AFL Autopsy Round 19: 5 goal loss to Western Bulldogs

[ezard15]

Great game today, super exciting to watch. This time next year you'll be a force!

To be fair, our most important 2 backman Morris and Adams were out injured, and best three forwards in Stringer, Boyd and Redpath were out. So yep we played at 100%, but given our outs, we needed to be, to be any chance of getting the chocolates.

Best wishes for the rest of the year.

Yeah that's kind of the way I see it.

We had inaccurate kicking and umps didn't help us but ultimately lost by a few goals without any major injuries. Don't feel ripped off, just disappointed.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Most disappointing thing about losing today was that our fate was in our own hands when we sat 8th, but now that we are 10th, we need to rely on others stumbling.

Bulldogs play Brisbane next week and if they play like today will probably improve their % by 5 or 6 points to be equal with us. So having the higher % at the moment may not be the case next week.

I'm disappointed that we let the lead blow out with just under 5 mins to go should have only been a 1-2 goal loss.

 

[Dancing Dougy]

Yeah that's kind of the way I see it.

We had inaccurate kicking and umps didn't help us but ultimately lost by a few goals without any major injuries. Don't feel ripped off, just disappointed.

Understand the disappointment. You've performed far better than I expected and probably yourself this year, and with that comes greater expectation.

You've been probably the most exciting to watch all year. 2018 is going to be a good one for the red and black.

 

[yaco55]

I sort of relate it to soccer today in regards to our "final ball" The lead up play was breathtaking, just the final ball was missing. Probably the best team in the league to watch Essendon.

An excellent analogy - My view is a few kicks into forward 50 just missed the target which then put pressure on the players who then failed miserably - Merrett's decsion-making today was awful.

 

[Bombermania]

Genuine question, and I'm really on the fence about this, would you rather make the finals and bomb out in round 1 and as a result miss out on one of the tops mids in the draft? Or slide a few more spots on the ladder with a few losses and lock up a future starting midfielder for us in the draft?

The midfield is obviously a concern & while we have a few nice pieces I think we need a few more.

I really want to see Laverde, Langford & one of Mutch/Begley put in the team and left there for the rest of the year.

Your last line gives you my answer because we know we have those players developing and we have tended to do okay with later round picks so I would go for the finals, earn a bit of prizemoney and come back next year primed and its possible that we could win a final if its played in Melbourne.

 

[Dons4days]

You last line gives you my answer because we know we have those players developing and we have tended to do okay with later round picks so I would go for the finals, earn a bit of prizemoney and come back next year primed and its possible that we could win a final if its played in Melbourne.

That's fair, I see value in both directions. Just food for thought really.
I'm just very accustomed to looking towards the draft for answers... it's been a long decade.

 

[Teflon Dons]

Understand the disappointment. You've performed far better than I expected and probably yourself this year, and with that comes greater expectation.

You've been probably the most exciting to watch all year. 2018 is going to be a good one for the red and black.

Agree with you there mate, the expectation has risen exponentially without much notice. Excited about footy for the first time in 5 years

 

[eth-dog]

Kelly this season alone. 100 and 150 aren't real milestone games anyway.

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100 games you could argue is the most important milestone

 

[Darealrath]

An excellent analogy - My view is a few kicks into forward 50 just missed the target which then put pressure on the players who then failed miserably - Merrett's decsion-making today was awful.

I wonder if Merrett was affected by that knee to the head early on from Wood (when he dropped the hangar)? Played a strange game.

 

[Lore]

100 games you could argue is the most important milestone

*for the club

 

[IggypopsTshirt]

Season over.
Jobe - finished.
Colyer - finished.
Myers - on last chance.
Bags - stupid footballer capable of catastrophic brain fades. Not sure he knows the rules of the game.
Gleeson - See Bags.
Heppell - Good generally. Let the team down badly today. Big game and some big moments passed him by.
Hooker - Kicks like a pre 2017 Joey D.

Plenty of positives list wise but this season is done.

 

[MarkG]

I wonder if Merrett was affected by that knee to the head early on from Wood (when he dropped the hangar)? Played a strange game.

Dogs collected quite a few of our players with head highs. Wallis ran straight through McKenna in another big one. It would have to create some unsteadiness.

Waite also pummelled Hurley a few times last week. And he didn't seem to recover too well.

 

[duckdog]

Sorry Lance but how can you be happy with that performance? That's the problem with this club we been happy with mediocre shit performances for far too long they boys should be filthy on how they played time to be ruthless.

Head out bush for the week? Camp..Piss up... bond .. soggy sao maybe ?

 

[TheGrizz]

The contradiction is we scored 64% of forward 50 entries.

Sure. We scored. Behinds

When I think of efficiency I think goals. We didn't take the lost of our chances. Hence not very efficient.

 

[bacon buster]

Dogs collected quite a few of our players with head highs. Wallis ran straight through McKenna in another big one. It would have to create some unsteadiness.

Waite also pummelled Hurley a few times last week. And he didn't seem to recover too well.

Couldn't believe the McKenna one wasn't paid as a free. Then Macrae got a BS in the back free about 10 second later when he was tackled and should have been pinged for holding the ball, and he just floppped to the ground with Parish on his back

 

[TheGrizz]

To all those having a go at Gleeson.

A week ago people are singing his praises and this week there was concern he may not get up.

Geez this board can be quick to turn on our own. First mediocre game in a while, deserves a chop out.

Laverde - it was his second game of afl footy in basically 12 months... What were you expecting?
People are saying "play the kids" and then in the same breath "laverde offers nothing"... Which is it then? Again same as Gleeson, two weeks ago he kicks 6 in he VFL and everyone is high.

I love essendon and my fellow supporters, but it can be scary to see how quickly we can turn on players.

 

[Dynos]

Also Hurley with a shocking turnover.

Are you joking Baguely costs goals continuously and does it week after week after week. He is one of 4 players who should be finished up at years end.

 

[VelvetSledge]

You'd think I'd stop feeling angry

 

[fairlight_cmi]

Unfortunately the boys couldn't come to terms with the finals-like pressure. So many errors, even when we weren't under direct/perceived heat from a Bulldogs player (ie: Hurley on a few occasions).

Extremely dissapointing, especially to let the lead blow out to 30. Ridiculous.

Probably miss the 8 now - this experience should be invaluable (and motivation) for a potential solid run at finals next year.

 

[Dynos]

If we give goddard another year (if we already haven't) i won't renew on principle. He was done last year.

Watson - cooked
Baguley - spud (we already knew that)
Colyer - cant kick a footy


These 4 were a liability & it's been sugar coated all year. Today in the furnace it cobfirmed it.

Totally agree love Watson but the game has gone past him, Baguley is a spud of the first order and a liability, stuck with goddard another year because of contract trigger but that can be a year in the twos and Colyer(wtf) time. Give some of the kids we drafted thet are the future these guys for whatever reason, loss of speed, age quickness of brain or lack of skills are not the future youth is.

 

[Doss]

1. Baguley is not a spud. He may well be phased out but he has been serviceable this year, he has been serviceable his entire career and calling him a spud is not only inaccurate, it's disrespectful

2. Goddard playing twos? The guy has had basically as good a year as 2013. He was pretty good today. How on earth does that suddenly translate to him being in the magoos next year?

 

[DONatron]

what might've been eh?

Felt the game was played at a tempo too quick for us and tailor made for the Dogs, I know we are a fast team and all but we need a certain level of control with our play, which occurred and allowed us to get a sniff in the final term through gaining more controlled possessions of the ball thanks to more short kicking albeit the goal kicking accuracy costing us, instead of full blitzkrieg that was happening for the majority of the game.

5 goal loss is a pretty flat feeling considering we were still a chance with 3mins left, but just a few tweaks and less errors we ain't that far away. Plenty of positives still, with Joe, Darce, Raz, Stewart, McKenna all showing heaps of promise and delivering strong performances today. Chuck in McGrath, Zach Merrett and multiple other younger types, this is our best group of under 23s we have had in a long time.

Also, still a heap of twist and turns left in the season and we are still a shot at finals, so let's crack in for the next 4 games and see what comes of it all.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Unfortunately the boys couldn't come to terms with the finals-like pressure. So many errors, even when we weren't under direct/perceived heat from a Bulldogs player (ie: Hurley on a few occasions).

Extremely dissapointing, especially to let the lead blow out to 30. Ridiculous.

Probably miss the 8 now - this experience should be invaluable (and motivation) for a potential solid run at finals next year.

Haha I feel like we say this every year and yet nothing.

Disappointing if we miss the 8 with **** all injuries for the year and an easy fixture.

 

[donsm8]

****ing shit sport. Why am I so sad. Losing on a Sunday arvo is the worst, I already didn't want to go to work.

Being Langford in for Colyer for the remainder of the season please. Let him rotate through the guts, and get some continuity, while also being able to be a leading and marking target when resting forward.

Love Trav but what does he add? He has lost pace, prob averages less then 16 or 17 touches and can't use the footy to save his life.

 

[boncer34]

You'd think I'd stop feeling angry

Have a beer.