Round 1 Essendon v Geelong Match Thread

[BenDoolan]

C'mon JP, what the hell's going on?? Slack mate! Less than a week to go and no match thread ready to go.....

I think we're gonna see some shock and awe on Friday. Just depends which way it'll be.....

[paddyl90]

Firstly, it should be the Pre Match Discussion Thread and 2. I have finally got a life that I'm too busy to even get on here haha. Don't worry it's on my friend 1-0.

SOOOO PUMPED!! Not super confident but wouldn't be surprised if we did pull a win out our arse again!! Just don't want a mauling and having it deflate the players confidence.

[Gimps]

Geelong v Essendon - Head to Head
Odds updated at 06:32:50 19:42 Fri 26 Mar 2010

1007 Geelong 1.18
1005 Essendon 4.50

Hmm, tempting, but prolly wont.. if I did, would take under 39.5, it'll be around $5.25 I'd say. We won't be them by more than that if we did win.

[little_ripper]

Not super confident but wouldn't be surprised if we did pull a win out our arse again!!

i would be ecstatic if we won. however

quick refresher on our record against the pussy cats.

http://afl.allthestats.com/teams/teamvt ... &yrto=2009

if we get within 6 goals(36 points) I'll be happy.

[Rossoneri]

Take no notice of Geelong's pre-season form. They are fit and firing and Bomber Thompson loves beating us, they usually save their best for us and the finals.

I reckon we will probably be down by 50 points at 3/4 time, then Geelong may take their foot off the gas and we will add respectability to the board.

geelong by 6 goals.

[little_ripper]

Take no notice of Geelong's pre-season form. They are fit and firing and Bomber Thompson loves beating us, they usually save their best for us and the finals.

I reckon we will probably be down by 50 points at 3/4 time, then Geelong may take their foot off the gas and we will add respectability to the board.

geelong by 6 goals.

i agree with the end result, but not how the game will get there. I think the boys will be competitive for 3/4s then the cats will run away with it.

i would really like hurley, mcveigh and nlm for this match. i think all 3 would be automatic inclusions.

here is hoping that gumby has a good game, i really want to see him do well. essendon can snatch a win here. its unlikely but i feel we are in a much better position than last time we played them...form wise.

[bomberdonnie]

I wouldn't be disappointed if they beat us by 10 goals to be honest.... Reckon 100 points is on the line!

[little_ripper]

I wouldn't be disappointed if they beat us by 10 goals to be honest.... Reckon 100 points is on the line!

nah the bombers are better than that. it won't be all one way traffic.

[Gimps]

Gentlemen, we should remember that when we have copped them the last 3 seasons they were always at full strength and we were.....well you know our injury history.

This time we get them when we should be fitter having 4+weeks on them fitness wise plus the boys have started growing their bods (not there yet), and have a vastly superior team to the one that they have played 07/08/09.

Just can't let them get away to a flier.

That 4+ weeks of fitness is rubbish. They might be slightly behind us, but they are seasoned campaigners and know what they are doing. Don't think fitness will outweigh their superior strength, skill etc.

[bomberflyer]

With all the talk I reckon it's a disappointment if we don't get within 5-6 goals of Geelong.

[Jazz_84]

That 4+ weeks of fitness is rubbish. They might be slightly behind us, but they are seasoned campaigners and know what they are doing. Don't think fitness will outweigh their superior strength, skill etc.

agreed, all talk and if we buy into it we will get torn a new one

[BenDoolan]

Why have we got 4+ weeks fitness on them? They played 3 extra ripping games in September than we did...

[paddyl90]

I'm not worried about this match. Win and it will be a huge start to the year. Lose then oh well. But I expect to be 2-1 after 3 rounds. No excuses. If we beat Geelong and then lose to Fremantle then I will seriously go ape shit cause it'd mean nothing has changed.

[Gimps]

Why have we got 4+ weeks fitness on them? They played 3 extra ripping games in September than we did...

Don't worry about Geelong Benny.. Quinn has been down there running them up and down sand dunes Gumbleton style!

[Gimps]

Why have we got 4+ weeks fitness on them? They played 3 extra ripping games in September than we did...

I thought you were smarter than that Ben.

We finished in the 1st week of September. Unlike the year before when we had 24 blokes requiring surgery, the group started its compulsory, AFL mandated 6-8 week holiday without these concerns which was clearly a pre-season training problem in early 2009.

Geelong then started its holidays 4 weeks later after the Grand Final, ergo they are 4 weeks behind most other Clubs in Pre-Season training with an ageing list.

So if someone like "know it all" Gumps can show us all where they pulled an extra 4 weeks training out their arse, they are 4 weeks behind in preparation now vis a vis the rest of the competition, which will of course will mean jack shit at the other end of the season.

Not saying it will make a difference Friday night, but who knows with our younger, naturally fitter (though not stronger) fellas 2 years into the Cormack regime.

Well, well, well... I was wondering when you were going to stop 'ignoring' me. You nearly made it to the season proper, but just fell a few days short. I welcome you back with open arms, it's great to have you back and firing my old friend

Maybe we took a mandated 8 week holiday, and Geelong took a mandated 6 week holiday? They might only be 2 weeks behind us??

When we start running out games, I'll buy into this Cormack 'regime'. I haven't seen enough yet to suggest that we are a fitness powerhouse.

[little_ripper]

Do you think we will put a tag on Joel Selwood this time around?

have a look at his stats against us. averages 30 touches.

http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/p ... idno=11549

seems he likes to run rampant against adelaide and hawthorn as well.

[BenDoolan]

Why have we got 4+ weeks fitness on them? They played 3 extra ripping games in September than we did...

I thought you were smarter than that Ben.

We finished in the 1st week of September. Unlike the year before when we had 24 blokes requiring surgery, the group started its compulsory, AFL mandated 6-8 week holiday without these concerns which was clearly a pre-season training problem in early 2009.

Geelong then started its holidays 4 weeks later after the Grand Final, ergo they are 4 weeks behind most other Clubs in Pre-Season training with an ageing list.

So if someone like "know it all" Gumps can show us all where they pulled an extra 4 weeks training out their arse, they are 4 weeks behind in preparation now vis a vis the rest of the competition, which will of course will mean jack shit at the other end of the season.

Not saying it will make a difference Friday night, but who knows with our younger, naturally fitter (though not stronger) fellas 2 years into the Cormack regime.

Hmmm......I don't see it that way. While our boys were sitting around getting fat in September, Geelong continued to play high intensity footy - therefore maintained their fitness and strength for longer than we did. Yes they had 4 weeks off - later than most clubs. But all clubs had 4 weeks off during the off season - just at different times. So in effect, their players were conditioned for a longer period than ours.

If you take a look at 2008 (after they had "4 less weeks preparation" than other clubs) they came out and beat Port on their ground in R1 and then annihilated us in R2.

Then in 2009 (after again having 4 less weeks preparation), they came out and beat the reigning premier in R1. And because the reigning premier had the same preparation time, they cancel eachother out. But, Geelong went on to win the next 12 games.

So the theory hasn't worked out to well in recent history....

[Sismis]

Round 1 2006.

We faced the reigning premier and we beat them. They would go on to lose the GF by 1 point.

We won 2 more games....

[BenDoolan]

Round 1 2006.

We faced the reigning premier and we beat them. They would go on to lose the GF by 1 point.

We won 2 more games....

Haha...yes....that would be the only time in about 10 years Sydney have played us in Melbourne.....

[little_ripper]

Round 1 2006.

We faced the reigning premier and we beat them. They would go on to lose the GF by 1 point.

We won 2 more games....

thats a nice story, however. sydney in 2006 is hardly comparable to geelong 2010.