Game Day Round 18 - Melbourne v Essendon, MCG, 13/7/24, 7.30pm AEST

[Call Me Cake]

It's a gift that we're even down by 13 at HT.

 

[Old man fletch]

The day we realise heppell is past it we will move forward as a footy club

After a win like we had last week, at least make him earn his spot back in the team through VFL form. I've been wrong about his drop off before and he's come good, but with basically a full team to pick from, we've got to start having true selection pressure for players out of our top 10

 

[CBombers17]

Got to make a change with Wright. What are else expecting him to do in the wet? Play Draper and give Cox a go second ruck.

We can't miss easy goals and keep getting away with it either.

 

[boncer34]

Zerrett less than 50% and only 1 tackle. **** me.

 

[ghostdog]

Crazy that we play a winter sport, in Melbourne, where it rains

And we haven’t been able to play decent wet weather footy in a decade

Although, was it not raining when we beat Melbourne in Adelaide last year?

 

[oldandslow]

A really low IQ football team. Playing dry weather football in the wet.

Got slaughtered in the middle in the second quarter and allowed their smalls to run through contests at speed. Did we try to change it up at all? Players need to take ownership and not have to wait for Brad to hold their hand during the breaks.

Over possessing the football rather than just getting it forward.

Some of the decisions let alone the execution with the football is just horrifying

 

[BOMBERROB2000]

HEPPELL ACTUALLY COSTS US GAMES OF FOOTBALL BUT WE DON'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT THAT NA JUST GIFT HIM GAMES BECAUSE THEY FEEL SORRY FOR HIM..**** HIM OFF FOR **** SAKE..!!!

 

[Rick Ross]

Release the hind and Wright or Caddy off.

Not crazy for a half time sub, crazy like a fox.

 

[boncer34]

I'm starting to think Scott picked Heppell so you'd all focus on him when things turn to shit.

 

[Nicholas61]

Pretty hard for him not to be remembered as the guy who cut his hand microwaving a steak.

There was the play where Hepps took the mark at half forward, Martin was running past into space calling for the ball he decides not to give it to him for goodness knows what reason. Holds onto it, Melbourne sets up then finally kicks it sideways to a now beseiged Martin less than the required distance. Hopefully this frustration doesn't continue or get worse. Some real dumb football in the wet weather.

 

[Darealrath]

Got back in it in the last 10 mins but the forward entries are shocking. Fix that and can still win.

 

[Happyskeret]

If we don’t get the next goal we have a shit fight on our hands.

I’m yelling at rain clouds now. ****ing weather!

 

[NoWuckingFurries]

Sub wright off. He's a big liability. He's not going to clunk anything in the wet

 

[MiguelM]

Some really dumb decisions in front of goal.

Not out of it by any stretch but must play to conditions.

Jones impressive ball handling in the wet.

 

[Petrify]

Can't Perkins just donate his calf to Parish? We need him back

 

[Old man fletch]

Was that our worst quarter for the year so far? Our ‘slick handball wave’ gameplan looks putrid in this weather

The thing that pisses me off with this gameplan when its not working, is our players don't adjust and set a sheppard instead of running alongside for a handball receive. Think I've seen Cox do a few this season, but outside of that its slim pickings

 

[Call Me Cake]

Got to make a change with Wright. What are else expecting him to do in the wet? Play Draper and give Cox a go in the ruck.

We can't miss easy goals and keep getting away with it either.

Too early to use a sub when the wet weather is risky conditions for foot injuries. Unfortunately we have to ride out the selections until much later and back ourselves in to find a bloody way.

 

[ant555]

Wet night . Good for the small forwards to be involved. Too bad ours are all in the back half of the field.
So we have to kick to a contest with no crumbing players.

Probably the worst night to come up against them without Gawn as we are getting nothing from any hit out advantage we may have had .

Defence is a bit all and nothing. We have peeled off to intercept but then drop the mark or not intercept and have allowed the player we have peeled off to get involved.

Just one of those nights. They have been a fraction more skilful.
Effort is there. Finishing just not there .

 

[ghostdog]

Melbourne's plan just seems to be to get the ball forward quickly, whether cleanly or scrubbing it, and we're shitting ourselves when it comes in.

Rivers is getting heaps of it and they're doing a decent job of blocking McGrath for Kozzie at stoppages.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

wet weather football & essendon don’t mix. every time

 

[bommer16]

So it’s fairly obvious that they can’t play their normal game in the wet.
So work the problem and find a way through. Melb playing in the same conditions.

 

[TheGrizz]

Need to sub a tall off (Caddy, Cox or Wright) as we are getting smashed at ground level.

Forward entry is horrendous at the moment but we arent kicking to advantage.

Oh, and if someone can let the umpires know we arent still playing Geelong, that would be great. They dont need to keep burning us.

 

[DERO]

Some really dumb decisions in front of goal.

Not out of it by any stretch but must play to conditions.

Jones impressive ball handling in the wet.

Looks like our forwards are running too far to defend and then getting caught when we transition. There were moments where we moved the ball really well and then the rain came. We were inching our way back into ot but just couldn’t find a forward. We are definitely in the game .

May should get weeks for accentuating head contact when he dives in head first and plays for frees.

 

[quotemokc]

Wonder if Scott will wait until 5 mins left in the 4th to sub Heppell off for Hind

 

[Call Me Cake]

Feel like it's been a round of upsets leading into this game and rather than piping down our supporters are gloating. Can't help but feel like we've had the mozz put on us.