Autopsy Round 6, 2025: Positives and Negatives vs Essendon

[Cuzz09]

is it sadistic of me to say I'm glad we lost

I hope the players are hurting and hungry

I understand what you are saying but God a win would release a lot of pressure.

But maybe a win will bring worse efforts because of this?

 

[DorothyG]

+ve

Around the 7min mark of the 2nd, for about 2/3 minutes we forced repeat stoppage after stoppage after stoppage on our forward flank/wing.

Wasn't pretty footy, but it has hard, tough, gritty work. Haven't seen that in a long time. Allowed no easy out from a clearance for the dons.

More of that please

 

[Cuzz09]

+ve

Around the 7min mark of the 2nd, for about 2/3 minutes we forced repeat stoppage after stoppage after stoppage on our forward flank/wing.

Wasn't pretty footy, but it has hard, tough, gritty work. Haven't seen that in a long time. Allowed no easy out from a clearance for the dons.

More of that please

Yeah I've noticed we can hold teams for long(ish) periods but when they score they pile on goals in large bursts.
guess that's a young team thing?

 

[Shueygod]

I'm a huge Hewett fan and am as excited as anyone about what he showed yesterday, but this has to be a joke.

Wardlaw has been an absolute clearance beast since game 1, not just for a half here or there but consistently putting in numbers of 10+ CP, 5+ clearances and 20+ disposals, 6+ SI.

Hopefully Hewet can use this as a springboard and can produce the same kind of footy consistently week in and week out.

Love you to name the 5 games wardlaws looked better, he’s a clearance beast who loves kicking to the oppo. You said yesterdays game was on par with his 21d and 8 turnovers

 

[Monocle]

Was lots to like about the game last night.

+'s

First and foremost is that the Coaching group have some actual footage to show the squad this week, what they did well and give them a shot of confidence.

Team was very up for the game and put in a really good effort.

EH's game was an obvious highlight.

JWilliams was very good too.

First half ball movement into the forward line was crisp and we lowered our eyes and hit up leading players.

Got several passages of play that were impressive, and its sequences of play like these, that young teams can learn from.

Young kids played well as a collective and grew as players.


-'s

Not going to win too many games when you are just bombing the ball in long to the forwards as we did in the second half.
Failed to lower our eyes and went the bomb it long option and it invariable failed

Poor Coaching to leave Cripps exposed playing on McGrath who single handedly kicked started a lot of the Essendon second half attacking drives. Should have put a defensive clampdown player on McGrath and nullified or negated his impact.

When the drug rats picked Two Meter Peter - I was worried because I knew that he would tear Edwards a new arseh*le as he just wasn't ever going to be quick enough to go with him.


It was a game that we could and probably should have won BUT, three things went against us getting the chocolates:

We just didn't make enough of our chances, when they presented and that hurt us.​

​

Hard to win when you get so many controversial Tiggy Touchwood free kicks get paid against you and then miss out on the "no calls", that should have been paid in your favour.​

​

Maggots played a small part in our loss, however we have to learn to win despite the poor adjudication as the standard of umpiring is disgustingly poor and wont change under the current AFL management.​

AFL house are at an all time low with improving standards and internal review of poor performances- at all levels of their areas of governance.​

​

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Love you to name the 5 games wardlaws looked better, he’s a clearance beast who loves kicking to the oppo. You said yesterdays game was on par with his 21d and 8 turnovers

If we go by Contested Possessions Elijah's 12CP would be Wardlaw's equal fifth highest.
If we go by Score Involvements Elijah's 5 SI would be Wardlaw's equal 7th best.
If we go by clearances, Elijah's 5 clearances would be Wardlaw's equal 12th best return.

If we go by AFL player ratings Elijah's 14.3 would be Wardlaw's 7th highest rated game. Here are all the games Wardlaw has played where he got a higher AFL player rating

Hewett having a breakout game is huge for us! Hopefully he can be consistent and play to that level week in week out like Wardlaw does (when available).

 

[BartBart]

A positive that we sre finally seeing some midfielders working out what to do.

Starting to have some options which we just have to get games into. With Greco and Allan as options still to debut too.

 

[Cuzz09]

The next step will be hitting up shorts targets and linking smoothly instead of blazing i50

 

[Shueygod]

If we go by Contested Possessions Elijah's 12CP would be Wardlaw's equal fifth highest.
If we go by Score Involvements Elijah's 5 SI would be Wardlaw's equal 7th best.
If we go by clearances, Elijah's 5 clearances would be Wardlaw's equal 12th best return.

If we go by AFL player ratings Elijah's 14.3 would be Wardlaw's 7th highest rated game. Here are all the games Wardlaw has played where he got a higher AFL player rating

Hewett having a breakout game is huge for us! Hopefully he can be consistent and play to that level week in week out like Wardlaw does (when available).

View attachment 2288021

If we compare all these stats that Hewett had in one game with Wardlaws career highs, it doesn’t look that good.

Where would goals rank out of interest? Pretty important stat.

The biggest indicator for me is coaches votes, Wardlaw polling in one game. I’d be shocked if Hewett doesn’t poll this week.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

I was on board with it at the time, more than most on this board who had a total melt when the trade went through.

Makes you think.

 

[eaglespremiers]

Baffling game sometimes, just play last touch out of bounds

Get that soccer nonsense out of here.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

is it sadistic of me to say I'm glad we lost

I hope the players are hurting and hungry

As opposed to how they’d be feeling on the usual 60+ blowouts?

 

[eaglespremiers]

I’ve always been in favour of the pick swap, but today doesn’t change that we still need more out of both Hewett and Ginbey for that trade to be in our favour long term.

Sheezel has a best and fairest to his name already and been named in AA40.

Warldaw had a game today just as impactful as Hewett’s. But for Wardlaw that wouldn’t be in his top 5 best games, while for Hewett it’s his best by a country mile.

Both Hewett and Ginbey need a lot more runs on the board for us to start crowing about how smart we were to trade down.

Were Sheezel and Wardlaw legitimate options for us though?
The general consensus was that there was virtually no chance that they were going to come west to us.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

View attachment 2288093View attachment 2288094



Makes you think.

On board with it... meaning I supported it. I absolutely did lurk and remember the melts at the time when we did the mega trade.

 

[OldBlueEagle]

Final complaint about the umps.

The non 50 call on the dons player who ran Infront of our guy (can't remember who) in the second after a mark.

Text book 50m penalty, crickets from the ump.

Or Crippa being drag down after mark in final was worse.
Also Merrit gets a charmed run with soft frees,

 

[eaglesnutcase]

A few notes-
Wardlaw is a machine. In a side that got pumped by a lot he was a standout.
Somebody needs to take Flynn aside and tell him to cut the stupid 1m handballs to a stationary target.
Nice to see JW involved in some argue bargy . That’s what our big blokes need to do

 

[jdisc]

As opposed to how they’d be feeling on the usual 60+ blowouts?

correct

 

[jdisc]

I understand what you are saying but God a win would release a lot of pressure.

But maybe a win will bring worse efforts because of this?

they would've had the pressure release if they'd won, it was an entirely winnable game right until the end

all on then

 

[Knifey Spoony]

Having Harley and Hewett in the same team once they are fit and firing

 

[jdisc]

Having Harley and Hewett in the same team once they are fit and firing
View attachment 2288212

did you know that Elijah Hewett has Judd like tendencies

 

[ArdentEagle]

J.Will did a few things that reminded me of a young Tomahawk

And yes Hewett does some Judd like things at times

 

[Dark Sharks]

Those 2 goals McGovern coughed up to mummy's boy flog Perkins in the space of 90 seconds were the real game changers IMO.

 

[braddalzielleoursaviour]

J.Will did a few things that reminded me of a young Tomahawk

And yes Hewett does some Judd like things at times

Great comparison for Jwill. A lot of people are saying Jwill ain’t a long term AFL grade footballer because of his athleticism, I beg to differ

 

[shumo]

Flynn was very good.

A fine example of why dropping players to the WAFL and only bringing them back once they've EARNT a recall, is only a good thing.

He was a different player out there tonight. Clearly his best game for the club.

• 19 Disposals
• 9 Contested possessions.
• 7 Marks
• 4 contested marks
• 4.score involvements
• 447 metres gained.
• 28 hitouts
• 141 ranking points

Don't be afraid to drop players and look at what happens.

He’s played what 6 games for the club? Not hard to be his best in that context.

 

[Reminiscence]

What exactly did you like?

Got involved, made good decisions, didn't seem overawed by the situation in his first proper AFL game.
Plenty of defensive running as well.

Think that was the biggest thing about him on the draft, that he had a great football IQ.
Already looks like an upgrade from Luke Edwards on that wing.