A bit of both I reckon. Our ball movement and forward line potency is top shelf and could embarrass just about anyone when it’s at it’s best. But you’ve got get it on the outside/turnover to start with. That’s why I rate our performances against Sydney and GWS so highly, because we had to work so hard to get the game on our terms and when finally did we looked effing good. All be it without being able to put the game away.
1 Like
Interesting comments. One of the things that has been so frustrating about Essendon on field over the last 5 or so years is inconsistency. Between weeks, quarter by quarter. While our bad weeks (Brisbane, Carlton) have been bad, and the Melbourne game had a terrible 3rd quarter, on the whole I think we have made massive improvements on our inconsistency over the last two years. Last year, starting from a saga imposed very low base, Essendon was becoming a lower mid side by the end of the season, as seen by the last two wins - and even though the overall standard was not great, our consistency was better than anywhere in the last 5 years. This year, we absorbed 10 returning players who had not played in a year, but the same trend is happening, but now off a higher base and with higher available underlying list talent. Our consistency is certainly improving. Its never going to be a flat line at the peak, even in 1984/85 we had down weeks and in 2000, we had down quarters and stunk it up against the Bulldogs, but it is moving towards a place where we are better for longer and long enough where we will win many games.
I think we are likely to make finals this year, and a good chance of winning first week. We come back next year and with continued growth we might start doing some real damage.
They are unique against the top flight teams in that most genuine premiership contenders base their game around hard nosed contested footy rather than run and dash from half back. Adelaide showed themselves as having both against Geelong, until that point I wasn’t entirely convinced they did have both given the way they’ve been beaten up in the contest when Sloane has been tagged.
Our biggest test is against similarly hard nosed contested sides, not those who squibb the contest or have a similar rebounding style to us, which is why I think the dominant wins we’ve had need to be tempered somewhat.
If we can elevate our midfield contested work as per the Crows I would be full lid off. We may well be building towards that in the future but we haven’t got there yet. We have another opportunity to do so against a pretty tough contested side in the Dogs. I’m very excited to see how we can perform.
I thought their midfield tore ours apart with hard work and short kicks which allowed brown and wait to kick like 60 or so points between them.
1 Like
I’ve seen a bit of GWS this year and that’s comfortably the best they’ve played this season. We were pretty damn good but they were exceptional.
1 Like
I think a lot of that consistency that we are building is due to the empowerment of the players. I’m a massive fan of what Woosha is doing and I think our gameplan has the potential to be a point of difference in years to come just as Hawthorns was for their dynasty.
What Woosha has done is identify our strengths and our weakness and rather than try and mend our weaknesses he’s continued to build on our strengths. For that to work you really have to have player engagement and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that the players are not only buying into it, but look to be really enjoying it.
Some have criticized our flamboyance this year with the continual attacks on Joe over celebrating and now Hooker going to far with his treatment of the North player. I actually want to see this because I think it’s a good indicator that this side is taking the next step are showing pride in the jumper as well as having a level of confidence in what they can accomplish.
This side is going places and fast.
3 Likes
But for me thats the whole point. We don’t have a contested based football list so why would we want to meet other sides on their terms.
What we are creating is a point of difference and in my opinion what we have is going to create major issues for teams. I don’t agree with you in that other teams that we are the same as other teams that have dash from half back. Yes, we do that but it’s not what makes us unique. What we do that others don’t do is our interchangeability from our forwardline through the midfield. It’s that ability to get our forwardline to work in such a way that the defenders don’t know who the main target is. Joe is clearly our greatest weapon but it’s our ability to use him as a decoy or Fantasia in the midfield and Stewart dropping back and all these other things that we have the flexibility to do that separates us.
I watch a lot of soccer and our game style is something that you would see a Barcelona do or an Arsenal or any of the major clubs that have multiple scoring options and interchangeable midfields.
It’s why it’s so important that we continue to develop Langers, Laverde, Green, Begley and other guys to be able to play more than just as a forward. If those guys can continue to refine there forward craft but then become a force in midfield we will not only be able to run out the game better but we will be able to create mismatches because the opposition is going to have no idea who is playing where.
4 Likes
Obviously recent years (even pre-Saga) have heightened by pessimism levels, but with the finals race as delicately balanced as it is, I still have no confidence that we will make it. The margin for error is really small and even with our better form this year we have been capable of some epic clangers - another of those and we are just about toast.
Talking about where our home final would be held is just asking for trouble imo.
(And before I am accused of wanting this outcome - no, I’d sell all of my worldly possessions just to make finals this year, let alone actually win one.)
1 Like
Including a lot of posters on this forum. Geelong were crap, Port were crap, WCE didn’t turn up…etc, etc, etc.
1 Like
Great post. I agree.
The way they’re going, if GWS lose week 1, they’re goneski.
That’s right, we don’t. Which is why I find it far more meritorious to take it up to a hard contested side and eventually get the game on our terms than to beat up on downhill skiers who don’t apply themselves defensively. Which is what this was about in the first place, how highly people rate our big wins against WC/Port/Saints.
As to our “point of difference”, clearly our dynamic forward line is our biggest weapon but in finals when game becomes more contested one on one footy it’s imperative to be able to win the ball in the contest first. If we can elevate that side of our game, we could be a big threat in finals footy. We got a taste of it against the Swans and GWS but let ourselves down in the end. This week is another opportunity to do so against a hard contested opponent and if we can account for the Dogs it will be on account of winning it in the contest first and foremost.
1 Like
I’m agreeing with you in regards to which games have more merit. I’m with you in that the Sydney game, although we lost it showed us that if we don’t deviate from our gamestyle we can more than match it with the big boys. What we did in that game was the first true indication that we believe in our brand of football and were prepared to persist with it until Sydney couldn’t maintain their own gamestyle. We are learning fast and learning well.
What needs to be acknowledged those is that the other victories have merit also and shouldn’t be dismissed. if you read further up my opinion was in response to a few people dismissing our victories against Geelong, Port and West Coast because apparently they didn’t show up.
We beat them all fair and square and we did that because we were able to counter their gamestyle.
2 Likes
Apart from losing the match, the Sydney game was the most pleasing game for me this year.
Sydney “go you” physically and hope that you wear down eventually by the end of the match. However Sydney’s own brand means that they are also fairly exhausted by the end of the match.
So if you have the ability to take the arm wrestle on and not get blown away, they are gettable if you can keep some energy in the tank and score quickly when they eventually drop off.
I thought we weathered the arm wrestle well and then scored heavily on them towards the end of the game and “almost” broke them.
5 Likes
Obviously we deserve credit for putting those sides to the sword when we were afforded the latitude to do so. But you can’t ignore the fact that similarly those sides didn’t come with the right mindset. Geelong had 15 tackles in a half of footy, that’s an indictment on their effort and mindset, not our ability to break down their game style.
I guess it depends on how much respect you have for the opposition.
We didn’t play the gamestyle that we would have liked against Carlton but I give Carlton full credit for that.
1 Like
this is true. I have ZERO respect for Port and West Coast. Massively over rated downhill skiers.
Aside the obvious caveat that we simply have to keep winning to play finals and can’t afford to look beyond this week… I’m actually really looking forward to seeing how we go against Adelaide in a couple of weeks. We’re a 6 goal better side than we were at the start of the year and on our home patch that could be a real cracker if we’re still in the finals race.
2 Likes
Worsfold can’t coach etc, etc, etc.
Adelaide Melbourne and Freo have been our only heavy losses. For the past 10 weeks any loss has been within a few kicks. Looking good
Had legit completely forgotten that we lost to Fremantle.