Essendon

[P.A.F.C]

How exactly do you decide that we're "not going to win anything" if not on this mythical "expectation" which is supposedly irrelevant. If you want to talk about actual results, we're percentage off top spot.

You can only play who is put in front of you, but you haven't been convincing when put in front of easy teams, nor is your winning football that great either. Hawks/Pies/WCE are a step above of you, and you'll be competing for the final irrelevant top 4 spot with Syd/Crows.

The thing is though, you probably could have a top 4 spot if you won your last 2 games. But according to you, we should all relax, because the overall results are above your imaginary pre season predictions. Yet i'm the one using mythical expectations?

[Stanton]

> winning football isn't that great
> obliterate West Coast (whatever the circumstances) in a 15 minute blitz
> pile 9 goals on in a quarter against Sydney who rarely concede that many in a half to three quarters
> annihilate the premiership favourites who beat us by 10 goals in a final last time

You're spot on mate. Our problem isn't that we're not consistent, it's that our best isn't good enough.

[P.A.F.C]

> winning football isn't that great
> obliterate West Coast (whatever the circumstances) in a 15 minute blitz
> pile 9 goals on in a quarter against Sydney who rarely concede that many in a half to three quarters
> annihilate the premiership favourites who beat us by 10 goals in a final last time

You're spot on mate. Our problem isn't that we're not consistent, it's that our best isn't good enough.

If you count singular quarters as a true indicator of a teams ability, every team would be top 8 material.

[Rumblah]

If you count singular quarters as a true indicator of a teams ability, every team would be top 8 material.

All except Melbourne. And Port.

[Stanton]

If you count singular quarters as a true indicator of a teams ability, every team would be top 8 material.

Yeah, any team in the comp could blow West Coast, Carlton and Sydney apart in a given quarter. You're really nailing this one.

[P.A.F.C]

Yeah, any team in the comp could blow West Coast, Carlton and Sydney apart in a given quarter. You're really nailing this one.

In the AFL, of course they could! Anyone can beat anyone basically, anyone can put in a great quarter and the best sides can put in a shocker. Just in the same way you don't celebrate a 8-3 H&A record, you probably shouldn't use 30 minutes of football as proof of anything.

[Stanton]

Do you honestly think GWS could turn a game against West Coast that's tight at half time into a non-contest by 10 minutes into the third quarter? Could Gold Coast restrict Carlton's midfield to zero impact for three quarters?

Let's go to some of the less shit teams even. Could Port or Brisbane or Footscray put 9 past Sydney in a quarter?

Your argument is flawed. Unsurprisingly.

[P.A.F.C]

Do you honestly think GWS could turn a game against West Coast that's tight at half time into a non-contest by 10 minutes into the third quarter? Could Gold Coast restrict Carlton's midfield to zero impact for three quarters?

Let's go to some of the less shit teams even. Could Port or Brisbane or Footscray put 9 past Sydney in a quarter?

Your argument is flawed. Unsurprisingly.

Port did Carlton over 4 quarters, consistently. GWS went to half time level with Geelong @ Skilled. Every team is capable of good quarters, yes.

[Indie]

Essendon's next 6 games:

Melbourne @ Etihad
Sydney @ Etihad
Freo @ Patersons
Bulldogs @ Etihad
St Kilda @ Etihad
Port @ AAMI

They could be 15-1

Hard to consider them not a genuine threat if they have a record like that. Are you convinced by them yet?

Good call.

[Stanton]

Our depth is fine through to about player #30. Past that, we fall away massively. The team is good enough, the squad isn't. Unfortunately for us, the squad is more important.

[Indie]

Just who are out injured at the moment for Essendon?

Ryder, Hurley, Zaharakis and Crameri?

[Stanton]

Hibberd, Myers, Dyson, and Pears is very underdone. There's depth players too but that's not really relevant. Winderlich and Hocking just returned.

The problem with our injuries is that we're missing 3 of our best 5-6 players and all three of our best tall forwards.

To equate that to other teams, we're missing

Buddy, Roughead, Gunston, Cyril + say Suckling, Shiels, Murphy and Stratton.
Reid, Goodes, LRT, Jetta + say Mattner, Bolton, Armstrong and Johnson.
Walker, Tippett, Jenkins, Sloane + say Reilly, Mackay, Martin and Shaw.
Cloke, Dawes, Goldsack, Beams + say Maxwell, Wellingham, Toovey and Brown.

Our biggest issue apart from the utter decimation of our forwardline is that Zaka is out and we've got no one to replace him on the outside. That leaves Stanton as the lone ranger as a high possession run and carry mid. Unsurprisingly, teams have had a lot more success shutting him down when Zaka hasn't been there. Our lightning quick rebound from early in the season has massively dried up and we're playing like shit now.

Zaka is meant to be back against Carlton, and it's not a moment too fucking soon.

[Ball So Hard]

Yeah, lets be honest, Browne, Kav and Dell'Olio should not have been playing. The problem is that they are effectively replacing Zaharakis, Hibberd and Crameri.

dat gap.

[Big Cox]

The problem isnt Essendons injury list. The problem is the ridiculous lack of depth. How Corey Dell'Olio is a AFL player has me stumped. Could probably go pick 50 players in the WAFL who deserve a AFL contract before this one sided showpony

[Ball So Hard]

You do realise he kicked 55 goals last year in the WAFL?