AFL Player #21: Dyson Heppell aka Farnsy

[Lore]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 27, Highly Evolved

 

[Kakkle]

I think we're overrating tackles as a stat here. There is a lot more to defence than purely just putting your arms around someone when you're on the ground.

 

[BrunoV]

I think we're overrating tackles as a stat here. There is a lot more to defence than purely just putting your arms around someone when you're on the ground.

Yep. It's hugely overrated stat. The impression formed in your mind is two arms pinned and a player dragged to the ground.

In reality some players get credited with tackles for falling on packs and tackling which is instantaneous with disposal and others do not.

I'd query whether it's an objective stat.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I think we're overrating tackles as a stat here. There is a lot more to defence than purely just putting your arms around someone when you're on the ground.

I agree but sometimes changing things up in that way can give the players a mindset of hunting. I think we need that. Although as I type this I realise the Essendon way of getting more tackles would be to wait for the opposition to get the ball so they could pad their tackle stats.

 

[Ambrosia]

What's happened to him? He used to be quite effective as clearance midfielder capable of averaging 5-6 CL a game.

A Heppell who isn't winning inside isn't impacting games. I don't know if he's extended himself too far with his on-field leadership but he needs to get back to being a ball winning mid as we really don't have any other meaningful options atm

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

What's happened to him? He used to be quite effective as clearance midfielder capable of averaging 5-6 CL a game.

A Heppell who isn't winning inside isn't impacting games. I don't know if he's extended himself too far with his on-field leadership but he needs to get back to being a ball winning mid as we really don't have any other meaningful options atm

His role has changed.

He had the pill served by watson/hocking & co and now is now having to self-serve the inside ball.

A lot easier to extract the pill yourself when you've got some battering rams clearing the way for you as well.

 

[eth-dog]

What's happened to him? He used to be quite effective as clearance midfielder capable of averaging 5-6 CL a game.

A Heppell who isn't winning inside isn't impacting games. I don't know if he's extended himself too far with his on-field leadership but he needs to get back to being a ball winning mid as we really don't have any other meaningful options atm

His best football was playing as the secondary inside mid at a stoppage.

 

[Ambrosia]

His best football was playing as the secondary inside mid at a stoppage.

Secondary/First . In 2014, Heppell's best year he was immense in the games Watson missed playing practically a lone hand at the stoppage .

 

[Doss]

Secondary/First . In 2014, Heppell's best year he was immense in the games Watson missed playing practically a lone hand at the stoppage .

It wasn't a lone hand even sans Watson though, at all. He had Myers who was actually in the only consistent and decent phase of his career in 2013/14. He had Hocking, he had Howlett, and he had Goddard playing more of a midfield role than he does now, and it had Ryder who had probably the best season of his career in 2014 and was almost akin to an extra mid around the packs.

It was a one-paced midfield, but at least it had some grunt and bulk.

 

[Ambrosia]

It wasn't a lone hand even sans Watson though, at all. He had Myers who was actually in the only consistent and decent phase of his career in 2013/14. He had Hocking, he had Howlett, and he had Goddard playing more of a midfield role than he does now, and it had Ryder who had probably the best season of his career in 2014 and was almost akin to an extra mid around the packs.

It was a one-paced midfield, but at least it had some grunt and bulk.

He definitely had more help but he showed he could compete better than he is currently as a teams lead inside mid.

 

[Doss]

He definitely had more help but he showed he could compete better than he is currently as a teams lead inside mid.

Doing it on a fill-in basis when Jobe was absent, and still with much more help from the others mentioned, is very different from having no choice but to do it week after week, and when you're captain to boot.

I simply don't think Dyson is cut out to do the latter that well.

 

[Ambrosia]

Doing it on a fill-in basis when Jobe was absent, and still with much more help from the others mentioned, is very different from having no choice but to do it week after week, and when you're captain to boot.

I simply don't think Dyson is cut out to do the latter that well.

I don't think he's best suited to the role either but he's the best we've got at this stage and 3 CL a game isn't good enough for a bloke who reads the ball off hands as well as he does.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I think we're overrating tackles as a stat here. There is a lot more to defence than purely just putting your arms around someone when you're on the ground.

id be happy if heppell just sorting his field kicking out.

Couldn't hit water if he dropped out of a ******* boat.

 

[Summer Nights]

I love that every comment on the Facebook interview of him was a bunch of middle aged people saying, "Cut your hair, shave, and get black boots".

Because we all know that your appearance is the biggest detriment to your performance on a football field.

It’s the mentality of the hair and beard. It doesn’t make a difference to performance but it comes across like he thinks he’s better than he is. When people tell him to go to a barber, what they’re really saying is that he needs to perform a lot better and that he probably overrates himself. His little speech about guys playing in the VFL if not willing to put in epitomised his mindset. Coming from a poor defensive runner (from the school of Jobe), it showed that he just doesn’t get it.

Potentially a gun player, but captain? No thanks.

 

[Doss]

Why does it come across like that?

Maybe he just can’t be arsed shaving or getting his hair trimmed. Hell I’m overdue for one at the moment and I also shave fairly infrequently these days, but I don’t think it’s because of inflated opinion of self.

Drawing a bit of a long bow to link the two, IMO.

 

[Summer Nights]

Why does it come across like that?

Maybe he just can’t be arsed shaving or getting his hair trimmed. Hell I’m overdue for one at the moment and I also shave fairly infrequently these days, but I don’t think it’s because of inflated opinion of self.

Drawing a bit of a long bow to link the two, IMO.

It’s just the vibe of the thing.

You’re different because you’re probably lazy , but Dyson’s look is deliberate.

Anyway I’m not inclined to get into a slippery slope about it; just offering my opinion about why people say that.

 

[Doss]

It’s just the vibe of the thing.

You’re different because you’re probably lazy , but Dyson’s look is deliberate.

Anyway I’m not inclined to get into a slippery slope about it; just offering my opinion about why people say that.

Partly laziness and partly because my wife digs the stubble look.

 

[vast]

I think we're overrating tackles as a stat here. There is a lot more to defence than purely just putting your arms around someone when you're on the ground.

Its not the be all end all but its still a good indicator of defensive intent so to speak. You look at the way Devon Smith hunts the opposition and you are not surprised to see his credited with 15 tackles. You can watch him to see that he isnt working that hard defensively and if he was the numbers would speak for themselves. Im sick of the opposition just waltz out of every contested situation well not every but a lot of them.

This was a massive issue last year and we were blaming on being to slow in the midfield and Jobe couldnt chase etc etc. Well he is no longer there so who else isnt doing there part?

 

[boncer34]

Thread seems quiet this week.

Funny that.

 

[Beerfish]

Thread seems quiet this week.

Funny that.

Have you bought a watch yet?

 

[boncer34]

Have you bought a watch yet?

Um what?

 

[Beerfish]

Um what?

Dyson has a watch. Didn't you get the memo?

 

[boncer34]

Dyson has a watch. Didn't you get the memo?

Oh the ad.

Another performance like tonight and I might.

 

[Beerfish]

Oh the ad.

Another performance like tonight and I might.

Bookmarked. Good to see you here too.

 

[boncer34]

Bookmarked. Good to see you here too.

Only the 2nd game I've seen since the Bulldogs. I've missed most of our debacles.

 

[Beerfish]

Only the 2nd game I've seen since the Bulldogs. I've missed most of our debacles.

I see.