GEEZ THE SWANS LOOK GOOD DONT THEY DENNIS?
IIrc Dennis has retired. Not sure who the relief commentator will be .
Quoted PostQuoted PostQuoted PostOnly a slight digression, to revive this thread. Heres a question for those going to Sydney, or contemplating it. Tippett will probably be injured and has not , so far realised his full potential, but is usually dangerous, so the best choice on him might be Hooker, but how are we going to neutralise Buddy. Who is a big enough brute to out muscle him, fast enough to catch him, tall enough to spoil him. There is only one player at Essendon who is a physical match for Buddy. Tayte Pears is now a monster. But he hasnt been near a football for years. So, who is next in line. Probably Buckets, he now has a lot of upper body strength, but has not done a full preseason he probably would not be fast enough. Hurls is not tall enough, now we are running out of talls to put on Buddy. Any ideas?He's about 3 inches shorter, got mauled by him the few times it was tried. Bizarre.Buddy gets Hooker, Tipp gets Hurley.
I’m not sure Pears has ever really directly played on him, but I do seem to remember him being brushed aside rather easy a few times he he went near him.
Hooker used to do ok on Buddy (by Essendon standards anyway) back in Hooker’s early awkward days, I don’t reckon he’s had a crack on him with the new fancy form.
It’s a tough matchup for us because Hurley can sometimes struggle on the really tall guys. But I"m not sure Tippett is really that much of a concern. It’s probably one of those situations where you would switch Hurls and Jake to get the matchups really right.
I am pretty sure Pears had him for 2 goals in about 5 minutes straight after we took McPhee off him after copping about 4, long time ago. What I took from that is the shorter, but just as bulky, and less agile type of matchup doesn’t seem to work on him.
Buddy’s getting more traditional as he gets older. Doing a bit less running, bit less crumbing, a bit more lead-and-mark. Arms are still ■■■■■■ long, a Pears sized player’s spoil is getting halfway up his biceps.Hooker every day of the week for mine.
If Pears is to resurrect a career, it ain’t on 197cm #1 forwards.
Moot point Henry, I dont think Pears will line up on Buddy in round 1, however, trying to think of alternatives you come back to Hooker or Buckets , and Buddy could still kick 5 . Maybe this will need to be one of the games when we need both Hooker and Buckets in the backline, pick TBell and Joey as the key forwards, with Giles rucking all game.
I’d take Buddy only kicking 5 every day of the week. If we can do that, I reckon we are well on the way to a big fat W.
Can we try to exploit these midgets by playing a more aerial kicking game? Hooker to zone off and double team Buddy or Reid in the air and Pig or Bags to double team buddy at ground level. Either way he gets double teamed.BAGS BUCKETS PIG
McGlynn Buddy S. ReidGWILT HOOKSY HURLS
Rohan Tippett GoodesDEMPSEY MYERS COONEY
Jetta K.Jack L.ParkerGODDARD JOEY CHAPPY
McVeigh Rampe H. ShawCOLYER BELCHO FLETCHER
N.Smith Grundy T.RichardsR: GILES WATSON HEPPELL
Pyke Kennedy HanneburyI: STANTS, BOBCAT, ZERRETT, LAVERDE(s)
Fletch to play a cameo; clunk a few and calmly slot in them from 45m out on all angles to finish with 4 for the day.
Goals: Fletch 4, Joey 4, Bellcho 3, Goddard 2, Chappy 2, Colyer 1, Cooney 1, Jobe 1.
Essendon 18. 5. 113
Sydney 10. 8. 68 to gagf.
I reckon you have the best solution here Danny D. We have Giles on the list. Put him in the ruck and give him a game with T Bell as a key forward. Buckets and Hooker up the back. Not so rapt in your theory about Fletch. He has never really been successful when sent forward. Coaches have been trying that one for the last 23 years and they always return him up back.
Quoted PostHaving met Bomber Patriarch I can only agree with you - he's the exception that proves the rule. Plus he does have one of the greatest footy surnames ever so that counts for something!How do people have relationships with the significant other barracking for fark cahrltyn? They must be a fantastic person for that to be overlooked! :pHa Ha, does lead to some heated discussions, but saying that my FC other half has been really supportive during this last couple of years, he doesn’t think anything illegal happened. He’s even going above and beyond the call of duty and coming with me to the NAB cup game in Morwell, or as he calls it - " The James Hird Appreciation Game). When we do get to Melb for footy, we do compromise, he come with me to watch the Bombers and I have to sit through a Carlton game, but hey that’s what makes it interesting, although he does end up stirring up people sitting next to him (in a nice way)
I’m going to Sydney with Humberta Humberta and Humbertiño Humbertiño. Leaving Saturday morning, taking the little feller to see the Fark Sydney Harbour bridge and the Fark Sydney Opera House then we’ll take a train to the game. Staying the night at a hotel in the CBD.
Definitely keen to meet up with other Blitzers. Can anyone recommend a pub not too far from the ground or maybe near the station where the trains will leave from (Central?)
I’m feeling hopeful we’ll see a win for the boys.
There’s a pub at the base of the only tall building at Homebush, but otherwise it’s a wasteland.
There’s a pub at the base of the only tall building at Homebush, but otherwise it’s a wasteland.
So now we know where to find DJR around 14.00 hrs 4/4/2015
Yeah, hopeless romantic I am and want Fletch to hit #400 sooner than later but to be clear, that’s not where that thought process ended!
We can’t play Fletch in the same backline along with Buckets & Hooksy. Too tall & too similar-ish to buckets. Hurls & Gwilt have good height, pace, body strength and above all, offer rebound and begin our attack with their disposal so they’re ideal matchups for Sydney’s tall’s in Goodes, Rohan / Reid.
I thought we could try to expose Sydney’s lack of talls not only in the midfield but in their backline with Joey playing around the 50m arc, Bellcho and try Fletch in and around the deep FWD pockets.
Could be genius as that would be throwing something at Sydney that would be very left field (not unlike the BarnesWallis project 
) but should it not work, sub him for LaVerde and that way, we’ve killed two birds;
- Another game on the way to #400
- Getting games into Salsa or Langford
Either way, I think we should go 3 talls (190cm+) to start in the fwd line, if not Fletch then perhaps we start Langford there and pull the trigger on LaVerde in the 3rd. Sydney may blood youngins in their backline for round 1 anyway so Langford or LaVerde could possibly have a blinder!
Ha looks a good, but no zaka?
Easy!
Out: Chappy
In: Zaka
Save the Hawks killer for round 2 shall we?
Rohan won’t play in the fwd line. Will take Malceski’s spot at HB.
Danny, I suspect theres a little bit of Sheeds DNA in all our footy thinking. (OK, call it a Dawkinsian meme as one very knowledgeable Blitz poster informed me) so I too am searching for a surprise tactic to spring on Sydney . So I admire your unconventional thinking .
TBH, I am struggling to come up with a solution to a range of disasters that can occur in a match against Sydney.
- Buddy kicking 8-9 goals.
- Keiren Jack or Parker getting loose and kicking 4.
- Josh Kennedy running amuck and getting 43 disposals.
- Super sub Goodes coming on in the last quarter with his leg half hanging off due to a PCL rupture and staging for a free kick in the square when we are ahead by 5 points.
But in the end, we have some great players as well and … if we win the key 1:1s we will have a good chance
TBH, I am struggling to come up with a solution to a range of disasters that can occur in a match against Sydney. 1. Buddy kicking 8-9 goals. 2. Keiren Jack or Parker getting loose and kicking 4. 3. Josh Kennedy running amuck and getting 43 disposals. 4. Super sub Goodes coming on in the last quarter with his leg half hanging off due to a PCL rupture and staging for a free kick in the square when we are ahead by 5 points.But in the end, we have some great players as well and … if we win the key 1:1s we will have a good chance
- Not to say it’s not a possibility but I think those days of Buddy kicking 8 on us are over. At least I hope. When that last happened our whole team was down and out from the saga. We won’t stop him completely so he may kick 4 or 5 and Tippett will kick a couple consolations but your absolutely right; one on ones are the key especially in the middle.
- I think we should play man on man and make their midfielders accountable both ways. Perhaps Bobcat should be given the task on K. Jack?
- As for Kennedy, sure he might get it 43x but vs Jobe 1 on 1, Jobe will get his goal and 35+ too so it’s apples w/ apples.
- Not much you can do here! I hope it’s not that close at that point in the game, hopefully we’ve gained a few goals buffer! We’re traditionally fast starters and Sydney are the opposite so I’m optimistic about this one!
As long as someone belts the Australian of the Year behind play ill be happy.
Hooker goes on Buddy it’s a must…Hooksy wants him.
Our midfield will do alright this year against the swans midfield with the addition of Cooney.
Our backline is as strong as theirs if not better.
Should be a great game and a win could really setup our season.
Fletcher on Tippett, Hooker on Franklin, Hurley on Reid.
Not that complicated.
Does anyone know why you can bet on every match in Round 1 other than Swans v Bombers? I have been wanting to check the odds and maybe throw some change on the match on Sportingbet for over 2 months now. Could there be something wrong with Sydney?
Does anyone know why you can bet on every match in Round 1 other than Swans v Bombers? I have been wanting to check the odds and maybe throw some change on the match on Sportingbet for over 2 months now. Could there be something wrong with Sydney?
Due to uncertainty about possible sanctions the betting companies are excluding EFC matches from the market
There’s a pub at the base of the only tall building at Homebush, but otherwise it’s a wasteland.
Wasteland is a polite way of putting it…
sigh