AFL Autopsy Round 3: 21 point loss to Bulldogs

[Bigjobss]

Joey fluffed the handpass, should have hit at 2m but meh crap happens, just trying to keep the momentum going and save a few seconds

 

[foj1]

I’m not mad just disappointed

I’m soothed by the fact that I follow the draft and will be excited for our next top 10 pick

Seriously until our supporters get mad at the ineptitude and mediocrity that is served on the field, in the coaches box and by our recruiting department then we are stuffed. We resigned a poor match day coach and retained assistants.
Our draw is harder this year and we are not on the high of having returned players.

 

[Howard Moon]

This is a direct result of what happens when you take too much of a players ability to just play away and give all the power to the game plan makers.

They are making foolish poor decisions that you would never take in any normal situation, but they are doing it to rigidly follow the plan.

Time for players to take some control back and let them play football... Not handball blindly inboard to a 4 on 1 because that's our gamestyle.

 

[hotkorma]

Highlights: the abundance of gorgeous women in mediallion club.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Sack Worsfold now. Clearly dosen't have a ******* clue about modern football.

Lol we just signed him up. Great decision!

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

After we refused to change any sort of game half way through the second quarter I switched off and had enough. It was pretty much a training drill and we refused to kill the contest. Buck stops with the coach.

As I've been stating for years, we have an unbalanced side and we cannot keep on playing guys that are slow to cover the ground. When you add Myers, Heppel, Zaka, Goddard, Hooker, Bellchambers, Brown, Green with guys like Begley who struggles over 4 quarters thats a third of the side that can't cover the ground well.

Wasted year last year as it should have been rebuild central yet we played guys like Kelly. Think the only way out of this is another change of coach and rebuild. The club is too stubborn and thinks finishing 8-14 every year is the way to go.

I guess you guys are going to have to put up with me whinging all year as its going to be another shit year as most teams are transitioning to a faster pressure game like Richmond yet we stuck winding the clock back with tall, old, slow.

Sigh.

 

[Simboslice]

Zerrett out? Jesus, yes he's down on form but that would be yet another ludicrous overreaction.

Ok how much longer are you prepared for him to underperform and allow the rest of the team the knowledge that its ok. one week, two weeks or the rest of the year. its this mentality that makes us a weak club.
It is harsh but not an overreaction. We have high standards and should expect that every week from Zach, he underperformed all pre season and has now so far this season underperformed. send him back and make him earn it. I will guarantee that the rest of the playing group change their attitude pretty quick.

 

[sameolds33]

Hooker looked good down back.

Was wasted forward - was not needed as ball never got there

 

[Blind Turn]

After we refused to change any sort of game half way through the second quarter I switched off and had enough. It was pretty much a training drill and we refused to kill the contest. Buck stops with the coach.

As I've been stating for years, we have an unbalanced side and we cannot keep on playing guys that are slow to cover the ground. When you add Myers, Heppel, Zaka, Goddard, Hooker, Bellchambers, Brown, Green with guys like Begley who struggles over 4 quarters thats a third of the side that can't cover the ground well.

Wasted year last year as it should have been rebuild central yet we played guys like Kelly. Think the only way out of this is another change of coach and rebuild. The club is too stubborn and thinks finishing 8-14 every year is the way to go.

I guess you guys are going to have to put up with me whinging all year as its going to be another shit year as most teams are transitioning to a faster pressure game like Richmond yet we stuck winding the clock back with tall, old, slow.

Sigh.

I’m with you this week man. That wasn’t good enough and our slow players are found out badly on the turnover.

The only thing I disagree with is Kelly. We still need the wily bugger. Especially with Gleeson out and Hooker forward.

 

[DapperJong]

Good read seeing all the Myers mentions

 

[Bombermania]

After we refused to change any sort of game half way through the second quarter I switched off and had enough. It was pretty much a training drill and we refused to kill the contest. Buck stops with the coach.

As I've been stating for years, we have an unbalanced side and we cannot keep on playing guys that are slow to cover the ground. When you add Myers, Heppel, Zaka, Goddard, Hooker, Bellchambers, Brown, Green with guys like Begley who struggles over 4 quarters thats a third of the side that can't cover the ground well.

Wasted year last year as it should have been rebuild central yet we played guys like Kelly. Think the only way out of this is another change of coach and rebuild. The club is too stubborn and thinks finishing 8-14 every year is the way to go.

I guess you guys are going to have to put up with me whinging all year as its going to be another shit year as most teams are transitioning to a faster pressure game like Richmond yet we stuck winding the clock back with tall, old, slow.

Sigh.

Kevin, we are not that slow a side when we actually use the ball probably, we just don't even look like we want to control the tempo of the game, its rush rush and more rushing, its a dumb game style or are they just too dumb to read the game and adjust to the contest, no one seems to show leadership out there.

I think you are a bit hard to pick on Begley when he is basically a second year player

 

[JayJ20]

I feel like we live off our highlight wins way too much. As soon as we beat Adelaide, the players thought "well we can just run out the game every week" as if we literally save our energy for a big famous win.

3QT
Adelaide 78
Essendon 58

Fremantle 80
Essendon 58

Bulldogs 82
Essendon 61

 

[sameolds33]

out played, out coached, out thought, out of effort. Just apoor effort all round. I'm all out of positive energy for this team - until next week when I'll believe that we can do it until we can't.

 

[MarkG]

This is a direct result of what happens when you take too much of a players ability to just play away and give all the power to the game plan makers.

They are making foolish poor decisions that you would never take in any normal situation, but they are doing it to rigidly follow the plan.

Time for players to take some control back and let them play football... Not handball blindly inboard to a 4 on 1 because that's our gamestyle.

Starting with stopping the short kicks from the kick in.

 

[CBombers17]

We need to react faster in the box. Why did it take 3 quarters to man up against loose Bulldogs in the backline, same as last week.

If matchups during the game and changes aren't Wooshas thing then we need to fix that as a club. Get someone in the box with him who can press those decisions.

We see this same stuff a mile away - as do the opposition.

I rarely go into a weekend without hope of winning but I had this result pegged since last Wednesday.

 

[Howard Moon]

Starting with stopping the short kicks from the kick in.

Just let them choose the right option, the option that looks good, not the one the game plan demands every time.

 

[srobbo]

What sort of disorganised rabble is worsfold creating here?? For the list we have, we can’t be putting that shit out any week.

That was 3.5 qtrs of unmitigated comedy & it continues to resurface year after year. How in the **** can we be so poor against a side that’s been equally as hopeless & undermanned ffs!?!?

It’s just inexcusable & ive had a gutful of it.

If we’re thereabouts again this year, I’d be hoping worsfolds position is seriously reviewed!!

 

[THOMO_31]

Green didn't seem to call for it and it was a crap handpass. Daniher had to simply open his eyes to realise he was surrounded by Bulldogs.

Not opening their eyes occurred right throughout the entire game. Continually gave the ball away. Almost 50 clangers in our backline.

Have u seen joey kick goals from 10 metres out!! He would of been shitting bricks! Green was definitely looking for the handball!. Doesn't matter anyway we didn't derserve to win that. And better bloody learn from it. The most worrying thing for me is that we do not have a plan B when teams shut our run down.... and 40 clangers from the backhalf is ridiculous

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[PeaTea]

We are going to be 1-4 after Anzac Day.

 

[Wangawuti]

I feel like we live off our highlight wins way too much. As soon as we beat Adelaide, the players thought "well we can just run out the game every week" as if we literally save our energy for a big famous win.

3QT
Adelaide 78
Essendon 58

Fremantle 80
Essendon 58

Bulldogs 82
Essendon 61

I'd like to be controversial and say it's a leadership issue. Lack of pre-match leadership to get the team focused and lack of match leadership when our game gets out of control

 

[Donakebab]

Ok how much longer are you prepared for him to underperform and allow the rest of the team the knowledge that its ok. one week, two weeks or the rest of the year. its this mentality that makes us a weak club.
It is harsh but not an overreaction. We have high standards and should expect that every week from Zach, he underperformed all pre season and has now so far this season underperformed. send him back and make him earn it. I will guarantee that the rest of the playing group change their attitude pretty quick.

Concussed week one, down but far and away our best clearance and contested player week two, one actual bad game week three. He's got more than enough credits in the bank that he doesn't get dumped to the magoos after one shit performance, especially when he's getting zero help through body work from the rest of our midfield.

 

[dnbassador]

Even in the third change it up for abit swap Hooker and Goddard around for 20 Mins. Throw Mc Kenna on the ball we literally do nothing lol

 

[The Airing of Grievances]

Until we have a team culture that says turning up with the required level of intensity is not optional we will continue to have these sort of performances. The problem is we have no leaders who come from a winning environment a la Hawks,Geelong, Sydney. Only positive is that richmond had similar problem for years but broke the mould, thanks mainly to over tattooed, bike dad guy.3 tall forwards can only work if they consistently catch the high ball. Otherwise a huge liability. I know many here think Cale too slow for the back line now but if we are conceding so many contested marks inside defensive 50 as today, I like the idea of moving the Hook back. Both forward and back look more balanced then. Agree Zac might have been better for a rest last week, he looked out of it this week. He's way better than that. Praised the skipper v Crows, has had 2 forgettable ones since.

 

[calyam]

It is harsh but not an overreaction. We have high standards and should expect that every week from Zach, he underperformed all pre season and has now so far this season underperformed. send him back and make him earn it. I will guarantee that the rest of the playing group change their attitude pretty quick.

It's both harsh and an overreaction. Perhaps the biggest overreaction in this thread. Merrett is an All-Australian midfielder with a reputation for busting his arse week-in and week-out. He needs to play better but the midfield certainly isn't helping him deal with the regular tags he now gets as a start of the competition. It's also not uncommon for a player to be a little off in the weeks following a concussion.

 

[Fridge16]

I won’t be shuffling my weekend to get to games from now on. Seriously disappointing from the whole club. Mediocre from the top down.