I don’t think the nature of our injuries would reflect well on any
coach, let alone Brad.
If you removed Geelongs backline, rucks and played kids instead oh and took out one of Smith or Holmes like we lost Durham.
Then yeah I think they would seriously struggle against every side in the comp.(except us who have lost the same)
But that being said. Without our injuries we are still nowhere near them. Brad admitted that and that would be where to try judge him.
Where’s our system that holds up?
when was the last Essendon team that got smashed in two games over 90 points… with half the season to go?
I like that Brad said even if we had a full side we still be miles off from Geelong he’s correct.
Plus his comments about that he wants to leaves the kids in side for a long time.
To me that is sending a message to the players that your not guaranteed a spot when your available.
Well I mean with the type of list of injuries it’s easy to raise the white flag after every loss.
I think after the bye is a good test.
I’d write off Freo. Maybe they can compete coming off 5 days. But I am skeptical. Scott can’t work miracles.
After the bye we face Gold Coast at home. A game at full strength I think we would still be very 50/50 to actually win.
If we put in a very competitive hit out there I’d be happy that Scott knows what he is doing.
Then I’d expect we could beat Richmond and be at least competitive against other sides.
We may not win again this season. I wouldn’t start us as favourites in any of our fixtures.
Richmond is no gimme either.
I think we will finish with pick 3 or 4 (ours) and pick 6 or 7(Melbournes) in the draft
Geelong and Dogs only two where we could get flogged again. You hope with our full team we remain competitive against the rest.
We’ve already established most, if not all, of our ‘senior’ players a complete potatoes and the kids in the few games they have played this year have shown more heart than most have in the last 5 years. I’d happily play all draftees.
Which included mitch hibberd, sam durdin, braydon preuss, dan nielson and ed vickers-willis. Not exactly star names
I think Draper and Bryan out is more significant for us and they are seasons.
We should get Durham back for Richmond.
Thats the only potential win I’d pencil in.
Seeing how Brad gets the side going otherwise will be interesting
I would look at i50 differential. We don’t concede too many then that’s a good outcome and easy to defend i50
When was the last time a team debuted two players from the mid season draft less than a month from drafting them.
2008
vs Geelong Rd 2 (99 point loss)
vs Sydney Rd 8 (91 point loss)
Matty Knights team made Finals the following year.
In wins and losses yes gone backwards.
But we have found 4 players this year. - Kako, Clarke, Johnson, Hayes and Reid has reestablished himself. Hayes looked good too, just not sure how we fit him in with McKay, Reid and Ridley.
On paper we have less poor kicks in the back half, but we still lack smarts going forward and firepower. Draper showed some, but now injured.
Our midfield has shown up to be work manlike, but not star power. can win contested possessions but struggle to use the ball well. Need more talent here.
Forwardline looks like its generally beaten most weeks lucky to have more than 2 winners in front half - langers underwhelming when not injured. Wright + Guelfi have stepped up, Caddy and Kako struggling a little taking best key defender and small defenders. draper started ok, but I prefer him as the ruck.
Good to see Brad is opened to getting input from a range of experts both inside and outside the club on the big decisions.
Solid question to the Gettable crew from “Brad”.
and what a final that was
NLM as a ruck
Quinns missed goal right on the line
Arguably our best player that night, though.
I just went and watched some highlights from the year 2000:
This is what a team playing with confidence looks like. Relentless running and tackling, intent to score every time we have it. None of this stopping and going backwards, and sideways. Yes, these are highlights, but it’s the kind of thing that Geelong did to us on the weekend.
And it all starts because there is a quality forward (usually Lloyd) leading from the goal square, which gives the whole team confidence to move to ball at breakneck speed towards goal. They know that if they can get it into the forward 50, there will be someone home.
There’s nothing to sap the team of confidence more than getting the ball on the half back flank, looking up and seeing nothing but green grass and/or Tom Stewart. And then having to retreat until the opposition flood our forward line and force us to kick to a stagnant outnumber.
I want a game plan that seeks to score and win, because that is what will encourage our team play with confidence and actually develop.
I reckon Perkins would be a gun under Sheedy; instead Brad has drained him of all confidence.
AFL fixture analysis, hardest to easiest draw 2025 | Herald SunWe are past the halfway point of this home-and-away season, so the power of the 2025 fixture can be fully revealed. And it’s grim reading for some footy fans.
As this season has gone on, Essendon has moved from unlucky to dead stiff.
And through an analysis on travel distance, opponent injury luck and draw difficulty, the Bombers have emerged as a big loser.
Hit by injuries as hard as any side, Essendon has had no luck going the other way.
So far this year, opponents have entered games against the Bombers with an average of 6.1 players out injured, the lowest number in the league.
Basically, that means the Bombers have been playing against sides closer to full strength than any other team.
In tallying up travel time, only Hawthorn will spend more time in the air than Essendon among Victorian sides, as they fly for over 9500km this year.
And a fixture that includes only one double-up meeting with a side among the bottom eight on the ladder means Essendon has the third-hardest fixture this season, as the ladder stands now.
Of course, the Bombers aren’t the only big loser this year.
Brisbane has the hardest draw of all and West Coast travels the furthest.
Among the winners are Geelong, GWS and Collingwood.
With 14 rounds of hindsight, this is who was really screwed by the fixture, and who has had it best.
FOOTY’S BIGGEST LOSERS
OPPOSITION INJURY LADDER
Team – Opponent games missed (Avg. per game)
Essendon – 79 (6.1)
Sydney – 80 (6.2)
Richmond- 82 (6.3)
Collingwood – 86 (6.6)
Gold Coast – 86 (7.2)
Port Adelaide – 86 (6.6)
St Kilda – 87 (6.7)
West Coast – 87 (6.2)
North Melbourne – 88 (6.8)
Western Bulldogs – 88 (6.8)
Fremantle – 92 (7.1)
Melbourne – 95 (6.8)
Carlton – 96 (7.4)
Geelong – 98 (7)
Adelaide – 103 (7.4)
Hawthorn – 105 (7.5)
Brisbane – 110 (7.9)
GWS Giants – 110 (7.9)TRAVEL TIME
Team – KMs flown to games – No. of interstate trips
Richmond – 6666 – 6
Geelong – 6802 – 6
North Melbourne – 7520 – 9
Collingwood – 7649 – 6
Carlton – 8075 – 6
Western Bulldogs – 9043 – 6
Melbourne – 9208 – 7
St Kilda – 8652 – 6
Essendon – 9505 – 6
Port Adelaide – 9483 – 10
Hawthorn – 11,061 – 10
GWS Giants – 10,363 – 14
Sydney – 11,398 – 11
Adelaide – 11,455 – 10
Brisbane Lions – 16,617 – 11
Gold Coast – 17,060 – 12
Fremantle – 19,296 – 10
West Coast – 25,637 – 10
We got rated as 3rd hardest
3
Win: It’s been a tough fixture for the Bombers, one positive came early, when Essendon only travelled twice in the first 11 rounds, which included Gather Round.
Loss: Where to start. Essendon has had the worst opposition injury luck of all teams, with an average of 6.1 players each week on the injury list of the teams they have played. A tough break for a team that has been smashed by injuries themselves.
Quirk: And some more bad news. Of Victorian sides, only Hawthorn will travel more kilometres to games than the Bombers this year, and the Hawks play four ‘home’ games in Launceston, which inflates their number.
Injuries galore
Tough draw
Cant wait till this garbage of a season is over
And yet…still mid table.
What’s the line about the boot stomping on the human face forever?
