailout option. I understand his lack of mobility in getting up the ground means we struggle to get smalls in behind but it should also stop opposition campers from marking everything we lob in speculatively.. should - didn't in mays/levers case

 

[faible]

He needs a rest.

He doesn't get quicker with rest just FYI.

Our midfielders pretty consistently didn't kick to the advantage of our forwards. Though, to be fair, neither did theirs. It was a weird game.

Jones had 1 mark, Wright had 3, Hooker had 3, Draper had 1. None of our talls took a whole lot of marks that weren't Defenders.

Delivery from midfield faced exceptional midfield pressure, but a more capable leading forward who isn't cooked obviously makes the job of finding that forward much easier. If Hooker were Jones in season three we may have seen a different outcome.

The Jones who's in season 2 only took 1 mark. Draper took 1. Wright had as many as Hooker.

The ball was very rarely put to the advantage of our forwards, leading ones or not.

 

[MiguelM]

Hooker didn't even get close to the contest half the time. If he isn't kicking 3-4 a week he is a liability.

Love his effort but we need to get games into Bryan.

 

[Bjchan13]

B Hind Stewart Ridley
HB Redman Francis Laverde
C Heppell Stringer Cox
HF Jones Wright Langford
F Snelling Hooker Tippa
R Draper Parish Merrett
INT Perkins Ham Smith Waterman
SUB Guelfi

 

[ghostdog]

I think Hooker just needs to be a point of reference in case no leading options are viable - try hit him at the top of the square, bailout option. I understand his lack of mobility in getting up the ground means we struggle to get smalls in behind but it should also stop opposition campers from marking everything we lob in speculatively.. should - didn't in mays/levers case

If that had happened on the weekend thete would have been nothing stopping May playing a metre off Hooker and simply running in to intercept mark everything that came in. Hooker still would not have had the capacity to go with him.

 

[ghostdog]

He doesn't get quicker with rest just FYI.

Our midfielders pretty consistently didn't kick to the advantage of our forwards. Though, to be fair, neither did theirs. It was a weird game.

Jones had 1 mark, Wright had 3, Hooker had 3, Draper had 1. None of our talls took a whole lot of marks that weren't Defenders.



The Jones who's in season 2 only took 1 mark. Draper took 1. Wright had as many as Hooker.

The ball was very rarely put to the advantage of our forwards, leading ones or not.

We carried Hooksy. My point is that someone more mobile may have changed the dynamic and allowed us to tale more marks.
I don't think the midfield pressure on our i50 delivery can be disregarded either. Cox clearly needing a rest plays into that as well. We missed his overlap running. Part of me is starting to think maybe his place in future is in the forwardline.

 

[andleanback]

If that had happened on the weekend thete would have been nothing stopping May playing a metre off Hooker and simply running in to intercept mark everything that came in. Hooker still would not have had the capacity to go with him.

May also the best key defender in the game right now. He’s bathed a lot better forwards than hooker this year. Hooker did well to have 13 and a goal

 

[faible]

We carried Hooksy. My point is that someone more mobile may have changed the dynamic and allowed us to tale more marks.
I don't think the midfield pressure on our i50 delivery can be disregarded either. Cox clearly needing a rest plays into that as well. We missed his overlap running. Part of me is starting to think maybe his place in future is in the forwardline.

They had a bye 2 weeks ago, no one needs a rest. If he needs a spell it's to go back to the VFL to get some form.

Cox also had many occasions where he was free and they didn't use him, I saw him standing in the middle of the ground unopposed at least once, and they instead kicked down the line to a contest.

It wasn't his best game, but he wasn't as bad as the stat sheet makes it seem, you can only do so much when you've done the work to get a height mismatch or in to space but your teammates choose not to use you.