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

[Wahooti Fandango]

Hey guys hope your all well! How’s the season going for the bombers at the moment?

 

[footyfanatic111]

Hey guys hope your all well! How’s the season going for the bombers at the moment?

We’ve seen better days but when I’m at my lowest I just remember having front row seats to us tearing the baggers a new one in round 13. It was glorious watching you guys walk out at 3/4 time.

 

[Duckworth]

We’ve seen better days but when I’m at my lowest I just remember having front row seats to us tearing the baggers a new one in round 13. It was glorious watching you guys walk out at 3/4 time.

Are the front row seats to watching the Carlton fans flee the ground actually the back row seats

 

[footyfanatic111]

Are the front row seats to watching the Carlton fans flee the ground actually the back row seats

The entire row I was in all got up and cracked the sads, stamping their feet as they walked out sobbing at 3/4 time. It might not be the feeling of a finals win but it’s gotta come pretty close.

 

[citizen-erased]

How many of you sooking it up tipped us to win 10 games ?

i tipped 5.
im quite chuffed with the year to be honest.

 

[citizen-erased]

now is the time to put those Charlie bobble heads on ebay
they'll be buying now

 

[andleanback]

How many of you sooking it up tipped us to win 10 games ?

I thought we’d win 8-10 but for me how many we won this year it was more about how the players / coaches performed this year implementing defensive structure. It was a pass mark until the past 4 weeks. So for me we’ve taken multiple steps backwards in the 2nd half of the year.

 

[Keystone agony]

I thought we’d win 8-10 but for me how many we won this year it was more about how the players / coaches performed this year implementing defensive structure. It was a pass mark until the past 4 weeks. So for me we’ve taken multiple steps backwards in the 2nd half of the year.

Honestly dont think too much defensive structure past normal basics that any player in the AFL system for 12 months would know has been put in place especially early in the year

The year was about

• Coach gaining knowledge of list and current standards/on goings
• Effort
• Hard off season

 

[andleanback]

Honestly dont think too much defensive structure past normal basics that any player in the AFL system for 12 months would know has been put in place especially early in the year

The year was about

• Coach gaining knowledge of list and current standards/on goings
• Effort
• Hard off season

But the point is we did look a lot better for most of the year, even though we were allowing ball movement, at times when the heat was on we could really shut the ground down for periods of time, see adelaide 2nd qtr, port game after qtr time. In the last month we’ve lost all shape and ability to defend the ground. That’s got nothing to do with what this year was about, because we’ve shown the ability to do it for large chunks of the year, in saying that we are far far away from being the finished product. But it was good for once knowing you could turn up the an essendon game and know what we were trying to do and how they were going to play.

 

[MiguelM]

Honestly dont think too much defensive structure past normal basics that any player in the AFL system for 12 months would know has been put in place especially early in the year

The year was about

• Coach gaining knowledge of list and current standards/on goings
• Effort
• Hard off season

For me also was player buy in. Without it we are same, same. The fact that Redman has committed and admitting he would have left if it was the same situation as last year, is a massive plus.

 

[Eleven 38]

I think we've gone alright, the teams that have really beaten us up are the ones that have the big mature midfield. We are still a couple of years away from having that, a couple more years maturing will help to push out the 23 games and compete with the mature midfields.

 

[ant555]

I thought we’d win 8-10 but for me how many we won this year it was more about how the players / coaches performed this year implementing defensive structure. It was a pass mark until the past 4 weeks. So for me we’ve taken multiple steps backwards in the 2nd half of the year.

Is it steps backwards or deficiencies with the list ?
We are easy to play against because we have limited marking power outside of defence so sides know the only thing they need to do is cut off our short kicks through the middle and force the really slow game . They know that if they make us kick down the line we will mark less than 5 in twenty.
This is also effecting the quality of the ball going inside 50 and also our kicking efficiency as if we want to move it quickly it is rushed and risky.
We can not get a mark down the line and a quick handball inside.
The defence has fallen over a bit mainly due to the forward pressure being a bit up and down and to be blunt Wright is not helping on that front . If he does not mark it his opponent is regularly running off him .

They have a plan that can work but they need the personal.

The reason that they keep throwing Cox to the wing is they hope he can take a few marks .

I suspect they have done the same with Kelly who is an okay mark.

Not that I agree with the last two scenarios.

 

[Keystone agony]

But the point is we did look a lot better for most of the year, even though we were allowing ball movement, at times when the heat was on we could really shut the ground down for periods of time, see adelaide 2nd qtr, port game after qtr time. In the last month we’ve lost all shape and ability to defend the ground. That’s got nothing to do with what this year was about, because we’ve shown the ability to do it for large chunks of the year, in saying that we are far far away from being the finished product. But it was good for once knowing you could turn up the an essendon game and know what we were trying to do and how they were going to play.

The only thing ive noticeably seen us look better at is the improvement from individuals such as Zerrett, Parish to either run better both ways in Zacs case or Parish want to do some of the hard tackling in his case. Other than that the effort has been better imo but youd expect that with a new coach

Id need to look at the numbers

Differential for i50s would be an important one last year compared to this?

Id suspect its better as per the overall results. Last year Rutten had lost the players. They didnt have effort. That affects defensive and pressure want

Weve atleast had that

For me the dogs game said everything. Were still a fair way off, i was a bit unsure where exactly we were at before that. I think the club and players knew exactly where they were at 3 qtr of that game. Since then thats affected our effort and the side being even younger means we havnt been able to sustain it for longer than a half in the eagles game

And tbh i forgot about that Sydney game. We were very good there statistically (i am yet to watch a second of that game)

 

[Keystone agony]

For me also was player buy in. Without it we are same, same. The fact that Redman has committed and admitting he would have left if it was the same situation as last year, is a massive plus.

Yep, and tbh if there isnt effort/buy in....whatever you want to call it with a new coach year 1 of 4 than we have huge problems

Fwiw i think we had effort for the dogs game, we were just found short by a far better side that is clear top 6 in the comp (we are not)

From memory we were actually pretty good for the first half, there class out shone us in long run of the game

Its the only game we havnt responded in this year, and as i said, i actually think we did in the first half

 

[andleanback]

Cunnington farewell game on Saturday

 

[Stopher]

Cunnington retiring after this game. Just what we need.

 

[Vindicater]

Cunnington retiring after this game. Just what we need.

Good. He is cooked.

 

[jannissary]

to be fair to him, it's his teams grand final game

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Interesting couple of commentators questioning Eagles for not putting a spare man back when they hit the lead. With Eagles showing some improvement wonder what North's motivation will be like last three games with Harley Reid on the line.

 

[Beerfish]

Interesting couple of commentators questioning Eagles for not putting a spare man back when they hit the lead. With Eagles showing some improvement wonder what North's motivation will be like last three games with Harley Reid on the line.

Their motivation will be to send their bravest warrior in recent memory off with a win. I expect them to play at their best and it'll be their game to lose as a result because let's face it we've been very poor since the bye really.

 

[the big lebowski]

Their motivation will be to send their bravest warrior in recent memory off with a win. I expect them to play at their best and it'll be their game to lose as a result because let's face it we've been very poor since the bye really.

lol I’m not sure we know how to win. We’d need to be over 30 points up with 5 mins to go.

 

[bommer16]

Their motivation will be to send their bravest warrior in recent memory off with a win. I expect them to play at their best and it'll be their game to lose as a result because let's face it we've been very poor since the bye really.

The bye - agree. Injuries don’t help but the momentum changed. Stopped their run.

 

[Nifft]

My mother in law is dead

 

[Cold Sober]

North don't want to win.
I'm a fan of Simpson as a coach but, have you ever seen a coach smile so much after a close loss.
PS. Cunnington has been a legend of the game, show some respect.

 

[Bjchan13]

B McGrath Zerk-Thatcher Kelly
HB Redman Laverde Hind
C Durham Setterfield Martin
HF Perkins Langford Wanganeen
F Menzie Wright McDonald-Tipungwuti
R Phillips Parish Merrett
INT Bryan Cox Tsatas Caldwell
SUB Hobbs

IN Setterfield, Wanganeen, McDonald-Tipungwuti

OUT Guelfi, A.Davey, Heppell (rest)