THE ROAD TO THE FLAG 2019

I am starting to get a bit excited about the developing chemistry in this side, and I think it has a bit of 1993 about it.

Confidence is key, and I think it is beginning to spread in the under 23 group. They are beginning to take on the game with an enthusiasm which is infectious.

Woosha made a comment after the Carlton game that the young fellas got into their own huddle and he sounded a bit surprised when he realised there was about 9 of them.

This group actually has a bit of mongrel and grunt amongst them and might be about to really take us places.

I believe that Parish, Langford, Lav, Begley, Redman, Clarke, McGrath, Guelfi, and with Francis and Ridley in and out of the side, they are a much stronger and robust core of young players than we have had for some time.

I’m sad that Sammy Draper is out hurt, because I believe he is going to be key to this young group as they come into their own in the coming year or two, and we are going to add some more great young players like Zerk, Mozzie and Ham; who are going to complement players like Stringer, Shiel, Smith, Saad, Raz, Walla, McKenna, Merrett, Daniher and maybe Stewart who aren’t much older and with Heppell the Grand dad of the group who has just recently turned 27. That is a decent core of 25 players with 5 to 10+ years ahead of them.

All that is needed to make this a great Essendon era, I believe, are the 3 essential C’s, Chemistry, Confidence and Coaching. And if Woosha continues to believe in the young group we could have all 3 sooner than most think.

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If those younger players can take another step up this season we will be hard to beat. Lav, Begley Francis haven’t quite found their rhythm yet but I just feel they are due for a massive break out game… Imagine if it happened in the same game, wowee…

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I think they are close too, but it is already amazing that it is our younger players are the ones stopping our midfield looking like a bunch of midgets all of a sudden.

I think that is really important.

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Yep. I reckon I saw some real aggression from Langford on Friday. Not that he was in a rage but he was really throwing his weight around and looked like he enjoyed it. Played like the man he is. Reckon it might have finally clicked.

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Huge news for our upcoming game & their rest of season

GWS tagger De Boer out for 8wks with broken shoulder. Zerrett’s nemesis.

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More worried about heading in the right direction with the way we play than making finials. The last few weeks have been a big improvement for mine.

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I don’t think it’s any coincidence that there’s a lot more talk of players being “off the leash” the last few weeks.

Sadly, we look better when the players play to their strengths and seemingly abandon “structures”.

See q4 against Richmond. Something changed. Sure their cue was half in the rack, but we flogged them that quarter having looked like an over 35s team for the previous 3.

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We haven’t abandoned our structures. Defensively we’re better than any time in the last decade. The seeming improvements in performance, like the 2nd half against the Hawks, come from improvements in ball movement and forward structure which promote each other and improve scoring.

Our sound defensive game is finally bedded down and gives us a platform to launch. Every improved performance becomes self fulfilling from this point. The players will grow in confidence which will in turn improve ball movement and the payoff will be in results.

Can see us winning one of the next two and it giving a huge shot in the arm to the side and a wave of momentum.

I remind everyone that in Round 16 of 2017 Richmond where 6th on the ladder and a genuine mid table side beaten by the Saints by 11 goals. Their efficiency inside 50 (scores from I50’s) was bottom 4… over the next 10 weeks their efficiency went to the best in the league and scores went through the roof.

I’m not saying we’re playing the same way as the Tigers and I’m not saying we’re going to win the flag. But with sound defensive systems, it can click at the other end and change pretty quickly. There were signs on Friday night.

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Play both Eagles and Giants, both coming off a bye.
Could work out favourable for Essendon.

And according to afl.com.au, De Boer is out for 8 weeks with a shoulder injury, which bodes well for Merrett.

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Wall to wall interstate finals would be such an anticlimax… 2003 all over again.

Yuck, fk that rather miss.

Our finals record against West Coast is five games, five wins, zero losses.

But all games have been in Melbourne.

Make of that what you will.

They’re due?

We have beaten Fremantle in our only final against them over in WA too, when Sheedy was coaching, think may have been their first final.

and the last time we won a final… :frowning:

Dat Hird torp / mongrel bouncing goal at half time (?)

Dat Hird leadership to talk cupido up…

I decorated my entire house in Rosanna to watch that game…

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I think 12 is the magic number to get us in the finals.

We should beat:

Sydney
North
Gold Coast
Port
Dogs

Leaving us with:

West Coast - away
GWS
Adelaide - away
Freo - Away
Collingwood

I think all of those are winnable, and we need to jag one and not drop the other should wins.

Could see us winning 14 games which would be a great year considering the early ones we dropped.

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That’s all good in theory, but Essendon and “should win” does not tend to be the best combination. I wouldn’t be surprised if we won more form the second list than the first.

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