2024 Round 18 Ess Vs Melb

[bpdons]

So frustrating tonight.

It was history repeating with Perkins & Cox missing set shots in Q4 before the demons piled on the goals.
Was reminiscent of Q1 vs Carlton. I’d give both a rest.

We’ve always struggled against big bodied intercepting defenders. Geelong & Melbourne smile when coming up against us.

For all our wins this season we need to find a way to beat this defence or else it’s in vain.
I felt the effort was there, we just couldn’t capitalise on our chances.

I expect conditions inside next week to suit our style, hoping we can still finish top 4 rather than 9th

[rockhole]

Why is it that when we are offered a golden opportunity to consolidate our position in the eight if not the top four, we play like a clueless bunch of schoolboys, totally outclassed in the wet by a team we have the capability of beating.

A mate showed me the live ladder on his phone when, in the first quarter, we actually looked like we could handle the conditions. We were second thanks to Hawthorn.

In the wet, we were simply dreadful and have been ever since we signed up to play at that shithole calleled Marvel.

At my age, I am really doubting whether I will ever see a flag again. Tonight's performance almost buried me.

[Windy Hille]

Battleaxe of the slipshod as they say…

The failure to capatilise of dominance of play in stages is frustrating to watch. For a good chunk of that first quarter we seemed to control and dominate play, but just made crucial errors I the forward 50 and let them off the hook many times. It made it worse byetying them creep forward and slotting late goals. It felt like a waste of a quarter even though we were in front.


The next two quarters were mucked up with shoddy play that resulted in coughed up disposal that cost us goals. We only kicked 2 ourselves in wasted forward entries.

I echo other thoughts in regards to team balance - or lack thereof in conditions that meant the ball might be on the ground most of the time. Fester or creep in many ways. Or alternate…

Opportunity to grab 2nd spot was meekly surrendered.

Careful with that exe Eugene!

[nudder12]

Have you all been watching our team this year??

This was no surprise. And I have no idea why you expected better.
We're a mid team that were hanging on to a lofty ladder position thanks to other (better) teams losing games they shouldn't have.

Loss after loss, we all post the reasons that we're not a genuine contender - gameplan, some players not up to it etc etc.
It turns out we are right. We're not a genuine contender.
Stop being shocked/surprised by things that you already knew.

But hopefully......we are getting better, slowly, and in a year or two we'll be talking more about the finishing touches we need instead of the gaping holes.

[grassy1]

Pretty good summation there,nudder!

[nudder12]

Pretty good summation there,nudder!

Thanks.
It befuddles/bemuses me that week after week "we" identify why we're rubbish, but then carry on about games we lose. Makes no sense.

[Windy Hille]

Have you all been watching our team this year??

Well, yes. It seems distinctly different to 2023. A harder edge. In essence, a trusted system of play that is in progress and will have hiccups along the way.

This was no surprise. And I have no idea why you expected better.
We're a mid team that were hanging on to a lofty ladder position thanks to other (better) teams losing games they shouldn't have.

Well… in essence, what you’re saying is there are better teams than us who have inexplicable losses. So what does that mean? We are in our position, because better teams lose games they should win?

For a team, in your opinion, who is “middle” (outside the sort of place… playing for 2nd position last night is a bit perplexing. If the other teams aren’t playing in manner you believe they should be, maybe you have higher expectations of them, and less on us.

Loss after loss, we all post the reasons that we're not a genuine contender - gameplan, some players not up to it etc etc.
It turns out we are right. We're not a genuine contender.
Stop being shocked/surprised by things that you already knew.

Of course we will ponder these things. You tell me who is a “genuine contender” other than the Swans. And if they are genuine, then they shouldn’t be losing games they’re expected to win

But hopefully......we are getting better, slowly, and in a year or two we'll be talking more about the finishing touches we need instead of the gaping holes.

We are getting better, and I don’t believe there are gaping holes. For the first time in Avery long time we have a relatively healthy list. Some depth is being realised. And our standard of play is more resilient and robust than it has been in years.

Last night though… was a tactical error for the conditions in which was predicatable. Training prep, selection, game style, and positional loops need to be questioned.

[s'dreams]

It is interesting that two small forwards, (J) Davey and Menzie, both kicked 3 goals in a losing VFL side.

When will the selection team work out that this is a f****** Aussie rules team, not a bloody basketball team ... especially in wet weather and slippery conditions at the 'G (where we play like crap 4 times out of 5).

[BenDoolan]

It is interesting that two small forwards, (J) Davey and Menzie, both kicked 3 goals in a losing VFL side.

When will the selection team work out that this is a f****** Aussie rules team, not a bloody basketball team ... especially in wet weather and slippery conditions at the 'G (where we play like crap 4 times out of 5).

Well said.

If the big boys aren’t controlling the air in the F50, then the gnomes hovering around them need to get busy and productive. Guelfi and Gresham contributed zero. Shitfull.

Not sure of their specific roles, but the conditions on the night demanded that they be at the fall of the ball around goals.

Jayden Davey has kicked a total of 10 goals in the past 5 VFL games. Might be worth giving him a sniff in the seniors.

[nudder12]

Have you all been watching our team this year??

Well, yes. It seems distinctly different to 2023. A harder edge. In essence, a trusted system of play that is in progress and will have hiccups along the way.

This was no surprise. And I have no idea why you expected better.
We're a mid team that were hanging on to a lofty ladder position thanks to other (better) teams losing games they shouldn't have.

Well… in essence, what you’re saying is there are better teams than us who have inexplicable losses. So what does that mean? We are in our position, because better teams lose games they should win?

For a team, in your opinion, who is “middle” (outside the sort of place… playing for 2nd position last night is a bit perplexing. If the other teams aren’t playing in manner you believe they should be, maybe you have higher expectations of them, and less on us.

Loss after loss, we all post the reasons that we're not a genuine contender - gameplan, some players not up to it etc etc.
It turns out we are right. We're not a genuine contender.
Stop being shocked/surprised by things that you already knew.

Of course we will ponder these things. You tell me who is a “genuine contender” other than the Swans. And if they are genuine, then they shouldn’t be losing games they’re expected to win

But hopefully......we are getting better, slowly, and in a year or two we'll be talking more about the finishing touches we need instead of the gaping holes.

We are getting better, and I don’t believe there are gaping holes. For the first time in Avery long time we have a relatively healthy list. Some depth is being realised. And our standard of play is more resilient and robust than it has been in years.

Last night though… was a tactical error for the conditions in which was predicatable. Training prep, selection, game style, and positional loops need to be questioned.

Way to miss the point.
All I said was we aren't a Top 4 side and barely a Top 8 side, and we have some glaring deficiencies.
Just because some other teams have issues too doesn't change that.