Preview Round 22 - Essendon Bombers vs North Melbourne Kangaroos - Saturday, August 12th - 1:45 pm @ Robert Downey Jr. Stadium.

[silk]

Round 22 sees March Rivals, Essendon and North Melbourne once again compete in a late-season dead rubber.. ok, not quite for us, but that game against West Coast has me feeling very flat. The AFL season is long when you are shit. I want to be positive here; to be proud of the team, to celebrate the year, to acknowledge the quality Debut of Tsatas, the arrival of Langforward, the improvement of Bryan... but this was another week of feeling like the more things change the more things stay the same. It's easy to blame the coach for these late seasons' fade-outs, but I think it's more. This list... isn't right... this isn't about individuals, it's about team balance. It's the fitness levels, the lack of power running, the willingness to work as hard defensively as forward of the ball. It's the shocking core skills - at least to the eye, we are one of the worst hand-balling and contesting-marking teams (with the exception of a few in the backline)

I honestly think we need and am almost hoping for a worse season next year; this mid-tier finish shit ain't working. I also hope we have the balls to make major changes this off-season. I don't think we do...

---

The Round that Was

Congrats to Tsatas for your first game and first win!

As for North.. who the hell really cares? I ain't updating this section regardless of what happens tomorrow.

---

The Last Time We Met

We broke their hearts.. that was kinda fun, I guess.

ESSENDON 6.2 6.6 12.7 16.9 (105)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.0 6.4 10.8 15.9 (99)

GOALS
Essendon: Langford 4, Perkins 2, Merrett 2, Martin 2, Guelfi 2, Stringer, Menzie, Draper, D'Ambrosio
North Melbourne: Zurhaar 4, Larkey 2, Coleman-Jones 2, Tucker, Thomas, Scott, Phillips, McDonald, Goldstein, Stephenson

BEST
Essendon: Merrett, Ridley, Martin, Caldwell, Heppell, Perkins
North Melbourne: McDonald, McKay, Zurhaar, Coleman-Jones, Phillips, Tucker

INJURIES
Essendon: Shiel (calf)
North Melbourne: Jy Simpkin

12

Jy Simpkin

Age

26

Ht

183cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

8.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

20.6

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

9.6

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.5

4star

CL

5.5

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

(concussion), Greenwood (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Massimo D'Ambrosio (replaced Dylan Shiel

9

Dylan Shiel

Age

31

Ht

182cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.6

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.2

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

23.4

5star

K

13.6

5star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

3.4

4star

CL

6.4

5star

D

19.8

5star

K

8.4

4star

HB

11.4

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

3.8

5star

at three-quarter time)
North Melbourne: Tom Powell (replaced Jy Simpkin

12

Jy Simpkin

Age

26

Ht

183cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

8.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

20.6

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

9.6

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.5

4star

CL

5.5

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

at quarter-time)

Crowd: 40,488 at Marvel Stadium

---

The Team

Possible Ins:

Baldwin - Can't do much more
Tex - 4 Goals in the vfl
Monty - Always good in VFL, will he get a chance at AFL level?
Setterfield - Might come back in

Possible Outs:

Guelfi - Got to take your chances
Cox - Not sure what's he's offering at the moment
Davey - Needs a full-game VFL or AFL

---

My Tip

There'll be more "learnings" next week. (The curse of Worsfold is not easily shaken)

 

[Beerfish]

 

[andleanback]

Out guelfi

 

[Vindicater]

Out: Our defensive structure.

In: Any other structure. (For real, 18 guys just following the ball Auskick style would provide more pressure than our structure does)

 

[DapperDon]

Defo need to hit up Dan Murphy's during the week to prepare for this one

 

[windyhill]

Season ****ed, GF upcoming, season saved. We will pump these clowns. It’s how Essendon works.

 

[Vindicater]

Season ****ed, GF upcoming, season saved. We will pump these clowns. It’s how Essendon works.

Pump these guys and then somehow get over GWS before being demolished by the Pies.

Despite the pumping we make the finals and once again get pumped by the bulldogs

 

[Keystone agony]

Out: Heppell (Managed), Caldwell (Managed), Kelly

In: Baldwin, Setterfield, Massimo/Wanganeen

 

[Petrify]

This is their grand final, if we display the effort we did against West Coast, North will beat us.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Out: Heppell (Managed), Caldwell (Managed), Kelly

In: Baldwin, Setterfield, Massimo/Wanganeen

Did Setters play VFL today? how'd he do?

 

[Keystone agony]

Did Setters play VFL today? how'd he do?

He did

20 disp, didnt watch

 

[DallasCrane316]

They’ll belt us

 

[DallasCrane316]

Did Setters play VFL today? how'd he do?

Scott made mention of Setterfield returning today and said he’d be available for selection this week.

I think we need him.

 

[Hamez]

Out: Heppell (Managed), Caldwell (Managed), Kelly

In: Baldwin, Setterfield, Massimo/Wanganeen

Pretty sure mass is out for the season. Tex has been in from in the vfl. Kicked 4 today.

 

[Cold Sober]

We'll kick 30 goals next week, put your mother in law on it.

 

[Reximilian]

Out: Heppell, Guelfi as sub, Davey to VFL
In: Setterfield, Baldwin

 

[Happyskeret]

We'll kick 30 goals next week, put your mother in law on it.

What’s the catch?

 

[BomberTime]

Surest thing is Norf beating us next week.

They should have beat us last time.

 

[andleanback]

Out: Heppell (Managed), Caldwell (Managed), Kelly

In: Baldwin, Setterfield, Massimo/Wanganeen

Massimo is out for the year..

 

[andleanback]

Surest thing is Norf beating us next week.

They should have beat us last time.

We’d have to play even worse than today for north to beat us.

 

[SpeckieMcVeigh]

We are losing this game next week.

 

[BrunoV]

This one has 'all the hallmarks'.

 

[Cold Sober]

What’s the catch?

I've already lost my houses punting on horses, who cares about their mother in laws. Their daughters were the start of the rot.

 

[Vass38]

OUT: Caldwell, Guelfi
IN: Setterfield, Wanga

 

[BomberTime]

Great test for Scott this week, Wanganeen and Baldwin have thoroughly deserved a call up and need to be rewarded.