2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

So disappointed tonight. We once again had an opportunity to win the game but stuffed it again.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Third quarter. At different stages out of a stoppage, Chapman, Goddard and Heppell all had 5/10 metres of space which resulted in 3 goals. It was pathetic from our midfield and it cost us the game.

[Topdog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Re: Fletcher. Surely if we so wanted a match up on Fletcher at some point we send on our runner to a particular player and say "stick on Fletcher like ****ing g lue".
Still trying to work out the spare man defence while chasing the game.....

[AndrewP6]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

May I ask which posters went to the match?

I did.

[jeemak]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Re: Fletcher. Surely if we so wanted a match up on Fletcher at some point we send on our runner to a particular player and say "stick on Fletcher like ****ing g lue".
Still trying to work out the spare man defence while chasing the game.....

It's gonna sound patronising, but it's not as simple as that. What we heard from the bench with Graham mich'd up would only have been a small part of the overall message going out to the players.

The runners would have been doing their best to ensure the team rotated to get some numbers around Fletcher - but not directly on him.

You have to remember the Bombers set up the way they do to make sure you man up on Fletcher. They do that so they can get open space forward of the centre, and create numbers wide in defence to receive the ball on the way out. They actually want you to man Fletcher and all of their defenders, as it enables them to get the game on their terms with open space to run into. If we allowed them an open game with no man back they'd have smashed us completely.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Along with Boyd, Cooney and Griffen.

You do realise Boyd shut Watson out of the game. Watson had to be moved forward in the 3rd quarter.

[Eastdog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

May I ask which posters went to the match?

I was there doing standing room on Level 1 at the Footscray end behind the cheer squad.

[always right]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Didn't get there (though I do have an away membership). Interesting point Always Right.

Can you elaborate on how it played out from your perspective?

Williams was clearly played deep forward with a role of not only occupying Fletcher or Hooker but to take them out wide. Thought this worked well in the first half with Williams leading well. Unfortunately he didn't sustain it and Fletcher was allowed to position himself as he wanted in the second half.

McCartney's match ups were spot on. Picken cleaned up Stanton, Stevens nullified Watson in the first half, Wood was excellent on Winderlich. Dahlhaus was dominant in the first half which caused ESSENDON to switch Hocking away from Griffen and onto Dahlhaus. This was almost the turning point of the match IMO as Hocking was able to quieten Dahl however Griffen wasn't able to to take advantage. Dahl was the key to our forward line with Crameri so poor and Jones struggling to impact despite being significantly better than last week.

We really should have won this match but we simply didn't have enough players willing to take the game on. Higgins and Dahlhaus were the exception and Boyd was also really constructive. My biggest criticism is that we often have bloke clear through the middle but too many times off half back our first instinct is to kick it short to a player out wide. If we used the corridor more I'm certain our forward entries would be far more effective.

One more thing to get off my chest. Is it written into the rules that umpires are not allowed to pay free kicks against Fletcher or Watson?

[always right]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

You do realise Boyd shut Watson out of the game. Watson had to be moved forward in the 3rd quarter.

Boyd was very good.....again.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

May I ask which posters went to the match? Thought we set up really well today and there was a lot of thought given to our match ups and structure. Worked well for the first half but we fell into some old habits in the second half.


So much to like about tonight but the match was there for the taking and we failed to put our foot on their throat.

Yes I went at its frustrating, we killed them with 40 more disposals and in contested possessions but our delivery into the forward line was pathetic with some woeful kicking. The only area other than the scoreboard that Essendon won was total marks. We just don't have tall players, and I mean over 195cm that take marks.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

We cut Essendon out of using the corridor after the first 10 minutes . His use of Higgins has been a success as well.

[AndrewP6]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Talia is the worst player on our list. Can't kick, poor decision making, loses his opponent constantly when he is meant to be a lock down defender. Terrible!

He's 21 years old...

[always right]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

Yes I went at its frustrating, we killed them with 40 more disposals and in contested possessions but our delivery into the forward line was pathetic with some woeful kicking. The only area other than the scoreboard that Essendon won was total marks. We just don't have tall players, and I mean over 195cm that take marks.

I wasn't trying to pot anyone but I reckon you had to be at the game to see how we tried to set up for this match. I reckon there was a lot to like about the way the MC approached this match which may not be apparent on the TV. That's not to forgive the last quarter where we played really dumb football. Whether it is the coach or the players not following instructions it's hard to be certain.

[Bornadog]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

I wasn't trying to pot anyone but I reckon you had to be at the game to see how we tried to set up for this match. I reckon there was a lot to like about the way the MC approached this match which may not be apparent on the TV. That's not to forgive the last quarter where we played really dumb football. Whether it is the coach or the players not following instructions it's hard to be certain.

I agree the match ups were right. I still think we need another tall in the back line. If Roughead played today, he could have at least matched Daniher for height. Poor Talia was about 10cm too short. We can't go into a game so short but I guess no one is putting up their hand.

[jeemak]

Re: 2014 Game Day Round 7 - Essendon V Western Bulldogs

I wasn't trying to pot anyone but I reckon you had to be at the game to see how we tried to set up for this match. I reckon there was a lot to like about the way the MC approached this match which may not be apparent on the TV. That's not to forgive the last quarter where we played really dumb football. Whether it is the coach or the players not following instructions it's hard to be certain.

We were up to our eyeballs in it in 2009 during a prelim and ended up playing the same way we did in the last quarter as we did today.

Having a strong tall forward that is able to command the all on the lead and one out makes such a difference to how you move the ball forward and how the opposition defends you. So many other avenues to goal open up as a result.


Thanks Always Right for your in depth response to my previous post. Very good feedback.