Next Season.....

[mongrelpunt]

OK, I think its time we took a look at next season. As another thread suggested, we are in trouble if we have to worry about other teams losing to make it. (And yes, I am currently very bored)

I'm gonna post the entire 2002 Essendon list in here, and give my opinion on which players are safe, which should go etc.

Feel free to bag out my decisions, or post your own.

Here goes:

Steven Alessio - not getting younger, may retire by end of year
Jordon Bannister - shown a bit at VFL level, but hasn't taken the next step to seniors (not alone)
Paul Barnard - jury's still out
Justin Blumfield - almost 1 foot out the door, has talent, just doesn't show it sometimes
Mark Bolton - shown alot under pressure, looks safe
Marc Bullen - same as Bannister, maybe given a go now
Blake Caracella - struggled, but not trade bait
James Davies - only one senior game, needs to take next step
Dustin Fletcher - the cornerstone of the defence - definetly not tradeable
Robert Forster-Knight - shown a bit this year, looks like a good attacking tagger
Ken Hall - on rookie list, got a game this year
Shane Harvey - exactly what we need, just needs development
Chris Heffernan - too inconsistent, needs to find a permanent role
Aaron Henneman - struck by injury, good as a mobile ruckman
David Hille - struggled in some games, too much pressure on him I reckon
James Hird - If he's traded, I'll support Carlton
Scott Howard - rookie lister
Sam Hunt - no senior games, due to the number of tall defenders
Danny Jacobs - excelled early in the year, struggled as of late
Jason Johnson - the Rolls Royce with a V8 engine - super safe
Mark Johnson - lifted without Dimma or Solly, would be perfect for the midfield if not for injuries
Marcus Kenny - 2nd year as a rookie, did his shoulder
Matthew Lloyd - injured, out of form, but not tradeable
Scott Lucas - struggled as a forward, looked good as a CHB, maybe a positional change beckons
Daniel McAlister - next
Cory McGrath - played a handful in 2001 (unlucky not to play in the GF) but struggled this year
Mark McVeigh - taken the next step (kind of) looks good as an attacker, rather than a stopper
Mark Mercuri - sad to say, his time at Windy Hill might be up
Joe Misiti - see above (god I hope not)
Gary Moorcroft - hasn't played well since the Bulldogs game last year - might be lucky to stay
Simon O’Keefe - only his first year, another developing ruckman
Damien Peverill - will give JJ a run in the B&F, consistently good
Adam Ramanauskas - best kick in the comp, future captain
Joel Reynolds - showed some signs, just needs to pack on the kilos
Ted Richards - hasn't been sighted since early in the year - showed a bit, see Reynolds
Dean Rioli - a rollercoaster year, just needs a bit of luck
Paul Salmon - trying to play like a 19 year old, if he wasn't 37 he'd play on
Dean Solomon - most significant injury for the year
Sean Wellman - had to play more accountable footy this year, unable to play loose man
Andrew Welsh - best of the 2001 draftees - Damien Hardwick jnr.
Adam Winter - rookie lister

[Pornstar]

We are in big trouble. Our list is not capable of a top 4 finish anymore without some major rebuilding. We desperately need a ruckman (Hille is capable of good work around the ground, but we get slaughtered in the tap outs, he doesn't seem to have a clue what he is doing), another tall marking forward to take some of the focus off Lloyd (given up on Lucas, he doesn't seem capable of playing CHF anymore) and some quality crumbers (Harvey should come good, but remember the days when the ball came off the pack and we had Bewick, Mercuri and Long swooping on it?). We have about 3 years before we lose Hird, Misiti, Wellman, Barnard, Mercuri, Fletcher. Once they are gone i think we can expect more bottom 8 finishes than finals appearances for a while.

2000 draft hurt us when our first 2 draft picks had not played TAC. Davies and Richards are still catching up it seems.

[mongrelpunt]

I reckon you're a bit harsh on Scotty Lucas - like Gerard Healy said (I think it was him) he just gets pushed under the ball alot, needs to put on a bit of muscle over the off season. He hasn't been the worst forward that's for sure.

But totally agree with everything else. If the club is serious about Carey, I'm buying the wooden spoons now.:rolleyes:

[windyhill]

On Scotty.
He lacks prick, he is a magnificent footballer in full flight, he needs to add a nasty streak, this will not happen, he`s too nice a fella.

[Pornstar]

Yep. I'd like to have Cameron Mooney in our forward line. Nothing fancy, kicks his 2 goals and gives the occasional touch up.

[gPhonque]

There's a FEW who have to go, but i still think our problem is not our list - it's our gameplan.

Yes, we need a ruckman, we could do with some more strength and pace in the midfield, and yes, we could do with Wayne Carey.


Regardless of what people think, a fit Carey would be perfect.


Our problem at the moment though is in the way we are playing the game.

Our list is as good as any team's list, the only things we are lacking in are those above, and also a lot of confidence and motivation.

Too many spectators running around.


From what i've seen, we should be getting rid of:

Moorcroft
Henneman
Bolton (edit: keep Bolton and Henneman for another year, but only because we'd have nobodoy to replace them with, and they've shown enough this year to deserve another year....i don't think either of them are going to be good enough......maybe Bolton MIGHT be.....)
Alessio

(i haven't seen enough of Welsh, Reynolds etc to comment on them)

I have no idea who we'd replace Henneman with though, but i just don't think he's good enough, and he's certainly nowhere near being strong enough.........and he's had time.

I'm not sold on McVeigh yet, and haven't seen enough of McGrath.

And lastly, you wouldn't trade Caracella or Heffernan in a million years.


(well, not yet anyway)

[Dave]

Hille, looks scared in the ruck, perhaps it's his background.

G, Henneman's hardly played this year, he hasn't even shown much in the twos. Be lucky to stay. Caracella, too soft. Sides have worked out how to play him.

It seems some have short memories of Alessio's ruck work last year. Given an injury free run (something that seems to have eluded him for much of his career) I think he can be good value.

Blumfield, needs aq kick up the arse.

Slash, never more than a bit part player, cannot be expected to carry the side.

Need more out of Heff and mercs. Smokin Joe has been ordinary but mostly due to a lack of match fitness.

Lucas two problems this year have been the initial injury he suffered in rd1 and then having to play the #1 forward when he returned. He isn't #1 forward material and his confidence has suffered.

What we need is a ruckman and a quick midfielder. Who doesn't though!

[Dan26]

Originally posted by gPhonque
There's a FEW who have to go, but i still think our problem is not our list - it's our gameplan.



I agree. Our list is young and talented - by the standards of other teams.

We have been inefficient with our game plan this year. Our ball movement has been terrible. Lloydy woud be very annoyed, because the snail like way, we inch the ball forward, gives no one a chance.

We played our best footy when he missed with hs injury. Our worst football of the year has been since he returned. Ironic, but it's true.

I agree we need to change over some players, but we don't need to go overboard. We are middle-of-the-road, not 16th. I would focus more on recruiting youngsters in the draft - much like the Bulldogs have done.

I actually think we need to bulk up a bit more too. Have you noticed other clubs look bigger and stronger? I don't know whether John Qunn has focussed more on atheletic fitness than strength, but I reckon some of our boys need a summer in the gym.

[The Spornstar]

Would you guys consider trading Henneman for Fevola?

[Dave]

Henneman strikes me as being short of the grade talent wise whereas Fevola looks to have the talent but not the attitude to harness it. I guess it would depend on whether we were confident of "adjusting" his attitude.