Hard to complain about a 10 goal win, was not exactly inspiring but we buried them in the third when it mattered.
Essendon's problem is that they don't have a good enough list. The silly thing is that the powers that be at Essendon massively over-rate their list, but still hang sh!t on their players while they're at it. Not a good way to run things.
The biggest issue I had with tonight was the centre clearances, as mentioned by everyone here. We seriously need to sort this. Maybe a week off will do Nank some good. Miller is fine as a second ruck. But the way we set up in the middle just seems all wrong, maybe I should watch it on a replay because something has to change. I think part of it is our pressure levels seem to adjust to the opposition. So, when we play a team like Essendon who don't apply much pressure we don't either. Contrast that with the game against Geelong where it was pressure from both sides all day. More pressure in the centre clearances would do a lot to help our cause.
I thought the defence was fine. When the ball comes in quickly from a clean centre clearance there is little you can do. I heard some criticism at the game for Tarrant when he couldn't go with 2mPeter on the lead, the reality is that the only way to defend a lead is to have someone fill the hole or come in from the side to spoil. See also centre clearances, forwards have an easy time leading off their defender if the ball comes in quick and accurate. In the first quarter the inside 50s I think favoured Essendon, just. But they were being nullified by our defence with Essendon getting about 23% scoring shots for inside 50 entries, while our forward line was scoring efficiently - from memory it was over 60% scoring shots from inside 50s at quarter time - you reckon we were leaking goals, you should have seen the other mob!
The umpiring was the usual sh!tshow. So many frees not paid for both sides. Massive imbalance of frees to half time, reversed by the end of the game. It really is a mess. I was standing at the Punt Rd End forward pocket, in the first quarter Lynch was being held and his arms pinned while trying to get to a marking contest - nothing. Yet later in the game he got frees for far less. Baker was a bit silly to push the Essendon player after he marked, but really, it happens at least a dozen times a game without a 50, so why that one and not all the others? Who knows, adjudication of this game remains a mystery. A mystery which just gets worse if you read the actual rules.
So, into finals but in the wrong end of the 8. It is a big task. We can beat just about anyone on our day but have not been consistent enough. Winning from 7th is so difficult but always good to be in the finals. I would like to see them at least make a Prelim Final, would be a reasonable return for a strange year where we could have won so many more games.
The future looks very bright given we so recently won 3 flags and therefore have had low draft picks. Our young players are developing well. Gibcus has dropped a bit, but he is a first year player. I remember looking at Gibcus next to one of the Carlton forwards in Round 1 and he looked about half the size, a couple of pre-seasons and time with the weights and he will be a great player. Sonsie just looks at home at AFL level, excellent player. Cumberland has been great, he plays such a difficult role as a mid sized forward but his reading of the game is great. Miller has improved out of sight, I thought he could make a serviceable defender, now he seems to be a second ruck and swing man, playing a bit of forward and back, Shai is still young, and brilliant. MRJ is coming along, needs to work on a few things but clear talent and plays a vital role defending in the forward line. We are doing very well to have a crop of good young players given the draft hand a premiership team gets.
DS
Essendon's problem is that they don't have a good enough list. The silly thing is that the powers that be at Essendon massively over-rate their list, but still hang sh!t on their players while they're at it. Not a good way to run things.
The biggest issue I had with tonight was the centre clearances, as mentioned by everyone here. We seriously need to sort this. Maybe a week off will do Nank some good. Miller is fine as a second ruck. But the way we set up in the middle just seems all wrong, maybe I should watch it on a replay because something has to change. I think part of it is our pressure levels seem to adjust to the opposition. So, when we play a team like Essendon who don't apply much pressure we don't either. Contrast that with the game against Geelong where it was pressure from both sides all day. More pressure in the centre clearances would do a lot to help our cause.
I thought the defence was fine. When the ball comes in quickly from a clean centre clearance there is little you can do. I heard some criticism at the game for Tarrant when he couldn't go with 2mPeter on the lead, the reality is that the only way to defend a lead is to have someone fill the hole or come in from the side to spoil. See also centre clearances, forwards have an easy time leading off their defender if the ball comes in quick and accurate. In the first quarter the inside 50s I think favoured Essendon, just. But they were being nullified by our defence with Essendon getting about 23% scoring shots for inside 50 entries, while our forward line was scoring efficiently - from memory it was over 60% scoring shots from inside 50s at quarter time - you reckon we were leaking goals, you should have seen the other mob!
The umpiring was the usual sh!tshow. So many frees not paid for both sides. Massive imbalance of frees to half time, reversed by the end of the game. It really is a mess. I was standing at the Punt Rd End forward pocket, in the first quarter Lynch was being held and his arms pinned while trying to get to a marking contest - nothing. Yet later in the game he got frees for far less. Baker was a bit silly to push the Essendon player after he marked, but really, it happens at least a dozen times a game without a 50, so why that one and not all the others? Who knows, adjudication of this game remains a mystery. A mystery which just gets worse if you read the actual rules.
So, into finals but in the wrong end of the 8. It is a big task. We can beat just about anyone on our day but have not been consistent enough. Winning from 7th is so difficult but always good to be in the finals. I would like to see them at least make a Prelim Final, would be a reasonable return for a strange year where we could have won so many more games.
The future looks very bright given we so recently won 3 flags and therefore have had low draft picks. Our young players are developing well. Gibcus has dropped a bit, but he is a first year player. I remember looking at Gibcus next to one of the Carlton forwards in Round 1 and he looked about half the size, a couple of pre-seasons and time with the weights and he will be a great player. Sonsie just looks at home at AFL level, excellent player. Cumberland has been great, he plays such a difficult role as a mid sized forward but his reading of the game is great. Miller has improved out of sight, I thought he could make a serviceable defender, now he seems to be a second ruck and swing man, playing a bit of forward and back, Shai is still young, and brilliant. MRJ is coming along, needs to work on a few things but clear talent and plays a vital role defending in the forward line. We are doing very well to have a crop of good young players given the draft hand a premiership team gets.
DS
