Traded #10: Aaron Francis - Traded to Sydney w. Pick 42 + Future fourth rounder for Pick 37. Thanks Frang!

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10 - Frang.jpg

Contract Status: Out of contract 2022
Injury Status: n/a

My Boy Draft 2022: Pick 29, Mr Bultitude
 
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Haychh

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If Francis and Stringer are super fit in 2018 ... Essendon should football well.

Daniher, Hooker, Stewart, Tippa, Fantasia, Stringer and Francis. It would be worth playing a 7 man forward line!
If this was the case then surely it would be more value moving Hooker back
 
Jun 9, 2007
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If this was the case then surely it would be more value moving Hooker back
While I'm happy with Hooker cementing himself as a forward I still think a utopian best 22 by midyear would have Franga as an in-form target forward and Hooker doing a job on the oppositions strongest forward... in an ideal world...
 

RaySamuel

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Nov 13, 2016
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If Francis and Stringer are super fit in 2018 ... Essendon should football well.

Daniher, Hooker, Stewart, Tippa, Fantasia, Stringer and Francis. It would be worth playing a 7 man forward line!
1 missing element in the forward line and that is space. Who's going to play the Billy Brownless decoy role etc etc
 
I see Francis becoming a defender which will lead to Hooker staying forward but with the option of the two being able to swap if needed.

I think we will wait and see if Francis can become an AA back before we consider moving him forward.
 

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Jun 11, 2007
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While I'm happy with Hooker cementing himself as a forward I still think a utopian best 22 by midyear would have Franga as an in-form target forward and Hooker doing a job on the oppositions strongest forward... in an ideal world...
I see Francis becoming a defender which will lead to Hooker staying forward but with the option of the two being able to swap if needed.
Francis is a better natural defender. He was when he was playing U18s, and he certainly showed that in the VFL.

We can play them both back.

At their strongest, the Crows played Hartigan (Hooker), Talia (Hurley) and Lever (Francis) with Laird, Smith and picked their next defender based on needs/fitness.

Saad Hooker Francis
McKenna Hurley Gleeson

Thats our best backline in terms of talent and balance.
However, it robs us of an important structure up forward, which is Hooker as a big body, strong marking FF.
Stewart isn't the right option there. Stringer is a mid/med forward. Daniher is too valuable roaming as our CHF.

If Hartley was an option, i'd explore that. He is a beautiful kick over a long distance. Not sure what his forward skills are like though. And that lack of mobility would be less an issue.

TBC would be an option given his aerial strength. Which could become an option once Draper or Lavender are ready to go.
But i doubt we are there for Rd1 next year.

As it stands, unless we can find someone to step into Hookers FF role, Hartley is our FB. Francis would be our 3rd tall/intercept defender.
 
Jun 9, 2007
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Hooker is the only player I'd back 1 on 1 to outpoint the opposition's big forwards. Franga hasn't demonstrated any of that yet but he reads the play well to intercept. He does have strength which means he might develop into a Hooker-type defender.

Franga has a nice straight kick, is mobile, has good hands on the lead, and can lift his team with an inspiring goal. This is why, in an ideal scenario, he'd have worked out how to be that forward presence in place of Hooker.
 

AcuteWhistle

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Aug 6, 2017
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Has the club ever voiced an opinion on what position they envision Francis playing? I know they've done so with the likes of Langford & Laverde but can't recall hearing anything on Frang.

So maybe all this talk of forward or back is mute - we need a big assed mid & maybe we've got one staring us in the face, though given there's a bit of work to do to get there.
 
Dec 18, 2007
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Francis is a better natural defender. He was when he was playing U18s, and he certainly showed that in the VFL.

We can play them both back.

At their strongest, the Crows played Hartigan (Hooker), Talia (Hurley) and Lever (Francis) with Laird, Smith and picked their next defender based on needs/fitness.

Saad Hooker Francis
McKenna Hurley Gleeson

Thats our best backline in terms of talent and balance.
However, it robs us of an important structure up forward, which is Hooker as a big body, strong marking FF.
Stewart isn't the right option there. Stringer is a mid/med forward. Daniher is too valuable roaming as our CHF.

If Hartley was an option, i'd explore that. He is a beautiful kick over a long distance. Not sure what his forward skills are like though. And that lack of mobility would be less an issue.

TBC would be an option given his aerial strength. Which could become an option once Draper or Lavender are ready to go.
But i doubt we are there for Rd1 next year.

As it stands, unless we can find someone to step into Hookers FF role, Hartley is our FB. Francis would be our 3rd tall/intercept defender.

I would add Paddy Ambrose to the back six, before he got injured he was quite possibility the best defender.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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I would add Paddy Ambrose to the back six, before he got injured he was quite possibility the best defender.
I like Ambrose too. Would be a toss up between Hartley or Ambrose @ FB if Hooker stays forward.
If Hooker swings back, i can't see either getting a gig.

But i can't see Hooker not playing FF either, so Hartley/Ambrose. Probably comes down to who can play on a FF.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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Has the club ever voiced an opinion on what position they envision Francis playing? I know they've done so with the likes of Langford & Laverde but can't recall hearing anything on Frang.

So maybe all this talk of forward or back is mute - we need a big assed mid & maybe we've got one staring us in the face, though given there's a bit of work to do to get there.
Will play as a back early, may push into the midfield eventually.
Im pretty sure i read Woosha saw him as a mid eventually.
 

AcuteWhistle

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Will play as a back early, may push into the midfield eventually.
Im pretty sure i read Woosha saw him as a mid eventually.


Good to hear. So he's played down back a bit, albeit at the lower level, and now comes back looking...fit. Might be time to throw him in there, see what comes out.
 
Jun 9, 2007
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Has the club ever voiced an opinion on what position they envision Francis playing? I know they've done so with the likes of Langford & Laverde but can't recall hearing anything on Frang.

So maybe all this talk of forward or back is mute - we need a big assed mid & maybe we've got one staring us in the face, though given there's a bit of work to do to get there.
In a faraway ideal world he'd be our future big bodied mid. But it won't be next year other than a taster here and there.

I think he will get his first chance as a defender but for now, ideally, Hooker would be our rock in defence whilst Francis uses his match-winning potential as a forward.
 
Dec 18, 2007
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I don't think we need Francis in the forward line, sure he has shown that he can play there but it is the backline which needs an extra big bodied defender to go with Hurley and Ambrose or Hartley with the speed demons in McKenna, Saad and the ever improving Glesson so we might 2018 is to the backline what 2017 was to the forwardline.
 

BrunoV

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May 5, 2009
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File this one under pre-season boredom/over analysis.

I'm surprised by how tall Francis looks in some of the footage/photographs.

Maybe he is a genuine 193cm/KPP size now.
 

WEEVZ

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Aug 18, 2013
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File this one under pre-season boredom/over analysis.

I'm surprised by how tall Francis looks in some of the footage/photographs.

Maybe he is a genuine 193cm/KPP size now.

Back when he was drafted he was telling people he was 194cm or something like that lol.
 

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