Which side is closer to a premiership - Carlton or Essendon?

[PowerfulPies2023]

Essenton Blues or the
Carlssendon Bombers

They should merge. Might finish 12th.

 

[CCurnow3picks]

But what about the stats since he made significant improvement 2024-present?

He's now averaging 17 disposals, 22 hitouts and 4.5 clearances per game.
Those are the kind of weekly averages he will be putting up for the next 5-7 years.
Certainly not worth anything close to $1.8 mill but definitely one of the best rucks in the comp.

But what about the last half of the third qtr in R17 - He was amazing!

TDK is developing - but he’s nowhere near the top 5 ruckman - most have him ranked 9th.

He gets beaten in the ruck more often than not.

When he does win the ruck it’s only to advantage 36% - to our disadvantage 64%.

What he’s best at is taking the ball out of the ruck or following up the ruck on the ground - the problem is he usually hack-kicks it forward without looking.

He very rarely marks the ball - (3 x per game) usually it’s spectacular - so looks great on the highlight real.

His kicking for goal is horrible - have a lol at the ball drop.

He goes missing for 1/2 a game & can’t share the ruck.

$1.8 x 8 is one of the dumbest investments in AFL history!

 

[CCurnow3picks]

Who have you got as your top five rucks?
I'm going with Gawn, Marshall, Cameron, Xerri, De Koning.

I like it when the big men get plenty of the footy, are dynamic and can influence a game when the time calls upon it.

De Koning does this in spades. He's essentially a bigger version of Jackson.

I’d say ;

Gawn
Cameron
Marshall
Xerri
Meek
Witts
Grundy
English
TDK
Briggs
Darcy

TDK struggles against the big guys. He rarely taps to advantage.

He’s good at getting it at ground level - needs to hand it off more - likely to NAS as nobody else will be running past!

His kicking is basically long & hopeful.

He did turn a game a couple of times for us - 2/100.

He is developing - has a huge upside - paid like the best midfielder in the comp.

Not sure he’ll handle the pressure that’s coming.

 

[Mr.X]

Essendon are much better than their 2025 season finish suggests.

They’ve brought in had a horrid run with injuries, they will benefit long term as it gave them a chance to fast track games across the list.

A fit Essendon will surprise a few sides in 2026

 

[Freomaniac]

Collingwood once went 32 years without a flag and Richmond 37 years. Once a losing culture starts to seep into a sporting organisation, the rot just spirals onwards from there and turning it around can be difficult.

The media of course set both clubs up for a fall every pre season with the hype. I find it telling that the two most successful Victorian clubs in the modern era Geelong and Hawthorn, are middle scale clubs in terms of size and overall profile.

Both those clubs just quietly plan for their next flag without the media hype, although the most recent Hawks flag was 10 years ago.

They'll probably win a flag before the Blues and Bombers the way things are currently going though!

Sad thing is your right about The Hawthorn footy club.

I would back Carlton to win their next final quicker than Essendon.

I actually think North Melbourne will win a final sooner than Essendon. This is despite spending every year in the last 6 years in the bottom 2 or 3

 

[Red_man2008]

Just getting all Carlton related pages on the front page.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Essenton Blues or the
Carlssendon Bombers

They should merge. Might finish 12th.

What would the Blue Bombers side look like?

B: Ridley, B McKay, Saad
HB: Martin, Wietering, Newman
C: Walsh, Cripps, Duursma
HF: Hayward, H McKay, Williams
F: Kako, Wright, Langford
R: Pittonet, Hewett, Merrett
I: Roberts, Caldwell, Cerra, Durham, O Hollands

 

[windyhill]

A bit like asking who's more likely to finish a marathon: an obese person or an an unhealthy thin vegetarian that runs out of breath after 5 minutes of normal walking. They're equally as far as it is possible.

But we’d look good in our cotton on gear.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

What would the Blue Bombers side look like?

B: Ridley, B McKay, Saad
HB: Martin, Wietering, Newman
C: Walsh, Cripps, Duursma
HF: Hayward, H McKay, Williams
F: Kako, Wright, Langford
R: Pittonet, Hewett, Merrett
I: Roberts, Caldwell, Cerra, Durham, O Hollands

Yuck... This side still misses the 8. Saad wont be in Carltons best 22 so hard to see him making a combined side.

Newman, McKay, Roberts
Florent, Weitering, McGrath
Durham, Walsh, Martin
Hayward, Caddy, Langford
Williams, McKay, Ainsworth
R - Pittonet, Cripps, Merrett
I- Cerra, Hewett, Redman, Duursma

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Just getting all Carlton related pages on the front page.

You know it's the offseason when there's 11 Blues related threads on the front page of the main board.
Just a subtle reminder that the main board really isn't much different to the bay and not worth visiting for genuine footy talk.

 

[Robertio]

Carlton and Essendon will both get to 17 before the Pies do.

 

[LeBronco]

You know it's the offseason when there's 11 Blues related threads on the front page of the main board.
Just a subtle reminder that the main board really isn't much different to the bay and not worth visiting for genuine footy talk.

Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond are the other big 4 clubs in Melbourne yet there's only 1 thread on the front page related to each of those clubs. Imagine how many Carlton threads there would be if they won a flag.

 

[mhill]

Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond are the other big 4 clubs in Melbourne yet there's only 1 thread on the front page related to each of those clubs. Imagine how many Carlton threads there would be if they won a flag.

 

[mhill]

Nope. If Blues won a flag then the front page would be full of whichever top 4 club that would be floundering down at the bottom of the ladder.
We feed on the mediocre.

 

[LeBronco]

Nope. If Blues won a flag then the front page would be full of whichever top 4 club that would be floundering down at the bottom of the ladder.
We feed on the mediocre.

Essendon are mediocre and have been for a long time so how come they aren't filling the front page like Carlton are?

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Lessendon

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Essendon are mediocre and have been for a long time so how come they aren't filling the front page like Carlton are?

Because Essendon supporters are sensible and know they're cooked, they don't need reminding

Blues are also cooked but their fans however are up and about like they're on the verge of a dynasty

 

[boncer34]

Yuck... This side still misses the 8. Saad wont be in Carltons best 22 so hard to see him making a combined side.

Newman, McKay, Roberts
Florent, Weitering, McGrath
Durham, Walsh, Martin
Hayward, Caddy, Langford
Williams, McKay, Ainsworth
R - Pittonet, Cripps, Merrett
I- Cerra, Hewett, Redman, Duursma

No Ridley is criminal

 

[timokane]

Collingwood will win the greatest ever premiership won and be the very first to the record 17 flags.

Will happen in the next 2-3 year might not in 2026 but looking in 2028.

2026 looking a bit of an iffy.

More so in say 2027 or 2028.

Depends on list turn over after 2026.

As with Carlton some feeling i have their next flag say in 2031

Not far away in 2023.

Need a few years to level out and go again in 2029ish.

But i think to be honest well run.

See how this year goes.

Say a lean 2-3 years then embark on a comeback era.

As with essendon years away from even finals.

Looking now a 5 year rebuild

I have essendon spoon in 2026 and 2027

Making a climb in around 2028.

i see essendon as what richmond are having to do.

So the point to the post i think its Carlton thats closer then bombers for the next flag.

I tipping essendons next flag in the mid 2030s say in 2035 lets say.

5 year build then 2 finals another year for good measure then 2035 its time.

Essendon 10 year wait

Blues say have a 5 year wait.

Pies have say 2-3 years wait.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Carlssendon
Esston

 

[LeBronco]

Because Essendon supporters are sensible and know they're cooked, they don't need reminding

Blues are also cooked but their fans however are up and about like they're on the verge of a dynasty

To be fair to Carlton they made a preliminary final in 2023 so unlike Essendon they've had the recent sugar hit of some great finals wins.

 

[CharacterFirst]

Essington.

I'd say around 2082 they should be ready to win one.

Just pipping Carlton who are on track for a 2089 flag.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

To be fair to Carlton they made a preliminary final in 2023 so unlike Essendon they've had the recent sugar hit of some great finals wins.

Yeah but they've lost about half of their best 23 since 2023, it's over, they're rebuilding

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Cerlton need Christou SOS and Dean Hannah and sexton in defence

 

[LeBronco]

Yeah but they've lost about half of their best 23 since 2023, it's over, they're rebuilding

Rebuilding from the middle rungs of the ladder isn't too bad. It's better than being stuck in the bottom 4 for years on end look at North Melbourne they've only won 20 games between 2020-2025 and West Coast who have only won 11 games between 2022-2025. Compare this to Carlton who won 28 games between 2002-2007 they were sanctioned for salary cap cheating yet still managed to have a better record than the North Melbourne and West Coast sides of recent years.