Have Essendon mastered something we can't do?

[Uninformed]

It would be good to feel we always have something up our sleeves for the close ones or even a dramatic comeback. Haven't felt that other than the last four games of 2016.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I reject the premise that what happened in the past may happen again.
I think we're learning to mince teams and with so many younger players stepping up, from here on we're writing our own history.
There is a thing I discovered at the Western Oval, last seasons game v Melbourne.
We favourites and a win would put us in finals.
They came from behind and won and only Styne's error to Buckanara stopped them from an unlikely, fairytale GF.
That day at the Western Oval I felt the Melbourne crowd had sensed something, and I sensed it too.
Something unstoppable, an historical imperative, as it proved.
So I felt it with us in '15 &'16 and again in '24 & '25.
An historical imperative.

[mjp]

I reject the premise that what happened in the past may happen again.

Awesome.

Last week GVGjr rejected the premise that just because it history told us it 'ALWAYS' happened there was no reason for a team with a winning streak of 3-games to lose the fourth...yet lose to the Suns we did.

Those who ignore the past etc etc.

[Mantis]

Essendon had a very good 2nd quarter last week against what could only be described as a poor Sydney team and led by 39pts at 1/2 time.

To say they won a close won is their own fault as they were out scored 2.4 to 6.11 and it was only Sydney’s poor conversion which allowed Essendon to win.

We play with the intensity we have shown this year we win.

[comrade]

Close wins are less about maturity and ability, and more about being on the right side of a coin flip. Hopefully Essington’s luck runs out tonight.

https://www.statsinsider.com.au/news/like-it-or-not-a-close-afl-game-really-is-a-coin-flip

[jazzadogs]

Close wins are less about maturity and ability, and more about being on the right side of a coin flip. Hopefully Essington’s luck runs out tonight.

https://www.statsinsider.com.au/news...is-a-coin-flip

Well, I'd prefer it's just not even close.

If we ignore the part about Essendon being good at it (as others have said, they've snuck past bad teams), it is a concern that we have struggled to close out close games for a while.

It was nice to see us capable of 'flicking the switch' like we did late against the Suns, changing our approach to try and steal the game. I think we defended well late against Norf and Blues to prevent those games becoming close games. Our worst game was against Freo where we just played dumb footy for a whole quarter.

[The Underdog]

Might be speaking too early, but this may not be a theory we get a solution to tonight

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Awesome.

Last week GVGjr rejected the premise that just because it history told us it 'ALWAYS' happened there was no reason for a team with a winning streak of 3-games to lose the fourth...yet lose to the Suns we did.

Those who ignore the past etc etc.

I had a feeling we are learning to mince teams.
It may be my fancy.
I am not rejecting learning from history but it doesn't mean we'll keep repeating it, was my point.
The thread is good one, as your posting always is.

[ledge]

The only thing Essendon do that we don’t is get smashed . I’m happy accepting that .

[doggies ftw]

Close thread

[Uninformed]

Keep playing like this and we may never know the answer to the OP question!