Tigers vs Essendon practice match @ Morwell, Sat 3.30pm

[tony_montana]

6.2 to 0.3 in the last quarter is hardly a good sign.

that's to go with the 0.13 collingwood kicked in last weeks final quarter, that could've been mega ugly

[3121]

Means the team is mentally weak when then happens.
Players cant carry out instructions when tired and under presssure.
6.2 to 0.3 in the last quarter is hardly a good sign.

From the first bounce Jack the pressure was on against our mid-field and our defence was inunandated.  Comes down to experience at the end and better list of talls that cut us up.  We were no match for Fletcher, Pears, Ryder, Hille, Gumby and I'll throw in Neagle.  You have to admit Hardwick was outcoached with a brilliant move of having Ryder on Moore who forced way out onto the wing leaving us with Gourdis & McGuane to battle it out with there talls, it also doesn't help when you have Connors making errors, Edwards playing a poor game, basically we were outclassed.  We also struggled to get the ball out of defence being locked in most of the times struggling to find a lose man, we were also forced to switch the ball to open up the play to no avail being quickly manned up.  We were outclassed by experience and height.

[jackstar is back again]

6.2 to 0.3 in the last quarter is hardly a good sign.

that's to go with the 0.13 collingwood kicked in last weeks final quarter, that could've been mega ugly

Correct

[TigerTimeII]

we r foxing

[WA Tiger]

we r foxing

No unfortunately we were not.

[Mr Magic]

we r foxing

Going to be a lot of egg on face if we come out and beat Carlton.
Bloody hell I hope we do.

[Smokey]

What's really funny is that X has been talking us down all summer and WAT has been talking us up.  Bit of jumper swapping going on?   

[WA Tiger]

What's really funny is that X has been talking us down all summer and WAT has been talking us up.  Bit of jumper swapping going on?   

LOL, I just don't know which way to go now, with Cuz possibly out...... gee who knows and with Jack saying all our players are too small and short.... Carlton have some talls including Waite coming back. I won't talk myself out of it now though.... If we win it will have everything to do with our skill level.

GO TIGES..

[jackstar is back again]

What's really funny is that X has been talking us down all summer and WAT has been talking us up.  Bit of jumper swapping going on?   

LOL, I just don't know which way to go now, with Cuz possibly out...... gee who knows and with Jack saying all our players are too small and short.... Carlton have some talls including Waite coming back. I won't talk myself out of it now though.... If we win it will have everything to do with our skill level.

GO TIGES..

Will say this, Carlton will struggle, although they are playing us.

[RollsRoyce]

What really disappointed me the most about this match, was the margin which Essendon, who I consider to be a bottom 4-6 side, were able to defeat us by.
Now I know that some will argue that they finished 8th last year, but I think this was a lucky result, which flattered them hugely.
 After all, they got there with 11.5 wins, when 12 wins for us in 2008 consigned us,yet again, to ninth spot.The 100-odd point belting the Crows dished out to them in the Elim Final underlined this.
Like us, Essendon seem to be a club in re-building mode after Sheedy's inglorious departure, and our record against them in the last few years has been very good. This suggested to me that we were on a par with them, and may even have had our noses slightly in front. (Our record was 1-1 last year, and we won our last encounter.)
Can they possibly have taken such a quantum leap over us in their development so quickly? Or am I reading too much into a practice match result? I look forward to people's thoughts.    
    

[Smokey]

Or am I reading too much into a practice match result?   
    

Way too much.

[Penelope]

I think you are underestimating Essendon too, RR. If they can keep some big men on the park they will probably win more games than last year.

[RollsRoyce]

On the two responses:
Smokey - doesn't it concern you that both teams were close to full strength, and yet they more or less dominated us all day? I can think of a few inclusions that might have improved us (Cousins, Foley, Post) but not that many. We were certainly a lot stronger side than the one who faced Collingwood.Do you think we were holding back,and will transform once the real stuff starts?

Al: You say that I underestimated Essendon. If so, then how have they managed to go past us so thoroughly, and so quickly? After all, for the last 3-4 years they have been one of the few sides that we've been on a par with, and perhaps even slightly better than.  
 

[wayne]

I think you are underestimating Essendon too, RR. If they can keep some big men on the park they will probably win more games than last year.

There is still Hurley to come into that forward line.

He'll probably replace Neagle, who I don't rate.

[Penelope]

On the two responses:
Smokey - doesn't it concern you that both teams were close to full strength, and yet they more or less dominated us all day? I can think of a few inclusions that might have improved us (Cousins, Foley, Post) but not that many. We were certainly a lot stronger side than the one who faced Collingwood.Do you think we were holding back,and will transform once the real stuff starts?

Al: You say that I underestimated Essendon. If so, then how have they managed to go past us so thoroughly, and so quickly? After all, for the last 3-4 years they have been one of the few sides that we've been on a par with, and perhaps even slightly better than.  
 

I dont know if id agree with being on par with them. We have beaten them a few times, but overall I'd say they have performed a bit better than us.

The have shown improvement over the last two years even with barely a big man available for much of last year.
Crystal ball gazing can make you look silly, but I expect essndon to continue to improve, particualy if they have a fair run with injury.

In terms of going past us in develoment, when knights took over he was the fresh start, new style of play, new roles for some players etc etc.

At that same time we were supposed to be on the cusp, three years into a master coaches grand plan yada yada yada.

So now we are the fresh start, two years and weaker base behind.