Several games from last season serve as motivation for Coach Scott, and this upcoming game, as well as the next one, are prime examples.
The Essendon players should never forget Hardwick's words after the game: "bunch of spuds" was his description of the Essendon lineup that night. Well, Essendon has the next two weeks to prove him wrong—this week against his old team, whom he described as what Essendon was made up of, and next against his new team, the Gold Coast Suns.
“Scalloped” *not potato cakes
In Round 10 of 2023, Essendon finally ended their Dreamtime drought against Richmond after 13 consecutive losses. While the performance stood out in terms of coaching, planning, and execution to secure the win that night, I don't believe it holds long-term significance.
The game saw a total of 805 disposals, with 523 being uncontested and 167 intercepts in total. Essendon managed to take 143 marks outside of the forward 50, but this isn't a style of play conducive to long-term success. It's the complete opposite of what's needed to compete against better teams and in finals.
However, I understand the theory behind the coaches' strategy. It was a game style specifically tailored to beat Richmond, finally breaking away from Essendon's previous attempts to match the Tigers' style of play. Richmond thrived on high transition, fast, chaotic football, but Essendon's approach of keeping the game uncontested prevented Richmond from generating chaos and ultimately led to success.
Therefore, I must give massive praise to the coaching staff for formulating a different approach that proved effective.
“Hash browns”
With the lineup changes and system adjustments coming into 2024, it was always expected that Essendon would need time to gel defensively and offensively.
Before the final preseason match simulation, McKay, Reid, and Ridley formed a defensive trio to address years of defensive issues.
The injuries to Ridley and Reid necessitated McKay to adapt to a new partnership, while the deployment of Martin alongside McGrath and Redman entirely reshaped the structure of the back six.
The team's unfamiliarity and changes around the immediate contest reflected in early season opposition scores. After four games, opponents averaged 98 points and 57.5 inside 50s.
However, in the past five weeks, the team has shown promising progress, with opposition inside 50s dropping to 44, ranked number one in that time, and their scores decreasing to 71.8.
Still, the opposition's inside 50 shots at goal efficiency needs work. Considering Richmond's effectiveness after 10 games, I would expect to see improvements this week.
Richmond averages 41.8 inside 50s, resulting in a shot at goal just over 41% of the time. The majority of these shots occur in general play rather than set shots from marks.
Led by Bolton, supported by experienced Baker and newcomer Campbell, with Maurice Rioli, another young forward, sidelined this week.
Although the Tigers' aerial assets aren't as robust as other teams, the Bombers' smaller defenders can't solely focus on attacking. Priority still lies in defending the players they're assigned to, especially, as I’ll explain later, those starting higher up the ground who aim to slip out the back during transitions.
“French fries”
Richmond this year ranks 18th in clearance differential, trailing by 11.6 against their opponents, resulting in a loss of more than 942 metres in territory per game, placing them once again at the bottom of the competition.
This deficiency has negatively impacted their starting position when they win the ball back and the beginning position of their possession chains.
Over 43% of those chains originate in the Tigers' defensive third, making forward transition more challenging on a regular basis.
Setting team goals, as discussed in my preview of Essendon against North Melbourne last week, should be a measure of success in this comparison.
Set goals to maintain the same clearance differential, play the game in the Bombers' front half, and pressure Richmond to defend, forcing their possession chains to continue to start further from goal and limiting their uncontested possessions and marks.
Once the ball enters Richmond's forward third, their efficiency in converting entries into marks is above average. With an average rate of 24.4% marks per inside 50, they rank higher than Essendon's efficiency of 21.2.
The main targets utilized are eight-gamer Lefau alongside key forward Bolta. Both are large forwards who can hold their own in marking contests and are surprisingly nimble at ground level, able to tackle and apply pressure.
However, the Tigers are the easiest team to rebound from in their own forward 50, making them the second worst at defending scores originating from the defensive half. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues through the run and bounce of Martin and McGrath and the precision foot skills of Redman.
This trio ranks in the top 20 for defensive third rebounds, and each averages well over 400 metres gained per game, with Martin averaging over 550. Essendon will be looking to turn those rebounds into inside 50 entries and, ideally, into scores.
Currently, just over 32 points per game are sourced from the back half, which is slightly above mid-table. One way to improve this is to move the ball quicker by hand and foot and make decisions faster, while still being cautious.
No team is more direct and quick off intercepts than Richmond. While Hawthorn held this ranking in 2023, the Tigers are now number one. They rank number two for metres per disposal and number one for the straightest line to goal for their disposals.
Tigers games this season feature the least amount of stoppages outside of the centre bounce per game. With the ball moving around more in transition, Essendon must avoid getting caught playing the Tigers' style of football for too long.
Moving the ball quickly from turnovers will help the forwards against the Tigers' defenders, but it's crucial to ensure that the defensive line for Essendon teammates is intact and set up correctly.
“Gnocchi”
While Richmond has lost its depth of options for rotations over the years, there still exists a star factor capable of turning the tide in quarters and games within a short span.
Martin and Bolton both rank in the top five for their score involvements, with Martin leading the charge, as over a third of his possessions result in a score.
With injuries affecting Taranto, Hopper, and at times Prestia, both players are being tasked with more on-ball responsibilities.
Bolton attends just over 55% of their centre bounces, while Martin is just under a third.
Matchups, handovers, and, most importantly, communication are crucial ingredients for victory here.
Essendon midfielders will need to communicate with defenders such as Kelly, Redman, and McGrath when both Martin and Bolton push forward, and vice versa when in stoppages.
The question is: Can Martin and Bolton effectively defend while in the midfield?
Look for Essendon to tightly mark them around the contest but also exploit them once the ball is in the Bombers' possession.
Essendon should aim to take them to dangerous areas on the field and apply pressure on their defenders due to the lack of defensive support from them ahead.
Avoid ball watching and being caught flat-footed when Richmond transitions with the ball.
“Potato gems”
The Tigers are number one for running bounces, with Daniel Rioli and Bolton both ranking in the top eight of the league.
When Rioli kicks out, he seeks an easy target with a short kick to set up overlap and run, creating space for him and his teammates ahead.
With so much ball entering the Tigers' back 50, Rioli is being asked to do a lot of defending but also expected to contribute significantly to attack. This season, he's having the biggest impact of his career, which is phenomenal to say after his instrumental role in Richmond's past successes.
He’s averaging his highest AFL Player Rating, recording the most disposals, highest kicking efficiency, second-highest metres gained, most contested possessions, most groundball wins, tackles, and the highest percentage of score involvements.
He serves as the Tigers' primary source of run and creativity in ball movement, while his defensive teammates focus on kicking skills to move the ball from defence.
Vlaustin, Short, and Broad aim to gain quick territory under the barrage of incoming balls.
Essendon's improvement in the front half game should prevent easy outlets by foot and generate turnovers, hopefully leading to scores.
Both Vlaustin and Broad lead intercepts for Richmond, while Young, Miller, and Grimes play a more passive role of defending their positions.
It would be ideal to hold Richmond's interceptors accountable by having Essendon forwards constantly working together to create spaces and opting for short passes rather than constantly looking to go long and high in the air.
Honour the work of the forwards as rewards for working as a unit.
“Potato salad”
Facing teams ranked lower and currently experiencing challenges presents an opportunity for Essendon to showcase their professionalism, resilience, and respect.
Each training session becomes a chance to hone skills and tactics while maintaining focus, irrespective of the opponent's position in the competition.
Understand that any team can rise to the occasion and deliver a formidable performance underscores the importance of preparation and mental readiness.
It's about acknowledging that every opponent, regardless of their current position, deserves full attention and respect.
As Essendon looks forward, it's crucial to acknowledge that these challenges present invaluable opportunities to cement the changes and improvements achieved to date. With the next quarter of the season looming, the team will face extended periods that will rigorously test the progress made thus far.
Go Dons !
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