The only reason why I think we will win is that the Giants crumble against sides who pressure and tackle them well. We did this last year against them and that’s why we won. Although we didn’t do this in the JLT i’m sure we will do this for round 1.
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I totally agree that Kelly is a superstar. I just think Zach is a little underated. I think by the end of this season there’ll be no doubt that he’s in the same class.
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Zach was knocked around a bit by the hits he took last year, and the problems with tagging that he had over the last 2 years. I think this year he might not be tagged so often and will regain his best, which is close to elite/AGrade whatever you want to call it.
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It would be something he/coaches had to work out how to deal with. Plus his teammates also need to help him out. It’s an issue for both his game and effectiveness in matches, but also his long term health.
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I think the addition of Shiel benefits him the most out of anybody. Suddenly he’s not the clear cut player to tag.
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What I want to see round 1
EFC Fans turn the GWS game into a home crowd for us, make more noise!!
- Our centre clearance setup work a lot better.
- midfielders put pressure on opposition when lose clearance
- MCKERNAN, kicking goals
- Shiel and McGRath and Stringer sprinting from the centre clearance towards goal, or lace out to a forward
- Defence in synch, players helping out, leadership from Hurley and Francis back there and speed from Mckenna and saad, not letting opposition get easy goals
- coach make some moves, If Kelly is killing us send someone to him, etc send Hurley forward if we need a late goal. or Send Brown back if we need an extra back there.
- Need a player to set a statement early that we are on. Myers, Tippa or Stringer to lay a heavy bump/tackle and show we are up and about.
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Maybe. I think we have seen the best of both players.
Perhaps either could win a Charlie with consistency.
Kelly is on par with the best midfielders I have seen play the game. (top of head that would Inc. Voss, Judd, Williams, Dangerfield, Ablett). He just plays in the football wasteland that is western Sydney.
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Josh Kelly is a better player than Zac merrett in my opinion, it’s not even a discussion. And zac merrett is a fkg good player.
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OK I get we’ve been just about the definition of mediocre in JLT, but what similarity is there with the Knights era?
Under Knighter we were super duper exciting to watch, often terrible, and sometimes good.
Under Worsfold we’re almost the opposite, he’s aiming for (boring) consistency. Sometimes we’re just a bit better than average, sometimes just a bit below it.
I don’t see any parallels at all. Other than we’re not that good, but so are 12 teams every year.
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At the end of the match I hope we can say there’s a lot to like about Essendon.
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The game kicks off with the temp around 28 but starts to drop at that time. Only bring it up because Freo away last year, Essendon looked good but seemed to labour in the heat from late in the second. So, for this away game heat shouldn’t be a factor?
Essendon’s interstate record was amazing last year. Probably played their best footy on those occasions. Can they do it again or was 2018 an anomaly? I think Essendon will “surprise” and win the game (based on last years form)
All I hope for the game and season ahead, is that Essendon don’t regress under the new game plan and make positive gains on last years form.
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If we win. It wont be a surprise.
GWS will be ready. They have had 6 months building up to this first game.
They know we beat them there last year.
they will want to beat Shiel and Smith, GWS Players should be motivated.
They need a good start to the year, as we are both vying for a poition in the 8, and its a home game for them.
If we win, - Media could say - Essendon played well could be a force.
Or - Kelly missing preseason cost them and GWS missing players (Mummy, Patton etc), then something like Leon Cameron is crashing the Ferrari, maybe GWS need a better coach.
I think the scoring from run from the backline and a serious lack of midfield pressure show a lot of similarities.
We can revert back to some basic old stuff and maybe we could win the same number of games this year if we just stick with what we were doing and still being the 12th-best defensive team and an exciting team and finish eighth again.
It’s the “serious lack of midfield pressure” that I don’t really agree with.
Not in 2018.
3rd fewest kicks against
4th fewest disposals against
4th fewest clearances against
6th fewest inside 50s against
4th lowest metres gained against
7th fewest uncontested possessions against
8th for tackles (can’t break up mid/fwd/back)
8th for most points against.
Does that actually say we’re terrible at midfield pressure?
Or just that we’re around mid pack?
2017, sure, absolutely.
It was dire.
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Absolutely. That and they have a guy of the talent of Toby Greene sitting as a small forward…could easily play as one of the comps best midfielders.
Ridiculous.
Should be an entertaining game. Hopefully we catch them on the hop. Them down Ward and Mumford in the middle helps a lot.
Man I’m excited. It’s been a good few months since Essendon has ruined a weekend, bring it on.
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We’re round 1 specialists, saints and Melbourne will roll us and then Brisbane will also do us. After that who knows
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We’re better than we were.
And at times we’ve been very good with midfield pressure and at times, even in our good period last year, we’ve been very bad.
Wait, where did you get eighth for most points against from?
Edit: Ohhhhh, eighth for most points against. Got it.
Weird way to put it.
So…eleventh best.
I wanna see us win in a different way we normally win, goals from forward half stoppages, clean center clearances, all ground pressure, strong tackling techniques, a strong one on one game.
