Raz did full training - looked fine.
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I just watched the video. It shows tremendous dedication to put aside time to practice as Essington.
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The sum of all blitz fears 2019. Raz has a 2-10 weeks hamstring, Hooker doesnt have tightness, its a full blown hamstring off the bone and the club is hiding it from us, Smith has hardly trained there must be something wrong with him, Playing the way we want to play will still not beat FCFC, Zerret is not himself, it will take until round 10 for us to gel… Totalling 2355 posts . 
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Since we just missed out on the 8 but didn’t start playing until round 8, then if we can get our act together by round 4 we should romp it in.
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I see you’ve put your mouth guard in in anticipation of the season regular.
Wouldn’t surprise me the club loves not telling the whole truth about injuries.
We can’t HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!
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Hooker 6 week calf injury. Better get used to playing without this guy. That’s a sign of retirement age
really. ffs.
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The replacement simply cannot be Hartley. I would play Brown back and bring in Stewart. Or even debut BZT. I suspect they will go with Ambrose though…
This is a big loss. Can’t gild the lily here.
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That assumes the teams around us don’t improve and I just can’t see that happening. Mid table as always for us. Hopefully we scrape in.
Hurley Ambrose and Francis will need to get it done.
Hurley has to lead the defence.
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We managed without him in 2017 when he was up forward. i wouldn’t be too concerned. but its not ideal for him to be out.
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I’d like to see Brown tried out in defence in the next match.
I’d have him over Ambrose, personally, and we have Smack and Stewart as options up forward.
Dare I say it, maybe even Zac.
I hope we have a look at Zerk this time, too.
How many tall Essendon play in JLT2?
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Yes and I would seriously looking at using Draper to play deep, KP defence on the big gorilla forwards.
He has spent time in defence, on occasion at VFL level - DJR may have some comment on how he went.
Shocking
Draper would be a much better forward option than in defence
Why shocking?
The new 6-6-6 rule is going to result in a many teams playing a big, ruckman type tall forward deep.
Melbourne are already planning this with Gawn. West Coast already do this with Vardy. The Pies have Mason Cox playing deep. The Tigers will do this too with Nankervis. The only Essendon KP defender Tom Hawkins hasn’t rag-dolled the last 5+ years is Hooker. He is a monster. Dockers now have Lobb (playing alongside Hogan in the square while a Taberner plays CHF). Crows have been going with 3 talls for years and Josh Jenkins has regularly made a mess of us.
Mitch Brown, like James Stewart, is really a tall small - smart footballer but not one who has any physical presence at all. Sending either of them of back does not solve the dilemna.
I’ve seen Draper trialled deep
That’s where his biggest current weakness- reading the play - is most exposed.
And it doesn’t work to say he should just stick to his opponent- that’s where he gets lost, and opponents get an easy 5 to 10 metre separation
There’s a reason the club is training him up as a tall forward when not rucking- it plays to his strengths.
Suggesting he try and learn another aspect of footy at this stage is a recipe for destroying his confidence and setting back his development.
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It’s be less than a game in total. He did well; at the time he was mostly an aimless forward so being led to the ball worked for him.
GWS are as good an opponent we could hope for entering a game without Hooker.
No Lobb to worry about anymore.
No Patton.
No Mumford, so no realistic resting ruck threat.
Close to goal, Ambrose on Cameron will worry me, but Cameron will likely roam up the ground a fair bit, suiting Ambrose more.
Francis or Hurley for Himmelberg.
Not sure if they’ll play 200cm Flynn.
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