Looked alot better today. Led with some ferocity, created contests and kicked well.
Probably 50% of the way there to getting through the mental demons.
The Lloyd Factor
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The Man from Bomberland
- Champion of Essendon
- Posts: 10058
- Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:32 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Yep he's slowly getting the feel for things but one thinks it could be a few weeks before he's completely comfortable.Rossoneri wrote:Looked alot better today. Led with some ferocity, created contests and kicked well.
Probably 50% of the way there to getting through the mental demons.
Bombers till' I die
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Rover 7
- Regular Senior Player
- Posts: 1449
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- Location: South of the Bomber Hanger
Read this.For those who damn him with faint praise,understand,he is a star at what he does and when he is gone you wont know what hit you.
"Why Bombers must keep Lloyd fit
19 May 2007 Herald-Sun
WHEN Matthew Lloyd returns, the market reacts, Mike Sheahan writes. Is there any player more important to any team?
Lloyd factor: Mike Sheahan argues why Essendon is a much better team when Matthew Lloyd is playing.
Despite three losses in a row, Essendon is favoured to beat the better-performed Brisbane Lions at Telstra Dome this afternoon.
The rationale is as scientific as anything ever gets in football.
Based on data since 2002, the Bombers are better than a 50 per cent chance to win with Lloyd playing.
If he is missing, their chances tumble to 12 per cent.
He is the obvious Essendon nominee in the list of players that clubs can least afford to lose.
The link has become clearer by the week during the past 15 months.
Lloyd has played eight of a possible 29 games in 2006-07, primarily due to a major hamstring injury early last year.
Essendon has won six of those 29; Lloyd has played in four of the six.
Which means the Bombers have won just two of the 21 he has missed. Less than 10 per cent.
There is the Hird factor and the Lucas factor, but the evidence is overwhelming: Lloyd is the main man.
It's not just his goals (17 this year at an average of 3.4). Since his elevation to the captaincy for the 2006 season, he has become more rounded as a player, far more visible and assertive.
He has played up the ground, he has tackled, he has been far more vocal.
The basic fact is you can put Lloyd down for three goals plus every time he plays - 217 games, 784 goals.
His critics say he is one-dimensional, that he marks only on the lead, that he needs space to run into.
The facts say he leads hard, has excellent hands and is the most reliable kick for goal in the game.
He doesn't get the credit he deserves for his kicking.
So far this year, it's 17.6 (74 per cent); over his career, it's 784.356 (69 per cent).
Consider those figures next time you're wondering what might have been after your key forwards have squandered opportunities on the way to a narrow loss.
His counterpart at the Lions, full-forward Jonathan Brown, has had a similar influence on his team's fortunes in recent years.
It's not quite a case of Brown in, Lions win, but there's no doubt he makes them a more formidable foe.
When Brown plays they win two of three; when he doesn't play, the rate is fractionally better than one in three.
The added ingredient this afternoon is the likelihood he will be opposed to Mal Michael, a teammate in Brisbane's premiership teams of 2001-03.
Michael's form in 2006 and his departure in dubious circumstances hasn't endeared him to anyone at his previous club. Particularly coach Leigh Matthews, who took a free hit at him during the week.
As interesting as the game is for obvious reasons, the Brown-Michael contest will be a fascinating sub-plot.
Brown has played all seven games this year after a frustrating run with injury and suspension. He and Ash McGrath have 17 goals each; the next best is Chris Johnson with eight.
The result this afternoon will be determined by many factors, none more important than the respective returns of Lloyd and Brown."
Agree 150%.Appreciate the bloke for what he brings to the team.Plenty of fear from the opposition for a start.
"Why Bombers must keep Lloyd fit
19 May 2007 Herald-Sun
WHEN Matthew Lloyd returns, the market reacts, Mike Sheahan writes. Is there any player more important to any team?
Lloyd factor: Mike Sheahan argues why Essendon is a much better team when Matthew Lloyd is playing.
Despite three losses in a row, Essendon is favoured to beat the better-performed Brisbane Lions at Telstra Dome this afternoon.
The rationale is as scientific as anything ever gets in football.
Based on data since 2002, the Bombers are better than a 50 per cent chance to win with Lloyd playing.
If he is missing, their chances tumble to 12 per cent.
He is the obvious Essendon nominee in the list of players that clubs can least afford to lose.
The link has become clearer by the week during the past 15 months.
Lloyd has played eight of a possible 29 games in 2006-07, primarily due to a major hamstring injury early last year.
Essendon has won six of those 29; Lloyd has played in four of the six.
Which means the Bombers have won just two of the 21 he has missed. Less than 10 per cent.
There is the Hird factor and the Lucas factor, but the evidence is overwhelming: Lloyd is the main man.
It's not just his goals (17 this year at an average of 3.4). Since his elevation to the captaincy for the 2006 season, he has become more rounded as a player, far more visible and assertive.
He has played up the ground, he has tackled, he has been far more vocal.
The basic fact is you can put Lloyd down for three goals plus every time he plays - 217 games, 784 goals.
His critics say he is one-dimensional, that he marks only on the lead, that he needs space to run into.
The facts say he leads hard, has excellent hands and is the most reliable kick for goal in the game.
He doesn't get the credit he deserves for his kicking.
So far this year, it's 17.6 (74 per cent); over his career, it's 784.356 (69 per cent).
Consider those figures next time you're wondering what might have been after your key forwards have squandered opportunities on the way to a narrow loss.
His counterpart at the Lions, full-forward Jonathan Brown, has had a similar influence on his team's fortunes in recent years.
It's not quite a case of Brown in, Lions win, but there's no doubt he makes them a more formidable foe.
When Brown plays they win two of three; when he doesn't play, the rate is fractionally better than one in three.
The added ingredient this afternoon is the likelihood he will be opposed to Mal Michael, a teammate in Brisbane's premiership teams of 2001-03.
Michael's form in 2006 and his departure in dubious circumstances hasn't endeared him to anyone at his previous club. Particularly coach Leigh Matthews, who took a free hit at him during the week.
As interesting as the game is for obvious reasons, the Brown-Michael contest will be a fascinating sub-plot.
Brown has played all seven games this year after a frustrating run with injury and suspension. He and Ash McGrath have 17 goals each; the next best is Chris Johnson with eight.
The result this afternoon will be determined by many factors, none more important than the respective returns of Lloyd and Brown."
Agree 150%.Appreciate the bloke for what he brings to the team.Plenty of fear from the opposition for a start.