Essendon, where are they now?

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It feels like most of the pieces are in place to improve substantially. Daniher, at 23, is the best key forward under 30, there's quality on each line, and Worsfold is a very good coach. But as everyone recognises, midfield is an issue. I still wonder how we'll stand up against Martin / Kennedy led midfields. Those sides that have a champion midfield bull and play a high pressure game to let them shine will eat us up unless we improve in that part of the ground.
 
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They did very well to add 3 best 22 players to their list and those 3 are in a nice age bracket for Essendon as well (Smith-1993, Stringer & Saad-1994). Very confident that they will make finals again next year and a top 6 finish is possible. Top 4 is unlikely but I reckon they can win a final which should be the aim in 2018. Really like what they're building at Essendon, the midfield would be the key area for improvement for me which can be done from within and through the draft/trade avenues. They're going to be a really exciting team to watch and I look forward to playing them in the coming years. Think Melbourne and Essendon are going to build a competitive rivalry going forward.
 

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ShriekingShack said:
Essendon list manager and negotiations hard man Adrian Dodoro has declared that the club is relevant again, after this years highly successful trade period. Dodoro brought in multiple high profile recruits for minimal cost, most notably Jake Stringer, where he made the Bulldogs blink.

What do you think? Has this announced the return of Essendon?

Article here:

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/cou...s/news-story/363b32b1914ef8cfed90bbfcf10940f5
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Winning games makes you relevant.

I suppose he's just trying to drum up optimism to sell memberships and sponsorship, and to influence the AFL fixturing.
 

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scarecrow2k1 said:
Good to see the changes in trade dealings, but won't be relevant until they win a final
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The whole "winning a final" thing is garbage and really means nothing. It's something mediocre clubs have used to try to convince their supporters that they've accomplished something (Carlton under Ratten started it).

Richmond showed that this year: they hadn't won finals. It didn't matter for s**t - they went straight on and won it all.

Basically, you need to finish top 4. Once you're there, you're a live chance. Anything else is just making up the numbers, no matter how many meaningless elimination finals you win or lose.
 
reload141 said:
That's just plain wrong.
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Bunk Moreland said:
The whole "winning a final" thing is garbage and really means nothing. It's something mediocre clubs have used to try to convince their supporters that they've accomplished something (Carlton under Ratten started it).

Richmond showed that this year: they hadn't won finals. It didn't matter for s**t - they went straight on and won it all.

Basically, you need to finish top 4. Once you're there, you're a live chance. Anything else is just making up the numbers, no matter how many meaningless elimination finals you win or lose.
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Bunk- certainly agree that the importance of winning finals as a stepping stone to future finals is complete BS.

My post is that relevance is not gained by success at the trade table. Other clubs aren't thinking "Wow, Essendon are really relevant now". If they continue to lose their finals, like my own club did for a while, they'll continue to be irrelevant. Winning a final is where relevance is gained. Perhaps getting these three important players are a stepping stone to that relevance.
 
Got what they wanted from trade period and I can see them improving.

A dream trade period would’ve involved gaining Matt Kennedy from GWS as well. That’s my question mark over them, they’d love an inside bull to compliment there midfield.
 
It is unfortunate that any achievement will be tainted.

This is not a dig, they shouldn't be expected not to try for the next 5 years.
It's just perception.
 
scarecrow2k1 said:
Bunk- certainly agree that the importance of winning finals as a stepping stone to future finals is complete BS.

My post is that relevance is not gained by success at the trade table. Other clubs aren't thinking "Wow, Essendon are really relevant now". If they continue to lose their finals, like my own club did for a while, they'll continue to be irrelevant. Winning a final is where relevance is gained. Perhaps getting these three important players are a stepping stone to that relevance.
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Maybe you are talking about a different kind of relevance? I think given the last 4 years and basically no FA's wanting to come to Essendon except for guys who have been too old and discarded by their club we gave them a lifeline.

I think Dodoro is more highlighting the fact that players are actually wanting to come here now and that we are relevant because of that.
 
Their game style doesn't win you finals, they have only gotten poorer as a defensive side this trade period. What forward pressure do you hope to have with Stringer and Smith added to the mix? Tippa is going to have to do it all himself.

They will be an exciting h&a team and hype will be real, but will be humiliated come finals time.

EDIT: Add in a much tougher fixture I don't see finishing top 4 a realistic expectation either, can't see a way they finish higher than Richmond/GWS/Sydney/Crows
 
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Mootsy said:
Dodoro has done very well, but he is one of many cogs in the wheel of a potential premiership.

I'd say they were relevant this season in terms of the rise from the dust, but it's been a good trade period, no doubt about it...

Realistically speaking though, the league is as even as its ever been, and you could say the same thing about at least 10 clubs, don't underestimate how well Carlton have done in the trade and a few other clubs as well..

So i think finally the team might be in a position to contest in finals, for the first time since 2004.

I'm not entirely convinced about our game-plan just yet, the Tigers and Bulldogs had a winning formula, and in 2017 there were times where Essendon just looked lost out there in terms of teamwork around the contests, which to be honest was not the sort of professionalism you expect from a winning team. Hope that changes.

So you can have the list, but you need the system, you need the game-plan, you need hard work from everyone, you need efficiency in the contest, you need better kicking accuracy and more intelligent play.
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Essendon, like a few other teams, are capable of making the top four if everything goes right.
The draw, injuries and the fortunes of other sides are all the unknowns.
To contend players like Daniher (a gun who will get better), Heppell, McGrath, Hurley, Stringer, Merrett all need to be fit and play consistently at their best.
Parish, Gleeson etc need to step up and Fantasia and Tipungwuti need to be as good without the ball as with the ball, pressure!
Saad and Smith will add grunt and run and will be best 22, no doubt.
Questions marks remain on the value of Bellchambers, Zaharakis, Begley, Colyer, Hooker, Hocking, Francis, Green, Stewart, Ambrose, Langford, Leverde, Howlett, Hartley, McKenna as a fair few will need to produce consistent, team first football for the Bombers to contend.
 
Finishing eighth, winning an EF and then being dumped out in the semis won't mean anything. That's what we did in 2003-04 and it meant nothing. Dogs aside, you either make top four or you're also rans.

The only purpose for finishing 5-8 is to get finals experience, and maybe go for that 1% chance of going all the way if you're good enough.

The Swans were meant to be the best non-top four side ever, and got baled out by Geelong in a thrashing.

No Essendon fan sees 2004 as when we were 'relevant'. That five point EF win over Melbourne was the last gasp of a once great side. The last time we were relevant was 2002, when we were a game off top four and played some pretty good footy late in the year.
 
Reminds me of Carlton a few years ago. I think I can smell what they cooking. I think I ate it yesterday.
 
King Brown said:
Finishing eighth, winning an EF and then being dumped out in the semis won't mean anything. That's what we did in 2003-04 and it meant nothing. Dogs aside, you either make top four or you're also rans.

The only purpose for finishing 5-8 is to get finals experience, and maybe go for that 1% chance of going all the way if you're good enough.

The Swans were meant to be the best non-top four side ever, and got baled out by Geelong in a thrashing.

No Essendon fan sees 2004 as when we were 'relevant'. That five point EF win over Melbourne was the last gasp of a once great side. The last time we were relevant was 2002, when we were a game off top four and played some pretty good footy late in the year.
Click to expand...

That’s just it. Top 4 finishes are what’s relevant. Our drought is actually since 2001.
 
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