Notes

Yes, this is just a match simulation, it holds no rewards to the end of season goal, it's just an opportunity to test physical readiness and strategic experiments against another opponent.

A game where you get to see new faces, new hopes and emerging talent.

Here's my summary to the outcomes from those experiments.

Quarter one

Duursma working hard deep on the last line in generating an extra behind the ball as a starting wing. Gresham helping by playing the usual high half forward role who's working up to help between the arcs and Duursma to push back.

But Perkins needs to use hands when he's up the field, the numbers are around him so there's no gain in just kicking from behind half way to outnumbers ahead.

Reid has great positioning for the high ball in the air, and slick hands on groundball to find first receivers as an outlet.

Playing closer to a last line defender than a second last.

The half forwards need to defend St. Kilda's ball carriers and users at half back.

Caldwell, Menzie and Perkins are giving them no respect and far too big a leg rope, it's forcing their teammates ahead to do too much while outnumbered.

Weideman needs to compete in the air, he's not presenting to straight forward areas and when he does, he's not able to bring the ball to ground.

Quarter two

Closed the space and came forward to St. Kilda's ball movement early in the quarter, but then retreated, there's no consistency in wanting to defend.

I believe a lot of that is off the back of the same half forwards who are struggling to switch quickly enough from attack mode to defence mode.

It can't just be about getting to dangerous areas when Essendon has the football.

A lot are getting caught in between and worse on occasions, being turned around by their opponents.

McKay defending high up the ground as a centre half back rather than a true full back, Reid playing that role instead.

I did like Reid further up the ground I must say.

Tall targets not presenting as an option when the defenders need it, then when they do, they're not competing, so now when those defenders are looking ahead, they're not looking to those targets as reliable options.

Not always going to be able to play perfect football in ball movement, so beacons need to be outlets as ball movement has stalled.

Not enough pressure once the ball is on the outside of congestion, very slow to react to come up and close the space, St. Kilda are able to use hands to find more space and they're out. Defenders doing a lot of defending.

Quarter three

Weideman, Jones and Langford deeper forward competing in the air, but no leg speed underneath to crumb or pressure.

Once again not coming forward to defend, retreating again.

It's giving up territory by allowing short hit up kicks under no pressure, makes it so much harder to defend ball movement.

Caldwell really looks like he can only play midfield, he gets lost anywhere outside that area.

I don't think the half forward line is his position.

Ball movement stalled as there's no overlap run from behind asking to receive, St. Kilda have defended that very well after quarter time.

Everything is by foot when wanting to take ground.

Quarter four

Got the balance wrong at stoppage and congestion early in the quarter, there's too many on the defending side of those areas,

St. Kilda much better set up to hit first receives by hand.

Unfortunately nothing has changed in wanting to drum up some overlap from defence.

Hind turned up the pressure in the front half, he looks like a better option than the half forwards who started the game there.

Interestingly, after the hype of Durham to play inside midfield, he didn't spend much time there after the first half.

Ticks

•Gresham kept buttering up as a high half forward.

•Reid looked very solid in the air with positioning.

•The "want" to press higher up the ground at times.

•Duursma's work to get back and defend.

•Martin's decisions by foot.

Crosses

•The inconsistency in coming forward to close down the space. Essendon defaulted to retreating on too many occasions.

•The half forwards of Menzie, Perkins, Guelfi and when Caldwell was there, were poor in defending the Saints ball movement from defensive half. Flat footed, didn't switch from attacking mode to defensive mode quickly enough.

•Tall targets couldn't compete in the air or be relied upon as an outlet option when St. Kilda were pressing and closing the space.

Onto the practice match against Geelong.