While Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy said earlier this week he is not concerned with the form of the team and has used the pre-season matches to trial new players on the list, many Essendon supporters disagree. Results from last week’s website poll showed that 59% of people think the Bombers’ have a lot of hard work to do before its Round 1 clash against Brisbane at the Gabba. A mere 15% of supporters commented that pre-season form doesn’t matter and the remaining 26% agreed it would have been nice to have done better in the Wizard Cup competition.
Geoff Hope from Clifton Hill says: The magnitude of the loss was primarily due to North taking the game a lot more seriously and probably being more forward in condition. However nothing appears to have been done about our glaring lack of leg speed in mid field and that is a major concern going into the new season.
Tim Bristow from Wagga Wagga says: There is still a lot of hard work to be done with this team if we want to match it with the Brisbane Lions.
Joan Hill from Lower Templestowe says: Jobe's game in the Wizard Cup proved he will be a great asset to Essendon this year. He has the 'football smarts' of his father (and, it seems the football ability as well). The likeness to Tim, also, is uncanny.
Damon Beckwith from Essendon says: Such a loss demonstrates that pride is not enough to motivate this group of players, that they have lost the win-at-all-costs mentality that saw them win it all in 2000, and that Kevin Sheedy cannot motivate them when little else is at stake. Also, the problems of 2002 were again on display - thin ruck division, sluggish and apathetic midfield, and failure across half-forward. On the other hand, young Laycock was burdened with rucking all day, personnel-wise the midfield is fairly good when fit, the weakness across half-forward can be coached and played around, and the four points on the way to a 17th premiership should be enough for Sheeds to fire his players up when it matters.
Snagger from Perth says: One can't help but get the impression that Essendon no longer takes the pre-season competition seriously. Winning matters to the supporters, it usually equates to a confidence to become a member - well worth a better effort!
Billie Preston from Ocean Grove says: In a way, I am glad that we were out so early in the pre season. the new rules are stupid, and I don’t want the guys getting used to them before the premiership starts. Besides, we were just giving the new comers a run before the important games.
Allan MacLeod from Drouin says: It was only a pre-season game and there were some positives in the form of young players. However it was disturbing to see that some of last years weaknesses were still with us. We were slow all over the ground, the forward line did not function and too may players left it to teammates to do the hard work.
Helen from Croydon says: While there were some good performances by individuals the team thing was not happening we were out of place & our reactions to their mistakes were a little slow so we didn't capitalise on them. While it was the first official type game & I am aware that lots of experimentation was going on there seemed to be more things to be concerned about than not. Our delivery into the forward line looks as dismal as it did all last season & why we have no one backing Lloyd up if he misses a mark is beyond me. But I have to have faith that the coaches see these things & are working on a solution. Some good signs from Watson & Laycock so all is not hopeless yet.
Graeme Lawless from Rockingham,WA says: We looked rusty and the inability for some players not to put in showed that the Wizard Cup is a practice match. I am in no doubt that we will shock a lot of teams this year. We showed potential and I hope it continues. GO BOMBERS
David Bergman from Melbourne says: Normally wouldn’t read a lot into this early in the season but same old mid-field problems as last year evident and we still get smashed in centre clearances. This means we have to work on this immediately or Brisbane will cane us in Round 1.
Pete Ransom from Thorpdale says: How many people remember the results of the pre-season cup? Its a time to blood-in new players, trial new positions and get rid of those pre-season injuries and niggles.
