If the AFL want forwards to be a “thing” and they need them too be I think. Maybe they need to pay those frees to Stringer and Bellchambers. I know they happen all the time and Don’t get paid, but maybe they should. Let’s face it the lack of goals and modern defensive structures has skewed it against forwards enough.
Start with a year DJR
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100%
I think this is where it’s good having Caracalla. He’s been in multiple clubs with far different styles. I think he can adapt things to suit the players we’ve got
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Oh they pay them alright. They pay them against us very often
They paid one against Stringer in our game v Sydney, denying us a goal.And paid something very weak in our forward line yesterday that led directly to FCFC’s first goal. I could tell it was a dodgy free because they did not replay it - always a sure sign.
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I apologise. I’m a very generous man.
the funny thing about rock bottom, sometimes on the way down you think you’ve reached it, but then you keep going.
we now play
collingwood who usually just walk all over us
bulldogs who generally always outwork us
hawks who generally just bully us.
it could get real ugly real quick, esp if certain players retain their spots.
Gameplan has to suit the personnel.
Our strengths are quality and depth in the backline, damaging pace off half back and through the middle, and on paper our forward line (on the rare occasions that daniher, stringer, Smith, Tippa and Fantasia are all up and running).
Our weaknesses are in the ruck, size around the ball, foot skills through the midfield, winning mentality and on-field leadership.
Before the 6-6-6 rule came in the slingshot style worked quite well for us, but we ran into trouble whenever the opposition clogged up the corridor. I’m yet to see signs that this new movement style is going to pay dividends… feels like there are a lot of clubs who are designed to do it better.
It’s a big worry that the three teams we’ve played are all struggling (11th, 12th and 17th) and we haven’t got a hold of any of them, feels like we are playing like an 9th-12th team again at the moment.
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or they could be suffering a premiership hangover in weird and unprecedented year.
they will come good at some point i reckon, they’ve seemingly come back still in holiday mode thinking they just have to turn up (sound familiar ) and it’ll just go their way.
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This…particularly TBC
This has been going for 15 years
Last night I thought I was watching a replay, the familar zoning off and guarding space while the opposition just lead behind them and kicked through it uncontested our players always trailing their men on the lead.
You saw it in the first five minutes they kicked it with ease up the field. Why do we still have this zone from 15 years ago where we just let teams bring the ball down the field with no opposition. Makes no sense.
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The thing is you can just about guarantee a quality effort next week. Typical of this club for the last decade and a half. We barely show up for games we should win but have a fair dinkum red hot crack in the games we’re supposed to be outclassed in yet either score a memorable win or a gutsy loss that just compounds the pisss weak effort of the week prior against an ordinary opposition.
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Yep
if we do beat the Pies i won’t celebrating the win i’ll just be even more ■■■■■■ off at why this effort wasn’t there against Carlton
Oh I’ll be celebrating the win if we beat the Pies - no doubt about that.
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Don’t get me wrong I’ll be wrapt but there will always be that bitter taste of the Carlton loss.
edit - if you want some sort of enjoyment just head over to Bigfooty and tell Carlton fans that Essendon almost won even tho we played like ■■■■■ it’s gets them really riled up 
yeah, i dont think it’s something you’ll need to worry about.
there is zero chance we beat the pies this week.
literally none.
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Can already picture the game unfolding in my head
- Kick long and high all day to Moore chopping off every ball that comes in.
- Seagull to run free all game and kick 4 arsey goals.
- Grundy to smash our mid field and ruck.
The list goes on
i almost want to see us roll up with the exact same personnel and tactics as the game against the blues, just to see what happens.
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Could suffer our biggest loss to Collingwood they’ll be fired up too after losing to the Giants by 2 points
What really gets my goat is that we were an attractive side to watch at the back end of 2017 & 2018 when it started to click with SSS and the relentless ball pressure led by Devon Smith. Since then the coaches have pulled apart the game plan to make us more defensivley minded, but what they really have done is actually negate our greatest weapon which was our attacking flair. Now we just have to settle for watching the ■■■■ that was dished up on Saturday.
How much longer do we have to deal with excuses that the players are still learning and adapting to the game plan?? That is utterly pathetic to be leaning on that from Worsfold and has been consistently his go to excuse for 2-3 years now. If the game plan is too complex and difficult for the players to comprehend, where is the messaging falling down? How is that our game plan still consisst of players bombing it onto Walla’s head in the forward 50 instead of lowering eyes and hitting up a shorter 20 metre target? How is it that defenders are still flying in contests and leaving their opponents at ground level for an easy spillage take away.
I don’t even need to touch on the selection integrity that everyone has discussed which also remains a joke. We are overloaded with tall defensive options and basically just have one tall inconsistent forward, yet Hooker who has kicked goals for us doesn’t get played forward? If this is the plan with Rutten at the wheel, we should look for a refund fast. The mediocrity levels of this club are so extreme.
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