when we play against the **** teams our ball movement is too slow, the opposition sit back in defence and we struggle to put any sort of scoreboard pressure on. They stay in the game for longer periods and their self belief grows. The last quarter comes around and we are trying to save the game whilst the **** team has nothing to lose playing with a lot more confidence.
Against the good teams like Hawthorn because they are such an attacking team they like to throw numbers forward, because our defence has held up so well we have been able to counter attack and score. As their numbers have all been pushed forward weāve found it easier to get the ball up the other end with a greater intensity. Noticed a lot of goals against hawthorn came from our backline.
We struggle to score from stoppages, and from slow ball movement. I would say most of our goals this season have been from opposition turnovers.
when we play against the **** teams our ball movement is too slow, the opposition sit back in defence and we struggle to put any sort of scoreboard pressure on. They stay in the game for longer periods and their self belief grows. The last quarter comes around and we are trying to save the game whilst the **** team has nothing to lose playing with a lot more confidence.
Against the good teams like Hawthorn because they are such an attacking team they like to throw numbers forward, because our defence has held up so well we have been able to counter attack and score. As their numbers have all been pushed forward weāve found it easier to get the ball up the other end with a greater intensity. Noticed a lot of goals against hawthorn came from our backline.
We struggle to score from stoppages, and from slow ball movement. I would say most of our goals this season have been from opposition turnovers.
29 games against bottom 6 teams since 2011. WON 22 average WINNING margin 44 points
22 out of 29 isnāt great. You canāt be a top side and drop a quarter of the games you play against the bottom clubs. Weāll never crack top 4 if that continues.
I suppose it makes sense that we werenāt a top side over that period of time then.
when we play against the **** teams our ball movement is too slow, the opposition sit back in defence and we struggle to put any sort of scoreboard pressure on. They stay in the game for longer periods and their self belief grows. The last quarter comes around and we are trying to save the game whilst the **** team has nothing to lose playing with a lot more confidence.
Against the good teams like Hawthorn because they are such an attacking team they like to throw numbers forward, because our defence has held up so well we have been able to counter attack and score. As their numbers have all been pushed forward weāve found it easier to get the ball up the other end with a greater intensity. Noticed a lot of goals against hawthorn came from our backline.
We struggle to score from stoppages, and from slow ball movement. I would say most of our goals this season have been from opposition turnovers.
29 games against bottom 6 teams since 2011. WON 22 average WINNING margin 44 points
I am more talking 2014-2015 where our game plan has changed to a more defensive style.
Prior to 2014 we were more of a run and gun type game plan where we could score heavily, but also got scored against heavily.
last year we lost to Melbourne/St Kilda, drew to Carlton and only just got over the line against GWS, Gold Coast and the bulldogs twice.
I'm very much a member of the "we play ā ā ā ā against ā ā ā ā teams" brigade,
Or
Are we a crap team and only play well against good teams? Thatās why we have a 75% win ratio against teams in the bottom 6? SO we arenāt a bottom 6 team but not a top 6 team either.
when we play against the **** teams our ball movement is too slow, the opposition sit back in defence and we struggle to put any sort of scoreboard pressure on. They stay in the game for longer periods and their self belief grows. The last quarter comes around and we are trying to save the game whilst the **** team has nothing to lose playing with a lot more confidence.
Against the good teams like Hawthorn because they are such an attacking team they like to throw numbers forward, because our defence has held up so well we have been able to counter attack and score. As their numbers have all been pushed forward weāve found it easier to get the ball up the other end with a greater intensity. Noticed a lot of goals against hawthorn came from our backline.
We struggle to score from stoppages, and from slow ball movement. I would say most of our goals this season have been from opposition turnovers.
29 games against bottom 6 teams since 2011. WON 22 average WINNING margin 44 points
I am more talking 2014-2015 where our game plan has changed to a more defensive style.
Prior to 2014 we were more of a run and gun type game plan where we could score heavily, but also got scored against heavily.
last year we lost to Melbourne/St Kilda, drew to Carlton and only just got over the line against GWS, Gold Coast and the bulldogs twice.
as per the op 2014 is our worst year of the last few and we still won 4 of 7 and one of them by 81 points.
2015 weāve only lost to top 8 sides.
that doesnāt suggest a pattern against bottom 6 teams and there might be some extenuating circumstances last year.
For comparison (not that we should be expecting the same, just to show what the best team does), Hawthorn are 28 wins from 29, with an average winning margin of 61 points, and 2 wins under 3 goals.
thanks for taking the time to do that FS and SR. Have to say our record is about what i would have expected.
so yeah our record against poor teams would suggest we are a middle of the rd team. Our record against poor teams may not be ābadā but it is clearly not good enough if we are serious about being a top 4 team threatening for a premiership in the next couple of years. Hence the despair following another insipid performance on the weekend.
a 75% winning percentage against bottom 6 sides isnāt really a sign things arenāt bad imho.
Yes occasionally there will be a big upsetā¦ but out of 29 odd games you would expect 28 wins or at least 26-27.
As others have said it is a mentality problem for the opposition, St Kilda believe they have a chance against us so they put it all on the lineā¦ they go to a Hawks game knowing they are going to get smashed and play accordingly.
We are definitely crap at cashing in on the bottom sides. Take GWS for example, have had to work for every win against them. 9 teams have beaten them by over 100 points. 3 more had wins of 90+, and even the gold coast smashed them bY 83. We've always looked ordinary against them, every game whereas everyone else makes it look like a breeze.
I sensed this aswell. I think GWS players tried to get up for the games against us, seen us as a potential rival. I think it had a lot to do with the Sheedy factor.
when we play against the **** teams our ball movement is too slow, the opposition sit back in defence and we struggle to put any sort of scoreboard pressure on. They stay in the game for longer periods and their self belief grows. The last quarter comes around and we are trying to save the game whilst the **** team has nothing to lose playing with a lot more confidence.
Against the good teams like Hawthorn because they are such an attacking team they like to throw numbers forward, because our defence has held up so well we have been able to counter attack and score. As their numbers have all been pushed forward weāve found it easier to get the ball up the other end with a greater intensity. Noticed a lot of goals against hawthorn came from our backline.
We struggle to score from stoppages, and from slow ball movement. I would say most of our goals this season have been from opposition turnovers.
We donāt create scoreboard pressure, we win the Inside 50s count convincingly yet fail to put it on the board. 3 quarter time the score is close and weāre tiring and yet again itās dig deep time to get there. Remember when we won the inside 50s count against Brisbane 61 to 39 and lost the game?
Essendon lacks goal kicking conversion and outside run, simple as that. Other teams know the weakness and drop players back to find turnovers from EFC players, they drop back and spread to the wings or corridor too easily on the reboundā¦they know that Essendon have a very poor functioning forward line currently and they set up their teams accordingly.
For whatever reason Essendon never learn and continue playing stupid football.
EFC weaknessesā¦
Fumbling and indecisive moving the ball forward
Players struggle to find space to take possession for a grab or a handballā¦
Donāt shepherd or protect the ball leading to turnovers
A complete lacking of teamwork.
Lack kicking accuracy and smooth ball movement
That lack of confidence during the game is pounced onā¦
Luckily the defensive end is great, because its the only thing keeping Essendon in games.
After 3 years of an awful experience, you can somewhat forgive them that perhaps the culture isnāt buzzing with happiness, but its something the team has struggled with for over a decade.