Bombertalk

It's 10:40am so this can be put up now


ESSENDON Venue
RD Date Opponent Venue Home/Away Local Time

1 Monday, Mar 24 (Pub Hol) Kangaroos Telstra Dome Away 2:10 pm
2 Sunday, Mar 30 (Sun Aft) Geelong Telstra Dome Away 2:10 pm
3 Saturday, Apr 05 (Sat Night) Carlton MCG Home 7:10 pm
4 Friday, Apr 11 (Fri Night) Western Bulldogs Telstra Dome Home 7:40 pm
5 Friday, Apr 18 (Fri Night) St. Kilda Telstra Dome Away 7:40 pm
6 Friday, Apr 25 (Pub Hol) Collingwood MCG Away 2:40 pm
7 Sunday, May 04 (Sun Twilight) Port Adelaide Telstra Dome Home 4:40 pm
8 Sunday, May 18 (Sun Aft) Sydney Telstra Stadium Away 2:10 pm
9 Saturday, May 24 (Sat Night) Richmond MCG Home 7:10 pm
10 Friday, May 30 (Fri Night) Adelaide AAMI Stadium Away 7:40 pm
11 Saturday, Jun 07 (Sat Night) Hawthorn Telstra Dome Home 7:10 pm
12 Friday, Jun 13 (Fri Night) West Coast Telstra Dome Home 7:40 pm
13 Sunday, Jun 22 (Sun Aft) Carlton MCG Away 2:10 pm
14 Sunday, Jun 29 (Day) Fremantle Subiaco Away 2:40 pm
15 Saturday, Jul 12 (Sat Night) Brisbane Lions Telstra Dome Home 7:10 pm
16 Saturday, Jul 19 (Sat Aft) Richmond MCG Away 2:10 pm
17 Saturday, Jul 26 (Sat Aft) Collingwood MCG Home 2:10 pm
18 Saturday, Aug 02 (Sat Aft) Melbourne MCG Home 2:10 pm
19 Sunday, Aug 10 (Day) West Coast Subiaco Away 2:40 pm
20 Saturday, Aug 16 (Sat Aft) Adelaide Telstra Dome Home 2:10 pm
21 Friday, Aug 22 (Fri Night) Western Bulldogs Telstra Dome Away 7:40 pm
22 Sunday, Aug 31 (Sun Twilight) St. Kilda Telstra Dome Home 4:40 pm

Play twice:

St.Kilda
Dogs
Adelaide
West Coast
Collingwood
Richmond
Carlton

Interstate trips to
Adelaide
West Coast
Fremantle
Sydney

Looking at the draw you realise that there aren't any easy games in AFL anymore. You used to be able to pencil in Richmond and Sydney as either wins or byes back in the 90s. No it's a very even playing field.

Essendon
The Bombers will be slightly more grounded in 2008, with their interstate trips reduced from five in 2007 to four. Gone is the double trip to Adelaide, although to follow their boys, the red and black faithful will still be required to head to Perth twice, in rounds 14 and 19.

In other changes, the Dons will play 11 games at Telstra Dome – up from nine in 2007 – but only seven at the MCG (one down from ‘07).

They will open their season against the Kangaroos at the Dome, in a fixture that keeps them in Melbourne until they travel to Sydney in round eight to meet the Swans at Telstra Stadium. They've also been given the opportunity to finish their season strongly on home soil, with rounds 20, 21 and 22 all to be played at the Dome.

Friday night football will feature slightly more prominently for the club in 2008, with five matches scheduled versus four this year. The Dons also have two twilight timeslots (round seven v Port Adelaide, and round 22 v St Kilda), both at Telstra Dome.

Not a big fan of twilight matches, but at first glance the draw seems ok.

Much better draw than last year.

No trip to port, no trip to brisbane.

None of the teams that we play twice (St Kilda, Dogs, Adelaide, West Coast, Collingwood or Carlton) are definite top 4 teams.

We get Geelong out of the way early before they start to wind up and apart from them there's nothing particularly scary in the first 6 weeks of the season.

Rounds 7-15 will decide whether we make the finals or not:

7 Port Adelaide Home
8 Sydney Away
9 Richmond Home
10 Adelaide Away
11 Hawthorn Home
12 West Coast Home
13 Carlton Away
14 Fremantle Away
15 Brisbane Lions Home

Three home games to finish off.

I like.

Have seen the full draw.

We get f**ked by having the Sunday twlight game in Rd 22.

Collingwood get to play on Friday night in Rd 22 AGAIN. Disgrace.

Television breakdown (Melbourne)

Channel 7 - 9 games
1 - Kangaroos vs. Essendon Telstra Dome (SEVEN) 2:10 pm
2 - Geelong vs. Essendon Telstra Dome (SEVEN) 2:10 pm
4 - Essendon vs. Western Bulldogs Telstra Dome (SEVEN) 7:40 pm
5 - St. Kilda vs. Essendon Telstra Dome (SEVEN) 7:40 pm
8 - Sydney vs. Essendon Telstra Stadium (SEVEN) 2:10 pm
10 - Adelaide vs. Essendon AAMI Stadium (SEVEN) 7:40 pm
12 - Essendon vs. West Coast Telstra Dome (SEVEN) 7:40 pm
13 - Carlton vs. Essendon MCG (SEVEN) 2:10 pm
21 - Western Bulldogs vs. Essendon Telstra Dome (SEVEN) 7:40 pm

Channel 10 - 6 games
3 - Essendon vs. Carlton MCG (TEN) 7:10 pm
6 - Collingwood vs. Essendon MCG (TEN) 2:40 pm
9 - Essendon vs. Richmond MCG (TEN) 7:10 pm
11 - Essendon vs. Hawthorn Telstra Dome (TEN) 7:10 pm
15 - Essendon vs. Brisbane Lions Telstra Dome (TEN) 7:10 pm
17 - Essendon vs. Collingwood MCG (TEN) 2:10 pm

Foxtel - 7 games
7 - Essendon vs. Port Adelaide Telstra Dome (FOX) 4:40 pm
14 - Fremantle vs. Essendon Subiaco (FOX) 2:40 pm
16 - Richmond vs. Essendon MCG (FOX) 2:10 pm
18 - Essendon vs. Melbourne MCG (FOX) 2:10 pm
19 - West Coast vs. Essendon Subiaco (FOX) 2:40 pm
20 - Essendon vs. Adelaide Telstra Dome (FOX) 2:10 pm
22 - Essendon vs. St. Kilda Telstra Dome (FOX) 4:40 pm



Time to get Foxtel methinks.

Very good draw for us.

As mentioned, none of the teams we play twice are what i'd consider to be certain top 4 finishers (although is there such a thing as a certain top 4 finisher in October?). We play Richmond and Carlton twice, both of whom will probably be around the bottom 1/3rd of the ladder again; we play Adelaide twice after we beat them twice this year and i reckon they'll continue to slide next year, and an interstate trip to Sydney won't be as daunting either as i reckon they'll slide back with an aging list like Adelaide.

In addition, we play two more games at Telstra Dome than we did this year whilst playing one less game at the MCG, which is a bonus. Like it or not, we're complete flat track bullies as a team and we play by far our best footy at the Dome whereas we've been poor at the MCG for 5 or so years. The fewer games we have on the MCG and the more we have at the Dome, the better.

gringo wrote:Looking at the draw you realise that there aren't any easy games in AFL anymore. You used to be able to pencil in Richmond and Sydney as either wins or byes back in the 90s. No it's a very even playing field.

Or we are just shit and we cant pencil in any wins

I would have preferred a difficult draw this year. We arent going to be that good, so get the tough draws now and the easier ones later when we get better. IE: play 5-6 interstate games this year and 4 when we start getting better.

we got a great draw.

from an interstate perspective.

*suprised they didn't have us up at the GABBA this year.
QLD essendon fans have been shafted 2 years in a row.

* back at Telstra Stadium in Sydney -> I guess in a reaction to the game selling out in record time up here this year...did they realise the hird factor? Wish we were playing at the SCG, as its much better for beers before/after .

Two trips to Subi sucks, but I guess that is also a good thing for all our WA boys, a week back to catch up with family is a good thing.

I view less MCG games as a bad thing. its where finals are won and lost, and its the home of football.

and if I count it right, its good that we only have to play the cats and port once. and we get port in melbourne

oh and finally we are in a good position with Anzac day falling on a friday, means no crazy preparation req.

yeah lucky i don't live in brissy anymore, id be pissed about not having a game up there 2 years running hehe

tom9779 wrote:we got a great draw.

from an interstate perspective.

*suprised they didn't have us up at the GABBA this year.
QLD essendon fans have been shafted 2 years in a row.

* back at Telstra Stadium in Sydney -> I guess in a reaction to the game selling out in record time up here this year...did they realise the hird factor? Wish we were playing at the SCG, as its much better for beers before/after .

Two trips to Subi sucks, but I guess that is also a good thing for all our WA boys, a week back to catch up with family is a good thing.

I view less MCG games as a bad thing. its where finals are won and lost, and its the home of football.

and if I count it right, its good that we only have to play the cats and port once. and we get port in melbourne

oh and finally we are in a good position with Anzac day falling on a friday, means no crazy preparation req.

I was kinda hoping we would play Brisbane or Kangas in QLD, as I've just moved to the Gold Coast. Are they coming to QLD for the NAB cup or practice matches???

Not in love with having to travel to WA twice, and so close together but it's not a bad draw for us this coming year...

The fun part will be watching Geelong unfurl the flag in Round 2.

The competition remains a backwater, local sport with nothing resembling a professional operation whilst the fixtures stay the way they are.

A total fricking joke!!!!

Staggy wrote:Collingwood get to play on Friday night in Rd 22 AGAIN. Disgrace.

Not to mention only 1 trip to Perth. How much is Eddie paying these bastards??

sconsey wrote:

tom9779 wrote:we got a great draw.

from an interstate perspective.

*suprised they didn't have us up at the GABBA this year.
QLD essendon fans have been shafted 2 years in a row.

* back at Telstra Stadium in Sydney -> I guess in a reaction to the game selling out in record time up here this year...did they realise the hird factor? Wish we were playing at the SCG, as its much better for beers before/after .

Two trips to Subi sucks, but I guess that is also a good thing for all our WA boys, a week back to catch up with family is a good thing.

I view less MCG games as a bad thing. its where finals are won and lost, and its the home of football.

and if I count it right, its good that we only have to play the cats and port once. and we get port in melbourne

oh and finally we are in a good position with Anzac day falling on a friday, means no crazy preparation req.

I was kinda hoping we would play Brisbane or Kangas in QLD, as I've just moved to the Gold Coast. Are they coming to QLD for the NAB cup or practice matches???

Wouldn't happen. the Roos bank on a big Essendon crowd in Melbourne

BEWDY,2 games in PERTH and on Sunday.

Should be an annual Fixture.

Windy_Hill wrote:The competition remains a backwater, local sport with nothing resembling a professional operation whilst the fixtures stay the way they are.

A total fricking joke!!!!

Since no one else has bitten I will, what do you mean?

boncer34 wrote:

Windy_Hill wrote:The competition remains a backwater, local sport with nothing resembling a professional operation whilst the fixtures stay the way they are.

A total fricking joke!!!!

Since no one else has bitten I will, what do you mean?

Thanks Bonce....I was waiting for a nibble.

What I mean is that we have a competition which is flawed due to the inequities of the fixturing.

Either all sides play each other twice, home and away, or the concept of even playing field goes out the window.

Imagine this happening in the Premier League or another world class sporting event???

Its a joke