Opinion Players who need a big 2018

[fishardansin]

Francis does not need a HUGE 2018. He just needs a huge preseason and to be super fit. We all know his talent, but that doesn't mean he'll put it together on game day week in week out. What he needs is to be fit enough to be definite fringe at worst. If he plays just 10 games and is in and out of the side then he is progressing. He will be 21 and have a base built for the following 10 years. Laverde and Langford need to show they can at the very least rotate through the midfield.

 

[revival_mode]

Langford & Laverde.... get these two boys up and about having an impact & we will look a much better side

 

[Arctic fox]

Who would you rather have in the midfield - Stringer or Langford?
Stringer for mine....More grunt and shunt ....and speed.

 

[eth-dog]

Por que no las dos?

 

[Rack Watts]

Michael Hurley, has stone hands and isn't good enough to become an AA defender.

 

[TheDinosaur]

Essendon Football Club


and also Langford.

 

[revival_mode]

seriously though I think captain hep would want to step it up a notch after this year. I think he will too for what its worth

 

[Lore]

seriously though I think captain hep would want to step it up a notch after this year. I think he will too for what its worth

Wouldn't be hard, given he was apparently doing a light training load this year just so he could get through games. All the ones that came back after the year off probably had similar issues.

You'd expect them to be back on a full training load as well as 22 games in 2018 though, and that should result to playing better.

 

[brutus76]

Francis - get your %^*# together kid or go away.
Long - needs a big pre-season to get his body right and to stop the soft tissue issues
Myers - Bring Mckenzie from Suns in he replaces him on the backline as a better kick and mark. Step up David!!!
Langford - like Long needs a big pre-season and to get himself right.
Draper - i think we'll trade Leuey and keep Smacka on the rookie list. He is young and raw but worth a go in the 1's. Kruezer took time to come good but you always knew he had something and could blossom in time. Drapes is the same just a little older.
Goalkicking of Joe D and Cale Hooker - 62% and 61% is unacceptable.

 

[eth-dog]

Francis - get your %^*# together kid or go away.
Long - needs a big pre-season to get his body right and to stop the soft tissue issues
Myers - Bring Mckenzie from Suns in he replaces him on the backline as a better kick and mark. Step up David!!!
Langford - like Long needs a big pre-season and to get himself right.
Draper - i think we'll trade Leuey and keep Smacka on the rookie list. He is young and raw but worth a go in the 1's. Kruezer took time to come good but you always knew he had something and could blossom in time. Drapes is the same just a little older.
Goalkicking of Joe D and Cale Hooker - 62% and 61% is unacceptable.

Draper is only 19.

 

[DERO]

Everyone needs a big 2018.

 

[Vindicater]

Reckon Myers needs to have a big season or he is done as an AFL player with the youth we have coming through.

Last chance for the boy.

 

[ghostdog]

Colyer: seems to have lost a touch of pace, needs to erase the fumbles and hit targets.
Francis: start training now, Frank.
Langford: If he isn't good enough to get regular games next year we should consider him trade bait and look to the 2018 superdraft.
Laverde: ditto Langford. Both of these guys should be regulars at the centre square next year.
TBell: fitness
Heppell: fitness. For a Rising Star winner and captain he should be so much more influential in games than he has been this year. Year off = benefit of the doubt, but I'll be expecting more and better next year.
Goddard: show some leadership, especially with Stringer coming, and don't be such a dick.

 

[Vindicater]

Heppell to the backline as a general should see him return to his best.

 

[coastalpipeline]

These fellas need a big 2018
Hartley, Laverde, Langford, Colyer, Heppell, Francis, Hooker, Greenie, Stringer, Bags, Sticks and Wombat.

 

[coastalpipeline]

Colyer: seems to have lost a touch of pace, needs to erase the fumbles and hit targets.
Francis: start training now, Frank.
Langford: If he isn't good enough to get regular games next year we should consider him trade bait and look to the 2018 superdraft.
Laverde: ditto Langford. Both of these guys should be regulars at the centre square next year.
TBell: fitness
Heppell: fitness. For a Rising Star winner and captain he should be so much more influential in games than he has been this year. Year off = benefit of the doubt, but I'll be expecting more and better next year.
Goddard: show some leadership, especially with Stringer coming, and don't be such a dick.

Goddard has been good since 2016 though spilling pretzels doesn't solve much.

 

[bombreys]

Heppell to the backline as a general should see him return to his best.

I would absolutely love this.

Have they actually said they're thinking of doing this or are you just hoping?

 

[BrunoV]

I would absolutely love this.

Have they actually said they're thinking of doing this or are you just hoping?

Really? I'd be amazed if there is part of Heppell's game at half back that is better than Gleeson's now is.

That doesn't mean that Gleeson is a better player than Heppell but I don't see what Heppell would add to the half back line.

 

[Vindicater]

I would absolutely love this.

Have they actually said they're thinking of doing this or are you just hoping?

Hoping.

 

[Vindicater]

Really? I'd be amazed if there is part of Heppell's game at half back that is better than Gleeson's now is.

That doesn't mean that Gleeson is a better player than Heppell but I don't see what Heppell would add to the half back line.

Heppell to take the spot played by Kelly lasy year.

McKenna Ambrose Saad
Gleeson Hurley Heppell

 

[Bomberbuzz1]

Really? I'd be amazed if there is part of Heppell's game at half back that is better than Gleeson's now is.

That doesn't mean that Gleeson is a better player than Heppell but I don't see what Heppell would add to the half back line.

Id prefer Heppell went back instead of rest fwd, he doesn't have enough impact to rest up fwd. It might alter his running patterns but he never gets out of 2nd gear anyway and would benefit the team more if his game time outside of the midfield was spent behind the ball. I think Gleeson should be played a bit higher when we're inside 50 so maybe that's when Heppell can roll back into a more defensive role and rest while on the ground.

 

[JayJ20]

All of our midfield group.

Laverde, Langford, Parish and Heppell in particular.

I think those four players are the difference between contending and another EF finals exit.

 

[ant555]

Stringer
Smith
Saad

 

[bombreys]

Really? I'd be amazed if there is part of Heppell's game at half back that is better than Gleeson's now is.

That doesn't mean that Gleeson is a better player than Heppell but I don't see what Heppell would add to the half back line.

I'm one of the few that still isn't sold on Gleeson. Bar Gleeson's intercept marking, I'd say Heppell's better at about everything else. A better defender and a far better user.

I'd love to see Gleeson use his marking skills as a high forward (or even on a wing), but I understand why he's playing back.

 

[BrunoV]

I'm one of the few that still isn't sold on Gleeson. Bar Gleeson's intercept marking, I'd say Heppell's better at about everything else. A better defender and a far better user.

I'd love to see Gleeson use his marking skills as a high forward (or even on a wing), but I understand why he's playing back.

Heppell a better defender and user of the ball? I'd say that Gleeson is better than Heppell at every part of the game that is relevant to being a defender (though maybe Heppell is a bit stronger taking a contest mark - a little bit) . If Heppell is a better 'defender' it's not based on anything he has shown in a game of football I've seen. It's more of a positive for Gleeson than negative for Heppell - Gleeson's defensive work has become very good culminating in being one of our best players in that elimination final under the extreme pressure of a midfield capitulation.

The point is that there is nothing to be gained by Heppell playing in defence where the only role he could play would be Gleeson's. He's slow, his kicking is hardly the stuff of a quarter-back and he's no more than a mid-sized defender. Heppell won a rising star playing as a largely unaccountable half back a long time ago.