Great point.
Talk about how many wins is silly unless the team is a reasonable chance of being top four.
The last 15 or 20 years have included several excellent wins, and they were very exciting at the time, but in the end they came to mean very little.
I imagine everyone here really wants the team to be top 4, even Mr Nino, and the arguments are just over whether short-termism is good or bad. I like a long view myself, but what will happen is what will happen.
And I can tell you what that will be.
We will not finish top 4.
The season will run according to luck and injuries and the draw. If they are critical injuries and we have enough bad luck we will go bottom 4. If we have a good run and enough close wins we might even fluke another finals game, which once more will mean very little.
If this prediction seems a bit broad, remember that no season will really matter unless we can seriously consider Essendon to be a top four side, or to be on the way to being one.
11 Likes
Forget it! We need to kiss ■■■ to the umps.
2 Likes
The thing I want to see this year is a strong self-less culture being established. Plus pride in playing for a club that has 16 VFL/AFL premierships and 20 premierships in the shed for the leading league at the time they were won.
1 Like
Do you think that the ump’s ability to be impartial may have been impaired after that?
2 Likes
So he can get a meniscus tear too?
1 Like
Yes should be, approx 930am, it will be a big session as its the last one before a 5 day break for the players
1 Like
Ren Butten
1 Like
Reports are clear on this point, it was an elbow in the back, an obvious cheap shot.
2 Likes
Excellent report @Big_bodied_mid
Certainly agree with your early assessment of Lewis Hayes. Unfortunately, I also agree regarding Nick Bryan (hope he proves us wrong but will need to put his foot on the gas during this year).
Nic Martin - spot on.
Patrick Voss needs to make the most of the first half of the season in the VFL to give himself an opportunity to play seniors later in the year.
Anthony Munkara - disagree with your assessment regarding his body shape. Maybe he could up the muscle tone in his legs but he’s certainly nowhere as skinny in that department as you suggest. His skills are elite and no doubt these will be more and more on display as his physical conditioning for AFL level football improves. Would not write him off for a seniors game later this year.
14 Likes
Woosha’s influence not Rutten’s.
Both were expired so players playing on instinct lol
Rutten’s defensive plan certainly showed he can’t coach
I was generally impressed with the session on Friday, as I have been this pre season. I hope it is not just rose coloured glasses or wishful thinking, but it seems more purposeful and better directed and managed so far. Better level of intensity perhaps. It is not always easy to know what specifically they are working on with the drills but there seems more kicking and much is directed to Wright. I like to see alternative forward patterns but we don’t know what the strategy and planning is and how it will unfold.
They definitely are working on their goal kicking. They have different activities interspersed throughout the morning on different aspects of goal kicking - set shot with man on the mark (usually from 40-45), boundary shots curling them in, and shots on the run. The first thing I saw as I arrived was Shiel running in and missing from about 30. I think I’ll just accept that he is no good at it. Having said that he is training so well and if he can start the year in this fashion and carry on from where he left off last season it will be a big boost to our prospects.
The other encouraging aspect is that some players seem to be improving/developing. Martin, Perkins, Massimo, Draper, Wright (yes, I know he is a b&f winner but I think he is still getting better judging from some of his marking in packs), Durham, Menzie, Caldwell. If we can get a couple of bolters out of this group it will hold us in good stead. I was really impressed with Menzie in the final few games last year. He is very fit, always up the front in the running drills.
If we can keep Stringer and Walla fit and firing it will be a huge boost to the forward line. Big ask I know in light of Stringer’s history with injury. We don’t know enough about Settlefield under real match conditions as yet, but some reports on his work are positive so let’s hope he develops to be a real asset. He has something to prove of course, and that can be a spur.
If we can add a fully fit Jones to the forward line alongside Stinger, Walla and of course Wright we can start dreaming. I was encouraged to see him involved in full training. Obviously he is behind his peers and didn’t stand out in the half match drills because of the injury setback, but it is a start. He looks bigger across the shoulders but doesn’t seem to have built up across the body. Cloke was giving him instructions on how to push off an opponent and when to lead. Interesting drill with Jones. He had two of the support staff on different sides of his body holding/pulling him back with the ‘elastic’ ropes around his arms while he tried to push forward. At the same time he was receiving rapid handballs from a third coach and he had to handball them off with the left and then right hand with restricted arm use. It was a good drill to build up that strength he needs.
Bad luck for the young recruit to have a knee problem so early. Not much you can say really except keep the fingers crossed that he comes back better and stronger.
If they were playing this weekend Cox, Weideman, Stewart, Tsatas and Reid would be unavailable. None crucial, but it is a pity to have that number injured. If fit, Stewart or Reid would perhaps be in. Our biggest weakness is the lack of a tall CHB. Perhaps Hayes will fill this spot in a few years. A big CHB would be a huge bonus for Ridley and allow him greater freedom to do what he does best.
As yet, Scott is not playing a dominant role on the track. Very much an observer with occasional input. He watched the scuffle and I think he would approve of a few fisticuffs. He wasn’t bad, or shy on the rough stuff himself.
44 Likes
Probably
Umps impartial 
. You better believe it!
1 Like
Nice post 
.
That doesn’t mean much except when you find out the guy who played football isn’t same guy you have as coach.
must be training him to work around those jumper pulls in our F50 that literally never get paid
3 Likes
Club mantra
Bryan played as a forward target yesterday.
He is really struggling to take contested marks and anything over head. He dropped some pretty simple ones yesterday.
He’s another case where he is exceptional at ground level and is a great kick.
IMO we should have been training him as a key forward, and also working on his ruck work… from the day he walked in the door.
His ruckwork is excellent for his age. But to take the next step, he needs to influence around the ground and push forward to be a presence.
9 Likes
Struggling to take a contested mark?
Me too
