Game Day Round 22: Fremantle v Essendon, Optus Stadium, Saturday 17/8/19, 6.10PM AWST

[VelvetSledge]

ESSENDON BOMBERS

It’s hard to put into words just how bad that performance was. Even for this club, that’s let us down so often in the past 20 or so years.
First goal in the first 21 seconds, and the second didn’t come until there was five minutes left in the match. 108 minutes later.
That’s not just disappointing, it’s embarrassing. A complete and utter disgrace from a group that, even with all of its injury concerns, should be much better than what was served up.
A vast majority of the team gave no effort, didn’t run, didn’t tackle, barely offered a whimper against a Bulldogs outfit that simply cut us to ribbons with no hassle whatsoever.
In all my 28 years on this Earth, I’ve never witnessed an Essendon capitulation so fast. This wasn’t down to the Bulldogs playing well, which they did; we simply didn’t even try.
Jake Stringer, as an ultimate impact player against his old club, registered 7 touches.
21 goals in a row conceded. Embarrassing.
This dramatic decline in the past few weeks is now looking like we’re going to drop off from the finals race. The funny thing is, I don’t think anyone here would really mind. It would at least save us from the embarrassment of yet another first week finals thrashing.
Our percentage has dropped from 104.3 to 93.8. In two weeks.
We lost disposals by 124. We lost contested possessions by 36. We lost inside 50s by 29. With an undermanned and undersized defence, we were never a chance.
The Bulldogs cheersquad giving a standing ovation to our second goal at the end of the game was a spit in a very battered and bloody face.
Something is rotten at the club, and I’m not sure what it is.
Utter disgrace.
Disgusting.
The single worst performance I’ve ever seen from this club.
Embarrassing is an understatement.

ESSENDON BOMBERS 4.9 33 def. by WESTERN BULLDOGS 21.11 137

BEST: Merrett, Redman, Heppell. Because they tried.
GOALS: Baguley 2 (**** off), Shiel, McDonald-Tipungwuti
INJURIES: Essendon (Lack of heart)
REPORTS: Nil


--------

FREMANTLE DOCKERS

Honestly, who gives a shit.
Josh Bruce kicked a goal and they lost. Ross pls.

ST KILDA SAINTS 10.12 72 def. FREMANTLE DOCKERS 10.9 69

BEST: Fyfe, Langdon, Hill, Blakely, Tucker, Duman
GOALS: Fyfe, Matera 2, Walters, Darcy, Switkowski, Crowden, Langdon, Schultz
INJURIES: Nil
REPORTS: Nil

ESSENDON EMERGENCIES
Josh Begley, Dylan Clarke, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Ben McNiece

FREMANTLE EMERGENCIES
Bailey Banfield, Brett Bewley, Bason Barter, Bravis Bolyer or some shit

------

ESSENDON INS: Michael Hurley, Darcy Parish, Brayden Ham, Adam Saad, Aaron Francis
ESSENDON OUTS: Dylan Clarke, Josh Begley, David Myers, Ben McNiece, Mark Baguley (All Omit)

FREMANTLE INS: Dardy McCrafty, Hayden Ballantyne
FREMANTLE OUTS: Bailey Banfield, Jason Carter (All Omit)

DEBUT:

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, #30
Pick 66, 2017 Nation Draft

LATE IN for Cale Hooker

On paper, this looks like a really solid team, but there's a few more concerns that should be addressed. Adam Saad returns after a week out, even though he was given an initial 2 week diagnosis. Michael Hurley makes the fastest return from AC joint surgery ever seen. Sure, Parish and Francis are probably legit, but I can't help but be concerned as to how suddenly these players are available. I'm not so much concerned about Brayden Ham, whose performance last week in the twos actually warrants selection in the west for tonight's match. Dylan Clarke could probably consider himself a little stiff to be dropped this week, but his last two weeks have been what one would consider as ineffective. Joining him in the twos/sidelines are four other players who have been dropped, with Josh Begley and Ben McNiece making way, alongside two players who you just feel have played in the red and black for the last time in Mark Baguley and David Myers.

Fremantle bring in a serial pest in Hayden Ballantyne for the last time before being shafted or forced into retirement. Joining him in the side is Cam McCarthy, or Dardy McCrafty, whichever you prefer. While he has looked like a seriously decent player in his earlier years, he now resembles a discarded Scooby Doo character with shit tattoos and a dodgy moustache. Bailey Banfield and Jason Carter were dropped.

ESSENDON BOMBERS – #23 - DAVID MYERS

Thanks for the memories, Dave.

ESSENDON BOMBERS – #12 - MARK BAGULEY

Thanks for the memories, Bags.

FREMANTLE DOCKERS – #31 - AARON SANDILANDS

Thanks for the memories, Sandi.

FREMANTLE DOCKERS - #1 - HAYDEN BALLANTYNE

**** you, you little shit.

This ****ing club.

We’re in a position where we only need one more win to guarantee a spot in the finals, where we might actually have a chance to win a final for the first time since 2004. We were escaping with wins which we may not have deserved, but they were still wins. We needed one more win to pretty much ensure our passage through to September, and despite a rough injury list, we went in with a really solid chance against Port Adelaide.

We simply didn't show up. We were broken by injury. Our effort became non-existent. The miracle come-from-behind wins ended up looking more and more like flukes, as we started to drop off further and further. It was a horrible performance, and a few of us simply thought "Ah well they're probably all super tired, that's the loss we had to have." We were willing to write this one off as an aberration.

And then, last weeks match against the Dogs happened. And while it was certainly a four-quarter performance, it wasn't the sort we desperately wanted.

What the **** was that? We started the match brilliantly, with a goal to Dylan Shiel in the first 20 seconds. He looked pumped, the boys got around him, and we were thinking, "Alright, here we go, we're on here boys!". We didn't score another goal for another 108 minutes. In that time, our usually resilient defence was hammered from pillar to post by a Footscray midfield that were dominant from the get go. They ended up letting in 21 goals in a row. In fact, the 104-point margin almost flattered us. There has to be more to this than, "Oh we were tired". Players are looking like they aren't interested. You could have probably counted the players that looked like they cared on one hand last week. And two of your fingers would have to be dedicated to Paddy Ambrose. One for each of his enormous balls.

There's been numerous thoughts put into that performance. People are suggesting that since the Caracella announcement, our performances have dropped off. People are suggesting that Worsfold has lost the players entirely. Suggestions of Ben Rutten taking over with Caracella as a senior assistant as soon as the final game of the year is complete, with Woosha being paid out and sent packing back to Perth. It's hard to put any proper thought into all of these rumours, as they are just that. Rumours.

Personally, I'm thankful for what Woosha did when he took over our club in its darkest hour, and helped us from that point. I appreciate his services, but it's time to move on. With the signing of Blake Caracella, who practically carries success with him, a new method of thinking needs to be brought in. We need to rebuild the game plan from the ground up. This shouldn't be hard, because our game plan is actually still a secret to our coaches and players. The leadership group without Hurley and Hooker is a complete disgrace. Heppell is a great captain, but last week, there was nothing going on outside of him.

There are names that were in the team last week that should never, ever come back to play for us again. They were in due to necessity, and now we have a heap of players coming back in who may or may not be entirely underdone. Our high performance manager got the arse this week, who's to say he's become laconic knowing he's leaving? The writing was on the wall when our fitness boss decided to bail at the start of the season.

I want to believe that we can make it into the finals this year. Technically, we still can.

I don't fancy another 100 point drubbing in the first week of finals though, do you?

This ****ing club.

ROUND 9, 2019
Marvel Stadium
18/5/19

ESSENDON BOMBERS 8.12 60
def.
FREMANTLE DOCKERS 7.11 53

---------

ESSENDON BEST: Merrett, Zaharakis, Shiel, Saad, Hurley
ESSENDON GOALS: McDonald-Tipungwuti 3, Shiel 2, Zaharakis, Stringer, Francis

FREMANTLE BEST: Mundy, Fyfe, Duman, Walters
FREMANTLE GOALS: Matera 2, Mundy, Walters, Hogan, Langdon, Tucker

---------

CHANGES SINCE THEN

ESSENDON OUTS: Guelfi, Daniher, Baguley, Bellchambers, Begley, McNiece
ESSENDON INS: Gleeson, McKernan, Brown, Z. Clarke, Fantasia, Ham

FREMANTLE OUTS: Wilson, Ryan, Taberner, Lobb, Hogan, Pearce, Cox
FREMANTLE INS: McCarthy, Darcy, Ballantyne, Logue, Sandilands, Schultz, Crowden

MELBOURNE:
TV: FOX Footy (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST)
RADIO: SEN, ABC
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

SYDNEY:
TV: FOX Footy (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST)
RADIO: -
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

ADELAIDE:
TV: TV: FOX Footy (LIVE at 7.30pm ACST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 7.30pm ACST)
RADIO: SEN
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

PERTH:
TV: 7Mate (LIVE at 6.00pm AWST), FOX Footy (LIVE at 6.00pm AWST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 6.00pm AWST)
RADIO: ABC, 6PR, Mix 94.5
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

BRISBANE:
TV: TV: FOX Footy (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST)
RADIO: -
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

TASMANIA:
TV: TV: FOX Footy (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 8.00pm AEST)
RADIO: ABC
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

DARWIN:
TV: FOX Footy (LIVE at 7.30pm ACST), Kayo Sports (LIVE at 7.30pm ACST)
RADIO: -
MOBILE: AFL Live Official App with LIVE Pass (Unmetered on Telstra Mobile Network)

**** it. Even with our ins, if we get within 10 goals I’ll eat my own head. Nothing to lose! Except finals.

Fremantle by 102.​

 

[Harlequin]

Guess the time has come to open this fine thread.

Thanks VS once again

 

[thaibomber]

ESSENDON 1 - 39. in for $50.00... put your house on it!

 

[brendan84]

The only way to go is up I guess. So many layers of shit to climb through though. Very low expectations for this

 

[silk]

Thank you VS. Your game-day posts will be sorely missed next year.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Good thing watching from Melbourne is that the game starts at 8:10 so should be able to catch the start of the 8:30 movie as the game will be done and dusted.

Bad Kelvin.

 

[Hird05]

Nice write up. Should get the team to read it. Hopefully inspire them to play better football starting with tonight

 

[Coldacre]

another hiding shortly

 

[eth-dog]

Zerk in for Hooker

 

[VelvetSledge]

Anyone who calls him Margaret gets an instant 5 year ban

 

[Hird05]

Zerk in for Hooker

Confirmed?

 

[Blood Bomber]

Anyone who calls him Margaret gets an instant 5 year ban

This sounds like 5 years of relief. I'm tempted

 

[eth-dog]

Confirmed?

Yep.

 

[DERO]

Going to be tough now folks. Looks like the captain is playing though which is good.

 

[Hird05]

Yep.

Probably for the best. Desperately needs a rest

 

[Seb78]

Hooksey out the Berzerker in

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Hookers out thats bezerk

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Hope the kid has a ripper. Hooker needs a rest. Lets win this.

 

[rumply]

Another neck for VS to mess with

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I like we’re trying Hurley + Hooker (now BZT) + Francis + Ambrose. Think it can work.

But thought Hooker out would lead to a small.

 

[Seb78]

Hookers out thats bezerk

Orrr "Hooker gone bezerk"?

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Good luck to the kid

 

[westking]

Well. No break glass option this week.

 

[TheGrizz]

Anyone who calls him Margaret gets an instant 5 year ban

Margaret.

Come at me.

 

[yodellinhank]

Another neck for VS to mess with

Good job pushing out the biceps for the pic.