Team Mgmt. Talk about the makeup of our list - midfield balance, height profile, endurance runners

[Bombers36]

There’s B. Zerk Thatcher and then there’s berserk Thatcher.

I like it un_eggs! But I still think Margaret has a certain English charm...Maybe I haven’t fully explored my sexuality or something but I’ll keep referring to the berserk one as Margaret..!!


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[BrunoV]

Arguing about which shitty nick name no one else will call a player...

 

[DERO]

Arguing about which shitty nick name no one else will call a player...

Maybe later for the irony.

 

[eDPS]

Arguing about which shitty nick name no one else will call a player...

We know you want him to be called BrunoZ deep down

 

[BrunoV]

We know you want him to be called BrunoZ deep down

I'd rather call him Bezerker and I'd also prefer to cut off two toes using a spoon with no anaesthetic.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Sure, if you know the guy.

Once he’s on the essendon list and has a jersey number we all know him like we have known him all our lives

 

[Blind Turn]

I'd rather call him Bezerker and I'd also prefer to cut off two toes using a spoon with no anaesthetic.

At this point I’d like to clarify that in no way was I suggesting he should be nicknamed berserker. I was merely pointing out that Margaret Thatcher was a Tory berserker, leading the good ship Neocon with her wild, intimidating cries of warfare. B Zerk Thatcher just has a nice correlation.

 

[Ants]

Overall breakdown of the list:

Defence

Key Defenders: Michael Hartley, Michael Hurley, Cale Hooker (fwd), Aaron Francis, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Paddy Ambrose
Small/Medium Defenders: Martin Gleeson, Conor McKenna (mid), Adam Saad, Ben McNiece, Jordan Ridley, Mason Redman (mid), Matt Dea, Tom Jok (fwd)

Overall it's an area of strength. It really splits nicely into two groups of 7 with (in my opinion) the first 7 being Hurley, Hooker, Francis, Gleeson, McKenna, Saad and Ridley/Redman, the others in the second group. Apart from Jok and the Bezerker I think all of them would be able to play good first 22 football this year.

Midfield

Inside Leaning Midfielders: Matt Guelfi (def), Devon Smith (fwd), Dyson Heppell, David Myers, Trent Mynott, Dylan Shiel, Zach Merrett, Kyle Langford (fwd), Darcy Parish, Kobe Mutch, Dylan Clarke
Outside Leaning Midfielders: Jake Long (fwd), David Zaharakis (fwd), Brayden Ham (fwd), Andrew McGrath (def)
Rucks: Tom Bellchambers (fwd), Zachary Clarke (fwd), Sam Draper

Obviously the outside leaning isn't a long list but all of Smith, Heppell, Merrett, Langford, Parish and Mutch can play the in between roles quite well too. I don't know much about Ham but I'm hoping he starts on a wing round 1.

Forward

Key Forwards: Joe Daniher (ruc), James Stewart (ruc), Jake Stringer (mid), Shaun McKernan (ruc), Mitchell brown (def), Luke Lavender (def/ruc), Noah Gown
Small/Medium Forwards: Josh Begley (mid), Jayden Laverde (mid), Orazio Fantasia (mid), Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (mid), Jordan Houlahan (def), Mark Baguley, Irving Mosquito

The great thing about this area of the ground is that most can play multiple positions. In regards to Lavender and Houlahan I'm hoping they spend some time in the back 50 this year as it could help them learn more about the game, especially in Lav's case.

Overall it's a very strong list with my biggest area of concern being the outside leaning midfield, even though we have plenty of speed from half back and half forward, it would be nice to have a bit more balance in that grouping. Our biggest strength this year I feel will be our back 7, there are a lot of good intercept marks there so as long as there's pressure up the field and teams try to bomb it I have faith we'll do well.

Yep, the balance of the list is very good. From a long term list perspective, one of the best elements is an age profile. If you look at our oldest players, there are guys already around who will hopefully replace them. Some are longer shots, but some have already shown a bit, and there aren't that many really old players to worry too much about.

Bags (age 32): Begley, Mosquito
Hooker (30): Zerk
Myers (29): Mynott/Clarke/Mutch (assuming Stringer or Parish don't pinch his spot sooner)
Belly (29): Draper
Zaha (29): Ham
Hurley (29): Francis
(ages are rounded to the nearest whole number at 6/12/2018).

Outside of Zaharakis, we've got good options coming through to cover everyone who is 29(ish) or above. I'd probably put money on Zaharakis playing to the oldest age of that set as well. Also, the next two guys on the age list (Ambrose & Brown) are depth or just in the side.

So the list is looking pretty good for a 4-5 year period. What we achieve with that period I think rests more on the coaches and injury gods now (IMO). Oh, and what other teams do!

I agree the only "weak" area is the outside mids, and assuming Long doesn't step up we probably need to focus on that next year. But as you say there are a number of guys who can potentially fill that gap even if it isn't their forte (and some longer shots such as Jok, Ridley, and rotating the small forwards through there).

I suspect Houlahan, Long and Bags need big years to go around again, and Ambrose probably wants to stay injury free. D. Clarke is also out of contract, although I really rate his potential. Was extremely dominant for the first half of the year in the VFL. Dea will always be a year to year proposition, and depends a lot on what Ambrose, Redman, Ridley and Gleeson do (although personally I'd have him starting best 22).

 

[blitzer]

Yep, the balance of the list is very good. From a long term list perspective, one of the best elements is an age profile. If you look at our oldest players, there are guys already around who will hopefully replace them. Some are longer shots, but some have already shown a bit, and there aren't that many really old players to worry too much about.

Bags (age 32): Begley, Mosquito
Hooker (30): Zerk
Myers (29): Mynott/Clarke/Mutch (assuming Stringer or Parish don't pinch his spot sooner)
Belly (29): Draper
Zaha (29): Ham
Hurley (29): Francis
(ages are rounded to the nearest whole number at 6/12/2018).

Outside of Zaharakis, we've got good options coming through to cover everyone who is 29(ish) or above. I'd probably put money on Zaharakis playing to the oldest age of that set as well. Also, the next two guys on the age list (Ambrose & Brown) are depth or just in the side.

So the list is looking pretty good for a 4-5 year period. What we achieve with that period I think rests more on the coaches and injury gods now (IMO). Oh, and what other teams do!

I agree the only "weak" area is the outside mids, and assuming Long doesn't step up we probably need to focus on that next year. But as you say there are a number of guys who can potentially fill that gap even if it isn't their forte (and some longer shots such as Jok, Ridley, and rotating the small forwards through there).

I suspect Houlahan, Long and Bags need big years to go around again, and Ambrose probably wants to stay injury free. D. Clarke is also out of contract, although I really rate his potential. Was extremely dominant for the first half of the year in the VFL. Dea will always be a year to year proposition, and depends a lot on what Ambrose, Redman, Ridley and Gleeson do (although personally I'd have him starting best 22).

I reckon Hurley might go on longer than Zaka. Mainly because Hurley will always be best 22 whereas if Zaka drops off in a few years time it might be more iffy for him. Bellchambers may be a sneaky chance to go on for a while too, being a ruck.

Totally agree though we have good depth and cover overall. We probably don't need to replace any key players til the end of 2020 and probably a few will go til 2021/2022.

 

[Vindicater]

So who will be gone next off-season?

Prediction time.

I see Baguley, Brown, Ambrose and Clarke delisted.

I can also see Myers and Hartley being up for grabs in trade.

 

[eth-dog]

So who will be gone next off-season?

Prediction time.

I see Baguley, Brown, Ambrose and Clarke delisted.

I can also see Myers and Hartley being up for grabs in trade.

Houlahan needs to improve quite a bit. Wouldn't be shocked to see Parish get traded for some reason (just a gut feeling).

 

[Jade]

Houlahan needs to improve quite a bit. Wouldn't be shocked to see Parish get traded for some reason (just a gut feeling).

Houlahan looks fitter, which to me is often an indicator of drive. Kid is talented, so I hope I’m right there.

I’d be surprised if we traded Parish. Having said that, I suspect Francis is going to be in for a pay rise, and we have to think about contracts for Saad, Langford, Draper et al; something may have to give.

 

[owen87]

Houlahan looks fitter, which to me is often an indicator of drive. Kid is talented, so I hope I’m right there.

I’d be surprised if we traded Parish. Having said that, I suspect Francis is going to be in for a pay rise, and we have to think about contracts for Saad, Langford, Draper et al; something may have to give.

I think it’s more that Parish might ask for one than we shop him around.

I don’t think we have anyone on monster contracts actually; Heppell, Hooker and Hurley all resigned on fairly reasonable figures that apparently weren’t indexed to the CBA increase.

Doubt we have anyone on over $800k p.a.

 

[Jade]

I think it’s more that Parish might ask for one than we shop him around.

I don’t think we have anyone on monster contracts actually; Heppell, Hooker and Hurley all resigned on fairly reasonable figures that apparently weren’t indexed to the CBA increase.

Doubt we have anyone on over $800k p.a.

We do, and one of those three did have a CBA increase.

 

[owen87]

We do, and one of those three did have a CBA increase.

I must have missed that, thought the highest was in the 800s and that it wasn’t indexed.

 

[akiva]

How much would Merrett be on?

 

[Jade]

How much would Merrett be on?

If I was a betting man, I’d say less than 400.

 

[Liberator]

If I was a betting man, I’d say less than 400.

Wow, that's crazy....worth well more than that

 

[bjisgod9]

If I was a betting man, I’d say less than 400.

Not Jackson ...If I was a betting man I'd say you're well off the mark

 

[Jade]

Not Jackson ...If I was a betting man I'd say you're well off the mark

Uh-huh.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

Don't assume Jade's as bad at all betting as he is at poker.

 

[DERO]

At this point I’d like to clarify that in no way was I suggesting he should be nicknamed berserker. I was merely pointing out that Margaret Thatcher was a Tory berserker, leading the good ship Neocon with her wild, intimidating cries of warfare. B Zerk Thatcher just has a nice correlation.

If there are any chavs out there, they will be shaking in their boots.

 

[Cold Sober]

Mitch Brown, what's happening, still on list or not. Should be for no other reason than being our best forward.

 

[Doss]

Mitch Brown, what's happening, still on list or not. Should be for no other reason than being our best forward.

Yes, he was signed on for 2019 in September.

 

[Bombermania]

So who will be gone next off-season?

Prediction time.

I see Baguley, Brown, Ambrose and Clarke delisted.

I can also see Myers and Hartley being up for grabs in trade.

Would only disagree with Ambrose being delisted as I think he is in, or is close to being in the best 22.