Both St Kilda and Essendon have the requisite talent to be competitive with most other teams, as shown by their wins on the weekend. It’s not just a matter of flicking a switch and making it happen; it’s utilising and realising the talent and potential you have at your disposal.
Both these teams have been poor of late against teams they supposedly were meant to win against. They lost their way and were not sure where X, Y and Z were playing. They were relying on too few to win games on their own.
We know it takes a team effort to win flags, with quality being the standout factor in deciding who wins.
Both St Kilda and Essendon were ultimately helped by their opponents’ goalkicking and turnovers, but having a balanced side where you can spread the load and showcase your talent can lead to improved performances and upsets.
If you can win enough of the ball and get it forward, then players like Max King and Jake Stringer can do things that can separate the two teams.
Most teams have this type of player at their disposal, and by winning clearances and getting the ball forward quickly, they can create space and make the opposition look silly.
Teams love it when you take risks and try to go through the corridor, as it invites pressure and turnovers you just can’t defend. This can cost you games.
Don’t stress about one loss or even two but realise that there is talent there just needs to be used appropriately and for the good of the team.
Who can handle the pressure and not turn it over in areas that can’t be defended while making the most of their chances in front of goal will be okay.
Losses are not the end of the world; we just need to move on and accept we missed a trick and know that our team can and will play better at some stage and look a million dollars if they make the most of the talent already on the books.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Essendon defeated St Kilda, lost to West Coast and defeated Sydney in their last three games. I thought the game against West Coast was a danger game as their form had started to turn. Essendon lack big bodied midfielders. In their first game against Geelong, Stringer was absent and Langford went down early — this magnified the big body weakness and Essendon were soundly beaten. For most of the year Essendon have been lacking a big backman, in one game they countered this by playing Phillips as second ruck. Phillips went down early and the side became unbalanced. Essendon have a young side, they are learning to play a new game plan. At times they get found out, that is the price paid for inexperience which will only be overcome as the players get to play more games. Much of the criticism doesn’t take this into account and is best ignored.