Preview Round 18 - Essendoomguys VS Melbourne Demons, MCG, Saturday 13/7/24, 7.40pm AEST

[doug85]

So from the 2021 GF the dees will be without Gawn, Petracca, Brayshaw and Jackson. Oliver is a shadow of his former self. We should win, but who the **** knows

 

[Howard Moon]

The fitness team don't get many pats on the back but could the abundance of caution used all year while keeping injured players out for extra time be starting to bear fruit now? I've never seen us with such a small inj list this late in a season. Usually we are threadbare.

 

[hurlygurdy]

The fitness team don't get many pats on the back but could the abundance of caution used all year while keeping injured players out for extra time be starting to bear fruit now? I've never seen us with such a small inj list this late in a season. Usually we are threadbare.

Im not a superstitious person, but I think I speak for everyone on this board when I say stfu

 

[Call Me Cake]

hard disagree, he was arguably best afield in the final quarter. despite having the lowest amount of time on ground out of anyone except for subs & collingwood’s substituted player (64%) as well as providing a lot of defensive space pro in the midfield when required

Average age/games played of selected 23 in Round 17:

Essendon: 25.4
West Coast: 25.3

Essendon: 108.3
West Coast: 105.3

We were near-on the same with West Coast, the team Melbourne thumped. Some self-awareness needs to be exercised here.

 

[Scythe94]

Even with the most overrated player in the AFL?

Holy indirect. At least tag me, Bonce

 

[boncer34]

Holy indirect. At least tag me, Bonce

I didn't know who posted it.

 

[Scythe94]

I didn't know who posted it.

Well, feel free to tag me when he's BOG on Saturday

 

[Gumby2Hurley]

You guys should win easy we have a reserves team in.

smells like 2016

 

[mcgrath_truther]

Average age/games played of selected 23 in Round 17:

Essendon: 25.4
West Coast: 25.3

Essendon: 108.3
West Coast: 105.3

We were near-on the same with West Coast, the team Melbourne thumped. Some self-awareness needs to be exercised here.

idk what this has to do with dylan shiel playing well but i agree

 

[fishardansin]

The fitness team don't get many pats on the back but could the abundance of caution used all year while keeping injured players out for extra time be starting to bear fruit now? I've never seen us with such a small inj list this late in a season. Usually we are threadbare.

Obviously the fitness and medical teams are important for injuries, but so is a deep and flexible list. That allows you play someone in a less demanding position if they get sore in a game. It also allows you to rest players through the season.

Teams with less depth drive people into the ground and are often playing young players too much when they should be playing less minutes to allow for more time spent on long term body development in the gym.

Parish out has effected the level of offence created from stoppage and we are lacking genuine small forwards, but we've fudged around the edges to cover those. This means, in my opinion, we only have two unreplaceable players in our team now, Merrett and McKay.

To make our list better we need some tall back depth over this off season, that would be one from draft/trade but also development and injury luck for Hayes and Reid.

 

[boncer34]

The fitness team don't get many pats on the back but could the abundance of caution used all year while keeping injured players out for extra time be starting to bear fruit now? I've never seen us with such a small inj list this late in a season. Usually we are threadbare.

Howie is it an abundance of caution or how they should've been treating injured players all along?

 

[faible]

Obviously the fitness and medical teams are important for injuries, but so is a deep and flexible list. That allows you play someone in a less demanding position if they get sore in a game. It also allows you to rest players through the season.

Teams with less depth drive people into the ground and are often playing young players too much when they should be playing less minutes to allow for more time spent on long term body development in the gym.

Parish out has effected the level of offence created from stoppage and we are lacking genuine small forwards, but we've fudged around the edges to cover those. This means, in my opinion, we only have two unreplaceable players in our team now, Merrett and McKay.

To make our list better we need some tall back depth over this off season, that would be one from draft/trade but also development and injury luck for Hayes and Reid.

The more mature the list gets the better we run out the season, instead of relying on a couple of senior players to do all the heavy lifting, you've got guys like Caldwell and Durham carrying a significant amount of the load in the middle meaning Stringer hasn't had to be run through there, Merrett has been able to play off a flank as needed, among other things.

Even last year we had to rush Draper back for the last couple of games on a hope and a prayer we'd save our finals chances, this year we've been able to rely on Goldy rucking one-out with an injured Draper, now Draper rucking one-out with a tired Goldstein. Stuff like that is massive for managing a list through a season. Next year assuming Hobbs and Tsatas stay we'll have some even more mature midfielders available to help run out the season and Bryan will have another years maturity.

 

[deedog2]

You are all over us for speed, sleekness and skill.

Only way we win is if we bring almighty heat at the contest all night long

 

[DERO]

Incursion detected!

Already started with the excuses.

 

[Yoda_]

The fitness team don't get many pats on the back but could the abundance of caution used all year while keeping injured players out for extra time be starting to bear fruit now? I've never seen us with such a small inj list this late in a season. Usually we are threadbare.

could it be the fact that we are nearly always having to play kids (under 21's as an example) for long stretches? Now 21+ they can handle the longer periods of AFL football well?

I feel like we have always been a young side, now most of our 25- 30 are in that hitting zone of 60 - 80 game + with a few 100 - 200 gamers as well.

 

[Keystone agony]

The fitness team don't get many pats on the back but could the abundance of caution used all year while keeping injured players out for extra time be starting to bear fruit now? I've never seen us with such a small inj list this late in a season. Usually we are threadbare.

Also helps having extra depth with the 4 FAs to allow for greater caution

 

[FlyingV]

You are all over us for speed, sleekness and skill.

Only way we win is if we bring almighty heat at the contest all night long

I disagree regarding speed. We don’t have a lot of leg speed on our list. If you’re going to beat us I reckon it’s your smalls like Pickett, Rivers, Salem, N-Bullen, Chandler, Sparrow, Thulstrup.

 

[FlyingV]

I hope we don’t fall in the trap of two rucks, as per my post above I reckon it’s Melbournes smalls that could cause us headaches rather then their contested stuff in slippery conditions at the G.

 

[Tassieboy]

I hope we don’t fall in the trap of two rucks, as per my post above I reckon it’s Melbournes smalls that could cause us headaches rather then their contested stuff in slippery conditions at the G.

It shouldn’t be slippery. <1mm forecast and no rain during the game.

 

[faible]

I disagree regarding speed. We don’t have a lot of leg speed on our list. If you’re going to beat us I reckon it’s your smalls like Pickett, Rivers, Salem, N-Bullen, Chandler, Sparrow, Thulstrup.

Sparrow, Salem, Tholstrup and Rivers are all > 6'0" with Rivers being 6'2"!

Rivers is taller than; Perkins, Tsatas, Durham, Caldwell, Hobbs, Shiel, Parish and Merrett.

If they're 'smalls' what are our guys!

 

[DallasCrane316]

7 news

IN - Heppell
OUT - Laverde

 

[bommer16]

What’s happ to laverde?

 

[DallasCrane316]

Melbourne aren’t playing a ruck - they’re bringing Petty in to take the ruck duties.

 

[DallasCrane316]

What’s happ to laverde?

Omitted it seems.

 

[Mercurial89]

I'm not Lavs biggest fan, but I don't like that change.
We just got slower and less athletic.