Are Essendon the new Richmond?

[Milanista28]

2017 was the last year of the saga, People think 2016 was the end for me it wasn't. We had half a team trying to catch up with the pace of the game and the other half learning to play with new players and new game plan.

Next year there is no excuses, We will learn if this new group is capable of taking the next step.

Francis, Laverde, Langford, Ridley, Mutch, Begley should replace guys like Watson, Kelly, Hocking, Howlett, Bird and Myers.

We will be fairly young going into next season.

Not worried at all, Absolutely need to improve but it's not hopeless.

 

[raskolnikov]

This is a complete troll thread by the biggest troll on these forums. But it's Essendon so carry on.

 

[Shadeeq]

I don't see Essendon as the new anybody right now. They're in a unique situation and it's not all that great, in spite of the HS's frequent urgings. Their significant contingent of 28yo+ players can't carry the day, and their young talent (Daniher aside) isn't yet ready to step up and win games. Might be best suited to dropping back for a year.

Essendon is not in a window and are rebuilding. The older players are not significantly important going forward. Most of them will be gone by the time we are in our window. What is promising about the Bombers is the core of young to mid aged players going forward. It doesn't matter that the older players 'can't carry the day'. It is far more important that our younger players develop as a unit. And what encourages me is that it was the young to mid aged guys who were our best players this season, for the most part.

Kelly 34 next year retired
Watson 33 retired
Goddard 32/33
Stanton 31/32 retired
Baguley 30/31
Hocking 30
Leuenberger 29/30
Hooker 29
Howlett 29
Bird 29
Myers 28/29
Bellchambers 28/29

The point is that you can't rely on them. Most clubs vying for a high finish have a strong senior core. More pressure will fall on Heppell/Hurley/Merrett/Daniher and they will be doing well to hold their ground. Next bracket:

Brown 27
McKernan 27
Colyer 26
Dea 26
McNiece 26
Green 25
Jerrett 25

There is a lot of potential dead wood to be cleared out.

What pick does Essendon start at this year? #12? They're in mid-table limbo.

You are right that a lot of deadwood needs to be cleared. This is happening as we speak. Post suspensions we needed to figure out who was still up to it. It was hard to know exactly where we were at at the start of this year. We have a clear idea now. We decided to play the older guys and try to make finals. But we are clearly significantly behind the best teams, so now we keep rebuilding.
I am optimistic because I believe our core players going forward are quite good. Still plenty of holes, but what we do have is promising.

Hooker, Hurley, Heppell, Zaharakis, Daniher, Merrett will be the core players over the next few seasons. They will all be 100+ gamers at some point next year. Young guys like Parish, McGrath, Mckenna, Fantasia, Begley, Tippa, Gleeson, Stewart etc. will be best 22 (imo) and are developing nicely. Then you have a bunch of other kids developing such as Francis, Ridley, Langford, Laverde, Mutch, Draper, Redman etc. Some of those will make it too.
Still some work to do but the future looks promising to me.

I am not worried about our first pick being 11 this year. With draft sanctions we picked up Merrett and Fantasia in 2013. There is plenty of talent available in the first round this year.
As for being stuck in a 'mid-table limbo' - I think our kids are good enough to get us out of that in due time. We need to be patient and keep rebuilding for now.

 

[Jesse Custer]

On a serious note, this is why I think the kid gloves the media uses when talking about Essendon this year is unhelpful.

When Richmond lost finals, it was the end of the world. All hell broke loose.

When Essendon gets humiliated, the narrative is oh well done on a fantastic turnaround better luck next year.

There's no (public) shadenfruede by the media towards Essendon.

I totally understand what you're saying but it isn't the time just yet. If this continues for say 2 more seasons then the gloves should come off.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Essendon is not in a window and are rebuilding.

I take issue with that claim. At a bare minimum, "rebuilding" implies that the team is younger than what it was.

Year|Avg Age|Age Rank|Ladder
\2010|23.68|14th|14th
\2011|24.09|12th|8th
\2012|24.62|10th|11th
\2013|24.85|10th|9th*
\2014|25.35|7th|8th
\2015|25.17|7th|15th
\2016|25.21|8th|18th**
\2017|25.69|4th|8th

Even allowing for the unusual circumstances since 2012, that is the profile of a team that is not going anywhere. I just don't see how Essendon can improve further in 2018.

Other clubs are in worse shape, but Essendon needs to take a raincheck on its short-term aspirations. Play youth and return to the bottom six, load up in the next two draft/trade periods, then shoot for top four and maybe reach 5th-8th with a soft draw in 2019 and a team on the way up.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I take issue with that claim. At a bare minimum, "rebuilding" implies that the team is younger than what it was.

Year|Avg Age|Age Rank|Ladder
\2010|23.68|14th|14th
\2011|24.09|12th|8th
\2012|24.62|10th|11th
\2013|24.85|10th|9th*
\2014|25.35|7th|8th
\2015|25.17|7th|15th
\2016|25.21|8th|18th**
\2017|25.69|4th|8th

Even allowing for the unusual circumstances since 2012, that is the profile of a team that is not going anywhere. I just don't see how Essendon can improve further in 2018.

Other clubs are in worse shape, but Essendon needs to take a raincheck on its short-term aspirations. Play youth and return to the bottom six, load up in the next two draft/trade periods, then shoot for top four and maybe reach 5th-8th with a soft draw in 2019 and a team on the way up.

How do the retirements of Watson, Kelly and Stanton affect that number?

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

I must say, expected better than this from OP.

 

[Ron The Bear]

How do the retirements of Watson, Kelly and Stanton affect that number?

With those players' 2017 games omitted the average is 24.98. But by the next game, the average will have naturally increased by ~0.57.

I'm not trying to paint a picture of doom and gloom - obviously there is some talent coming through - but the comp is in a state of flux with a lot of teams closely bunched and unless the Bombers move with it, they will get left behind.

 

[ziad]

This is a complete troll thread by the biggest troll on these forums. But it's Essendon so carry on.

It hurts me greatly to agree with a bomber supporter - but we are all human

 

[Bunk Moreland]

This is a complete troll thread by the biggest troll on these forums. But it's Essendon so carry on.

Frankly, it's quite a pissweak effort.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

With those players' 2017 games omitted the average is 24.98. But by the next game, the average will have naturally increased by ~0.57.

I'm not trying to paint a picture of doom and gloom - obviously there is some talent coming through - but the comp is in a state of flux with a lot of teams closely bunched and unless the Bombers move with it, they will get left behind.

Well retirement of three of our older (eldest?) players would be a step in that direction.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Well retirement of three of our older (eldest?) players would be a step in that direction.

Yes, although they're more the result of natural attrition than any hard decisions being taken.

 

[King Brown]

I'd have more faith in Essendon being a top four club if we'd drafted more than one elite midfielder over the past 20 years, which only fell into our lap via father-son.

Every other club has identified at least one top flight midfielder in the draft since 1997.

Edit: thinking about it a bit more, can't think of one midfielder North has had that could be called elite. We're definitely the new North. What a stain on the club.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Yes, although they're more the result of natural attrition than any hard decisions being taken.

Based on your age profiles, what is an example of what these hard decision/s could be?

 

[Ambrosia]

The problem lies in the midfield, it just isn't good enough.

Not even close to being good enough. Once the heat went out of the Sydney game it was a training drill out of the midfield despite Bellchambers having the advantage in the ruck.

 

[Bazzar]

This is a complete troll thread by the biggest troll on these forums. But it's Essendon so carry on.

And as per usual started by a North supporter. They should be concerned with their little poorly performed minnow club and stop trolling the Bombers (and Tiges after Dusty snubbed them)

 

[Jesse Custer]

And as per usual started by a North supporter. They should be concerned with their little poorly performed minnow club and stop trolling the Bombers (and Tiges after Dusty snubbed them)

Good luck this year mate.

 

[Shadeeq]

I take issue with that claim. At a bare minimum, "rebuilding" implies that the team is younger than what it was.

Year|Avg Age|Age Rank|Ladder
\2010|23.68|14th|14th
\2011|24.09|12th|8th
\2012|24.62|10th|11th
\2013|24.85|10th|9th*
\2014|25.35|7th|8th
\2015|25.17|7th|15th
\2016|25.21|8th|18th**
\2017|25.69|4th|8th

Even allowing for the unusual circumstances since 2012, that is the profile of a team that is not going anywhere. I just don't see how Essendon can improve further in 2018.

Other clubs are in worse shape, but Essendon needs to take a raincheck on its short-term aspirations. Play youth and return to the bottom six, load up in the next two draft/trade periods, then shoot for top four and maybe reach 5th-8th with a soft draw in 2019 and a team on the way up.

I am not claiming we have been in a full rebuild mode THIS season. As I explained we had a number of senior players returning from suspension and were figuring out exactly where we are at this year. We now know that we are significantly behind the best clubs. What I mean is that we will replace the older players with young ones and continue to rebuild via the draft.
And my entire point has been that our most important/core players going forward are not old at all. I couldn't really care less about the average age of our list/best 22.

And you are right we probably won't improve in 2018 and it is not important that we do so. We need to be a lot more patient than that. Our young mids need more time to develop and we need to bring in a couple more clearance mids as well. It's unrealistic to think that Essendon should be winning finals at this stage.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

As long as they don't pinch our club song, they can do anything they like.

 

[Arctic fox]

As long as they don't pinch our club song, they can do anything they like.

Why? We have a better song AND colours.

 

[smasha]

Richmond finally shook their finals choker tag on Friday night.

Have Essendon now taken that unwelcome title?

Just like pre Friday night Richmond, the Bombers have lost their last three finals appearances, all of the Elimination Finals.

And just as key Richmond players like Trent Cotchin came under heavy scrutiny for poor September efforts, yesterday afternoon again saw Essendon leaders like Watson and Heppell go missing.

What can the Bombers do to regain their September mojo?

op is salty is the answer to this thread.

Have a lovely day

"oh Dustin Martin........"

 

[Ancient Tiger]

Why? We have a better song AND colours.

A better song?


Turn it up. Start a poll and I guarantee you'll lose.

 

[NZ_Tiger]

Let's not let this sink into the mire of drug stuff.

For mine it is about their onfield leadership.

Cotchin showed on Friday those hoodoos can be broken.

Watson obviously leaves the game with an abominable finals record.

Who will stand up for Essendon next time?

Daniher and Merrett the most likely for mine.

I don't think Heppell has the game to make an impact when the pressure goes up a notch.

Game plan helps. We played a keepings off cheat game plan and unsurprisingly it unraveled in finals. Essendon play a nice front running game, that seems to also fall apart in finals. Luck plays a large part in a career.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Beating Sydney was always going to be a tough task the way they played they would have beaten the other 7 teams imo.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Game plan helps. We played a keepings off cheat game plan and unsurprisingly it unraveled in finals. Essendon play a nice front running game, that seems to also fall apart in finals. Luck plays a large part in a career.

Our game plan reminds me of the Knights era massive focus on defense and winning contested footy has to be the goal this pre season.