Pre Match. Pies v. Port. All comments please.

[Jezza]

No shocks with the changes.

Will be interesting to see how Elliott fits back into the forward line with WHE now back in the side.

[Magpietothemax]

Yeah, I am looking forward to this as well. PA has massive issues in defence with the quality of our forwards. With so many potential targets in our F50 we need to ensure that our disposal into F50 is accurate and well planned.

[AN_Inkling]

It's all going to be about winning enough ball and getting it in space. Especially without Cox we can't afford to be bombing the ball forward. Get closer to goal and hit players up and the Power (or any team) will have great difficulty stopping our forwards.

Clearances will obviously need to be better than last week. The Power are easily league best in this area. Whereas we were number 1 last year but have fallen to 11th this season (to be fair the Bombers game is a big part of that). It's the one major issue with our game so far. When it's working we look great (Q1 against Bombers), when it's not we have an uphill struggle (most of the rest of ANZAC day). The good news is that we've been able to hold up even when losing clearances. Our defence is performing well and we are initiating scores from the back half. So it's not killing us, but we have another level to go to if we can get this right.

If Cox were playing I'd have given consideration to dropping Roughead for this game based on matchups. The Power like ground ball in their 50 and try to avoid high bombs and that's not Jordan's go. Playing an Aish may have been better, or a Quaynor when he was not available. As it is we need Roughead as a ruck option and I don't think we would have made a change anyway.

[3rd degree]

No Tom Jonas or Robbie Gray is good for us. I reckon Howe was good last week , But Moore or " Bull" Maynard shoudl do the kick ins.

[AN_Inkling]

^^Easily Howe's best game of the year last week. In our top 3 for mine. Had an interrupted pre season but hitting his straps now.

[think better]

[BazBoy]

AFL picks for round 7 the media has 17 media bods select their winners

All 17 picked us ranging from a low 4 point win to a high 28 point win

Not sure I like being outright favourite

[Pies4shaw]

[derkd]

I really like the forward line balance this week, no Cox i feel makes us more unpredictable, it will also force the players going forward to pick targets better rather then just bombing to cox which was starting to become a habit and one i didn't like. More space for the likes of De Goey and Elliott et.al.

The key will be our mid-field which to date has been fairly poor aside from individual brilliant ah la Penlebury last week.

I suppose like others I am not looking for a Harlem globetrotters game. just to start to string four quarters of solid effort together.

[watt price tully]

[Pies2016]

[Raw Hammer]

Essendon had three goal kickers last week (four of you count that pathetic ‘in the back’ against Grundy to the child of the corn.

Our defence is killing it this year.

[BazBoy]

How much of “killing it “ is having a mobile tall and a solid experienced tall
in the team

[uncanny]

Pies to win by 21 points
Should be a good contest.
Their new chums look good but we should be able to keep them on a short leash.

[Pies2016]