Do you think that Essendon "laid down" for the Saints?

Question

Do you think that perhaps the Vic teams stick together when it comes to finals positions?

The Bombers were playing for nothing and had nothing to lose. Then they had some important players out for no particular reason.

I do not know one person who ever thought it possible that the Saints could win by such an enormous margin, and what a coincidence that it could happen at such a crucial time given their position in the 8!

I know the Bombers are one of the least together teams in the AFL but come on are they really that bad???!!!

Answer 1

Totally agree with you.  This is a question I posted yesterday on the same subject.  Most of the answers disagreed with my theory!

My Question:

(Anyone else think Adelaide got a raw deal today?

How hard did Essendon really try to compete in that game - that is what I would like to know. Fair enough - beaten by a better team - but they are all AFL standard footballers out there on the paddock and that scoreline is totally unacceptable. Just a walk in the park. Not good enough.

19 hours ago

Additional Details

19 hours ago

What I am on about

Bruce is "Did Essendon decide to give the Saints a nice helping hand into the Four at the expense of Adelaide"?)

Even though Essendon had inexperience in their team I still say it is just not good enough that they hardly seemed to be fearlessly contesting to get the ball.  I am a Swans fan and I have never seen my team fold so pathetically as Essendon did yesterday and the Saints had the added bonus of knowing "exactly" what they needed to score to push Adelaide out of the Four.  Watching that match I smelled a rat big time.  Of course St.Kilda did well to achieve what they had to achieve but it looked like a highly concentrated "training run" to me not a fearlessly faught AFL standard match.

Answer 2

1 Saints Fan. Back in the 1960s, when Melbourne was the greatest club in VFL history, and Fitzroy the lowliest, the word went around that some players of both clubs were in on a price of 3/1 for Fitzroy to win when they met, ............ and they did. I can name names, but won't for fear of spending the few remaining years of my life in gaol.

Money and greed rule everything.

Answer 3

Yep, it was all set up love

Answer 4

The saints were extreemely desperate and needy for a win with a huge margin in order to creep into the fourth spot, this is why they played extreeemly hard and were hungry for that fourth position. Essendon had nothing to play for & thats why i think they lost by as much as they did

Answer 5

No teams would ever ''lay down'' and let the other team win

Answer 6

no they just suck with out HILLE

Answer 7

thats pathetic if they do i would hate it if that happened

probably did it cause they knew that couldnt beat collingwood in the first elimination week

Answer 8

The word is not "laid down"

More like "bend over"

They were going to lose anyway

But if you look at the stats eg inside 50 compared to marks inside the 50

I think there was 33 inside 50 and from that 33 Ess took 3 marks

The Saints took 35 marks inside 50

A guy with a broken eye socket (Milne) kicked more goals (7.2) than the whole Essendon team (5.9)

Is that coincidence?

But lets focus on Collingwood

.

Answer 9

Really good question, didn't think of it myself!!!

No, i don't think Essendon "laid down" as they would want to finish in as best position as possible and they received quite a whopping, which is disappointing and embarrassing. I just think Saints were in real good form and Essendon weren't up for it.

Even though they are both Victorian teams, would Freo and Eagles help each other out? I dont think they would.

Possibly, as Essendon had nothing to lose, they were taking important players out and replacing them with less experienced players - see how they would go.

Hope I helped =)

Answer 10

My mind keeps telling me that they did not lose on purpose. But as I sat watching the game & the commentators were saying how much the Saints had to win by to get into the four, it made me wonder. The club runners were running out with messages all the time & the players seemed to be playing to script. It really looked like one of those second rate movies where one team has to do the impossible to win or whatever & they get up on the death-knock to achieve it. I am still wondering.

The above is a cut & paste to an answer I made just a couple of minutes ago to a similar question. I've copied it to save typing it agin. LOL. Your question is not far fetched. I'm trying to convince myself that Essendon did not lay down but am having trouble doing so. You have phrased your question well.

Answer 11

No sorry don't think so. Even assuming that teams may "Tank", if anything the rivalry between same state based clubs is historically much stronger. I don't think Freo would tank against WC or Adelaide against Pt just to give their other state team a better chance. However it is a fact that lower level teams looking forward to the next season will try less experienced (therefore probably less skilled) players in the final rounds. The only other chance is the NAB cup and we all know that is a joke.

Answer 12

You have to think about it because why would they go out and plan to lose they do have their own team to think about, with sending off their players in style and giving confidence to the younger player.

What i cannot believe is that even west coast beat st kilda, with the **** (<--- insert your own word) season they have had and 14 players out for the year but we managed to beat the saints, when we had nothing to play for.

But it is really suss because they could be helping out each other, even if they don't want to admit it. Have essendon ever lost to the saints by 100+?? Well i guess there is a first for every thing!

Although if they did 'lay down', this should not be allowed to continue, for the sake of other, more deseving teams (eg. adelaide).

Answer 13

too far fetched lady louise.

how could you get a team of footballers to all be out to lose,  couldn't happen, why would they get beaten so badly, lovely lady.

why not just 2 goals, why so many,  and do you think the bomber team has really given the saint team any special favor, playing the big cats, i know they stay in if they lose, but who would want to lose a final, finals games are all about momentum, why would any one want to play the top team until the big grand final?

no, no disrespect lovely lady but it is not a hollywood movie or a bollywood movie, hehe please come again.