Up the Coasters Round 21- Positives and more positives v Essendon

[DirtySandman]

I liked the emotion shown by Oscar and Maric, after their 4qtr goals. Some really good signs.

BW murdered by a pair of nobodies.

Commentators really struggled to ever say a good word about us, despite being the bottom team, away from home, fighting back from 5 goals down to hit the front " west coast continue to fumble"

 

[Grahame]

Random thoughts. Pity Winder didn’t make it. I’m assuming his cards must be marked.
Clark too?
Think we’ve got enough to delist to give XON another year - as depth? (Rather see someone ‘new-ish’ like him get a contract than e.g. a proven mediocre 120 gamer like SPS.)
A pity Culley not available to see him with all the other newbies.
JWill has presumably gone past Jamo?
Rotham again showed he’ll boost the Beagles.
Great to see Yeo’s mad eyes again.

 

[Farang83150]

English is going to be the AA ruckman... ergo the best ruck in the AFL this year.

He also costs nothing, other than salary, which we're currently flushing down the toilet on senior players that suck or are injured (Shuey, Gaff, Naitanui) anyway.

Bailey, has improved beyond belief... yet is still 3 rungs below English. Thats not even a question.


He just had 12 hitouts for a whole game FFS. Even the Bombers dopey rookie ruck Nick Bryan beat him with 19. That's on top of Phillips 33. Absolute pantsing.

If Williams can't get the best of these 2 spuds, we should surely look to upgrade to someone who can, if the opportunity presents itself.

You think we'll get him for nothing

 

[Grahame]

Commentators really struggled to ever say a good word about us, despite being the bottom team, away from home, fighting back from 5 goals down to hit the front " west coast continue to fumble"

This!!! Oh that’s right it’s the VFL.

 

[Keys]

No 4 points but I’ll take the moral victory



Thirty seconds left. Clear block, 20 metres out near enough to straight in front. Cox was making no attempt to mark and had eyes fixed on Allen

As egregious a missed free kick as the one not paid to Long

Bitterly disappointed in the loss as I believe the lads did enough to earn a win and it’s a kick in the guts for them after suffering through a dismal year

Certainly our best performance of the year. Looked like the game was heading down a well worn path this year before the team collectively found a way to stem the damage initially before storming home into the lead

Big picture though it’s arguably the best result- a very competitive loss

Individually:

• Gaff - continued his improved form since being made sub. This is the version of Gaff we need to see if he plays on in 2024
• Hunt - another very good game from a genuine candidate for recruit of the year. His willingness to run and take the game on is invaluable
• Yeo - stood up late after having his hands full with Langford in the 2nd. We are so much better with him in the side
• Hewett - has all the tools to tear the game apart once he finds his feet at this level. Precisely the mid we needed
• Kelly - enormous game from TK. Our BOG
• Allen - would have 60 goals this season if he got the protection from the umpires other forwards do. Keeps presenting nonetheless and liked him playing further up the ground at times
• Duggan - looked good through the midfield. Let himself down a tad by missing a couple of goal chances early. Still a good game
• Cripps - important after half time especially. No dramas with him playing on
• Edwards - solid game. Clean with the ball. Not the high profile of our other youngsters but has the capacity to be a best 22 contributor
• Chesser - continues to find his feet. Another decent game to show his development is tracking the right way
• Hough - keeps contributing and learning. Had some good moments
• McGovern - played an important role and sacrificed his own game a bit to anchor the defence. Kept Wright goalless with a bit of help from his fellow defenders
• Petruccelle- so he’s an attacking mid and not a HF. Who knew. Becoming an important cog in the midfield with his pace
• Witherden - had a good game. Done enough now for a new contract as he’s becoming increasingly more reliable
• O’Neill - just doesn’t get enough of the ball. Tries hard but realistically he’s not quite up to it
• Darling - played well again I thought. Still an important part of our front half
• Cole - another excellent game in defence and providing good rebound
• Williams - got touched up in the ruck today but was still effective around the ground
• Williams - keeps showing signs but let himself down with a couple of key fumbles late. Still think there’s a future Williams-Williams ruck duo that can work
• Rotham - thought he had a good first game back. Certainly an improvement of previous games this year
• Maric - such a good pickup. Great composure to kick the go ahead goal. Bit of a shame it wasn’t the match winner
• Long - good again and liked that he was willing to run back to support the defence

Overall, really pleased with what I saw today and amongst but all I also think there’s signs that Simpson can still coach this group effectively as the game plan takes shape

 

[eaglespremiers]

Essendon are going nowhere

We'll be balls deep in finals and challenging for flags while they will still be searching for the first finals win

We'll be telling our grandchildren about that mythical finals win by Essendon in 2004.

 

[eaglespremiers]

I’m saying this obsessive view that number will be so much better for us isn’t borne out by the evidence. 20 years is enough time.

Correlation does not equal causation.

 

[Godfather32]

I’m saying this obsessive view that number will be so much better for us isn’t borne out by the evidence. 20 years is enough time.

A fair few of those picks went to absolute shit show teams in Carlton, Gold Coast and GWS though.

 

[ZergMinion]

And if you had won one extra (meaningless) game at the end of 2001, you wouldn’t have had Chris Judd.

Judd > winning a dead rubber game.

It sounds bad, but that’s the reality.

2001 AFL season - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Apparently we could have won 3 more meaningless games and still gotten Judd.

Edit: Actually it looks like we had an extra meaningless win and cost ourselves Luke Ball.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

2001 AFL season - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Apparently we could have won 3 more meaningless games and still gotten Judd.

Edit: Actually it looks like we had an extra meaningless win and cost ourselves Luke Ball.

Actually not, Fremantle and Saints would have had their priority picks before our first pick. It was a 5 wins or less formula back then.

 

[ZergMinion]

Actually not, Fremantle and Saints would have had their priority picks before our first pick. It was a 5 wins or less formula back then.

This makes more sense now.

 

[mattyc75]

Also we didn't lose a thing with Sheed out.

Hopefully that says something to the match committee. If they play him it has to be somewhere else because he is a liability in middle.

With sheed out lost a bit of indecision

Sent from my SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Hawks_4478]

2001 AFL season - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Apparently we could have won 3 more meaningless games and still gotten Judd.

Edit: Actually it looks like we had an extra meaningless win and cost ourselves Luke Ball.

If you had won one more game, you would have lost your priority pick 3 (Judd). Freo would have had 3 instead of 4.

Your first pick would have been at 5.
So no Judd.

 

[boondy]

Loved that we won 3/4 . Loved the panic bombers felt .

 

[element]

I'm firmly in the camp that pick 1 is worth more than any win at this point of the season, particularly a season that has been the worst in the clubs history. This is compounded by the fact that so many good draftees are tied to clubs and having access to one that is rated as the best isn't even guaranteed by finishing last.
So today's result was pretty much the optimum.
Showed a lot of fight, kids played well, and importantly, showed any potential picks that there is light at the end of the tunnel and this list has potential (i.e. they'd be joining a club who are likely to rise up the ladder, and not the tin rattlers).

 

[Father Jack]

Draft picks are never worth more than wins.

 

[ZergMinion]

If you had won one more game, you would have lost your priority pick 3 (Judd). Freo would have had 3 instead of 4.

Your first pick would have been at 5.
So no Judd.

I get that now. My bad.

 

[Wight Wolf]

Cant take anyone serious who says chesser isnt good. He is good and will be very good.

Not everyone can have that hewett swag but chesser will compliment this team perfectly. 200+ game player

 

[twce13]

I’m saying this obsessive view that number will be so much better for us isn’t borne out by the evidence. 20 years is enough time.

Your also wrong, given that 5 of the last 20 flags featured the #1 pick (hawks 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015 — Dogs 2016)

Also quite a few #1 picks featured in the losing GF teams and others more recently drafted are in ascending teams who could have success.


Of course all of this means little as historical stats are not relevant to whether Reid will be a success or not. But if we are going to throw out arbitrary stats, may as well be accurate.

 

[Ghossein]

And if you had won one extra (meaningless) game at the end of 2001, you wouldn’t have had Chris Judd.

Judd > winning a dead rubber game.

It sounds bad, but that’s the reality.

That's kind of my point though.

I would prefer our club focus on a winning culture and then recruit well over the off-season (within our control), rather than some smooth brain interpretation of chaos theory whereby the next 15 years hedges on immediate losses to acquire a Bendigo teenager (not within our control).

 

[squashface]

Cant take anyone serious who says chesser isnt good. He is good and will be very good.

Not everyone can have that hewett swag but chesser will compliment this team perfectly. 200+ game player

He is good

No

will be very good

Maybe

 

[Pwani Magharibi]

Unlike the Carlton debacle a fortnight ago, today was a very enjoyable day at the footy. Far more positives than negatives:

• Played well enough to almost pinch an away win against a finals contender, even if they assisted us by missing some sitters.
• Much better spread of effort across the team rather than relying too much on too few.
• Elijah Hewett. He's in the box seat to become my favourite player once Nic retires.
• Ryan Maric. Stoked with what our MSD pick up has shown to date.
• Jayden Hunt. Nearly BOG - great run from defence.
• Promising signs from Jack Williams.
• Good to see Gov back. Really hope to see him available more often than for the rest of his time with the Eagles. Ditto for Yeo.
• One of Witherden's best games.
• Petch did some nice things.
• Bailey Williams work after the ruck contests.
• Getting to feel like we won and carry on a bit when Maric goaled near the end to give us the lead.
• The sombre Bombers crowd in the last quarter (except after their last-minute escape).
• If we nail this year's draft and make some important off-field changes, starting to see there is a road back to finals contention and more in a few years.

Negatives:

• Losing when we should have won.
• That dirty, sordid feeling of being quietly happy to lose and retain pole position for the No. 1 draft pick. Wanted to win, but it's a nice consolation. I hope Harley Reid (or whichever two players we get from splitting the pick) standing on a premiership dais for us one day makes up for being somewhat happy to lose today.
• Don't want to be that whinging supporter who always moans about the umpiring, but they decided the result today. Sitting at one end of the ground, can confirm that Oscar Allen
  12

  Oscar Allen

  Age

  25

  Ht

  196cm

  Wt

  96kg

  Pos.

  Fwd

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  9.8

  2star

  K

  6.6

  3star

  HB

  3.2

  3star

  M

  3.8

  4star

  T

  2.4

  4star

  G

  1.1

  4star

  No current season stats available

  D

  8.6

  3star

  K

  5.8

  3star

  HB

  2.8

  3star

  M

  3.8

  4star

  T

  2.0

  4star

  G

  1.2

  4star

  was held in nearly every marking contest. How Long didn't get a free right in front for chopping of the arms defies explanation. We would genuinely have won by five goals if the rules were adjudicated properly.
• Bailey Williams work in the ruck contests.
• Still seeing an aversion to tackling. That has to be a focus for improvement for 2024.

 

[jatz14]

Why would be emulating Gold Coast?

Does one year erase 37 years of culture?

Don't be so daft.

The culture that matters to a new player is the culture of the people in it when they arrive. Ask Melbourne how hard it is to get out of a culture of losing, once its been established at the club.

I would rather pick 2, and know the club hates losing above all else than pick 1, and know they are comfortable with it.

Its not a tap you can turn on, and then off again, anytime you like.

 

[Ghossein]

Draft picks are never worth more than wins.

they are because the number 1 draft pick is the best player 100% of the time and there are absolutely no exceptions

 

[jatz14]

Losing isnt the reason people leave Gold Coast....

It being a expensive shithole with zero fan base or culture is the bigger reason

Something players would put up with if they played finals every year.