Teams

[andrewb]

ESSENDON v HAWTHORN
Essendon
B: Cale Hooker, Tayte Pears, Henry Slattery
HB: Courtenay Dempsey, Adam McPhee, David Myers
C: Ricky Dyson, Brent Stanton, Angus Monfries
HF: Jason Winderlich, Matthew Lloyd, Sam Lonergan
F: Bachar Houli, Jay Neagle, Alwyn Davey
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Jobe Watson, Andrew Lovett
I/C: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Heath Hocking, David Zaharakis, Tom Bellchambers
Emg: Jay Nash, Tom Williams, Tyson Slattery

In: Neagle, Bellchambers, Houli
Out: Dustin Fletcher (leg), Scott Lucas, Leroy Jetta (knee)

Hawthorn
B: Michael Osborne, Thomas Murphy, Grant Birchall
HB: Stuart Dew, Luke Hodge, Beau Dowler
C: Travis Tuck, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis
HF: Garry Moss, Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli
F: Campbell Brown, Jarryd Roughead, Mark Williams
Foll: Simon Taylor, Brad Sewell, Chance Bateman
I/C: Robert Campbell, Ben McGlynn, Cameron Stokes, Brendan Whitecross
Emg: Josh Kennedy, Jarryd Morton, Brent Renouf

In: Birchall, McGlynn, Stokes
Out: Brent Guerra (back), Jarryd Morton, Brent Renouf

I really like the look of us this week - particularly up forward. For the first time I can remember we've got the running power to stay with the Hawks.

[swoodley]

Gee Andrew...with your optimism, you'll be vying with JP for the most positive poster on BT

It's not really our forward line I'm worried about...it's theirs

I have a feeling that Friday night will not be enjoyable for those of us of the bomber persuasion

[tom9779]

ESSENDON v HAWTHORN
Essendon
B: Cale Hooker, Tayte Pears, Henry Slattery
HB: Courtenay Dempsey, Adam McPhee, David Myers
C: Ricky Dyson, Brent Stanton, Angus Monfries
HF: Jason Winderlich, Matthew Lloyd, Sam Lonergan
F: Bachar Houli, Jay Neagle, Alwyn Davey
Foll: Patrick Ryder, Jobe Watson, Andrew Lovett
I/C: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Heath Hocking, David Zaharakis, Tom Bellchambers
Emg: Jay Nash, Tom Williams, Tyson Slattery

In: Neagle, Bellchambers, Houli
Out: Dustin Fletcher (leg), Scott Lucas, Leroy Jetta (knee)

Hawthorn
B: Michael Osborne, Thomas Murphy, Grant Birchall
HB: Stuart Dew, Luke Hodge, Beau Dowler
C: Travis Tuck, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis
HF: Garry Moss, Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli
F: Campbell Brown, Jarryd Roughead, Mark Williams
Foll: Simon Taylor, Brad Sewell, Chance Bateman
I/C: Robert Campbell, Ben McGlynn, Cameron Stokes, Brendan Whitecross
Emg: Josh Kennedy, Jarryd Morton, Brent Renouf

In: Birchall, McGlynn, Stokes
Out: Brent Guerra (back), Jarryd Morton, Brent Renouf

I really like the look of us this week - particularly up forward. For the first time I can remember we've got the running power to stay with the Hawks.

I prefer the looks of the hawks forward line. Unfortunately Franklin, Roughhead will run rings around Pears and Mcphee. Hoping slattery keeps up the good work and shuts down williams.

Lloydy will need to be at his best.

Dowler v Winderlich, Dempsey v Rioli will be cracking matchups. I wonder if cyril and alywn will face off against each other in the middle at all. I really want to see that matchup happen.

If we generate as much run as we have been, and this time convert opportunites, it will be under 10 goals. (which is what i think the coaching staff and fans would be happy with)...ecstatic with a win.(would be upset of the year you would think)

I do not know how you can really love the look of that forward line...unless you've been drinking again?

[andrewb]

Hmmm... I have been drinking.

I just like the fact that we've got Neagle and Lloyd up forward crashing packs with four little men with good foot skills at the fall of the ball.

I don't think the Hawks are in good form at all and I'll be buggered if we're going into this game expecting a 10 goal defeat. I think we'll be there or thereabouts and I expect us to put in a much better showing than last week.

[Sismis]

Should be an interesting game. I'm with the keep it less than 10 goals fraternity. Their Mids are going to be too strong over the ball. Their offence is the best in the business and they have the luxury of the best back flanker in the league floating about doing whatever he feels like.

Our job needs to be to maintain as much structure as we can and to play our game as much as we can. We will be helped by the fact that there will be so little expectation on us. Our one advantage will be our pace (even in this area they are not without ability) we will need to take them on and break their zone. Our forwards will need to make the most of every opportunity.

Anyone know what is happening with Jetta's knee?

[pear]

I don't even fancy us at the line +34.5.

Memories of the Buddy show from last year still too fresh.

[Mrs Mercuri]

Jetta out with a leg injury.... dont remember that happeing in the match last week unless it happened at training. Good to see Neagle, Houli and TB back at senior level. If we can keep the margin respectable i will be happy. I just want to see an improved performance from the team as a whole and more improvement from our youngsters.

[pear]

Jetta out with a leg injury.... dont remember that happeing in the match last week unless it happened at training. Good to see Neagle, Houli and TB back at senior level. If we can keep the margin respectable i will be happy. I just want to see an improved performance from the team as a whole and more improvement from our youngsters.

I was in a cafe in Napier St this week and Jetta came in and ordered a coffee. I was going to ask him if he wanted me to help him carry it to his table after his fumbling efforts in the dying seconds of the Anzac Dat game!

[paddyl90]

Gee Andrew...with your optimism, you'll be vying with JP for the most positive poster on BT

It's not really our forward line I'm worried about...it's theirs

I have a feeling that Friday night will not be enjoyable for those of us of the bomber persuasion

I'm a bit flat this year. haha. I'm still trying though. Great to see Houli in think he is a fantastic player who needs more game time.

Got a bet tomorrow night. Under 30 points and I win Wish me luck.

[BenDoolan]

Jetta out with a leg injury.... dont remember that happeing in the match last week unless it happened at training. Good to see Neagle, Houli and TB back at senior level. If we can keep the margin respectable i will be happy. I just want to see an improved performance from the team as a whole and more improvement from our youngsters.

I was in a cafe in Napier St this week and Jetta came in and ordered a coffee. I was going to ask him if he wanted me to help him carry it to his table after his fumbling efforts in the dying seconds of the Anzac Dat game!

And the Carlton game and the Brisbane game....

[stryper]

1 sentence of Wisdom.
Never write the Bombers off!
You just never know

[billyduckworth]

Neagle & Bellchambers both need to perform, as their form in the ressies doesn't really justify their selection.
Let's hope they fire up!

[MH_Bomber]

I'm confident. They have a lot of blokes that are pretty well underdone because of injury and they had a hard crunching game against Carlton game that they were quite lucky to win.

We can win this as long as we dont get overawed. Lets play our quick running game and hope Jay and Matty have big night out.

GO THE MIGHTY BOMBERS

[tom9779]

if the scum can get within a kick, you reckon our lads might have it in em.

its jsut i think hawthorn might be mightly effective going inside 50 tonight.

[Crazyman]

For mine, the margin will largely depend on how well we can win the clearances. If we can break even, we are chance as we will be able to go forward and IMO, we have the run to pull it off. That said, we need to minimise costly turnovers & have our forwards, crumbers & goalkicking mids to kick straight.

Whilst I hope we can pull one out of the bag, for mine, I reckon anything less than a 5 goal loss will relate to an 'ok' performance on the night...

[andrewb]

This is the backline that held Hawthorn to 26 scoring shots last week:

B: Paul Bower, Michael Jamison, Aaron Joseph
HB: Jordan Russell, Bret Thornton, Heath Scotland

Joseph is a rookie elevation, Thornton and Russell are absolute spuds and Bower is servicable. Scotland and Jamison are decent players.

Are we any worse? No way!

[tom9779]

This is the backline that held Hawthorn to 26 scoring shots last week:

B: Paul Bower, Michael Jamison, Aaron Joseph
HB: Jordan Russell, Bret Thornton, Heath Scotland

Joseph is a rookie elevation, Thornton and Russell are absolute spuds and Bower is servicable. Scotland and Jamison are decent players.

Are we any worse? No way!

its boys vs men out there tonight. the hawks know it, the rest of the comp knows it and so does our coaching staff.

nevertheless, respectability is won and lost in these sorts of games. we give it the hawks and people will sit up and take notice.

just thank god we ain't lining up against geelong at skilled. could be worse.

[hillchaser]

I was in a cafe in Napier St this week and Jetta came in and ordered a coffee. I was going to ask him if he wanted me to help him carry it to his table after his fumbling efforts in the dying seconds of the Anzac Dat game!

Funny because I was walking to Cafe in Napier street this week and saw Jetta coming out of the shop with coffee stains all over his shirt.

Obviously you didn't end up asking him.

[BenDoolan]

Oh, and Who TF is Tom Williams? It's John I presume...

[andrewb]

B: Michael Osborne (26, 101 games), Thomas Murphy (23, 36 gms), Grant Birchall (21, 68 games)
HB: Stuart Dew (29, 201 games), Luke Hodge (24, 138 games), Beau Dowler (21, 6 games)
C: Travis Tuck (21, 13 games), Sam Mitchell (26, 139 games), Jordan Lewis (23, 86 games)
HF: Garry Moss (20, 6 games), Lance Franklin (22, 87 games), Cyril Rioli (19, 31 games)
F: Campbell Brown (25, 127 games), Jarryd Roughead (22, 89 games), Mark Williams (26, 104 games)
Foll: Simon Taylor (26, 72 games), Brad Sewell (25, 89 games), Chance Bateman (27, 123)
I/C: Robert Campbell (26, 105), Ben McGlynn (23, 28), Cameron Stokes (19, 14), Brendan Whitecross (19, 6)

Boys against men my arse... The reason we kept getting flogged by Hawthorn over the last few years was because it was boys (them) against old men (us). We played massive teams with two ruckmen, three tall forwards, four tall backmen, three or four ageing, slow midfielders and no run. I'd sit in the stands and cry as I watched our big blokes lumbering after them.

They've got some guys in that team that have a lot of AFL experience at a young age, but they're certainly no older than we are. They've just been far more organised than us and have been able to develop an aura of intimidation.

Step up bombers! Time to wrench some respect back from this competition. Jay Neagle to doff 5 and Essendon by 10 points.