The TEAM vs Crows

The latest from sliding doors, amended

ESSENDON
If
Barrett was in charge of this team …

then
He would still be a wanker

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I’m pumped that forward line looks like a goal fest. We’ll kick 18+ tonight.

Also looking forward to a laconic 8 possessions from Langford.

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He kicked 41 goals forward last year. During a time he was learning his craft. And playing off one leg for half of it.

19th highest goal kicker in the comp.

We had our best forward year structurally and in terms of goals for probably 15 years.

Outside of the most dire of injury circumstances, he should never, ever be played back and I just do not understand why people dont see this.

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Jenkins might be in poor form but he killed us last year. Him and McGovern still capable of kicking a winning score if we get beaten badly in the middle again.

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This is too dumb to even reply to, and yet here I am.
I’m well aware how many goals Hooker kicked.
I’m well aware of how well structurally, overall, the forward line worked.
But there are periods, and sometimes whole games, where it just. doesn’t.
Sometimes it just seems like a waste to have him do ■■■■ all for three quarters and then kick two goals.
Especially when our backline is bleeding.

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Harltey on Jenkins is worrying me.
Jenkins isn’t in great form, but he’s friggin’ Coleman compared to Hartley’s.

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But he’s not doing fark all for three quarters.

Even during periods where he’s not getting near it or kicking goals, he is providing a contest so Fanta / Tippa can clean up, and most importantly, he is making sure that Daniher doesn’t get double teamed.

He is simply too important to the structure to move around on a whim.

And even if none of this were the case, I’m not sure on your assumption that he’d go back and have an immediate impact to ‘stop the bleeding’. He hasn’t played any meaningful defence in an AFL game for 54 months. And he’s clearly lost speed and mobility in that time too.

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Unless Hooker goes back, we dont really have anyone else his size.

Hooker went down back regularly last year at the end of each quarter. Its not much of a change to have him do that if a team gets, say, a 3 goal break on us. I fully expect that to happen. But sending him down back at the start of Q1 is just not backing ourselves and is s suggestion that the coaches think we are going to lose. Hooker forward at the start of the game imo, Jeez. He might even make the decision himself on the ground.

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It is an extraordinary situation where a team with two AA key defenders in it, is worried about about shutting down Josh Jenkins and Mitch McGovern.

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I’m all for moving Hooker back when needed, but maybe the less drastic move of making Hurley play defensive might be the better option.

Some very good signs in JLT2 when he went to Hawkins that he might have his one-on-one defensive groove back. And if he does…

He’ll slaughter Jenkins and still get 30 touches.

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I’m pretty comfortable with harts on Jenkins. Jenkins is a master of getting out the back and or exploiting an undersized opponent. He is nowhere near the contested marking animal or lead up option that tend to trouble Hartley.

If our midfield can go close to breaking even will win. As wob said, tbell is vitally important to curbing Jacobs influence at stopagges.

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Hartley just needs to play with his hands bandaged into fists so he cannot grab Jenkins jumper.

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COME BACK TO ESSINGTON JENKO

I’m getting more and more confident as the day goes on.

Hang on, he was an aa fb and was to important to our structure to move on a whim back when he was , but they did it , like they did with 2 other players.

Lets not forget he was changed feom his career position to date in 15 on a whim.

And he lost pace from 11 odd when he did the hammies , but still managed to become an aa defender after that because his ready of the play made up for any short xomings.

He could easily be moved down back, but people choose to believe that we can only play now, with him as a forward.

I think the point is he’ll do both. Betts doesn’t defend. He doesn’t chase or tackle. He can be badly exposed the other way. It is absolutely the right call IMO to have a defender on him who can impact the other way when given the chance. Saad will need to know when is and isn’t the right time to go but he has done a good job on him in the past apparently/

I love this idea that our response to almost anything, even a threat on our backline, is to back yourself to get the ball, rather than just to nullify an opponent. Maybe it didn’t work for Knights but the natural instinct to play exciting though untrendy footy is so good to watch. To quote Marshal Foch, My centre is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.

It’s not so much that the response is to continually attack. First and foremost Saad’s role is to negate, but when the opportunity presents he should be trying to expose his opponent where possible. If an opportunity to provide overlap run after an intercept mark takes place, he should 100% be going full tilt. Because Betts wont be chasing him and with his pace he could break the game open. Conversely, he sure as ■■■■ doesn’t need to be gambling on a 50/50 ball by running forward of the play or leaving his opponent to get a kick.

The point about winning the ball is spot on though. The 1st thing you want to do when under the pump is win the footy back, be it in a contest or by way of an intercept mark. It’s why defenders are encouraged to go for their marks rather than just punch the footy and intercept defenders are at such a premium. Hell, Melbourne just forked out bulk cash on a 2nd year tall defender (Lever) who ain’t great one on one but can intercept till the early morn with a bit of assistance from his teammates.

RoCO fails to mention it here but he has tipped Adelaide by 16.

Rohan’s Round Preview - 1
Rohan Connolly March 23, 2018 11:20 AM

BTV: RD 1 | Team Selection Senior Coach John Worsfold announces our team ahead of Round 1.
THE BACKGROUND

It’s been a different sort of off-season for Essendon. Different because, perhaps for the first time in years, it’s been played out against a backdrop of expectation more than just hope.

A finalist last year, the Bombers have topped up with three experienced and accomplished recruits in Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad. The list now looks as deep as it’s been arguably for 15 years.

On paper, anyway. The reality in the AFL now is that talent alone is only part of the battle. It’s having it gel effectively and having balance both defensively and offensively which is a greater determinant of success, and Essendon’s big challenge in 2018.

And challengers don’t come a lot tougher first-up than Adelaide, runner-up to Richmond last year, and a team which of late has dispensed with the Dons in ruthless fashion, the Crows winning the last four clashes, both home and away, by a whopping average of 76 points.

THE BOMBERS

Despite a first-up JLT Series thumping at the hands of Richmond then a late comeback win over Geelong, the big positives for Essendon were the performances of midfield pair Zach Merrett and Andrew McGrath, and particularly Smith.

His addition to the midfield group looms as critical, for despite its scoring prowess, Essendon’s defences were too often breached last season, hardly helped by the team finishing in the bottom half for contested ball and fifth-last on the differential rankings for clearances.

The strong suit remains quick ball movement and a potent attack, whose conversion rate went from last in the competition to third last season, and featured two strong targets in Joe Daniher and Cale Hooker, who between them shared over 100 goals.

The backline, led by an All-Australian key defender in Michael Hurley, and now not one but two lightning quick rebounders in Conor McKenna and Saad, is very capable, but needs more time to set up than those midfield deficiencies have sometimes allowed. Fix that, and high hopes are entitled to be held.

THE OPPOSITION

You might not have thought so on grand final day, but Adelaide was one of the harder-nosed sides of last season, finishing third on the differential rankings for contested possession and fourth for clearances.

Its ball movement was slick, but Adelaide relied just as much, if not more, on creating pressure turnovers in their forward half and pouncing on the results, logical when you have targets the calibre of Taylor Walker (absent this week), Tom Lynch, Josh Jenkins and Mitch McGovern, along with a ground-level superstar in Eddie Betts.

Adelaide’s midfield is deep, Rory Sloane going to new levels last year, Matt Crouch becoming All-Australian, and his brother Brad (also out this week) and Richard Douglas besides all finishing top 10 in the best and fairest. Now, Bryce Gibbs is also part of an impressive mix.

The Crows’ defence doesn’t get nearly as many plaudits, but has two All-Australians in Daniel Talia and Rory Laird. The loss, however, of Jake Lever to Melbourne, and Brodie Smith for the year with a knee injury, could be unsettling.

THE TEAMS

There’s some considerable outs for either side. Essendon is without Orazio Fantasia, Martin Gleeson, David Myers and Patrick Ambrose, but Stringer, Saad and Smith have all been picked for their Bomber debuts. Michael Hartley and Mitch Brown have been asked to fill the key position holes this week.

But Adelaide has temporary injury concerns, too, Walker, Brad Crouch, Riley Knight and Alex Keath, the latter a potential replacement for Lever, all ruled out.

THE STATS

Essendon’s numbers forward of centre are impressive. The Bombers were only 12th for inside 50 entries last season, but still ranked fourth for most points scored.

Defensively, however, there have been major issues which arguably reflect more on the midfield than the back six. Those lowly rankings for contested ball and clearances frequently heaped pressure upon the defence, Essendon turning the ball over in its back 50 more often than any side bar Brisbane.

Adelaide, meanwhile, has been a scoring powerhouse. The Crows last year were the only team to average more than 100 points per game, their 110 nearly two goals better than any other team. They were also efficient, scoring goals from 28 per cent of their inside 50 entries, again the best in the competition. They can defend, too, ranked fourth for fewest points conceded last year.

THE PLAN

Two of the three highest scores Essendon conceded in 2017 were against Adelaide, and on both occasions, the Crows feasted on more than 60 forward 50 entries. The Bombers simply can’t allow that to happen again if they are to win.

Essentially, Essendon’s capacity to defeat Adelaide will come down to two factors. The most important will be to prevent the Crows’ forward having anything like that amount of opportunity by denying them the ball and territory, and exerting tremendous physical pressure (as did Richmond in the grand final) when Adelaide does have possession.

Negotiate that assignment, and it becomes about hurting the Crows with leg speed out of defence and through the middle of the ground via Saad and McKenna, then capitalising on forward opportunities against an Adelaide backline a little different-looking and perhaps still feeling its way.

THE RESULT

The absentees for either side could cancel each other out a little. The venue is a plus. And Essendon has more to gain from a big statement made to start the season than its opposition. This is a perfect opportunity to do so.