Review Round 17 = Collingwood 80-92 Essendon

[Jen2310]

I was thinking exactly the same Jen.

We're still the reigning premiers.

And last year was freaking amazing.

Yup, I would think we would take a drop off this year given the rollercoaster and result of the last 2 years.

 

[LuckyLee]

Checkers : torn pectoral muscle, needs surgery, out for the year.

Cameron : bruised ribs.

Quaynor : toe?

Ah, righto, thanks. Checkers’ injury is a big blow.

Stick a fork in us, we’re done for season 2024.


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[ElliottsMaggies]

Yup, I would think we would take a drop off this year given the rollercoaster and result of the last 2 years.

Injuries & what that does to your on field chemistry & connection can't be underestimated either. I know Fly says we play a system & have players who can slot in & play their role, but the constant ins & outs must affect your connection & confidence within the group.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

Ah, righto, thanks. Checkers’ injury is a big blow.

Stick a fork in us, we’re done for season 2024.


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Yeah, the 2-3 injuries from every game is a killer.

 

[Carringbush2010]

The one thing that matters?

So long as this dirty mob and the other dirty mob don't get to 17 before us.

I'm confident they won't win it this year, given Sydney.

But we must, MUST rebound next year to make sure they don't get there.

Stay top of the heap.

 

[peter9789]

Although I did not expect us to go back to back (so hard to do, more so when we were not a dominant team). I did hope that we would be deep in the thick of it at the end of the season.

The last two games, in addition to 7 more injuries suggests a finals campaign may be a bridge too far. Mihocek gone for the season. Cameron reportedly injured with ribs (with no ruckman available to replace him) and IQ injured. Our cupboards are bare. Furthermore our consistent pressure & running game of the past two seasons only comes only in fits & spurts and only for half a quarter here or there. Our injuries have no doubt played a part, as has the opposition having worked our how to play our system.

It was another night where our mids were starved of the ball. Where we couldn’t transition the ball out of D50 & and our forwards unsighted

I was going to suggest that we drop IQ to make a statement, alas the decision may have been made for us but without the impact

The zone defence can only work effectively with sustained pressure from the midfield. The opposition has it worked out. However it has Moore holes in it than swiss cheese. Surely when one can see the ball is coming towards a Bomber player that one can stop guarding grass and move towards an opponent? Too many times this season & particularly the past 2 weeks, our backs would not move towards their opponent until the ball was in the air on the way towards the player. Way too late… Moore & Frampton did not impact one marking contest with any physicality last night. On a night where the ball was constantly inside the Bombers forward line with our backs under sustained pressure Frampton did not get his first possession until just after midway through the 3RD QUARTER. At this point he had 86% game time

Each time Essendon went forward the had multiple options because our mids were not pushing back & our mids were guarding grass.

Our midfielders, whilst some are great individually, are not a good midfield collectively. They run one way. We are too aggressive & take off before we have won the ball. There is no defensive pressure. Too often, the opposition are able to run the ball out with little pressure. We definitely have trouble laying a tackle (to be fair this is problematic across the field)

Starting Long as sub was a poor tactical move when we knew Essendon’s midfield, particularly Merrett & Durden would get plenty of the ball.

Naicos was left to do it all by himself last night. 31D, 17 contested, 23 kicks, 12 clearances, 400mg. People were saying his game was poor by his low DE%. I say BS. DE% means it did not each the target or within 2m of it. DE% needs to be read in conjunction with TO. This is a direct turnover from possession. Out of Nick’s 31 possessions only 3 resulted in direct turnovers.

We had culprits worse than him. Sidey had 22 kicks for 7 direct turnovers, Crisp 15 kicks for 6, Maynard 15 for 5, WHE 16 for 6, Jaicos 8 for 4, JDG 7 for 4, IQ 4 for 4 & Frampton 3 for 2, Hill 8 for 3

Our forwards had no chance last night with the way the ball was kicked into 50. When we were going forward the Bombers had the great wall up as the mid’s & HF’s had pushed back to cover men & space. It is poor football knowing our forward line is small and yet we keep bombing it high towards the area 25-30m directly in front. The Bombers defence picked us off every time. McKay 11 marks, 8 ITC’s, Redman 6 marks, Martin 6 marks & Laverde 6 marks

Our forward pressure was non-existent & our forwards had no impact. Booby is a boom or bust. Great when things are going well but often unsighted. Schultz spent a lot of time defending at half-back. Hard to kick goals from there

Despite our success over the past two years and with Fly’s mentorship, we have not become a destination club. Why? Lack of draft picks is a major reason, but as a club we have always over-valued the worth of some of our players & at the same time under valuing others

We need to trade … out & in. Our needs are deep, our bargaining power not so. We need to get creative and quick. Nick needs help. Our midfield is one paced & one dimensional. The likes of McCrae are not up to it.

Thanks - I like your summation a lot. I too don’t understand why our defensive system so often feels like we are not prepared to impact a marking contest until it’s to late as they all seem to prefer to guard space. This defensive system doesn’t seem to be working - is that effort?

Midfield group outside of Naicos I don’t see a lot of elite talent coming through. This is where you really need elite talent. It’s a real worry long term as Nick can’t do it by himself.

Our issue forward of the ball is we simply have no aerial threats. Mihocek is almost done; Krueger looks like he could be that 3rd forward but is not a contested marking type player. Last night Bobby Hill was flying for marks such was our issue.

Since 2018 this group has delivered 4 preliminary finals 2 grand finals and a flag (was almost 2). This record stacks up pretty well.

I can’t see us improving from this point with our age profile and lack of elite talent coming through. Desperately lack a KPF or 2. Need a KPD and some A grade midfielder. Hard to see how we are going to fill the gaps on our list with so little draft currency, and seemingly not many high end free agents (aka someone like Jeremy Cameron) being available to us.

Not a new situation - we’ve been here before and we will come back.



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[Kes1984]

The one thing that matters?

So long as this dirty mob and the other dirty mob don't get to 17 before us.

I'm confident they won't win it this year, given Sydney.

But we must, MUST rebound next year to make sure they don't get there.

Stay top of the heap.

I hate Sydney too but will barrack hard for them if they play either of the other two!! Least of the evils!

 

[Drought Break]

On a positive note, I’m very happy about the development of Kreuger as a forward option over the past month. He has speed and agility that is very rare amongst players of his size.

We shouldn’t be judging him on ruck output but instead as a 2nd/3rd tall forward. On that measure, he is going really well.

Freddy plays with great heart and could become a Best 22 lock if he can finally get a decent block of consecutive matches without injury under his belt.


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It’s great to see the big fella get through a couple of games injury free. Hope it keeps going

 

[WakeUpPies]

A bit concerning when a 50 year old Jeremy Howe

38

Jeremy Howe

Age

34

Ht

190cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.0

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.7

4star

M

6.4

5star

T

2.1

4star

MG

318.1

4star

D

21.5

5star

K

16.5

5star

HB

5.0

3star

M

6.5

5star

T

2.0

3star

MG

433.3

5star

D

15.2

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

6.8

5star

T

1.6

4star

is both your best forward and defender.

 

[manicpie]

Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over

 

[Monco Matt]

Checkers : torn pectoral muscle, needs surgery, out for the year.

Cameron : bruised ribs.

Quaynor : toe?

 

[LuckyLee]

We will come home strong. Just a feeling. Lose perhaps one more before the finals. Hopefully top 4

What you smoking up there, FJ? (And where can the rest of us get some?)


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[Roverjg]

I thought Dean was respectable, and then bizzarely gets subbed. Moore and Frampton were woeful.

I agree. I thought he was going OK compared to some others. When he was subbed Frampton had not touched the ball at all. There were conflicting reports that 1. He was injured; & then 2. It was a tactical sub.

 

[Bianconeri]

Probably not much I can add that others haven’t already touched on but I’ve been stewing since the final siren so **** it lol. I found it bitterly disappointing how we can start red hot and then hit a literal brick wall and never get the game back on our terms. You always sort of know the opposition are gonna fight back, but then you expect it’ll be your turn again and that just never came. We’ve had some really fun wins under Fly in the last two and a bit years, but too many times we find ourselves flailing or being uncompetitive mainly through the second and third quarters of games.

Honestly I didn’t think we were that great in the first. Crisp was excellent with three goals from midfield but they masked how poor we were going inside 50.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Good news for big Darcy Cameron

14

Darcy Cameron

Age

29

Ht

204cm

Wt

103kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.3

1star

HB

2.7

2star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

CL

0.5

3star

HO

3.5

5star

D

6.0

2star

K

3.3

2star

HB

2.7

3star

CL

0.3

2star

HO

5.3

5star

. Cleared of serious damage....

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

A bit concerning when a 50 year old Jeremy Howe is both your best forward and defender.

He's looking good for a 50 year old....

 

[Fat Jesus]

What you smoking up there, FJ? (And where can the rest of us get some?)


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Collingwood over the years has come home strong when least expected to.
In our DNA. Backs to the wall stuff.

Visit Thailand. Cannabis everywhere mate.

 

[manicpie]

Honestly I did t think we were that great in the first. Crisp was excellent with three goals from midfield but they masked how poor we were going inside 50.

I was concerned when crisp kicked 3 goals in the first. It was just a purple patch for 10 minutes

 

[jjsmitty8]

Honestly I did t think we were that great in the first. Crisp was excellent with three goals from midfield but they masked how poor we were going inside 50.

I hear ya, but in terms of maximising what we were doing re: scoring for i50’s, it was pretty efficient

 

[Maggie5]

Why would they play IQ on a wing? Our backline was a Shadow of itself tonight. They took so many marks inside 50 over the back of the defenders it was crazy.

This! I couldn't believe that with Howe forward then Q on the wing, Why?

 

[Bianconeri]

Can’t that same defence of Lippa also be applied to Schultz, who cops an incredible amount of criticism?


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Yes

 

[Doc1763]

Good news for big Darcy Cameron. Cleared of serious damage....

Unleash The Roo anyway

 

[barrackers]

The one thing that matters?

So long as this dirty mob and the other dirty mob don't get to 17 before us.

I'm confident they won't win it this year, given Sydney.

But we must, MUST rebound next year to make sure they don't get there.

Stay top of the heap.

Reckon Essendon have a small window before the next wave with more young talent in North, GC, & Hawthorn jump them. Problem for Essendon is their small window coincides with teams like Sydney, GWS, Brisbane and Carlton who have more experienced stars now.

 

[Roverjg]

Btw, I think it’s poor for people to be potting Kruges in particular. He was fumbly early but had a good second half and was by far our best forward.

I agree with you whole heartedly.. However the funny thing about this is that Kreug's played ruck most of 3rd & nearly all of 4th because Cameron was injured.

 

[manicpie]

I agree with you whole heartedly.. However the funny thing about this is that Kreug's played ruck most of 3rd & nearly all of 4th because Cameron was injured.

He did well but you're right about his overhead marking, it's a work in progress