Are the Essendon Bombers the real deal in Season 08?
March 28th 2008 08:29
As somebody who has been a passionate Essendon fan for as long as I can remember, it was certainly encouraging to witness the Bombers’ thumping 55-point victory (19.8.122 vs 9.13.67) over the Kangaroos on Monday 24th March.
Now, in the aftermath of Monday’s game, the question on everybody’s lips is this: are the Bombers the real deal in ‘08?
If Monday’s performance is anything to go by, the answer to that question is a resounding “Yes”. New coach Matthew Knights seems to have breathed new life into the side. Gone are all signs of the old and slow Bomber engine room. Instead, it’s been replaced by the lightning-fast hands of smokin’ Jobe Watson, the pace and agility of Alwyn Davey, the superb ball-reading skills of Mark McVeigh, the strong hands, enthusiasm and promise of this week’s rising star Bachar Houli and the strength and experience of captain Matthew Lloyd. You can be sure the Bombers are in for a ripper of a season if these blokes have anything to say about it.
On the other hand, in recent years the Bombers have demonstrated a nasty habit of disappointing fans by showing early promise before dropping off the pace later in the season. Often this is due to a significant injury to one or more key position players, such as the injuries that hampered spearhead Matthew Lloyd and the ageing legend James Hird in the last couple of years. In this department, Scott Lucas’ injury in round 1 may be a decisive factor in determining Essendon’s overall success in 2008. The posterior cruciate ligament is a nasty part of the anatomy to injure and Lucas will be doing well if he’s back on the field a few weeks before the end of the season.
In the meantime, Essendon still has plenty of firepower in the forward line as the second half of the match against the Kangaroos (when Lucas was notably off the field) clearly demonstrated. In the back line, inspector gadget (AKA Dustin Fletcher) is sure to be stretched by the power forwards in the competition throughout the season, but he too is leading from the front with the same courage and passion that has exemplified his long and illustrious career. In the middle where it matters the Bombers have a real spring in their step. Once they get going, they’re going to be hard for any opponent to catch.
Are the Bombers the real deal in season ’08? Perhaps Sunday’s match against Geelong will give us some answers. Round one against the Kangaroos showed us that the potential is there, but only time will tell. History cautions Bombers fans not to get too carried away at the start of the season. My prediction? Essendon to scrape into the finals at season’s end: 8th on the ladder.
Now, in the aftermath of Monday’s game, the question on everybody’s lips is this: are the Bombers the real deal in ‘08?
If Monday’s performance is anything to go by, the answer to that question is a resounding “Yes”. New coach Matthew Knights seems to have breathed new life into the side. Gone are all signs of the old and slow Bomber engine room. Instead, it’s been replaced by the lightning-fast hands of smokin’ Jobe Watson, the pace and agility of Alwyn Davey, the superb ball-reading skills of Mark McVeigh, the strong hands, enthusiasm and promise of this week’s rising star Bachar Houli and the strength and experience of captain Matthew Lloyd. You can be sure the Bombers are in for a ripper of a season if these blokes have anything to say about it.
On the other hand, in recent years the Bombers have demonstrated a nasty habit of disappointing fans by showing early promise before dropping off the pace later in the season. Often this is due to a significant injury to one or more key position players, such as the injuries that hampered spearhead Matthew Lloyd and the ageing legend James Hird in the last couple of years. In this department, Scott Lucas’ injury in round 1 may be a decisive factor in determining Essendon’s overall success in 2008. The posterior cruciate ligament is a nasty part of the anatomy to injure and Lucas will be doing well if he’s back on the field a few weeks before the end of the season.
In the meantime, Essendon still has plenty of firepower in the forward line as the second half of the match against the Kangaroos (when Lucas was notably off the field) clearly demonstrated. In the back line, inspector gadget (AKA Dustin Fletcher) is sure to be stretched by the power forwards in the competition throughout the season, but he too is leading from the front with the same courage and passion that has exemplified his long and illustrious career. In the middle where it matters the Bombers have a real spring in their step. Once they get going, they’re going to be hard for any opponent to catch.
Are the Bombers the real deal in season ’08? Perhaps Sunday’s match against Geelong will give us some answers. Round one against the Kangaroos showed us that the potential is there, but only time will tell. History cautions Bombers fans not to get too carried away at the start of the season. My prediction? Essendon to scrape into the finals at season’s end: 8th on the ladder.
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