I agree. We need a couple of blokes who play their own game and win no matter who the opponent is. They’re just that good. Win or lose they just win. Leave Stringer at FF and give licence to dominate whoever an kick goals. Caddy likely suitable for this. Yeah team first etc. but Hirdy did similar. Played the game on his terms. System and an x factor. Say if Stringer is on then pump it down to him! Opposition realise this and possibly get distacted so we kick it down 2MP, Langford, whoever’s throat.
Makes me think of Pagans Paddock. Frees up our other forwards.
We need something. Caddy might get off the chain let’s say. Whoever.
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Yeah deflated me already that’s what this club do too you.
We won’t play finals, we again will finish 12th
So much for burning about our finish last season inside their stomachs all lip service again
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More generally, the thing that was really noticable from the game was that when there was a crowded contested ground ball, you’d see three or even four St Kilda backmen rushing to the back of the contest, getting possession and buggering off downfield.
So, I have some questions about that.
You can ask why their opponents just let them run off, and you can call it lazy, and you can sure as hell say it worked, because it did.
But my question is whether that style of play is in any way sustainable when the real stuff starts.
Because three, sometimes four, backmen have just left their men twenty metres behind them.
So they’d better get the clearance, because if they don’t…they’re not just cooked, they’re incinerated.
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Yep the Essendon depression is back. I might just watch games on replay this year, makes me too angry watching them live.
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They had nearly as many best 22 outs as us. Yeah ok I’d say we were probably slightly more effected given the importance to us of Wright and Ridley but Sinclair (B&F winner and AA), Crouch, Jones, Hunter Clark, Marcus Windhager (got through about 5 minutes before breaking his hand), Paddy Dow and a couple of others isn’t insignificant.
Furthermore to my last post when we have the ball in the hands of let’s say Martin or Merret can we have blokes charging any opposition who are trying to run them down. Protect the ball carrier and let them finish accurately.
Gets in the mind of chasers too. BANG!
Would be very interesting to read Brad’s notebook after yesterday. I presume that’s what he was busy doing while others were coaching.
Maybe it was a good thing- just watch it all without worrying about the role of game day coach.
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I have one big positive yesterday, I was working so didn’t watch. Bad result but won’t lose my ■■■■ just yet over a practice game. I will reserve that for round one against the Hawks.
Draft year he was elite at the combine for his 2k time trial. He also won it at Essendon one year.
Also after our last game in 2023 didn’t he say that he would have total control of the preseason program? Yet he left most of the coaching and drills to jacobs, stanton and gia? It’s like he says one thing and does another thing
I genuinely don’t know what sort of notes he takes, but hopefully he goes hard at the players before the geelong game
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Then playing him at FB or CHB isn’t really playing to his strengths.
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It’s clear that there’s only one way we remain competitive, and that’s by putting Hobbs in the centre bounces every game and rotating whatever spuds we have with them and hoping for the best. Hobbs is one of a couple that has competitive instinct, the rest are mostly fairies.
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@CJohns it would be interesting to get Andy back on and ask him about his previous comments, whether he meant them, what hearing them means to the supporters and what he thinks about a team getting embarrassed in the last 2 games last year fronting up like they just did.
Please also question it with the next official EFC guest.
Honestly, that interview was a trainwreck at the time and even worse now.
Club has no balls and players who speak with no heart have no place speaking on behalf of the football club.
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School captain nerd talk.
Why? We need to learn in worst case scenario.
We only ever win easy games or when our opponents have bad days. We genuinely aren’t a threat to good sides who play well.
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The main problem with Cox is that he isn’t very good.
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Whats the point of Goldstein getting games over Bryan?
Bryan has nothing left to learn at VFL level, it’s time he played vs the best ruckman at the highest level, let Gawn, English, ROB, Big O smash into him, let’s see if he’s ready to fight for his senior career.
Stop babying our players.
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I said it earlier but I’ll go again- I reckon we could play all 3 with a rotation between ruck, forward & bench. All 3 go in hard and would be better up forward than Jones or Weid.
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Yes another brilliant idea and a perfect way to fasttrack losing all goodwill and access in to the club
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It’s looking like exactly the same old ■■■■ show. Early on some players come back early, some head off to Arizona to get some real work in, we pick up some players from other clubs who might be promising, everybody’s fit. And now with the season a few weeks away there are still key players on modified training, some being managed, and we turn out in a practice game and get well and truly ■■■■■■ over by a team who’s harder, stronger and fitter than us.
Not once under Worsfold or Rutten or Scott has any journalist remarked that we’re working harder than other clubs, or even harder than we worked last year. Not once has any journalist remarked that we look sharp or focussed.
We’ll win some games this year. And we’ll lose a lot.
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