Pre Season 2020

[BenDoolan]

Well, I’m pleasantly surprised. We’ve finally hit the pre-season comp / practice matches with some purpose. I’ve always said if you don’t practice to win, then you’re practicing to fail. Despite our injuries, we’ve put in some really good performances so far. Well done.

McGrath looks really good. BZT was terrific against the Cats. Parish carrying on from last season. Phillips looking alright!!

Truck and Caracella making their mark in the coaching area.

My scepticism has taken a hit the past couple of weeks!

[Crazyman]

Well, I’m pleasantly surprised. We’ve finally hit the pre-season comp / practice matches with some purpose. I’ve always said if you don’t practice to win, then you’re practicing to fail. Despite our injuries, we’ve put in some really good performances so far. Well done.

McGrath looks really good. BZT was terrific against the Cats. Parish carrying on from last season. Phillips looking alright!!

Truck and Caracella making their mark in the coaching area.

My scepticism has taken a hit the past couple of weeks!

Yes, pre season has exceeded expectations(admittedly pretty low).
Skepticism remains until proven otherwise during the real season..,please prove me wrong

[s'dreams]

Well, I’m pleasantly surprised. We’ve finally hit the pre-season comp / practice matches with some purpose. I’ve always said if you don’t practice to win, then you’re practicing to fail. Despite our injuries, we’ve put in some really good performances so far. Well done.

McGrath looks really good. BZT was terrific against the Cats. Parish carrying on from last season. Phillips looking alright!!

Truck and Caracella making their mark in the coaching area.

My scepticism has taken a hit the past couple of weeks!

Yes, pre season has exceeded expectations(admittedly pretty low).
Skepticism remains until proven otherwise during the real season..,please prove me wrong

Not so concerned about during the season. I want some proof during September, at least 2 weeks worth of success.

[mdso]

Ask me in about round six and let you know what I think???? Right now can we continue to approve our consistency? I hope we can.

[Rover99]

Check out the Marsh ladder. All the top teams sitting at the bottom. What does that tell you ? I am very excited though at the fantastic development of our young players and the fact that we may have solved our ruck problem for some time to come. We now have replacements for many of the stars that will fade in the immediate future and it allows our recruitment staff to focus on effective tall forwards and a super mid if possible.

[Windy_Hill]

Some goose in the media has us finishing 15th!!

[rockhole]

Some goose in the media has us finishing 15th!!

That high!!!

[Windy_Hill]

Some goose in the media has us finishing 15th!!

That high!!!

Yep, utter goose.

[s'dreams]

Some goose in the media has us finishing 15th!!

That high!!!

Yep, utter goose.

A lot of pundits aren't convinced that the handover will work.

They are also convinced that there is something wrong at EFC with the blowouts last year and the wanna-away exodus (JD, Fantasia and Laverde), the Connor saga, Merrett being "over-looked" for VP and the shitload of preseason injuries to key players (JD, TBell, Stringer, Hooker, Ambrose and Heppell).

There was also the result that only one opposition captain had EFC finishing top 8 this year.

There is also the "sexy" feeling that new coaches will have big effects on the lists at St Kilda, Norf, Freo and Adelaide.

Mind you, 15th is around where most pundits had Brisvegas last year (and everyone has them top 4 this year - we will see), and top 4 is where everyone had Melbourne finishing in 2019...

[grassy1]

Gee,I never expected the Tag MARCH(April,whatever!)PREMIERS to really mean anything!

Perhaps if the season gets canned right here,........handover the Cup Gil!

[Windy_Hill]

The media fixation with the “problematic coaching” situation is entirely without a considered rationale. They are simply latching onto it because its non-conventional. In this modern era, all clubs have multiple line coaches, many of whom make decisions independently on game day. Is that so much different to the Essendon set up. Yes, they may call it by a different name but is it in fact different? I am not sure why the path we are taking is not being given more plaudits. To me, it seems like a perfectly sensible approach to take. You give a young coach a proper handover under a strong mentor. That has to be better than the ugly sacking of a coach then thrusting an untried individual into the spotlight....the current norm.

The hand wringing over Essendon’s immediate future is really the consequence of three clubs being touted as rising stocks...Melbourne, St Kilda and the Bulldogs. The vibe over these three clubs makes it impossible to squeeze Essendon into finals contention. Why, for Gods Sake?? Melbourne got a free pass last year because of an injury interrupted season yet in reality were no worse hit than several other clubs. Perhaps their shit form last year maybe down to the fact that they are still not a strong squad. St Kilda, wow, talk about smoke and mirrors. You would think Brad Hill is the Bradman of AFL the way he will transform their utterly bog average team and even worse culture into a powerhouse AFL team. And the Bulldogs. They had some sensational wins last year and do have some really promising young players. No doubt they can contend but some are saying they will win a flag!!

Essendon had injuries last year too...remember, Daniher, Smith, Hurley, Fantasia, Heppell, Smith, Bellchambers, Hooker yet finished in the Top 8. Yet this year, with arguably a stronger squad, we will finish 15th? Sure Hooker and Heppell will be late starters but they will at least be injury free when they do. Not like almost all of the previous year. Likewise Smith and Fantasia...if both get back to their best we are immediately a better side and there is no reason why they can’t return to form...after all, they are now injury free. Organic improvement by very good players in McGrath, Parish, McKenna, Redman along with the additions of some solid, experienced senior players like Townsend, Phillips, Cutler and Hibberd gives us a better balance than we have had for years. So why is it that a team with a better coaching structure (see Blake Caracella), a better and more balanced list, players being injury free albeit some starting later than others and the motivation to put behind them the disappointment of the previous season not pose a Top 8 threat.

And then there is the Joe Daniher factor....what if Joe makes a mid year return and sets the world on fire. A bonus outcome I agree, but what if???

[robrulz5]

The best thing about the pre-season was that no one was saying that we would finish top 4. The last couple of years all we have heard about during the summer is how Essendon is going to be top 4 and pushing for a flag and when we have predictably (to us anyway) not reached those heights the media has jumped on with heavy criticism.

Being told we will finish bottom 4 all of this summer is really a relief as the expectation and external pressure to perform is almost non-existant.

[mdso]

Ask me in about round six and let you know what I think???? Right now can we continue to approve our consistency? I hope we can.

This was prior to Corona Virus. If we make it to round six, we will be extremely lucky. Look up on this as a gap year and if it makes it longer its a bonus. Go Bombers play skilfully and smash the Freoo, so slow, no go. Go Bombers.

[grassy1]

Ask me in about round six and let you know what I think???? Right now can we continue to approve our consistency? I hope we can.

This was prior to Corona Virus. If we make it to round six, we will be extremely lucky. Look up on this as a gap year and if it makes it longer its a bonus. Go Bombers play skilfully and smash the Freoo, so slow, no go. Go Bombers.

They don’t have Lyon now.That improves their chances rapidly!

Mind you,they are the Dorkers!

Be Disgracefull to lose to ‘em at Tiddlywinks!