Match Report - Essendon vs Sydney

[Windy_Hill]

FYI

Young Bombers stand tall

Saturday, 6 March 2010
for essendonfc.com.au
Page 1 of 1

An Essendon side minus some of its biggest names has gone down to Sydney by 28 points in its NAB Challenge match at Bankstown tonight. Assistant coach Alan Richardson said there were some very positive signs despite the result and the coaching staff had been particularly pleased with a number of younger players.

Essendon had a host of senior players missing including captain Jobe Watson, David Hille, Paddy Ryder, Brent Stanton, Jason Winderlich and Dustin Fletcher. Young defenders Tayte Pears and Cale Hooker were also missing.

After a slow start, the young Essendon side won the second half which was a real positive against a Sydney side that was far closer to full strength.

“We were pleased with the young players tonight. Anthony Long did well in defence playing on Ryan O’Keefe for most of the night. It was a great experience for him and he controlled him for most of the night,” Richardson said.

“Jake Carlisle started forward and kicked a goal but we had to send him back when Tyson Slattery got hurt. He played on White and he hasn’t spent much time down back but he would have broken even.”

“Kyle Hardingham was a real positive for us. He played off half back, got a lot of the footy and took an absolute hangar. He will have grown in confidence from that.

“The biggest positive for me on the night was Ben Howlett (rookie). He played a quarter against Melbourne and got about a dozen touches and he would have been our highest possession winner tonight. We were really pleased with his output.”

Without Ryder and Hille, much of the ruck responsibility fell onto the shoulders of Jason Laycock.

“Jason got through the game and that is a good sign given his interrupted pre-season. He took a couple of really good marks up forward and could have kicked three. He did some nice things in the ruck and had a fair bit of the ball so he had a good night,” Richardson said.

“David Zaharakis went forward and kicked three goals. Scott Gumbleton got through and worked really hard. He played forward and would have taken eight or 10 marks including a couple of contested marks so that was good for him to get a game under his belt.”

“Jay Neagle was also good, he could have kicked four goals. He hit the post twice. He presented well so that was another positive.”

Essendon’s final NAB Challenge match of the pre-season is in Morewell

[BenDoolan]

ESS: 9.9: 63
SS: 14.7: 91

Goalkickers: D. Zaharakis 3, J. Neagle 2, B. Houli 2, J. Carlisle, J. Laycock

[swoodley]

Probably a bit too much positive spin from the club but it is good to hear that Laycock & Gumby both got through the game and that Zaha also played well.

Also good to hear Hardingham played well as I was impressed with him when I saw him play against the eagles.

[Jazz_84]

all sounds good but the thing i got from it was Gumby didn't kick any goals, now i didn't watch the game and i read that he took 8-10 marks playing forward... so where we're his goals? oh well can't complain about a positive article about our youngsters!

[Doctor Fish]

Good to see Ben Howlett continue with his good form. Could be one to watch this kid... Promotion please.

[little_ripper]

all sounds good but the thing i got from it was Gumby didn't kick any goals, now i didn't watch the game and i read that he took 8-10 marks playing forward... so where we're his goals? oh well can't complain about a positive article about our youngsters!

from what I read about the game he had to lead a fair way up the field to pull in the grabs. Apparently he has got quite a motor gumby. perhaps he might end up playing more of a matthew richardson type role at essendon.

[Jazz_84]

wouldn't totally be against that, as long as Hurley stays forward, need one of those to turn into our next Lucas/Lloyd

[Ossie]

all sounds good but the thing i got from it was Gumby didn't kick any goals, now i didn't watch the game and i read that he took 8-10 marks playing forward... so where we're his goals? oh well can't complain about a positive article about our youngsters!

from what I read about the game he had to lead a fair way up the field to pull in the grabs. Apparently he has got quite a motor gumby. perhaps he might end up playing more of a matthew richardson type role at essendon.

Quite correct, a couple of people at the club have told me he is most similar to Reiwoldt - if he can get it all together he will just burn off most defenders making multiple leads, up to the wing, back again with the flight of the ball etc.
God, the kid can play, I just want to see him do it!

[Windy_Hill]

A more balanced report

Swans youngsters star in practice win

March 7, 2010
SYDNEY 2.3 7.5 10.6 14.7 (91)
ESSENDON 0.3 1.4 6.7 9.9 (63)
GOALS: Sydney: White 3, J Bolton 2, Jetta 2, Barlow, Hannebery, Goodes, Jack, Kennedy, Rohan, Seaby. Essendon: Houli 2, Neagle 2, Zaharakis 2, Carlisle, McVeigh, Laycock.
BEST: Sydney: Goodes, J Bolton, Jetta, Rohan, White. Essendon: Davey, Houli, Laycock, Neagle, Zaharakis.
INJURIES: Sydney: Mattner (ankle). Essendon: Myers (hamstring), Slattery (wrist).
CROWD: 4122 at Blacktown Olympic Park.

Sydney's young brigade starred in a 28-point win over an undermanned Essendon in an AFL practice match at Blacktown Olympic Park on Saturday night.

Lewis Jetta, Jesse White and Gary Rohan were all among the Swans best as they downed the Bombers 14.7 (91) to 9.9 (63) after establishing a 37-point lead at the main break.

Essendon were without skipper Jobe Watson, as well as Brett Stanton, David Hille, Patty Ryder, Mark Williams and Leroy Jetta, while Michael Hurley was another notable absentee after being stood down for the first three games for the season over a drunken incident.

The Swans looked to have the game under control in the first half before Essendon's new-look forward line hit back in the second, with three quick goals to talls Jason Laycock, Jay Neagle and debutant Jake Carlisle.

A brilliant solo effort from David Zaharakis cut the margin to just 12 points, but the Swans soon hit back through exciting goalsneak Jetta, who lit up the Blacktown ground with two goals in five minutes.

Rhyce Shaw looked comfortable in his first competitive match of 2010, showing no signs of the knee injury that hampered his pre-season, but fellow half-back Marty Mattner limped off just before halftime after copping a knock to his ankle.

The Swans were without Brisbane import Daniel Bradshaw, and rotated several of their talls at full forward all night, with Jesse White kicking three goals and marking strongly.

Adam Goodes was a headache for the Essendon defence, but looked rusty at times, dropping several marks in the first half.

Jude Bolton was productive with two goals, while youngster Gary Rohan looks ready for senior football.

For the Bombers, injury-prone forward Scott Gumbleton managed to get through unscathed.

Gumbleton, who was picked at No.2 in the 2006 draft, was relatively quiet on the night, and should have had a goal next to his name after marking strongly in the second term.

Anthony Long, the nephew of 1993 premiership hero Michael Long, played his first game in red and black, wearing his uncle's No.13.

Swans coach Paul Roos suggested Jetta could be picked for the Swans Round one clash with St Kilda.
"Lewis was good again, he kicked a couple of goals," he said.

"I think were down to about 26 or 27 (who could play). Next week when we do narrow it down, we’ll be a bit more critical."

Roos said he would look at playing Goodes, White and Bradshaw in the same forward line.

"That’s the plan. You even saw when Seaby went up there, which worked really well, it’s going to stretch some teams," he said.

"Jesse is pretty mobile and obviously Braddy (Bradshaw) is mobile, and Seaby went up there, took a good mark and kicked a goal."

Essendon coach Matthew Knights said he was pleased his young side was able to make an impact on the scoreboard in the second half.

"For our guys to come back in that third quarter and really rally was promising," he said.

"All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the effort, apart from that second quarter.

"The second quarter I was disappointed because we didn’t put enough pressure on the Swans when they had the ball.

"We let them waltz through and score some pretty easy goals."

Knights reported that David Myers suffered hamstring tightness during the game while Henry Slattery injured his wrist.

After the retirement of star forwards Scott Lucas and Matthew Lloyd, Knights said he was happy to see Laycock and Neagle presenting and taking marks.

- AAP

[robrulz5]

I'm pretty happy with the names mentioned in our best players and multiple goals to midfielders again is also a positive.

[j-mac31]

all sounds good but the thing i got from it was Gumby didn't kick any goals, now i didn't watch the game and i read that he took 8-10 marks playing forward... so where we're his goals? oh well can't complain about a positive article about our youngsters!

Don't care.

He got through the game - that's all that matters.

[Windy_Hill]

all sounds good but the thing i got from it was Gumby didn't kick any goals, now i didn't watch the game and i read that he took 8-10 marks playing forward... so where we're his goals? oh well can't complain about a positive article about our youngsters!

Don't care.

He got through the game - that's all that matters.

Apparently took a few grabs up the ground - probably just feeling his way a bit - but yeah, just having him get through the game in one piece is great as I am sure his issue now will be confidence. He must be so nervous that something will go wrong every time he stretches out for a mark, or makes a sprint towards the loose ball. I am sure he is physically fit but mentally, the kid must be a basket case.