Pre Match: Pies v. Bombers - All comments here please.

[i_luv_tarkyn!]

i heard the weather was going to be 18 and fine without rain. but i guess we won't know till the night with the weather lately. i agree MargOz it doesnt matter if its raining or not, 100% for four quarters is the key. we showed last week what pressure does to a team and i know essendon will be the same- with pressure they make mistakes. the umpires will again be vital especially with the dives llyod has been taking lately. hopefully it is consistent for once!!!

GO PIES
luv jess
*miss u tarks*

[AnthonyC]

maggies2003 if you're not a bummers supporter I'll eat my hat.

[Jonesy]

Lloyd only dives because he gets away with it...so I cant be critical of him for doing it. It's those ignorant, gullable blokes in white/yellow/red that keep taking the bait week in, week out.

As for the weather, overrated factor I believe. The team that wants it more, works hardest for each other and sticks to game plans better on the night will win, rain,hail or fine.

[JLC]

These are the teams Essendon have stopped:

Richmond
Carlton
Bulldogs
Melbourne
Fremantle (in Melb)

Nothing earth shattering there. Richmond, Carlton, Melbourne and the Bulldogs are all slops.

jlc

[Stan Magro]

Playing two games in heavy conditions in six days could work against us but if we are good enough we should beat the Bummers in any conditions.

[Jonesy]

Wasnt so long ago that we had won 6 straight and Mike Sheahan and co. kept harping on about the lack of quality opposition etc. Well...here we are with the Bombers having beating similar sides to us during there run and not a word about weak opposition. Funny that!!

Lets hope the Bombers have a bad one like we did against Brisbane! That will shoot there season to bits, and wouldnt that be nice.

[nocanfind]

Shak and Mullins have been very impressive for Williamstown. Mullins played on Barnard on the weekend and was very impressive as he has been for 5 of the last 7 weeks. He outplayed Barnard and shows a raw talent and a team competitiveness to indicate that he would be some fresh legs in a finals campaign.

Weighing in at 87kg and at 190cm tall perhaps he could be very versatile on a forward flank or some kind of forward position from rotating off the bench.

Good luck pies ...I know we can do it....


ps: I for one believe in you and have for 31 of my 33 years.

Ernie Marchant

[The Prototype]

Going to be a hard game, Collingwood's going to have to shut down Lloyd, Cupido, and Hird. And we have to get our forward line firing, I think that Leon Davis may get one more chance this week. If not, then I think Cole and McKee might get pushed back into the mix. I am guessing that Presti will be added (if fit) to replace Brodie Holland. I'm not really that confident that we will win, but, I think we can get over the line, if we play our best football.

[STOKA35]

essendon are travelling like we were before we played brisbane.Defeated teams below them or undermanned(brisbane) so essendon will use this game as a gauge were they are at as we did against brisbane.If we can keep lloyd to 3 goals i think we should win.
Hopefully we have our kicking boots on as we have missed some easy goals which have to be nailed to not let teams back into the contest.
Match-ups
llyod-wakelin
hird-lokan
cupidoll-johnson

[Joel]

Collingwood MUST come out hard and fast, like against the Swans. We must pressure Essendon into mistakes, and make the most of our opportunities. We can win this, so lets go out there on Friday night and put those cocky Essendon supporters back in their place.

[The Prototype]

But we cannot afford to fall asleep against the Bombers, even though the game last week was basically over, if we fall asleep we will probably get down.

[Pied Piper]

Shak and Mullins have been very impressive for Williamstown. Mullins played on Barnard on the weekend and was very impressive as he has been for 5 of the last 7 weeks... Weighing in at 87kg and at 190cm tall perhaps he could be very versatile on a forward flank or some kind of forward position from rotating off the bench.

Just a correction. According to the Collingwood website Mullins is 187cm tall and weighs 80kg, so he's not quite as big as you make him sound. Shackleton on the other hand is 179cm and 89kg, much more thickset, and he may have dropped a kg or two since coming to the club as they were concerned about his fitness. But you're right, these two have been tearing up the track and I'm really looking forward to seeing them play.

Weed

[burnsy17]

Does anyone else here remember the fine job Jimmy Clement used to do each time we played the bombers on Hird? Then again, he does play a more on-ball type role these days so Jimmy probably wouldnt have the capacity to run with him..... My roughie... Richie Cole.

Lloyd will get either Presti (if fit) or Wakelin, with Cloke hopefully floating accross (and not lining up at Full Forward like Anzac Day!!).

Cupido (very over-rated) will get whoever, because he wont have another game like Anzac. I'd suggest the Lonestar or Johnson. That leaves Jimmy Clement for Bolton or Jacobs (i think one of these 2 will line up in the forward line).

I hate to say it, but i think the bombers are the only team who can match up against us. In saying that, we have the form to beat them... but as much as i'd love to see it, it wont be a hammering.

[i_luv_tarkyn!]

i was thinking clement on llyod with last week's excellent performance and lokan on hird.

luv jess

[PeterWH]

I forcast that the PIES would beat the Swans by 20 points....not far wrong.
Well lets look at the positive side......even with Brodie out WE shall still beat them Bombers by 25 points and prove to the rest of the AFL that 2003 is the year of the PIES