The effect of injuries is reduced when the replacements play well. Hartley is a bit taller than hurls & can also kick. That form should keep him in the team and allow Hooker to swing.
ZClarke was great last week. We’ll have to see if he can back that up, but on that form he will be competitive each week.
Hepp’s a real concern as it doesn’t look like rest can fix his foot, and he’s running on 90% heart and will power.
Even with the injuries, I think we are about a fit Raz away from having a quality team that can win finals. Resting over the bye didn’t fix Raz. Will be crucial as to how he comes back in 2 weeks.
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We won, they lost. Screw the Crows.
Next…
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That was our first really significant win of the year. The rest had been great, but this was a real test. Feels ■■■■■■■ good.
And with so many significant players out. The talk about depth needs reviewing. When Brown comes into the team, for example, he shows you he wants to be there and knows he should be.
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I can’t remember when we had a win this good.
It was fantastic to get up off the canvas when we were five goals down and flat on our backs, but it wasn’t just because of that.
It was outstanding to win in Adelaide against an Adelaide team coming off two huge wins and really fancying itself to win, but it wasn’t just because of that.
It was sensational to be really challenged in the last quarter, fall behind, then fight on and finish all over them, but it wasn’t just that.
It was because we did all those things IN A GAME THAT REALLY MATTERED!!!
We kind of half fell into the 8 last week with a last-gasp win and other teams losing. If we had lost this one we would have been out on our ear and wondering if we might scramble back in somehow. We had about 3 winnable games last year with similar consequences and we lost them all.
We haven’t had a better or more significant win for many, many years. I’m going to rejoice, but I’m also going to remember that it won’t mean anything unless we go up to Queensland and win next week and then keep winning.
What we showed today was real guts, something we’ve lacked for a very long time. I don’t know what has instilled that spirit into the team, but there were a lot of players today who stood up and were counted when they were needed.
Just sensational.
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Particularly the tap ons and little soccers forward that were evident tonight, not just the late run at finals.
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Also look at the list of outs
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Fantastic win!!!
Imagine if we’d beaten Sydney (Rampeygate) and the Saints in Round 2!!!
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or anzac day. Still salty about that blatant cheating
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This is a really incisive observation - I agree completely too. We seem to have a significant proportion of our younger talent starting to all shift into higher gears at a similar time as the team confidence rises. Can be a powerful force that kind of momentum- this season has indeed taken a fascinating turn.
One of the great wins of recent years.
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We need a VFL-like percentage booster next week against the Suns
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And the confidence those wins would have given is immeasurable. But we’ve got to deal with what we’ve got to deal with. We can still make a shake - or ‘give it a shake’, that’s he expression I think.
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The two most influential players at Essendon I believe are Saad and McKenna. They give us our style of play. Saad played a shut down role on Betts and wasn’t given the chance to run, but when Irish gets the ball and runs, he gives us a 40-50 carry plus a 40-50 disposal, (a 120 metre disposal). Its a huge advantage and not reflective in the stats. Loved the total team effort today and thought Smacks 2nd half effort to compete and give our mids a chance, was great. Jeez, Hartley and Snelling played their part too. Great win. (Too much red, no more posts tonight)
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Gee the old Crouch boys get a lot of ball and do not much
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McKenna is going to another level. Incredible to watch him run around opposition witches hats with contempt- especially late in games- those legs are pistons.
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Tex to Eddie back to Tex and goal Q2 … good but we still smashed them
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same.
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“I wonder if there’s a stat for a player kicking a goal in each quarter with TWO different numbers on the SAME team!”
Give me a ■■■■■■■ break!
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You’re supposed to call it a footbridge.
thats only the 2nd time weve won consecutive games in adelaide (2011/12)
hoping we dont complacent next week, never really play well against bottom sides but i would expect to win the next 3, last 2 games are tough but tonights result has given me a lot more confidence that we can win those
Surely Franga deserves a mention in BEST!
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