Pretty b1oody good, isn’t he? Go Walla, Tippa, Macca.
I thought the hit on Hurley was absolutely fine.
The result is unlucky for Hurley (and the club), but it was a fair hit and he absolutely smashed him. It’s essentially what Francis did to Blakey last weekend, which everyone on here was applauding.
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Yes I think it was a very good bump. Nothing in it. I wish a few of our blokes could learn how to do it as well.
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Yep. It was late hits on Shiel, Saad and Merrett that really ■■■■■■ me off.
Not forgetting Tippa he copped it all day. We need to get someone in to teach our blokes who to tackle. I bet Billy Slater is doing it at St. Kilda.
I thought it was because it was the cheapest cut of beef available and all those peasants can afford
Five things we learned: Round 17
In 2019 we will be looking back on five key lessons to take away from every Bombers match, thanks to RMIT.
This time we look into the Bombers’ amazing five-point victory over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
1. Dylan Clarke is the form tagger of the comp
Emerging midfielder Dylan Clarke has played just seven games, including six on the trot this year. Within those six games, he has quickly become the leading shut-down player in the competition.
Greater Western Sydney onballer Matt de Boer was arguably the leader in that regard throughout the first half of the year, but now he is on the sidelines and Clarke has taken his place at the top.
The young Bomber smashed North Melbourne star Ben Cunnington on the weekend, keeping him to season lows for disposals (15), clearances (two) and marks (zero).
And when the game was there to be won, he kept Cunnington to just one disposal in the final term, seeing the Roo join Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, Hawthorn’s Jaeger O’Meara and Sydney’s Luke Parker among the massive scalps Clarke has claimed this year.
Clarke doesn’t resort to niggling or hanging off his opponents, he simply just pays enough attention to stop them when necessary while allowing himself to find the ball himself – he had 13 disposals and 12 tackles (double the next best on the ground).
2. Zac Clarke has still got it
A lack of continuity has been a challenge for ruckman Zac Clarke this year. Coming off two years off the AFL field and one out of the league, his requirement as a held-over emergency had meant a number of weekends without playing a game in his first year at The Hangar.
It all started with some positive late signs against Sydney in round 16. Clarke claimed seven hitouts (three to advantage), a clearance and a towering contested mark in the final term after what had been a tough day at the office.
That strong finish was an important time for the former Docker and he kicked off Saturday’s game like a man possessed, moving well across the ground and cracking into every contest, ruck or not, with plenty of aggression.
It was never going to be an easy task against gun opponent Todd Goldstein, but Clarke did more than just compete well, he beat Goldstein fair and square with 12 disposals, 35 hitouts, seven contested possessions, six marks and an equal career-high six clearances.
3. Persistence is the key for dazzling defenders
Star defender Adam Saad was well held by the Roos early in the game. In fact, his very first disposal came with just 12 minutes left in the first half.
But rather than getting down in the dumps, Saad responded in the best way possible, dominating the rest of the game to finish up with 22 disposals, nine contested possessions, eight inside 50s and five rebound 50s.
Repel, run, repeat.
Saady in those dying minutes
@essendonfc
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Saad’s blossoming partnership with fellow half-back speedster Conor McKenna is one arguably the most exciting part of Essendon’s game and there is nothing better to watch than when they work in tandem causing absolute panic among the opposition.
McKenna also didn’t waver after the disappointment of missing a chance to kick what would have been the goal of the year in a stunning four-bounce, one-two attack through the middle.
He put the jets on once again with less than a minute to go in the game under plenty of pressure, backing his speed and endurance to play a crucial part Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti’s stunning game-winning goal.
Handpass masterclass
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4. The Marty Party is back in business
656 days had passed since Marty Gleeson’s latest AFL game when he made his long-awaited return to the AFL field in round 15.
You could excuse some rustiness from the defender, but he was simply sensational against the Roos in just his third game back.
The Gleeson all fans grew to love was back in all of his glory on Saturday, showing exactly why he had become one of the first names ticked off at team selection before suffering his brutal ankle injury in last year’s JLT community series.
The courageous 24-year-old gathered 21 disposals, seven contested possessions, eight one percenters and eight intercept possessions in a tough and classy performance.
His versatility is awfully important for the side as he is capable of lining up on almost any type of forward, mixing athleticism and an innate ability to read the play beautifully.
Gleeson takes an important mark against the Roos on Saturday. (Image: AFL Photos)
5. We shouldn’t let that snap take away from the pass
McDonald-Tipungwuti’s incredible goal at the death on Saturday is sure to be replayed for many years to come, and so it should.
To snap the ball on his right foot through the narrow window available under such immense pressure was unbelievable, but he wouldn’t have had the chance to be the hero if it weren’t for young forward Jayden Laverde.
And to end the night…
That heart-stopping, game-winning, TV-breaking sealer
Goodnight #MightyBombers faithful
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Laverde competed brilliantly all day and his effort to get the Sherrin out to McDonald-Tipungwuti with just over 20 seconds left on the clock was terrific.
Gathering the ball deep in the pocket, Laverde showed incredible composure to weave through traffic, sell some candy and fire off a tidy handball to the fan favourite who did the rest.
There were also plenty of other commendable efforts that helped lead to the amazing goal, including Shaun McKernan’s smart hitout to Andrew McGrath, McKenna’s gut-busting dash and Orazio Fantasia’s deep kick under pressure. It was a monumental team effort.
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One thing that really impressed me was, the fact that when our quicker players got the ball in traffic… Tippa, McKenna, Saad, Merrett, Shiel. Instead of throwing the ball on the boot or dishing off a hospital hand pass. They ended up burning their opponents with pace.
If you watch the last 2 minutes. McKenna was under significant pressure. Instead he ran around the opponents, and had an effective kick inside 50. This was happening the whole match.
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Ambrose is ■■■■■■ awesome at it.
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Incredibly astute observation.
Love the way he goes about it.
Let’s not gild the lily, though, he’s negative. Nothing wrong with that, and there’s no…benefit in pretending he’s not.
[rant] ■■■ the lack of respect taggers get ■■■■■ me to tears. As does the airy-fairy castle in the sky tactical opposition to them.
From Heard (and there are morons out there who Still believe (for some unknown ■■■■■■■ reason) that he picked up about eight possessions a game) to Pev to…anyone.
There is no player that is more about team than a tagger. There is no player with less excuses.
They have one job, pass or fail.
And tactically, Of Course you negate their match-winner.
If a back pocket or even a CHB does that he’s a hero (although…alright, Paddy and others take time to notice…shut up, anyway).
And if you negate their match-winner with Not one of your guns…hello!
How much better do your own mids suddenly look?
But you don’t have to be a dirty, pinching, jerk to be a tagger. You just need 100% focus and commitment.
I friggin’ loved the way Clarke gave Cunnington a yard. Didn’t get involved with any crap that would take his mind off the job.
And Of Course Clarke is going to sometimes, really quite often, actually, find his man completely out of position when we have the ball. And then and only then can he be positive.
Yes, we need a tagger. Every damn club needs a tagger because no damn club has four (or these days six, or eight) superstars in their midfield.
I love Clarke.
Get him up here, I wanna boof him.
I love what he’s doing.
I love that he’s being given the opportunity to do it.
And I kinda like Essendon more because of him.
[/rant]
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Where you a tagger
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Agree with your rant. A really effective one is worth so much to the side.
The bit that says: “allowing himself to find the ball himself…” I’d presume is what Worsfold pushes back against when the press ask about him being a tagger. It’s not just a negating role, he also has other stuff to do, like get his own ball or occupy space etc to help his other onballers. Which they should all be doing, i.e. looking for their opponent as well as getting for the ball. But as a tagger you would have a greater emphasis on the former.
But yes, I love seeing this as a thing in our side. And love how Clarke is going about it. & games in and he has nailed it. He’ll have to cope with the attention that’ll come with him doing it well.
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I played every position on the field except Ruck.
But it’s fair to say I excelled as an inside mid.
But the game I’m most proud of, the game I can honestly say I won for my team, was as a tagger.
Sadly, it didn’t go down well.
This was mid-eighties as an U/16.
The coach, a real hard ■■■■■■■, took me aside at quarter time and told me in no uncertain terms the job he was giving me.
The prick benched me at three quarter time, when the job was done, and never put me back on.
My Dad wouldn’t speak to me in the car on the way home.
There was this whole thing of ‘people come to see mids play and they should be allowed to play. They shouldn’t be defended.’
My view was and is, well…■■■■ that.
Well done for spotting the sore spot, though.
Nice pick up.
Oh. No-one really rated inside mids back then, either.
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Does that mean you didn’t get the front seat for not being a “good guy at sports”?
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If I wasn’t clear, I mean he completely ignored me.
Took him a good six hours to calm down and tell me why.
Edit: Not to make this a wim soap-opera, but I’m not upset with the old man. I understand his view.
I do carry a lot of resentment for the coach.
Again, he took me out of the group, put both hands on my shoulders and said…well, I say said…’You’re going on Stewart and that ■■■■ doesn’t get a touch, do you hear me? Not one ■■■■■■■ touch.’
I failed, I guess.
After kicking two goals himself as a midfielder and setting up four more in the first quarter, he got one handball, ineffective, for the next two.
I thought I was going to get a nice rest in the forward pocket in the last. Maybe kick a sneaky goal or two.
He benched me.
I did exactly what he told me to do, and then acted like he was ashamed of me.
Oh, at half time the other team came out calling me some most unsavoury things.
That didn’t bother me.
The coach though, again, real hard ■■■■■■■.
The way he behaved afterwards made me think, ‘you weak ■■■■.’
Anyway.
How about those Bombers!
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They must have been ■■■■■■■ loud.
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I thought that was just the North supporter.
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And tell me, how did that make you feel?
(Just warning you, I’ve got you on the clock and I charge $300 an hour).
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Nice share Wimm… cheers.
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