13 Predictions for Season 2013: No. 10

As I sit here typing, I can't help but think I'd only have 7 predictions to go had I gone with the conventional '10'. But that would be too easy and...lame. But I’ve decided to post the final 10 one at a time to trick you into thinking I’ve done more work.

  All the more impressive now that we know that 

the Bombers are half-man, half-robot.

10. Leading Goalkicker

This is a difficult one. You would think that there are three bona-fide potential leaders here in Kennedy, Lecras and Darling. Looking back upon the last few years, due to injuries, form and other factors no one player has locked down the ‘No.1 goal kicker’ position.

2012	Jack Darling	53
2011	Josh Kennedy	59
2010	Mark Lecras	63
2009	Mark Lecras	58
2008	Ben Mckinley	42
2007	Quinten ‘Magpie’ Lynch	52

 source: AFL Stats

In fact, that’s probably become one of the strengths of the team over the last couple of seasons. We have a strong array of options, making it difficult for opposing teams to focus on just one key guy. That strength was, of course, tested last season with the long-term injuries to stars Lecras and Kennedy, but others, notably Hams and Hill, stepped up and filled the void nicely. This year I also suspect we will see a nice spread of goals, with Lecras with 51 stealing the show. I’m a little worried about Kennedy’s propensity for injury, while I assume (my) Darling’s tally will come down a little with the return of the two guns.

Stay tuned for more things that you probably don't want to know by liking and following.

Rapid Reaction: Hawks vs Eagles

These are my thoughts following each quarter...

Q1. 
 A very promising start to the game. The Eagles are holding their own in the midfield. Shuey and Gaff have been very clean with their disposals.As I thought, the Hawks defence is no match for our key bigs. Kennedy is dominant, with two goals. He should have kicked 3 or 4.  Naitanui took a couple of marks!
I think we can win this game...though I may change my mind at half time. The Hawks may have been exposed as pretenders.

Q2.
 Umpiring grants Franklin another goal. Cox keeps slipping. He really looks off today. I wish Rioli played for us. Darling has been everywhere.
 Our forward pressure has been superb...I wonder if I'll be thinking that come the final quarter. We've played more consistent football than Hawthorn, yet trail by a point. I guess that's the talent differential. Yet, we're still in a position to win this game. This is a huge test of our ability to put 4 quarters together. We need more efficiency in front of goal.

Q3.
Great pressure continues. Ebert continues to turn the ball over.  Darling continues to rack up the disposals. I really don't think we have made the most of our chances. Given the dominance of our forwards, the delivery has been quite disappointing. Still, we lead by 2 points. This is a huge quarter for our finals prospects. Win, go into the bye 3-1 and we have very good chance. A loss will be psychologically demoralising as well as a statistical blow. We've played better than a 2-2 start. Let's Go Eagles!

Q4.
 The Hawks killed us. We couldn't get the ball and when we do we couldn't maintain possession. OK. 6 minutes left it's game over. Franklin just kicked his 6th. For two weeks in a row, we were in it and then well...we lost.
I don't know how to feel about this loss. It was expected. But we had a real chance. I think if we had have been more efficient in front of goal early we may have been closer at the end. There were some fine individual performances; notably Darling. I don't know what happened to Cox today. I just hope he's not injured.
So 2-2 after 4. We seem better than last year, but all that matters is wins. Real progress can only be evidenced by victories. 
It should be an interesting year.
....
So I wrote that when there was 5 minutes left. I went a bit early. Great fightback at the end. Inspirational stuff. Two things. Why the hell didn't the umpire stop the clock when Glass got a 50 m penalty, and when Embley was lining up for goal? Ridiculous. Then, Ebert and Cox touched Embley's kick on the line! What were they thinking? It was going to be a goal!
Still, the first part of the last quarter cost us.
Most of the above observations still apply.


Until next time
Misanthropic Eagle

Round 1 Review: Eagles win...but still lose.

I came away from yesterday's win with a due sense of dread. A win, sure, but a win that felt more like a thank-less win, less celebratory more contemplative. 

We won by 4 points, against a bottom 6 side without some of their best players and most evidently without a ruckman. Sure we were without casual-player Kerr and inconsistent Naitanui, but it would have been quite an effort to lose. Yet, we nearly did. I'm not arguing that we played poorly. I thought we showed some positive signs. Cox was at his dominant best (until the final quarter when cramps compelled him to form the fetal position). Gaff, starting as a sub, showed some silky skills. Darling looks strong, if not a little rigid and inflexible.

Yet, in general, the skills of some of our players allowed North to stay in the game. Ebert continues to amaze me with his inability to kick a football properly. Scott Selwood had a few clangers. Last season we had a tendency to turn the ball over at the most inopportune times. Nothing I saw yesterday convinced me that much had changed.

Now to the real bad news. I’m sure you all saw it. Following a goal he kicked in  the 3^rd quarter, Mark Lecras seemed to clutch his groin in pain. Well, it turns out he has an adductor tear and will be out for 7 to 10 weeks. I can’t overemphasise how great a loss this is. Lecras is the most skilful player in our team (outside of Kerr). Morover, yesterday he seemed to be spending s a substantial amount of time in the midfield. This loss deprives us of what could have been a coming of age season for Lecras. In a more tangible way we lose the 63 goals he kicked last year. More pressure is now on the likes of Ashton Hams, who yesterday did close to nothing.

Geez...I don't know why I'm turning yellow

In other news, Chris Masten has damaged cartilage in his knee and will miss 6 weeks. I would like to say this is a huge loss. But Masten has been a perpetual disappointment since we drafted him a few seasons ago. Injuries have played a role in this, but it just adds further credence to my view that our drafting has been exceedingly poor in the post-Juddas era.

Still, we won. In McKinley’s and to a lesser extent Edward’s face. 4 points on the board. We are in the top 8!

Next up, Port at AAMI Stadium. From memory we have only won once against Port there. I actually remember that game well. Late in the last, Cousins kicked two goals to lift us over the line. Good times. I think we can win this game, but by Friday I may have changed my mind.

Until next time
A Victorious Misanthropic Eagle

P.S The Umpiring was complete bollocks.

Darling no longer my darling...

Dreamteam implications aside, news that Jack Darling was dropped from Saturday's side due to disciplinary issues is a real kick in the teeth. We're a team that has had its fair share of off-field issues in the past, not pointing any fingers...(Ben Cousins)...and it was a very questionable decision to draft Darling in the first place.

Is this man a superhero?

It is only 1 late arrival at training but I hope it's not an omen of things to come. Maybe he had to stop on the way and save an old granny from thugs. Maybe he's actually a superhero? Regardless let's hope he gets his priorities right. The last thing we need is people like 'Wallsy' up our arse (s) again....prick.

Until next time
The Misanthropic Eagle 

Source: Fox Sports