Nice to finish the season with a win on a high and good games from most of our kids. Alternatively to being thrashed in a final.
Bring on 2019.
The reality is, we went into the 2018 season lacking strategically, psychologically and physically.
It was evident from our Nab challenge matches, round 1 vs Adelaide, our losses WB & Freo and onwards… that we simply under prepared for this season.
It took 8 weeks to get on top of it.
After that we were playing the football we all expected we were capable of.
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If you had told me pre season that the only interstate loss we’d have would be Freo Id call you a pelican
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You’re old if you could take a peanut butter sandwich to school without worrying about allergies or Vegemite without people whinging about the salt or the same with Nutella and sugar.
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Wasn’t sure where to post this but last night of Footy Classified they were talking about Melbourne celebrating so much about making the finals (particularly Judd’s comment). During the discussion, Judd mentioned to Lloyd that Essendon players didn’t sing their song after a win for a season.
Is this true?! Interesting tactic if so and probably something I’d be keen to see with our boys i.e. don’t celebrate until there is something really to celebrate. Much like Sheedy after the 83 GF loss telling the players they shouldn’t be happy or enjoying themselves after that defeat. Almost steeled the players to wanting that success.
In that sense, it’s almost a positive that we didn’t make finals. Otherwise, the players would probably have given themselves a pat on the back on an okay season…without actually accomplishing anything.
They didn’t sing the song for the latter part of 2000. I think it was Kevin Bartlett’s idea of all people
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Why stop at the players? Let’s present a unified stance and take no gratification out of any of our professional achievements at the same time.
Melbourne v Essendon elimination final at the MCG. Are we a chance?
I think even allowing for JD, the forward line went further back than just his absence. A lot of what you say is, um, revisionist. Eg. Brown didn’t suddenly improve, he was impressive in 2016 when actually played as a forward.
But then, I blame the coaches for Green going backwards and not playing Hooker forward.
No need to be snarky, just thought it was an interesting tactic. All about mindset I suppose.
I’m not sure how to break this to you…
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legit laughed out loud at this
Green going backwards I agree on, but we have more depth in small and medium forwards now I believe, adding Smith and Stringer and even Baguley. With Joe being dysfunctional and then absent, it took a little while to settle on the most effective combination.
With Hooker it was a question of was he more effective as a forward or as a back, overall our defence improved more with Hooker in it, and our percentage post round 8 this year after Joe was sidelined, was 120.4 whereas last year it was 116.4 post round 8 or 106.5 for the whole of last year.
So although our scoring power went down with Joe injured and Hooker back, once we sorted ourselves out, post Joe injury, I would argue the side improved more with Hooker back and Stringer, Walla, Raz, Bags, Brown, Smith and Smack sharing the goals around.
Add a fit JD into the equation, and I believe we have a better forward line than 2017 and no longer the need to have Hooker in it, although that will still be an option if needed.
The important thing I think Hooker going back did, was lessen our reliance on Hartley and Ambrose who made our backline more pedestrian and leaked more goals. Obviously our midfield improving also helped with this too and should help the forward line also in 2019 with a fit Joe in it (we hope).
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Given my point was that you shouldn’t blame injuries for our forward line performing worse, how does Hooker playing back, or Green out of form, or Stewart being dropped work against my argument?
And how am I biased?
Arguing we sacrificed the attack for defence and it worked is fine as an argument. But it’s a completely different argument to saying the forward line didn’t go backwards or did so due to injuries.
PS. I disagree with that premise.
Also, people do realise Smith played as a midfielder, and kicked his goals as one? He didn’t play much as a forward at all.
Yes it was true
You basically excused away the injuries that caused the forwardline to falter. They went out of form after injuries and due to injuries not simply because. I expect you to at least acknowledge that but you went into the comment to downplay the injuries as though they didn’t mean anything or didn’t have an effect on the makeup of the side and of the individual players. That’s a bias.
You need to read up on the definition of bias.
Losing JD hurt. But IMO bad coaching was the major reason for the forward line going backwards.
And there is the bias. You went into that writing with a bias on why something happened and excused away what really happened to justify your bias.
Second toughest draw based on how many top 8 match-ups throughout the year.
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