Ben the Gooner
24 Mar 2009, 17:13
We’re into the second year of our new coach and things look a little different around the place. No Quinn (no injuries? – not bloody likely), and plenty of fresh faces around the football department. Legends of the club like JJ are no longer around, and, the Holy Trinity of Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher are basically the only ties with the 2000 flag. We are well and truly into our list rebuilding, with a huge majority of younger players. The future is bright for a lot of these kids, and therefore for the whole club. Guys like Reimers, Jetta, Monfries, Houli and Lonergan showed last year that they have the talent and application to be part of our next premiership tilt, and guys like Myers, Pears, Neagle, Bellchambers and Dempsey showed why we picked them. It is certainly not unreasonable to expect that all of the kids listed above, along with Gumbleton, Hurley, Zaharakis, Tyson Slattery and Darcy Daniher improve to some degree, given their age, and the experience they are receiving, and have already received. I would be extremely surprised and disappointed if we did not see some kids have a year like Reimers’ and Lonergan’s 2008s, and cement themselves in first team contention. The prime candidates in my mind are David Myers, Courtenay Dempsey, Jay Neagle and Scott Gumbleton. All have the requisite talent, and all are going to be given the opportunity to play a lot of senior football, injuries permitting.
Then we have the players like Ricky Dyson, Henry Slattery, Heath Hocking, Jarrod Atkinson, Jason Laycock and Jay Nash who are of the age where they need to start performing at a high level in order to keep their spot on the list. Slattery in particular, but also Atkinson, are required players, and in the 22, and on the fringes respectively, due to the distinct lack of small, shut-down defenders in the squad. However, there is little doubt that all of these players need to step up if they want to be assured of a place on the 2010 list. Hocking will get plenty of chances, with injuries to Welsh, McVeigh and Prismall opening up some gaps in the midfield. Dyson has impressed in the NAB Cup, but flattered to deceive last year, and will really need to avoid Bendigo for much of the year if he wants to be at Windy Hill next season. Nash needs to improve his confidence and game-day decision making if he wants to reach the next level. Laycock is contracted for 2010, and injured for the start of this season. If he cannot get his body right next year, it may be curtains, which would be a shame for a bloke of that talent.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-19.jpg
From there, we have our senior players, around whom the team is built. Guys like McPhee are searching for a defined role in the team, but the rest know their roles, and are capable of playing them with distinction. David Hille aside, there is a degree of depth which would enable us to withstand a normal amount of injuries – last year’s injury list would have tested Geelong and Hawthorn – without too much of a problem. There are not enough spots in the team for all of Houli, Dempsey, Myers, Monfries, Jetta, Nash, Hocking, Prismall, Skipworth and Lovett-Murray, so there is plenty of depth available should our smaller players get injured. Behind Hille however, there is a key defender, and a stick insect. It is fair to say that Hille’s fitness will define our season more than any other player on our list.
So there is plenty to play for individually, and given where the team was at last year, there is a finals spot on the line, should the group want it.
Were that to happen, there would have to be a significant amount of slack taken up by the likes of Monfries, Davey, Jetta, Reimers, Lonergan and Ryder, as it is simply unrealistic to expect 6-10 middle aged players of various status to carry an entire team. For too long, we have relied on Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher, and if we are to make finals this year, that has to change pronto. If the basis of the team’s achievement can be set by the likes of Stanton, Hille, McVeigh, Lovett, Winderlich and the younger players, the output of the older players and the youngest of the younger players would be the icing which pushes us over the line into finals.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-16.jpg
So there is plenty to play for, and to kick the season off, we come up against a Port side embarrassed and angered by its sub-standard finish last year, and burning with a hunger to return to the finals. So we have to face a side which will be looking for revenge on the entire AFL, and we have to do it with injuries.
Half of our starting centre square grouping is out, with Welsh sidelined by his ankle injury until the middle of the year, and McVeigh also hampered by his ankle, but only for two weeks. Scott Gumbleton is also likely to miss, with Henry Slattery a doubt due to an ankle injury as well. Jason Laycock and Brent Prismall are the long term outs, with foot and knee injuries respectively, while Kyle Reimers’ quad tendonitis will keep him out for three weeks. David Myers should be available.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-12.jpg
With that in mind, we have to consider Port’s forward line. Warren Tredrea, despite the years advancing almost as fast as his hairline is receding, is a champion player, and needs to be treated with respect. Justin Westhoff is the other tall forward target, and Daniel Motlop and Brett Ebert are two very potent small forwards. With Slattery no certainty to play, it looks like Dustin Fletcher will have to take one of the smaller forwards, which means that Michael Hurley should make his debut at full back. David Myers or Heath Hocking may have to take the other small forward, with Ryder on Westhoff.
In the middle, there are a number of Port players who could, and should be tagged, but with Welsh out and Slattery and Hocking tied up down back, Lonergan and Skipworth may well have to do a role on the likes of Boak, Pearce and Shaun Burgoyne. On the flip side, one of Boak and Pearce should play on Watson, while Kane Cornes will likely play on Brent Stanton.
Dean Brogan and Brendan Lade share the ruck duties very well, and are extremely dangerous around the stoppages. David Hille will have to take the majority of the ruckwork, as Tom Bellchambers, despite his potential, is not ready to outperform two fantastic ruckmen. Hille can particularly hurt Lade and Brogan around the ground, where he is effectively another midfielder. For us to have some sort of ascendancy, Hille will need to gather possessions and kick goals.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-21.jpg
Our forward line has the potential to be incredibly flexible, with a number of players able to play tall there. With Gumbleton injured, I think Knights will opt for three talls, in Lloyd, Lucas and Neagle, with McPhee playing a role on Chad Cornes. Monfries will most likely play his usual role on the opposition’s main running defender, which for Port is usually Peter Burgoyne.[
We have the potential to beat Port, as we can genuinely test them for height in our forward line, and can counter attack their midfield effectively with our pace. However, for us to be a genuine threat, I feel that at least one of McVeigh and Welsh should play.
My prediction is a narrow win to Port, but last year showed us never to write a Matthew Knights team off before the first bounce.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc285/bengooner4/Rd1team.jpg
Then we have the players like Ricky Dyson, Henry Slattery, Heath Hocking, Jarrod Atkinson, Jason Laycock and Jay Nash who are of the age where they need to start performing at a high level in order to keep their spot on the list. Slattery in particular, but also Atkinson, are required players, and in the 22, and on the fringes respectively, due to the distinct lack of small, shut-down defenders in the squad. However, there is little doubt that all of these players need to step up if they want to be assured of a place on the 2010 list. Hocking will get plenty of chances, with injuries to Welsh, McVeigh and Prismall opening up some gaps in the midfield. Dyson has impressed in the NAB Cup, but flattered to deceive last year, and will really need to avoid Bendigo for much of the year if he wants to be at Windy Hill next season. Nash needs to improve his confidence and game-day decision making if he wants to reach the next level. Laycock is contracted for 2010, and injured for the start of this season. If he cannot get his body right next year, it may be curtains, which would be a shame for a bloke of that talent.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-19.jpg
From there, we have our senior players, around whom the team is built. Guys like McPhee are searching for a defined role in the team, but the rest know their roles, and are capable of playing them with distinction. David Hille aside, there is a degree of depth which would enable us to withstand a normal amount of injuries – last year’s injury list would have tested Geelong and Hawthorn – without too much of a problem. There are not enough spots in the team for all of Houli, Dempsey, Myers, Monfries, Jetta, Nash, Hocking, Prismall, Skipworth and Lovett-Murray, so there is plenty of depth available should our smaller players get injured. Behind Hille however, there is a key defender, and a stick insect. It is fair to say that Hille’s fitness will define our season more than any other player on our list.
So there is plenty to play for individually, and given where the team was at last year, there is a finals spot on the line, should the group want it.
Were that to happen, there would have to be a significant amount of slack taken up by the likes of Monfries, Davey, Jetta, Reimers, Lonergan and Ryder, as it is simply unrealistic to expect 6-10 middle aged players of various status to carry an entire team. For too long, we have relied on Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher, and if we are to make finals this year, that has to change pronto. If the basis of the team’s achievement can be set by the likes of Stanton, Hille, McVeigh, Lovett, Winderlich and the younger players, the output of the older players and the youngest of the younger players would be the icing which pushes us over the line into finals.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-16.jpg
So there is plenty to play for, and to kick the season off, we come up against a Port side embarrassed and angered by its sub-standard finish last year, and burning with a hunger to return to the finals. So we have to face a side which will be looking for revenge on the entire AFL, and we have to do it with injuries.
Half of our starting centre square grouping is out, with Welsh sidelined by his ankle injury until the middle of the year, and McVeigh also hampered by his ankle, but only for two weeks. Scott Gumbleton is also likely to miss, with Henry Slattery a doubt due to an ankle injury as well. Jason Laycock and Brent Prismall are the long term outs, with foot and knee injuries respectively, while Kyle Reimers’ quad tendonitis will keep him out for three weeks. David Myers should be available.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-12.jpg
With that in mind, we have to consider Port’s forward line. Warren Tredrea, despite the years advancing almost as fast as his hairline is receding, is a champion player, and needs to be treated with respect. Justin Westhoff is the other tall forward target, and Daniel Motlop and Brett Ebert are two very potent small forwards. With Slattery no certainty to play, it looks like Dustin Fletcher will have to take one of the smaller forwards, which means that Michael Hurley should make his debut at full back. David Myers or Heath Hocking may have to take the other small forward, with Ryder on Westhoff.
In the middle, there are a number of Port players who could, and should be tagged, but with Welsh out and Slattery and Hocking tied up down back, Lonergan and Skipworth may well have to do a role on the likes of Boak, Pearce and Shaun Burgoyne. On the flip side, one of Boak and Pearce should play on Watson, while Kane Cornes will likely play on Brent Stanton.
Dean Brogan and Brendan Lade share the ruck duties very well, and are extremely dangerous around the stoppages. David Hille will have to take the majority of the ruckwork, as Tom Bellchambers, despite his potential, is not ready to outperform two fantastic ruckmen. Hille can particularly hurt Lade and Brogan around the ground, where he is effectively another midfielder. For us to have some sort of ascendancy, Hille will need to gather possessions and kick goals.
http://www.essendonfc.com.au/images/08/r7-gsp-21.jpg
Our forward line has the potential to be incredibly flexible, with a number of players able to play tall there. With Gumbleton injured, I think Knights will opt for three talls, in Lloyd, Lucas and Neagle, with McPhee playing a role on Chad Cornes. Monfries will most likely play his usual role on the opposition’s main running defender, which for Port is usually Peter Burgoyne.[
We have the potential to beat Port, as we can genuinely test them for height in our forward line, and can counter attack their midfield effectively with our pace. However, for us to be a genuine threat, I feel that at least one of McVeigh and Welsh should play.
My prediction is a narrow win to Port, but last year showed us never to write a Matthew Knights team off before the first bounce.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc285/bengooner4/Rd1team.jpg