Selection tonight shows a bit more with Yarran Hampson and Austin -now the players be a bit bolder in taking the opposition on within our developing game plan and we will be heading in the right direction

The Hawks were very flat tonight but the way the Bombers play and the type of players they have is a sign of where footy's going. They're not a great team but they play Geelong-style play on at all costs with the added ingredient of lightning foot speed. Makes it impossible to "structure up" in zones. Their mids and flankers aren't all super-quick, but most are slippery enough.

This is why Thornton, Scotland, Johnson "running" the ball out of our backline is unsustainable. Good teams will choke you.

Armfield and Joseph are key players for us now. They aren't ready to be, but we need them, because without Grigg and Walker, these are the only guys who can put the foot down and really run. The problem is they lack the polish to consistently dispose well under pressure.

I'm impressed with how Knights has the Bombers "drilled". Seems a good coach.

Im a fairly patient however after watching the bombers tonight I'm pissed off. I know that both sides are fairly even however we should be at least a five goal better side.

We were so close last week however we lost. It was evident during the game that Hawthorn are very good at zoning and watching Carlton trying to clear the ball out after they scored a behind was embarrasing. We held on the ball and tried to use clear possesion to clear the ball from defence.

The Bombers showed us tonight how to beat the bigger/stronger boddies, run, run and flowering run and take them on. I kept on saying to mate last week during the game that the Hawks were not playing well and the only way for us to win was to take them on ala Armfield at the end. We fell in to their game plan. Instead of bringing in pace against the Hawks we bring in a bigger body but slow player in Bentley to match them instead of bringing in a player to beat them.

We lost to the Bombers and game we should not have lost. We lost to Sydney playing the same way, they clogged us up, we didn't take them on. The Bombers have modelled their game against the best in Geelong and that is to run and break the lines and in effect beat the zone which most clubs play.

I do believe we are coming (after all we are in the top however we still have a bit of work to do between the ears because our list is BETER than the bombers however they are playing smarter football and using their strengths rather than trying to match it with other teams.

It looks like the bombers have targeted players in the draft that can get their own football and I look forward to watching Yarran tomorrow.

If you're fairly patient and you're pissed off after round 6 and we're sitting 4th, when would an impatient person have been pissed off? Remembering that we were 11th last year and you know the story before that. What were your expectations pre-season? Surely not that we'd win every game. Did you think we might lose some close games? If you were actually patient you'd be aware that we won't be premiers this year, we should aim to make the 8 and anything beyond that is a bonus. We will make mistakes, plenty of them at times but the amount of wrist-slashing on here over a 4 point loss in one of the highest intensity H&A games of the year is hilarious.



Please don't be pissed off with him after 6 games.

I agree that we lack run from the backline, as we lack raw speed, but that could be overcome by elite kicking skills, which again we don't have enough of. Waite being the designated taker of our kick-ins last week probably best highlights our lack of elite kicks back there.

I also agree that the Bombers aren't a great team, but they are better than people give them credit for. They may not have all of our number one draft picks, but they have been busy picking up a number of top draft picks, plus a few handy father sons. They also still have a few players left over from a successful era to teach these kids about what it takes to win big games (we have had to import ours) They have speed, but they also have a number of very good KPP prospects, especially if Gumby can stand up (although that is a big if)

I wouldn't exactly call the Bombers "drilled" yet. Like us they are a young inconsistent team. They don't play like that every week. They have had some pretty poor losses.

They played better than we did as a team (we unfortunately had a number of passengers last week)

They worked harder defensively than we did. Very rarely did you see the big Hawthorn forwards one out as they were a number of times against us. The young bomber defense showed our blokes how to play as a unit, with a disciplined midfield helping out. The closing speed of the Bombers worried the Hawks all over the ground which is why the Hawkers disposal was well down.

Offensively the Bombers used their best asset speed well. The Hawks just couldn't handle the young Bombers running forward into space. The Bombers were also hitting their targets, which for them is not always the case. Dropping Lucas and their use of McPhee also helped them confuse the Hawks. With Lucas in the team and McPhee up front their forward structure could not have sustained how they played last night.

It just shows how raw speed can at times be such a potent weapon, but you still need these quick blokes to hit targets which is not always the case and you need a few in and under guys to get the ball out to them as the Bombers had last night.

As much as I hate to say it well done Essendon* I look forward to our future big games against these blokes.

Give Fisher's hands to Hampson and the problem's solved.

Seriously, once Hampson's marks start sticking he will be unstoppable.

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Bombers played at the dome, I don't think that there leg speed would have worked as well against the Hawks at the G as it does the dome. Also I think that hawks were a little flat last night which flattered the bumbers.
Playing kamakazi football like the bombers do will win some games and lose you finals, it looks great when you're winning and exposes you when you lose. Just a quick look at their percentage (4wins, 3 loses 99%) shows that for all the times you look like a millionaire, you will still look like a bum most times.

Replicate Essendon*? HELL NO!
We need to work on a structure that will hold us in good stead in finals which after last weeks game shows we are heading in the right direction.