Delisted # 8: Martin Gleeson - Not offered a contract, finishes his Essendon career on 97 AFL games

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08 - Marty Gleeson.jpg


Contract Status: Not offered another contract in 2022
Last Game Played: Elimination Final, 2021
Injury Status: n/a
 
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Jul 15, 2008
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Personally I’m not sure why we’re desperate to actively trade or trade any of the guys mentioned here.

I’d be letting them all know we want to sign them up. If anyone decides they want to leave or a club comes with a great offer then we get the best we can out of that situation.
 
Would trade Francis before Gleeson provided Marty returns to some semblance of the form he showed in 2017 and the 2018 pre season. Marty can also play on smaller, quicker players which Franga cant


Francis is 4 preseasons in and still cant develop a tank to play either end at AFL level, which is a worry. Also if the club was bent on him making it as a defender, they wouldnt be playing forward with Brown available.

Francis would have the most currency, probably a pick between 25-35 at this stage and so for a pick around there i would be very tempted.
Francis is a bit of a special case. He was drafted as a Goddard style utility that needed to build his tank to play midfield. We needed a forward so that’s where he started, but when he was struggling with mental health, requested a trade home which failed and took time away from the footy to get his s**t together, he came back and asked to train and play in defence where he was more comfortable.

Supporting him to transition to AFL level was more important for the club than which position a utility trains in, so they let him train in defence and that’s what he’s done ever since. When our tall forwards got hit with injury Francis and the coaches seem to have agreed to play him forward, where he has been starting to find his feet. So we seem to have gone back to plan A with him at the moment.

He seems to be more like Hooker than Gleeson as far as the club is concerned. They’d only really compete for a spot if a particular match up happens to suit both of them.
 
Sep 29, 2016
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Francis is a bit of a special case. He was drafted as a Goddard style utility that needed to build his tank to play midfield. We needed a forward so that’s where he started, but when he was struggling with mental health, requested a trade home which failed and took time away from the footy to get his **** together, he came back and asked to train and play in defence where he was more comfortable.

Supporting him to transition to AFL level was more important for the club than which position a utility trains in, so they let him train in defence and that’s what he’s done ever since. When our tall forwards got hit with injury Francis and the coaches seem to have agreed to play him forward, where he has been starting to find his feet. So we seem to have gone back to plan A with him at the moment.

He seems to be more like Hooker than Gleeson as far as the club is concerned. They’d only really compete for a spot if a particular match up happens to suit both of them.
I am declined to disagree. I think Francis isnt big enough to play Hookers role (Hooker generally takes the resting ruckman type) but in terms of intercepts than yeah i cede that similarity.

In reality though Francis has played his best footy alongside Hooker and Hurley as a third tall. Coincidentally, when Ambrose plays Francis is inevitably the one to miss out, whereas Gleeson can play alongside all three. In that regards i feel between Ambrose, Ridley, BZT, Gleeson and to a lessor extent, Redman, we can probably cover Francis, whereas Gleesons flexibility in defence is highly valuable when fit.

I am not saying put Francis on the trade block, but I am saying he is OOC this year and if a club comes along and offers pick 25 for him i would be inclined to take it as I think the players above (particularly Gleeson) can cover him, regardless of hisblevel of talent which is undoubted.
 
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Kakkle

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Don't discount the chance that Gleeson may seek a trade - He's need to find a way to get some AFL games in the back end of the season.


A fit Gleeson alongside Weitering, Marchbank, Jones & Docherty makes so much sense.
 

vass44

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Good to see he is getting right back into fitness and form - wouldn’t be adverse to him coming in against the Eagles this week he was in strong form before he got injured


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Bombers36

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Jul 15, 2008
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I wouldn't be surprised if he gets run in the next 2 or 3 weeks - but bringing him in against the Eagles this Thursday fairly unlikely I'd say given our backline is functioning so well.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if he gets run in the next 2 or 3 weeks - but bringing him in against the Eagles this Thursday fairly unlikely I'd say given our backline is functioning so well.
I don’t see any him getting a gig till there is an injury down there.
 
Oct 1, 2006
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Did I hear right he was rested part way through the VFL game so he will be ready for Thursday?

Yeah but in case someone doesn’t get up in time, no certainty. Even though we have a full defence it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have the option of rolling McKenna or Redman further up the ground.
 

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Yeah but in case someone doesn’t get up in time, no certainty. Even though we have a full defence it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have the option of rolling McKenna or Redman further up the ground.
Or getting Zaka away from there
 
He, Myers and Baguley all came off early. It's just precautionary for the guys who are next in line.
Myers started after HT rather than finishing early but yes.
 
656 days on the sidelines according to the Essendon website article about him. That'd be about right since we last played in a final too. His last game was the 2017 EF against Sydney, injured his ankle in the JLT series at the start of last year.


 

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