AFL Player 1: Andrew "Pidge" McGrath (c) - 42nd Captain of the Essendon Football Club

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2030
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 13, Vindicater

 

[brutus76]

Good luck Pidgey

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Chin of leadership.

giggedy giggedy giggedy

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Good choice

Wider group - bit of a joke, we don’t need seven.

And Fiorini… jeez… the bar must be low if a bloke can be considered one of our leaders after a few weeks. He was playing VFL last year. Silly addition, let’s just pump the brakes a bit and see if he can establish his spot in the team.

 

[Petrify]

And Fiorini… jeez… the bar must be low if a bloke can be considered one of our leaders after a few weeks. He was playing VFL last year. Silly addition, let’s just pump the brakes a bit and see if he can establish his spot in the team.

Not really. Dawson walked into a leadership role in a young Adelaide team after being on the outer at Sydney & was then captain the next year. Some blokes are just leaders.

He will play every game for us barring injury and will be one of the first picked. I understand a lot of people don't watch Gold Coast but he was an elite winger for them last year.

 

[ant555]

Good choice

Wider group - bit of a joke, we don’t need seven.

And Fiorini… jeez… the bar must be low if a bloke can be considered one of our leaders after a few weeks. He was playing VFL last year. Silly addition, let’s just pump the brakes a bit and see if he can establish his spot in the team.

Gold Coast did not want to let him go as he was considered extremely goog with his leadership and off field work in uniting the playing group . Your leaders do not have to be first choice players. One reason we chased him was his reputation as a leader behind the scenes.

 

[King Patty]

happy for McGrath

hopefully his leadership leads to better results than Merrett or Heppell
or Watson.

 

[jdstorm]

Default default default.

Go well pidge

 

[Yoda_]

Happy with this,

Can see the team first mentality in the way he gets around blokes on the training track let alone the fleeting games he has filled in for. Would be nice to see him take his game to another level but helping develop the next group of guys into people that leads to decent AFL players is priority for now.

Think not having Zac in the leadership group will be a good thing. Can mould that group the way he wants it to be, without the shadow of ghosts gone by lingering.

Go well Pidge

 

[MiguelM]

Happy with this,

Can see the team first mentality in the way he gets around blokes on the training track let alone the fleeting games he has filled in for. Would be nice to see him take his game to another level but helping develop the next group of guys into people that leads to decent AFL players is priority for now.

Think not having Zac in the leadership group will be a good thing. Can mould that group the way he wants it to be, without the shadow of ghosts gone by lingering.

Go well Pidge

I think he will do well for the stage we are at. Maybe players will loose that fear of making mistakes that seemed to affect some, esp Perkins.

 

[Gabe251]

it’s a win win. pidge performs and we get some wins to stick in the haters faces. pidge doesn’t perform and we bottom out like we really should before tassie comes in. he will be replaced in 2028 anyway.

imo the worst result would be a 9th finish and a loss in the play-in.

i’m writing off 2026 and going to enjoy the ride. there will be moments of fun. hopefully the rosa picks take big steps.

 

[King Patty]

imo the worst result would be a 9th finish and a loss in the play-in.

A lot would have to have gone right for us to finish 9th next year.

No Draper, Martin

Bryan maybe misses early rounds.

Theres only 2-3 sides that are considered easy beats and we generally struggle against them with close results. (Eagles, North, tigers)

One of youngest lists in AFL.




To finish top 10 we likely need
20+ games from Langford, Ridley, Parish, Caldwell, Durham, Merrett, Fiorinni, Duursma, McGrath, Reid

 

[King Patty]

Gee McGraths captain acceptance speech was so genuine.

Gave a nice pat on the back to Merrett.
But showed genuine care and love towards the group - sees all as brothers,

great group of senior players though
Redman, Langford, Fiorini, Martin, Durham, Caldwell, McGrath

can't wait to empower players to do their thing.

almost getting excited for 2026, there is a glimmer of hope.

 

[Gabe251]

A lot would have to have gone right for us to finish 9th next year.

No Draper, Martin

Bryan maybe misses early rounds.

Theres only 2-3 sides that are considered easy beats and we generally struggle against them with close results. (Eagles, North, tigers)

One of youngest lists in AFL.

View attachment 2498042


To finish top 10 we likely need
20+ games from Langford, Ridley, Parish, Caldwell, Durham, Merrett, Fiorinni, Duursma, McGrath, Reid

absolutely right. so let’s ride the wave into 18th!

 

[nipst@r]

Can have the responsibility of captaincy just not of kicking in.

 

[boncer34]

happy for McGrath

hopefully his leadership leads to better results than Merrett or Heppell
or Watson.

Or Lloyd

 

[Mercurial89]

Really rose to the occasion in the later stages of last year.
I have been one of his biggest critics but I was really impressed with that late season run of form he had.

Think he is the right man for the moment as the younger guys get adjusted to AFL, where as perhaps Zach's messaging and demeanor weren't for the stage we are in.

He doesn't need to be an A grader this year, but I expect a concerted effort to chase and run defensively (something he has been exposed for previously) as well as limit the absolutely back breaking turnovers he has had in the past.

Hope he goes well, will be cheering for him to invalidate my past opinions.

 

[King Patty]

Happy leadership group.

 

[fairbump_playon]

View attachment 2498762

Happy leadership group.

Everyone say “15th”

 

[astrowizzle]

Everyone say “15th”

Everyone say packs your bags merrett and don't let the door hit you on the way out

 

[Vindicater]

He certainly has the players which is the first step.

How he does when we are in the doldrums mid season will be the next test.

 

[EnolaGay]

He certainly has the players which is the first step.

How he does when we are in the doldrums mid season will be the next test.

I reckon he'll be a more positive influence in the tough times that Zerrett.

 

[MiguelM]

I reckon he'll be a more positive influence in the tough times that Zerrett.

Yep Merrett just got angry which adds negativity to a young group

 

[Goat Hird]

Bold prediction: He'll be a better captain than Merrett but not a better footballer

 

[Duckworth]

Bold prediction: He'll be a better captain than Merrett but not a better footballer

I'm not sure it's a bold prediction if most think that's how it will play out.

 

[P Money]

General consensus on here seems to be that he'll the type of captain we need for a few years while the list develops and a standout leader emerges from the group. My views on McGrath as captain are known, but that aside - what makes us think that this would actually happen? I'd say it's more likely he captains til he decides to retire. Why would he want to give it up? Players will likely keep supporting him because they like him, and he's not going to be upsetting anyone by giving them hard truths or demanding anything from anyone other than 'try your best'. Unless things change at the club, the administration isn't going to push him out - I mean Scott still wanted Heppell to remain captain when he was clearly well below best 22 material. I worry that we're stuck with him.