Pre-Match Comments - Anzac Day match 2005 ...

[Johnson#26]

I fear people may be underestimating the Bombers!

Not underestimating. They'll come out hard ealy, but if we can absorb that, we've got the game won.

[swooper]

I'm always a bit worried when a team gets alot of attention from the media leading up to a game. They have already publicly stated this is their 'line in the sand' game (whatever that means for our boys )

We MUST win and shut down, Hird, Lucas, Lloyd and any other bugger who decides this is the game to kick 5 goals. I'm nervous thinking about it already! Would absolutely LOVE to see Burnsy or Clemo win ANZAC medal!

Go Pies!

[Brett]

It will be Sheedys last chance at saving the season and you can bet that they will come out with all they have got. I expect a really tight game and hopefully the pies by a goal. We must watch Hird and Lucas as they will be smarting from all the negative press. I just hope we have the right balance up forward please can we have Didak and Lonie in for the game.

[HAL]

No one else expects a tight game and the pies by a goal.

[Johnson#26]

I'm always a bit worried when a team gets alot of attention from the media leading up to a game. They have already publicly stated this is their 'line in the sand' game (whatever that means for our boys )

Can anyone see a repeat of the 1990 Grand Final here?

[Your Joking Me!!]

I think we'll be right against the Dons, main reason being:
In our first four games, none of the 'power forwards' we've been up against have hurt us. I suppose you can't really count the Doggies, but there must have been at least one tall, imposting as a 'power forward', somewhere in their foward line. But Fev and fat-boy Lance did nothing, nor did Perrie, nor did Sav or Petrie.
Essendon have Lloyd and Lucas who will this year kick the baulk of their goals. Two good forwards, yes, but anything substantial under that to kick goals, no.

Pies to get home.

[Joel]

Let's finish off their season here and now. Let's keep them at the bottom rung. We have a season to get back on track, we must fight for that. BUT, we MUST make sure we start to sow the seeds of their demise this season.

Nothing is won, until you win it J26 - ie. Hawthorn v Brisbane.

[DaVe86]

eddiesmith i was the one who said maxwell on hird but have changed my mind, i think clement will go back onto him. These are just suggestions mate, u dont have to like them.

Anyway, ive thought long and hard about this game. Its going to be a beauty.

All week in the paper has been constant criticism of essendon and their lack of passion. This will no doubt fire the bombers up. They will come out hard, dirty and rough and im really worried about injuries. However they will not be able to maintain this intensity the whole match. The important thing will be to keep with them for the first half. Try to stay within a kick and absorb all the physical pressure. Then, the second half we can pounce. Essendon will have doubt in their mind after their second half fade outs so far this year. We must target this weakness.

I think one of the most important players this week will be rheece shaw. Yes thats right rheece shaw. There is no1 on the essendon with the pace, endurance or ball winning ability to stay with shaw all match. Shaw has been responsible for key tagging roles in the past few rounds and has doen an admiral job. I think this week shaw can be let loose, make essendon come to him. With licuria, burns, woewoedin all doing the hard stuff at the bottom of the packs, shaw can swoop and get a lot of handball receives and burst away. Essendon will not be able to go with him. I think if justin murphy comes back into the essendon side this week, he will go to shaw. Shaw should be able to break him. Huge week for rheecey me thinks.

I have already stated earlier i think clement now should go on hird. This is too critical a match and we cannot underestimate hird. Maxwell should go onto bolton as was mentioned by someone in an earlier thread. Presti and Wakelin will then be left with the role of covering Lloyd and Lucas and should do alright.

In the middle, Peverill will go to licuria. That will be another great tussle. Burns will probably play on mark johnson as he has the physical presence to go with him and not be intimidated. Either this or he will get soloman. Soloman and Johnson will be the ones dishing up the hard stuff and burns has to be there to absorb it.

Woewodin is an interesting one. I think he will do a defensive job on a player like mcveigh or welsh but im not quite sure how mick will use him.

Collingwood have to be weary of andrew welsh. Last week he was hurt and didnt play much of the game, but in the first 3 rounds, he has been their highest mark taker and possession getter. He sets up a lot of play off half back and is the only player with a bit of pace.

In the ruck, essendon are just as bad as we are. Hennaman and Laycock are not much. Cloke are Walker should be able to stand up here.

With Richards not available yet for collingwood, Travis Cloke should be unleashed up forward. I think Cam, although i was critical of his game last week should take first ruck as he was beginning to time his leaps late in the game. Hopefully this week against weaker opposition, he should do alright.

The forward line could set up:
Didak, Walker, Trav Cloke
Lonie, Tarrant, Caracella

Lonie should come in and play up forward i think because he can get on a lead and has a booming kick. He, Caracella and Didak make a crafty unpredicatable forward line. I put Tarrant at centre half forward because cam does not present well around the ground and we will need a target coming off half back. Im assuming also didak is right to play. He is needed to fill the shoes of leon davis.

The most important thing we do this week is be mindful of essendon kick ins. It is unacceptable to allow goals every time we score a point as we did last year. Dustin Flethcer will undoubtadly boot it long from kick ins. Cam Cloke must make sure he can be wherever the kick in lands and provide a contest for our onballers who can tie it up and dissalow essendon run from half back. Otherwise Fletcher will be able to pinpoint a mismatch and kick to that contest. Cam Cloke becomes very important from kick-ins.

ins: Lonie, Didak, Cloke
out: Williams, Davis, Rocca

I think lonie should get a run this week.

Pies by 25 in the end after a tight first half. Keep fingers crossed we get no injuries.

[uuuuu..... The LoneSTAR]

I don't like the sound of all this media bagging of the Dons!! Now Hird goes and writes an article with lines like this:
Unfortunately, Anzac Day is still five days away, because everyone at Essendon is ready to play now.
I hate when the opposition fires up during the week!

I'm not underestimating the Dons. I've been predicting their demise for a few years now,... hasn't happened so far!
Although this could be the year ,....... wouldn't it be funny if they finally finish bottom of the ladder & the AFL drop the priority pick concession!!!!!

[DaVe86]

yep ive definately got the feeling essendon will fire up but i think they will fade out again. They will come out too hard and will not be able to maintain that sort of pressure. Thats why it is essential we just hold onto them. Then players like shaw, johnson and cole get dangerous.

[Two_Pies]

Can they run it out ?? I do not believe so.

[Cannibal]

Good post, DaVe!

I'm getting really excited myself. I think this is going to be an absolute cracker of a match. The more the media turns it's mind towards Sheedy and Essendon as their current soft target, the more Essendon are responding, and therefore, the more I think they're creating a rod for their own back. Essendon are certainly going to come out boiling and that will set the tune for the whole match. We're going to need people who won't back down from a fight. The soft targets are, in my opinion, Woey, Williams and Lockyer (I think they'll all play, as I can't see MM dropping any of them, even though I think he should). They need to sit out the first quarter, because we can't afford to run the risk of anyone backing out from a hard contest. If our guys play hard, and hit hard (but fairly), like Johnno's hit on Goodwin, then I reckon Essendon will melt in the end. But we can't afford to go soft for even one second. I think that will be the key to the game.

[KYPREO]

I don't seriously believe Essendon is unfit but hopefully all the scrutiny on their last quarter fadeouts provides a mental block preventing them from pushing through the pain.

[DaVe86]

agreed KYPREO i dont think they are unfit, they really dont have a lot of injuries at the moment apart from allan and hille in the rucks. Hird is also carrying an injury, but so are half of the afl players going around at the moment. However they do have that stigma in their mind that a team will overrun them and they will crumble. Thats why it is important to just hang on, even if we are getting outplayed because essendon will panic if the game gets tight. That said, we have lost all our tight games this year.

[Johnson#26]

Nothing is won, until you win it J26 - ie. Hawthorn v Brisbane.

Agreed. The wounded Tiger is most often the most savage fighter.