Depending on who you ask, forecast switched up big today (e.g. +3cm on Sunday).
The selection of Lual in the side against Carlton is hard to fathom.
Are Haynes and Silvagni really that tall?
How many mids do we want to playā¦?? Parish, Tsatas, Setters all named on the bench + Merrett, Durham, Caldwell & Hobbs named on the ground - thats 7ā¦??
Surely 1 or 2 miss and we play McMahon as an option in defenceā¦ Hope they line up something like;-
Prior Lav McGrath
Roberts Redman Johnson
Clarke Caldwell Duursma
Martin Caddy Kako
Perkins 2MP Hobbs
Goldy Durham Merrett
Bench: Setters Parish Gresham McMahon
SUB: Guelfi
Emergency: Tsatas ADW Laul
I know the lineup has Hobbsy and Tsatas in the 23 ā¦
But I wish with all these young 'uns vying for a spot stay, so Scott keeps us on a roll.
Elijah is stumped and tbh behind a few of our mids, and we know that. Hobbsy, as much as I love his go is an ordinary shot for goal. So lets hope Perkins takes his last saloon chance as the medium forward (no midfield minutes).
DP3 I really want back in, mainly because he adds another experienced layer to our midfield and has probably played within himself in the VFL to avoid injury. McMahon (or May) as the MSD wildcard along with Lual who might catch fire out on a flank or wing as a sub. So Iād go ā¦
Prior Lav McGrath
Zac J Redman Roberts
Duursma Merrett Clarke
Martin Caddy Guelfi
Kako 2MP Perkins
Goldy Durham Caldwell
IC: Setterfield Parish Gresham McMahon
SUB: Lual
E: Tsatas ADW Hobbs
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My guess is Durham plays plenty of time forward, Merrett continues to play at half back. parish will likely either be on reduced minutes or play a combination of fwd/mid.
Iām really hoping tsatas gets selected but think Brad will make him play vfl
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This would be my selection, too many mids but give Tsatas gametime, ease Darcy into it.
Prior Lav McGrath
Zac J Redman Roberts
Duursma Merrett Clarke
Martin Caddy McMahon
Kako 2MP Perkins
Goldy Durham Caldwell
IC: Setterfield Guelfi Gresham Tsatas
SUB: Parish
E: Lual ADW Hobbs
Truth is Tsatas is a goner, Hobbs survives again.
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Thatās probably one of the weakest back lines in the history of Essington.
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100% agree with this team. Spot on
True ā¦
But imagine a preferred and healthy ā¦
McG Mckay Ridley
Redman Reid Roberts
And it looks a fair bit better suddenly.
Hope springs eternal I suppose.
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McGrath McKay McMahon
Redman Ridley Reid Roberts (somehow)
And watch the alliteration fans go bananas!!
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Yes, 194 and 192 and they are not providing run and drive. Their role in the team is to lock down and/or for intercept marking.
Back in the old days we had a few Hās
b: Hooker
Hb: Hibberd Hurley Heppell
c: Hardingham Hocking Howlett
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On the basis itās a broadly dry match, I think if Essendon play that lower risk, kick / mark game this will play into Carltonās strengths and the Blues should win comfortably.
If Essendon plays the way it did after quarter time last week, taking game on with run and dare, Essendon can stretch Carlton for speed and possibly cause an upset.
Maybe Brisbane in taking the foot off the pedal after quarter time allowed us time and space to play this style and the Blues wont allow this free flowing style by being pressure and heat and exposing our turnovers and errrirs under pressure.
If itās wet, an argument for both teams can be raised.
I suspect the naming of Lual is probably to give him the experience of being the carryover emergency for a week before he is delisted at the end of the year, and not any genuine indication of where he sits in the pecking order.
Having said that, Iād love us to spring a massive surprise and give him a crack - not sure what weāve got to lose.
Iām genuinely excited about this game. We have nothing to fear, nothing to lose. Go out and give it a crack. Weāre missing 9443 players and weāre in a year where weāre not expected to challenge. Go out, take the game on, play without any fear and who knows what might happen.
Those navy blue farkwits on the other handā¦ they are expected to win, and win well. But, I guarantee you thereās a large percentage of their supporter base feeling nervousness and dread at the thought of this game, and the possibility of losing to an Essendon team missing 9443 players.
The melts if they lose this game will be all time. Maybe not a truck load of chickenshit dumped at Punt road levelā¦ but they could go real close.
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We are missing our first choice Ruck - Draper
Our 3 first choice Key defenders - Reid, Ridley, McKay
one of our best forwards - Langford
so whoās playing in their place
Goldy, Laverde, Prior, Day-Wicks, Setterfield/Tsatas
That would make best 22 something like
b: McGrath McKay Ridley
hb: Johnson Reid Roberts
c: Clarke Merrett Duursma
hf: Martin Caddy Perkins
f: Kako Wright Gresham
r: Draper Caldwell Durham
int: Parish, Guelfi, Redman, Langford
sub: Hobbs
Emg: Bryan, Setterfield, Jones
We finally have our fist choice midfield out there this week. Hopefully we donāt get smashed around the ball.
2026 - Uprade Perkins to Harley Reid and Gresham to El-Achkar
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I still canāt beleive Fantasia is playing.
Hahahaha, they are playing one down
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I am surprised Lual is in the squad. Is it some kind of virtue signal, encouragement or what.
Lual is not consistent and gets mixed reviews as far as I can see, he is not even mentioned in the recent mid season player recap, which features the outstanding performance of Visintini .
Neither has Lual been listed in the Bests for the last 2 VFL matches. Puzzled.
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The VFL play before the AFL team on Sunday, we need a held over emergency who most likely wonāt play any gametime at either levelā¦Lual is it.
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