I could go on and on about how it's yet ANOTHER home loss. That it's ANOTHER loss against a top 8 team.
I could...and I will. That's 6 losses at home. The house of pain has become the house of self-inflicted pain, with costly turnovers all too common, as undermanned Eagles teams continue to fall short.
Of course it's hard to win when 6 of your best are missing. But the fact is if we had have won earlier in the season, these losses wouldn't be so costly now.
It was a rather frenzied, emotionally charged and even nasty affair. And that was just the crowd. Sitting amongst the nest, no hoarde of Dockers fans at the City End, it's surprising that I remain with all limbs intact. I wasn't even abused upon making a hasty exit following the final siren. But during the game, geez, it got rather edgy. I don't engage in any banter at all, but quite a bit flew around as the game went on. Most of it in good fun, but having a Dockers scarf waved near your face after every last quarter goal (8 by the way) isn't exactly a great feeling (not that it was being waved at me, rather at the drunken lout a few seats up, who started cheering for the Dampier Sharks when Cox got the ball...hmmmm). I was actually sitting a few rows back from injured/useless Dockers like Suban and Crichton.
Back to the game. We need to address our starts. 4 weeks in a row...actually that's 5 weeks in a row; St Kilda, Hawthorn, Essendon, Adelaide and Freo we have gone down by around 3-4 goals. To our credit we have bounced back every time, but surely our chances would've been lifted in every one of those games had we not conceded the early edge.
Our intensity was superb for 3 quarters. It was impressive that guys like Dalziell, Hutchings and first gamer Carter really did hold their own against more established opponents. But we could never gain any advantage on the scoreboard. We were never more than a goal ahead. Personally, I felt the Dockers always held the game in their hands and they finally wore us down in the last. In the end it was 28 points for the 2nd time this year.
In terms of individuals, Jack Darling was the standout with 5 huge goals. He's been quiet in recent weeks but he really did have a big impact on this game. I thought Schofield was good too. He showed his versatility as he swung forward and kicked a couple. Glass and E-Mac were as solid as ever down back. I also thought Cripps had a decent outing with 2 goals. I must mention Hutchings who laid a staggering 16 tackles. I have to be honest. I don't think I've ever realised that he's on the field. It's probably that I'm focusing on other players, but he's clearly been giving everything out there.
I also have to say that the umpiring was fairly atrocious. We didn't lose the game because of it, but on several occasions the Dockers were handed frees for high tackles where there players ducked their head and ran into an Eagle. There was also the free kick for Walters in the goal square. Somehow he missed from 5 metres out, but there was NOT significant contact to deem a push in the back. Horrible. You weren't hear about the umpiring anywhere though. As long as it doesn't involve a Victorian team, the AFL media doesn't care.
In other news, Embley was reported and offered a 2 match ban for his bump on 'Clancee'. Hell, what's losing another mid to a team missing 4-5 already? Pavlich was also reported for his clumsy bump on Brown and was offered a 3 match ban. So...haha.
We're still 1 game outside the 8. Nothing's really changed in that regard. I'll update my finals post later.
We face the Swans next week, a team we haven't beaten since 2007. Unlike last week, I fully expect that absolutely no quality addtions will be made to this side. In fact I half expect that we'll lose another few players.
Finally, congrats to the Dockers. We might have 3 premierships, appeared in 5 grand finals, 2 Brownlow Medallists and 4 Norm Smith Medallists but you purple punks have heaps of those derby trophies. They've got to be worth at least $75 a pop at Cash Converters. #foreverinourshadow
Monday, 15 July 2013
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Round 16 Preview: Eagles Face Soporific Dockers
The thing about being successful is that it's great fun. Well, that's the general rule. Cynical coaches like Ro$$ Lyon, also known by many (just me) as 'the man who killed football' have turned that on its head. Because although the Dockers will probably push into the top 4, to the disproportionate cheers of their finals-starved fans, watching them play is usually an exercise in trying to stay awake. In fact, you know the expressions 'I'd rather watch grass grow' or it's like 'watching paint dry'? Well 10-15 years from now, those sayings will be replaced by "I'd rather watch a Freo Dockers game". It's a twisted, perverted almost pseudo-football that they trot out each week.
gyigluiyg h.......sorry, my head fell onto the keyboard, as I fell asleep thinking about the Freo-North game a few weeks back....
Saying all that, I really can't wait for this one! It's the first derby I will ever attend (owing to the fact I won tickets) and it could be the last until the new stadium (haha) is in use (because I'll probably never win tickets again). I should say I 'plan' on attending, as I live in the southern suburbs and there's every chance I'll have to endure some Crowley-esque torment to make it to the ground. Tough gig.
The stakes are huge. Which makes me feel very hungry. And nervous. We're 1 one game outside the 8. The Dockers are percentage outside the top 4. Both teams will be desperate.
Coming into the game, we are in fine form. The spectacular win over Adelaide followed up very good (but not quite good enough) efforts against the Hawks and Bombers. Our last 4 games in fact have been decided by an aggregate margin of 37 points. We're in the best form of our season.
The Dockers on the other hand, are difficult to gauge. A smashing at the hands of Geelong, followed up by an extremely lacklustre performance against the tanking (there, I said it) Saints leaves me a little unsure of what to expect.
They've definitely performed the better of the two sides over the course of the season. But, right now, I'm not sure you can say they're the better team. I'm happy that both Sandilands and Pavlich playing. Although I never want to see players injured, the chances of Sandi performing anywhere near his best, for anywhere near the whole game is doubtful. Plus, Pavlich, after a long lay-off will hopefully be a little sore following his first outing last week. Up forward, I'm feeling very confident that we have a big edge. No McPharlin is massive. Although Zac Dawson isn't the lightweight like back in his early days, he's vulnerable. So is Alex Silvagni.
Yes, their midfield is stronger than ours. It's usually the case. But, as the group showed last week (against a very strong Crows midfield) they are good enough. That effort is coupled with the addition of.................Why do I keep writing the previews before the teams come out!
I was expecting at least a couple of Shuey, Kerr and Wellingham to return. Instead, we're confronted with this situation:
WEST COAST
B: Schofield Glass Brown
HB: Brennan Mackenzie Smith
C: Gaff Priddis Rosa
HF: Hutchings Kennedy Hill
F: LeCras Cox Darling
FOLL: Naitanui Masten Dalziell
I/C FROM: Cripps Sheppard Embley Morton
IN: Smith Morton
OUT: Waters (knee) McGinnity
FREMANTLE
B: Silvagni Dawson Ibbotson
HB: Spurr Johnson Mundy
C: Mzungu Crowley Hill
HF: Fyfe Mayne C Pearce
F: Ballantyne Pavlich Sandilands
FOLL: Clarke de Boer Suban
I/C: D Pearce Walters Barlow Sheridan
IN: Silvagni Sutcliffe Neale Taberner
OUT: McPharlin (calf)
Cale Morton, who played 73 forgettable games for the Demons makes his debut for the club....erm, I have no words. Thursdays at 4:15 has been a harrowing experience for us this season.
Again this was written before the teams came out:
I'd be lying if I said I'm extremely confident. But I'm cautiously optimistic. In my mind, it's a 50-50 game. I know all the 'experts' have picked Freo without a second thought, but they did the same to the Crows as well. They're also failing to recognise the significance of this being an Eagles home game. I know it's not quite the same as playing an interstate team, but surely the extra support gives us the emotional edge.
I originally picked the Eagles by 15 points...more sober now...
Trying to stay positive, I'll say what I said last week- there's no reason for this not to be a close game. We'll need another herculean effort from what I'm going to term the 'replacements'. We have the firepower to kick a winning score against anyone. But getting it inside our 50 will be a problem against Lyon's drones. I still think we can win. 'Can' and 'will' are different propositions, but we're a chance. And if we win, man, that would be something.
And if we lose, well, we'll just have to go home and polish our premierships (that's not a metaphor for anything by the way).
gyigluiyg h.......sorry, my head fell onto the keyboard, as I fell asleep thinking about the Freo-North game a few weeks back....
Saying all that, I really can't wait for this one! It's the first derby I will ever attend (owing to the fact I won tickets) and it could be the last until the new stadium (haha) is in use (because I'll probably never win tickets again). I should say I 'plan' on attending, as I live in the southern suburbs and there's every chance I'll have to endure some Crowley-esque torment to make it to the ground. Tough gig.
The stakes are huge. Which makes me feel very hungry. And nervous. We're 1 one game outside the 8. The Dockers are percentage outside the top 4. Both teams will be desperate.
Coming into the game, we are in fine form. The spectacular win over Adelaide followed up very good (but not quite good enough) efforts against the Hawks and Bombers. Our last 4 games in fact have been decided by an aggregate margin of 37 points. We're in the best form of our season.
The Dockers on the other hand, are difficult to gauge. A smashing at the hands of Geelong, followed up by an extremely lacklustre performance against the tanking (there, I said it) Saints leaves me a little unsure of what to expect.
They've definitely performed the better of the two sides over the course of the season. But, right now, I'm not sure you can say they're the better team. I'm happy that both Sandilands and Pavlich playing. Although I never want to see players injured, the chances of Sandi performing anywhere near his best, for anywhere near the whole game is doubtful. Plus, Pavlich, after a long lay-off will hopefully be a little sore following his first outing last week. Up forward, I'm feeling very confident that we have a big edge. No McPharlin is massive. Although Zac Dawson isn't the lightweight like back in his early days, he's vulnerable. So is Alex Silvagni.
Yes, their midfield is stronger than ours. It's usually the case. But, as the group showed last week (against a very strong Crows midfield) they are good enough. That effort is coupled with the addition of.................Why do I keep writing the previews before the teams come out!
I was expecting at least a couple of Shuey, Kerr and Wellingham to return. Instead, we're confronted with this situation:
WEST COAST
B: Schofield Glass Brown
HB: Brennan Mackenzie Smith
C: Gaff Priddis Rosa
HF: Hutchings Kennedy Hill
F: LeCras Cox Darling
FOLL: Naitanui Masten Dalziell
I/C FROM: Cripps Sheppard Embley Morton
IN: Smith Morton
OUT: Waters (knee) McGinnity
FREMANTLE
B: Silvagni Dawson Ibbotson
HB: Spurr Johnson Mundy
C: Mzungu Crowley Hill
HF: Fyfe Mayne C Pearce
F: Ballantyne Pavlich Sandilands
FOLL: Clarke de Boer Suban
I/C: D Pearce Walters Barlow Sheridan
IN: Silvagni Sutcliffe Neale Taberner
OUT: McPharlin (calf)
Cale Morton, who played 73 forgettable games for the Demons makes his debut for the club....erm, I have no words. Thursdays at 4:15 has been a harrowing experience for us this season.
Again this was written before the teams came out:
I'd be lying if I said I'm extremely confident. But I'm cautiously optimistic. In my mind, it's a 50-50 game. I know all the 'experts' have picked Freo without a second thought, but they did the same to the Crows as well. They're also failing to recognise the significance of this being an Eagles home game. I know it's not quite the same as playing an interstate team, but surely the extra support gives us the emotional edge.
I originally picked the Eagles by 15 points...more sober now...
Trying to stay positive, I'll say what I said last week- there's no reason for this not to be a close game. We'll need another herculean effort from what I'm going to term the 'replacements'. We have the firepower to kick a winning score against anyone. But getting it inside our 50 will be a problem against Lyon's drones. I still think we can win. 'Can' and 'will' are different propositions, but we're a chance. And if we win, man, that would be something.
And if we lose, well, we'll just have to go home and polish our premierships (that's not a metaphor for anything by the way).
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Mid-Week Musings: Eagles Road to the Finals
UPDATED: 15/7
Warning: This is completely meaningless. I have too much time on my hands...
In an ideal world I wouldn't need to write this. We would've beaten Carlton, Richmond and Port. But it didn't happen. We're playing our best football right now and we need to because our run home is very much on the 'eek' side.
After using the ladder predictor, the top 6 seems set in this general order: Hawks/Cats/Swans/Dockers/Bombers/Pies.
That leaves Richmond, Port, Us, North (ish) and Carlton (ish) fighting for 2 spots. Brisbane could become relevant but I don't respect them enough to give them the time of day. Of course, there's a very real possibility that Essendon will be stripped of all their points pending the ASADA inquiry. So, it could very well be 5 teams fighting for 3 spots. I get the feeling, however, that the AFL (in all their greed) will do anything to keep Essendon out of real trouble.
Can we make 8th? Can we make 9th? 8th is very tough, 9th is tough. But both can be achieved.
First, let's look at the fixtures of the other teams, with the likely wins in blue.
- Richmond (9-5)- Suns- Dockers- Swans- Hawks- Lions- Blues- Giants- Bombers = 13 wins
- Port Adelaide (8-6)- Hawks- Saints- Lions- Crows- Cats- Suns- Dockers- Blues = 13 wins
- North Melbourne (6-8)- Lions- Blues- Demons- Cats- Crows- Bombers- Hawks- Pies= 9 wins
- Carlton (6-8)- Saints- Roos- Suns- Dockers- Dogs- Tigers- Bombers- Power= 9 wins
The wild-card here is what kind of performance do Essendon give if they're playing for nothing? And, of course, do teams rest players when their position on the ladder is set?
Regardless, the fact is to make 8th we probably need 13 wins. To make 9th we probably need 10-11 wins.
Although you have to take each game seriously, the Suns, Dogs and Crows are 3 games that we should win. That gives us 10 wins.
From there, we have 2 home games against the Swans and the Cats and away games against the Bombers and Pies.
It's probably fair to say we will be underdogs in every single one of those games. But to get to the (hopefully) magical number of 13 wins, we will need to win 3 of the 4. I said last week that "I think we can win every one of these games." Not feeling so confident after the Derby. We have lost every single game against a top 8 team this year. We have a well established inability to beat Sydney anywhere and Essendon and Collingwood in Melbourne. We did beat the Cats both in 2011 and 2012, but you wouldn't back us to do the same in 2013.
We really need players back soon. Even then we're going to need to play some remarkable football, which we've been unable to produce this season. If we don't then we need help. It may be from ASADA. But for now let's hope that the Saints (yeah, gross I know) can knock off the Power, North can beat Carlton and reigning premiers Freo can beat the Tigers.
This post updates. Not itself, that would be scary.
Warning: This is completely meaningless. I have too much time on my hands...
In an ideal world I wouldn't need to write this. We would've beaten Carlton, Richmond and Port. But it didn't happen. We're playing our best football right now and we need to because our run home is very much on the 'eek' side.
After using the ladder predictor, the top 6 seems set in this general order: Hawks/Cats/Swans/Dockers/Bombers/Pies.
That leaves Richmond, Port, Us, North (ish) and Carlton (ish) fighting for 2 spots. Brisbane could become relevant but I don't respect them enough to give them the time of day. Of course, there's a very real possibility that Essendon will be stripped of all their points pending the ASADA inquiry. So, it could very well be 5 teams fighting for 3 spots. I get the feeling, however, that the AFL (in all their greed) will do anything to keep Essendon out of real trouble.
Can we make 8th? Can we make 9th? 8th is very tough, 9th is tough. But both can be achieved.
First, let's look at the fixtures of the other teams, with the likely wins in blue.
- Richmond (9-5)- Suns- Dockers- Swans- Hawks- Lions- Blues- Giants- Bombers = 13 wins
- Port Adelaide (8-6)- Hawks- Saints- Lions- Crows- Cats- Suns- Dockers- Blues = 13 wins
- North Melbourne (6-8)- Lions- Blues- Demons- Cats- Crows- Bombers- Hawks- Pies= 9 wins
- Carlton (6-8)- Saints- Roos- Suns- Dockers- Dogs- Tigers- Bombers- Power= 9 wins
The wild-card here is what kind of performance do Essendon give if they're playing for nothing? And, of course, do teams rest players when their position on the ladder is set?
Regardless, the fact is to make 8th we probably need 13 wins. To make 9th we probably need 10-11 wins.
Although you have to take each game seriously, the Suns, Dogs and Crows are 3 games that we should win. That gives us 10 wins.
From there, we have 2 home games against the Swans and the Cats and away games against the Bombers and Pies.
It's probably fair to say we will be underdogs in every single one of those games. But to get to the (hopefully) magical number of 13 wins, we will need to win 3 of the 4. I said last week that "I think we can win every one of these games." Not feeling so confident after the Derby. We have lost every single game against a top 8 team this year. We have a well established inability to beat Sydney anywhere and Essendon and Collingwood in Melbourne. We did beat the Cats both in 2011 and 2012, but you wouldn't back us to do the same in 2013.
We really need players back soon. Even then we're going to need to play some remarkable football, which we've been unable to produce this season. If we don't then we need help. It may be from ASADA. But for now let's hope that the Saints (yeah, gross I know) can knock off the Power, North can beat Carlton and reigning premiers Freo can beat the Tigers.
This post updates. Not itself, that would be scary.
Monday, 8 July 2013
Round 15 Recap: Iconic Win that was 3 Weeks in the Making
After the game, when JJK was being interviewed, he said something to the effect of "it's been a good couple of weeks...um not really because we lost...". It was hilarious. But although it may have seemed as if he misspoke, I think there's more than an element of truth to it. In terms of purely performance, effort and intensity, it was a good two weeks.
This game, however, had the added element, the only element that in the end counts- the victory.
And what a victory! To say I was concerned after 10 minutes would be an understatement. For the 3rd week running we were down by 3 goals early. I wrote in my preview that it couldn't happen again or we would be spent. We did look spent, we missed some early shots, but a flurry of goals to end the quarter (including Hill's miracle soccer goal from 50) helped us steady the ship.
Then the game really see-sawed from there on. Adelaide were ascendant in the 2nd, then us in the 3rd, then Adelaide in the last until....WOW!!! I'm not going to pretend I thought we were still alive. 13 points, 6 minutes left. Low scoring game, away from home, 3 of our best 5 midfielders out. I had already thought of a title for this post: "Rinse and Repeat". But the courage, strength and sheer will of the team was breathtaking.
Embley kicked a clutch goal. Dalziell (what zeal!) finished a field long team attack with the ugliest yet most beautiful goal you'll ever see. At that point I was thinking "fine, a draw, I'll take it". But then, unbelievably, JJK kicked a goal from 45 on his left with 50 seconds left. Say what you want about Anthony Hudson but he is responsible for my favourite line of commentary: "Who would've thought the sequel would've been just as good as the original?!" and now "He's covered himself in glory Josh Kennedy!".
It was our first win for a month. A deserved win. An iconic win. Our midfield has a strong whiff of WAFL about it, but the group showed how much that effort and intensity makes up for talent.
There were too many exemplary performances to list. But Priddis has blown me away this season. Especially this week when he just kept getting the ball, clearing, running, tackling, getting tackled and getting up. No words are necessary for Kennedy. Embley, a guy who I thought was done, played a pivotal role. It can't be easy coming on as the sub for 20 minutes, then going off again and then coming back. 16 possessions, that crucial goal and a gallop down the sideline to seal the deal. Schofield's goal, one we've seen before, was special. Dalziell, another who I admittedly questioned, has filled in extremely well in an injury-depleted team. I'm sure there is others I'm neglecting to mention, but it really was superb team performance.
I don't want to harp on negatives, BUT there were heaps of unforced turnovers (particularly Masten, who was lauded by most, but I'm not too sure). I also thought Rosa was very poor again and Darling was fairly quiet.
Unfortunately, McG was offered a 3 match ban for a 'sling tackle'. It didn't look like a 'sling' to me at all. And then the MRP has the gall to offer McKernan a 2 match ban after he clearly intentionally elbowed Sheppard in the head. Inconsistent and abysmal. Just like the umpiring on Saturday night.
We move to 9th on the ladder (which could become 8th), 1 win behind Port. We face the Dockers and Swans the next 2 weeks. Remember how I wrote that I was done mentioning finals? Well, I've changed my mind. I've become obsessed with the AFL's Ladder Predictor, desperately trying to figure out a way for us to play Finals. In fact, I'm probably going to post something about how we can make the finals.
But it may involve a time machine. No, not really.
A huge 2 weeks ahead. Let's savour the moment from this one for a few more days before the Derby. Then we can savour that win.
This game, however, had the added element, the only element that in the end counts- the victory.
And what a victory! To say I was concerned after 10 minutes would be an understatement. For the 3rd week running we were down by 3 goals early. I wrote in my preview that it couldn't happen again or we would be spent. We did look spent, we missed some early shots, but a flurry of goals to end the quarter (including Hill's miracle soccer goal from 50) helped us steady the ship.
Then the game really see-sawed from there on. Adelaide were ascendant in the 2nd, then us in the 3rd, then Adelaide in the last until....WOW!!! I'm not going to pretend I thought we were still alive. 13 points, 6 minutes left. Low scoring game, away from home, 3 of our best 5 midfielders out. I had already thought of a title for this post: "Rinse and Repeat". But the courage, strength and sheer will of the team was breathtaking.
Embley kicked a clutch goal. Dalziell (what zeal!) finished a field long team attack with the ugliest yet most beautiful goal you'll ever see. At that point I was thinking "fine, a draw, I'll take it". But then, unbelievably, JJK kicked a goal from 45 on his left with 50 seconds left. Say what you want about Anthony Hudson but he is responsible for my favourite line of commentary: "Who would've thought the sequel would've been just as good as the original?!" and now "He's covered himself in glory Josh Kennedy!".
It was our first win for a month. A deserved win. An iconic win. Our midfield has a strong whiff of WAFL about it, but the group showed how much that effort and intensity makes up for talent.
There were too many exemplary performances to list. But Priddis has blown me away this season. Especially this week when he just kept getting the ball, clearing, running, tackling, getting tackled and getting up. No words are necessary for Kennedy. Embley, a guy who I thought was done, played a pivotal role. It can't be easy coming on as the sub for 20 minutes, then going off again and then coming back. 16 possessions, that crucial goal and a gallop down the sideline to seal the deal. Schofield's goal, one we've seen before, was special. Dalziell, another who I admittedly questioned, has filled in extremely well in an injury-depleted team. I'm sure there is others I'm neglecting to mention, but it really was superb team performance.
I don't want to harp on negatives, BUT there were heaps of unforced turnovers (particularly Masten, who was lauded by most, but I'm not too sure). I also thought Rosa was very poor again and Darling was fairly quiet.
Unfortunately, McG was offered a 3 match ban for a 'sling tackle'. It didn't look like a 'sling' to me at all. And then the MRP has the gall to offer McKernan a 2 match ban after he clearly intentionally elbowed Sheppard in the head. Inconsistent and abysmal. Just like the umpiring on Saturday night.
We move to 9th on the ladder (which could become 8th), 1 win behind Port. We face the Dockers and Swans the next 2 weeks. Remember how I wrote that I was done mentioning finals? Well, I've changed my mind. I've become obsessed with the AFL's Ladder Predictor, desperately trying to figure out a way for us to play Finals. In fact, I'm probably going to post something about how we can make the finals.
But it may involve a time machine. No, not really.
A huge 2 weeks ahead. Let's savour the moment from this one for a few more days before the Derby. Then we can savour that win.
Friday, 5 July 2013
Round 15 Preview: Birds of a Feather
I think I'm done mentioning the finals. It was Coaching Genius and all round
pain in the ass Chris Connoly who imposed a ban on the 'f' word during the
first season (?) in which the Dockers threatened to win a few games.
But, for me, if we're good enough from here, over the last 9, we'll make it. If we're not good enough, forget the excuses, we won't make it.
Let's just see what happens. But regardless of whether or not our season extends beyond winter, we have some huge games ahead of us. Huge games against rivals, which I, for one, want to see us win.
The Dockers obviously. The Swans, that goes without saying. But also Collingwood. Essendon. Geelong. In fact, pretty much every team we face, because if you're not us, you're them and if you're them well...
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Now that the state of Victoria have passed out from crying, we can proceed. Seriously, what is it about the ‘boo’ which got all those freaks whipped up into a lather. I thought maybe Victorians were sensitive to that frequency of sound or something, but then 2 nights later when Crowley and Ballantyne were booed mercilessly, they said it was ‘good natured’. Wait a sec.
Guy who admits taking banned substance gets booed = disgrace.
Guy accused of pinching sore loser gets booed = part of the game.
So it goes.
But onto this one. Adelaide at Football Park (love that name, none of this sponsorship rubbish...unless they pay me to write it and then I'll gladly sell my soul). The Eagles have won 7 of 20 against the Crows at the ground, not so bad considering Adelaide dominated most of the clashes during the 90s on their home turf.
We really are birds of a feather. We both went deep-ish in the finals last season. We both had high expectations at the start of the season. We both have had utterly forgettable seasons thus far. We’re both 6-9. We both have not beaten a team in the top 8. The Crows are 0-6 from games against the top 8. We are also 0-6. We have both lost 1 game to a team outside the top 8: Carlton.
Yet despite the statistical similarities, I feel we’re the better team. Especially recently. I honestly believe our last 2 weeks of football have been the best football we’ve played. Hawthorn are far and away the best team in the comp (notwithstanding that they’ll probably lose on Saturday night, just ‘cause...well...curse) and we pushed them to the brink. We should’ve beaten Essendon, no doubt, but injuries to our already soft midfield and a short break (vs Bombers off a bye) surely influenced our demise.
Our midfield is still a major concern, but except for Dangerfield (who really does scare me) the Crows aren’t that potent. Their forward line is makeshift. They are, essentially, a mediocre side.
What we must do, though, is start well. I don’t know about you, but I feel that going down 4 goals to 1 is asking for trouble. That’s what has happened the last 2 weeks. Do that against the Crows in Adelaide and it will be very hard to rectify.
......Thursday 4:20.....Teams come out...shrieks....recomposes self...
I wrote the above before the teams came out. The exclusion of Kerr has, to an extent, drained me of confidence. It wouldn't be such a concern if, say, a couple of Shuey, Selwood or Wellingham were playing. But the fact is, this is one of the weakest midfields (on paper) that we have fielded for quite a while.
Adelaide
B: Andrew Otten, Ben Rutten, Luke Brown
HB: Nathan van Berlo, Daniel Talia, Brodie Smith
C: Bernie Vince, Rory Sloane, Brad Crouch
HF: Aidan Riley, Ricky Henderson, Richard Douglas
F: Jason Porplyzia, Josh Jenkins, Matthew Wright
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thompson
Int: Shaun McKernan, Rory Laird, Matthew Jaensch, Thomas Lynch
Emerg: David Mackay, Richard Tambling, Kyle Hartigan
In: S.McKernan
Out: B.Reilly (Shoulder)
West Coast
B: Will Schofield, Darren Glass, Mitchell Brown
HB: Jacob Brennan, Eric Mackenzie, Beau Waters
C: Andrew Embley, Matt Priddis, Matt Rosa
HF: Mark Hutchings, Josh Kennedy, Josh Hill
F: Mark LeCras, Dean Cox, Jack Darling
Foll: Nic Naitanui, Chris Masten, Brad Sheppard
Int: Patrick McGinnity, Bradd Dalziell, Jamie Cripps, Andrew Gaff
Emerg: Blayne Wilson, Cale Morton, Scott Lycett
In: J.Hill, J.Brennan, J.Cripps, A.Embley
Out: D.Kerr (ribs), S.Butler (back), As.Smith (calf), S.Tunbridge
Yet, fighting the irresistible urge to fall to the floor and assume the foetus position, this is still very winnable. Is it harder without the 4 guys mentioned above? Absolutely. But we still have Gaff and Priddis. We still have guys, who if they do their job, are good enough to give us a chance. Let's forget the problematic midfield. The Crows are no match for our forward line which is strengthened by the return of Hill. They have essentially nothing of concern up forward (except when Dangerfield is playing there...), especially when you look at our solid backline.
We need big games from the likes of Rosa, Masten, Dalziell and Hutchings. We need Cripps to show something. Perhaps Lecras can spend some time in the midfield?
We don't need a miracle to win this game. We're playing football that's good enough to win. We just need a team performance; committed and consistent.
Come on Eagles.
------
Anyone else remember this during the 90s? I used to love this as a kid. Classic. Although I don't appreciate the 'West Coast Wankers' stickers. Was that before or after we kicked Geelong's arses in 1992 and 1994?
But, for me, if we're good enough from here, over the last 9, we'll make it. If we're not good enough, forget the excuses, we won't make it.
Let's just see what happens. But regardless of whether or not our season extends beyond winter, we have some huge games ahead of us. Huge games against rivals, which I, for one, want to see us win.
The Dockers obviously. The Swans, that goes without saying. But also Collingwood. Essendon. Geelong. In fact, pretty much every team we face, because if you're not us, you're them and if you're them well...
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Now that the state of Victoria have passed out from crying, we can proceed. Seriously, what is it about the ‘boo’ which got all those freaks whipped up into a lather. I thought maybe Victorians were sensitive to that frequency of sound or something, but then 2 nights later when Crowley and Ballantyne were booed mercilessly, they said it was ‘good natured’. Wait a sec.
Guy who admits taking banned substance gets booed = disgrace.
Guy accused of pinching sore loser gets booed = part of the game.
So it goes.
But onto this one. Adelaide at Football Park (love that name, none of this sponsorship rubbish...unless they pay me to write it and then I'll gladly sell my soul). The Eagles have won 7 of 20 against the Crows at the ground, not so bad considering Adelaide dominated most of the clashes during the 90s on their home turf.
We really are birds of a feather. We both went deep-ish in the finals last season. We both had high expectations at the start of the season. We both have had utterly forgettable seasons thus far. We’re both 6-9. We both have not beaten a team in the top 8. The Crows are 0-6 from games against the top 8. We are also 0-6. We have both lost 1 game to a team outside the top 8: Carlton.
Yet despite the statistical similarities, I feel we’re the better team. Especially recently. I honestly believe our last 2 weeks of football have been the best football we’ve played. Hawthorn are far and away the best team in the comp (notwithstanding that they’ll probably lose on Saturday night, just ‘cause...well...curse) and we pushed them to the brink. We should’ve beaten Essendon, no doubt, but injuries to our already soft midfield and a short break (vs Bombers off a bye) surely influenced our demise.
Our midfield is still a major concern, but except for Dangerfield (who really does scare me) the Crows aren’t that potent. Their forward line is makeshift. They are, essentially, a mediocre side.
What we must do, though, is start well. I don’t know about you, but I feel that going down 4 goals to 1 is asking for trouble. That’s what has happened the last 2 weeks. Do that against the Crows in Adelaide and it will be very hard to rectify.
......Thursday 4:20.....Teams come out...shrieks....recomposes self...
I wrote the above before the teams came out. The exclusion of Kerr has, to an extent, drained me of confidence. It wouldn't be such a concern if, say, a couple of Shuey, Selwood or Wellingham were playing. But the fact is, this is one of the weakest midfields (on paper) that we have fielded for quite a while.
Adelaide
B: Andrew Otten, Ben Rutten, Luke Brown
HB: Nathan van Berlo, Daniel Talia, Brodie Smith
C: Bernie Vince, Rory Sloane, Brad Crouch
HF: Aidan Riley, Ricky Henderson, Richard Douglas
F: Jason Porplyzia, Josh Jenkins, Matthew Wright
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thompson
Int: Shaun McKernan, Rory Laird, Matthew Jaensch, Thomas Lynch
Emerg: David Mackay, Richard Tambling, Kyle Hartigan
In: S.McKernan
Out: B.Reilly (Shoulder)
West Coast
B: Will Schofield, Darren Glass, Mitchell Brown
HB: Jacob Brennan, Eric Mackenzie, Beau Waters
C: Andrew Embley, Matt Priddis, Matt Rosa
HF: Mark Hutchings, Josh Kennedy, Josh Hill
F: Mark LeCras, Dean Cox, Jack Darling
Foll: Nic Naitanui, Chris Masten, Brad Sheppard
Int: Patrick McGinnity, Bradd Dalziell, Jamie Cripps, Andrew Gaff
Emerg: Blayne Wilson, Cale Morton, Scott Lycett
In: J.Hill, J.Brennan, J.Cripps, A.Embley
Out: D.Kerr (ribs), S.Butler (back), As.Smith (calf), S.Tunbridge
Yet, fighting the irresistible urge to fall to the floor and assume the foetus position, this is still very winnable. Is it harder without the 4 guys mentioned above? Absolutely. But we still have Gaff and Priddis. We still have guys, who if they do their job, are good enough to give us a chance. Let's forget the problematic midfield. The Crows are no match for our forward line which is strengthened by the return of Hill. They have essentially nothing of concern up forward (except when Dangerfield is playing there...), especially when you look at our solid backline.
We need big games from the likes of Rosa, Masten, Dalziell and Hutchings. We need Cripps to show something. Perhaps Lecras can spend some time in the midfield?
We don't need a miracle to win this game. We're playing football that's good enough to win. We just need a team performance; committed and consistent.
Come on Eagles.
------
Anyone else remember this during the 90s? I used to love this as a kid. Classic. Although I don't appreciate the 'West Coast Wankers' stickers. Was that before or after we kicked Geelong's arses in 1992 and 1994?
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