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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

I agree Cazz about BB, Johnson and Holman - way too early to write them off.

In fact I thought if we were going to win tonight it would have been on the back of our more experienced players.

Yarran is an absolute passenger. Would he have even raised a sweat tonight? Has all the skills but no desire. He should be made to watch Cyril's tape from last night. Gutless display Chris.
Get a trade pick for him.
I'm sure he'd go well in a better side where he can just do the flashy stuff.
He's currently of no use to us.
Zero leadership skills

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I support the Navy Blues whatever happens!

Overreacting to what? Leigh Mathews was basically right, nothing is as good or as bad as it seems. We are, however, still third last on the ladder with crap KPPs and and generally short on talent.

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Yeah, yeah, Cazz, they are going to nab us a premiership.

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Just to summarise this thread:

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

No overreacting
We got to see the fringe kids and they're not up to it

I like how Graham rarely wastes the ball , and loving Dylan. It was clear Boek struggled adjusting to the pace of AFL , but hopefully that will come . Like Holman too, uses it well. If we can finish the year and say , these 5 players etc look ok and have shown something , that's a bonus. The more we find out this year strengthens the list just a little bit more for next year. I'd be more concerned about Curnow, Ellard, Watson than the young kids . This is year 0, next season is Year 1, lets get a head start .

I'm new to these forums but I can tell you this time last year I was optimistic about Buckley, Bell and Graham

But I'm a lot less sure of the other lads you named

All I'm seeing is people overreacting to the so-called over-reactors. It must be a difference in priorities, or something.

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Just back from the game. Very frustrating, but given our inexperienced line-up, we were very competitive, missed too many gettable shots and stuffed up too many times. Backline bordered on heroic. Tuohy is in fabulous form and looks like the the player we thought he would be before Mick turned him into a dour low possession grunt. Great dash, defence, strong in the air. Jammo very good, and Simmo his usual self. Bucks too looks a different player under the new coach. I like White. He is undersized as a key back and with Rowe out and KJ not up to it yet, he has battled manfully, will be freed up with Rowe's return. Yarran has loads of class but plays like he is too cool for school. Put him in the midfield and get him to pay to his talent.

For a guy with great hands Levi drops way top many sitters on the lead, 4 tonight that all would have been set shots for goal, and several over the last few weeks. Great hands when the ball is floating towards him, not so sure when leading at the ball.

Hendo battled against two opponents and ordinary delivery. He is a gun CHB and a workmanlike undersized CHF. Cam Wood tried hard but he is not a key forward. Tutt tried very hard but his disposal is awful.

Army was good again and deserves another contract. There's be about ten I'd delist before him.

Graham good again, what did Mick have against this guy? Boekhurst looks very light and surprised me with his lack of speed. A small outside player needs speed. Let's wait and see but several times he seemed to not have a top gear. Really struggling with injuries. With Gibbs, Menzel, Docherty in we would have gone close, we had so much of the ball but the Dogs just had more class.

And Carlton, don't ever swap out of a top ten draft pick unless it is for Chris Judd. We may have stuffed up #7 but we desperately need class, and the higher the pick the more likely you are to get a class player. Yes the jury is out on the 3 we brought in, but KJ is a third year player, not a first year player and at a club screaming out for tall defenders, Whiley is 4th year and BB is 21. I don't expect miracles but I just want to see something that says they have something special. I haven't seen it yet.

Notice in the footy record that Jordan Russell is a coach at the Bulldogs, good luck to him, I think he was poorly developed at Carlton and certainly would be a better player than a few on the list.

And we still couldn't beat them???

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THEY LIKE TO SEND UP!!!!!!!!

Until each team plays each other the same number of times, the AFL, as a fair dinkum competition, cannot be taken seriously.

He (Mr Swann) said the honour and pride associated with the club's traditional navy blue jumper was priceless.

Radio said we had 7 players with less than 20 games.
Not a great game tonight, our skills were terrible.
Poor kicking at goal doesnt help, that incident between Casboult and Wood was comical.
The effort was there just basic skills let us down.

No Gibbs, Docherty, Menzel, Rowe, Carrazzo, Walker, Thomas (+ Judd). No Everitt after half time and no Cripps in the last quarter.

We got more game time into Buckley, Bell, Graham, Johnson, Holman, Boekhorst, Tutt & Whiley. Not sure about the last two, but the rest should be persisted with.

70 tackles

Frustrating not to win, but it was a good effort to push a top 8 team like that, considering the side we fielded.

When you lose by 11 points it's hard not to look at the chances we blew in the 2nd term and ask 'what if'. But, to be honest, the Dogs had us covered and would have found a way to win anyway, IMO.

They were simply a bit too good.....but we made them earn it.

Fingers crossed Cripps & Everitt aren't seriously injured.

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Agree Limestone
Let's get games into boekhurst and Holman
Still think smith and Jaksch looked ok at times too earlier in the season

It would be good to see them play again under the new coach

We have in my estimation played 36 players in the seniors this year so at least we are getting a good look at the list to go into next year

Still despite all tonight's apparent deficiencies we are still playing a better game style and showing better spirit than earlier in the year ie at least we are seeing some passion and a modern game style that albeit we are not that skilled in or have had a long time to embrace

We are in a much better position than 6 weeks ago -the only way is up
Go Blues

I reckon Curnow and Tutt had a hand in every Western Bulldogs goal

At this point in time I don't see Whiley and Tutt having the tools to be effective, week in week out players. They just don't show anything in particular which suggests they belong. Boekhorst needs to adjust to the pace of AFL, putting it kindly.

Holman, I can see something. Smith, I can see something. Graham and Buckley showed something in their early games which suggested they had AFL tools. The three mentioned above, I don't see it right now. Boekhorst will obviously get more chances.

Didn't get the biscuits but I liked that we're still playing with endeavor and passion. Laid a large number of tackles which was number 1 on my list of what I wanted to see tonight.

Yarran is a concern. I don't know if its just a form thing, and if so, he just needs more time to find it. For mine, he was the missing ingredient who could have won us the game tonight.

A lot of young talent on display and it showed. Nowhere near a settled team with the right mix of youth and experience, but the passion to be competitive is there. Can't ask for more than that.

...

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Murphy has been a 100-200 ranked player from 2012 to now. Far from elite