Review 2017 Expectations - Time to reflect

Mid-year review, where do we expect to be at the end of the H&A season?

  • Top 4

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Top 8 - Make finals

    Votes: 11 68.8%

  • Between 9th and 12th

    Votes: 4 25.0%

  • Between 13th and 15th

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Between 16th and 18th

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .

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Milanista28 said:
A lot of people playing it safe in here, But you can all feel that in the pit of your stomach I know I do, We have the list to trouble anyone, The players are their the balance needs to be found but we have all the ingredients of a great side.

That feeling is there...
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I'd prefer to keep a lid on things until after a few matches rather than build expectations in the off-season which will be tough to meet in the short term with a relatively young and new side plus a new game plan for most.
 

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More fluff from Ralph

Essendon midfielder James Kelly is confident the Bombers can make the finals in 2017

JON RALPH, Herald Sun
an hour ago

JAMES Kelly says his confidence Essendon can play finals next season was a spur to him signing on for his 16th AFL season.

The triple Geelong premiership player thrived in his first season at Essendon, playing 20 games off half-back and finishing second in the Crichton Medal.

Kelly told the Herald Sun yesterday it was made clear by coach John Worsfold if the club secured some alternate trade targets it might have run out of spots on its list for him.

But with four All-Australians returning on Monday and the club flush with key position stars, Kelly says it can set its sights high.

The 293-gamer cannot wait to learn more from playing alongside Jobe Watson after postponing a year-long AFL House traineeship until 2018.

“It’s hard not to be excited. The opportunity to play with the club’s best 12 players was a big reason I played on,’’ Kelly said after signing a one-year extension yesterday

“The opportunity to play with those guys and learn from those guys will be a real experience for me.

“On paper we have got a pretty good side and there is a long way to go but we should go well.

“I don’t think you can go into any season thinking you are not going to make finals.

“We have got a mature side, good key position players, good midfield depth and if we can get everyone on the same page then we should be a chance.”

It was a remarkable season from Kelly in defence, arriving at the club on January 18 as a top-up after the ASADA bans.

He admitted to deep reservations about playing on, worried it might quickly become apparent he had made a mistake after his brilliantly successful Geelong career.

“I left Geelong thinking I still had footy left in me and I wasn’t bitter,’’ he said.


“I wasn’t proving anyone wrong by playing on and you think you can keep playing, but you are afraid it might hit you like a punch in the face that you can’t.

“I was really conscious of that and probably six or seven rounds in I thought I am going all right, I had slotted back into it and my body was feeling good.

“I was lucky I remained injury free.”

Kelly will return on November 21 to training, his cheeky bid for another late start having been dispatched by Worsfold.

“I did try to get that over the line. I said it to ‘Woosher’ and he said you can play for six months but we will only pay you for six months ...”

The veteran said the entire club was handed an emotional boost by Watson’s decision to play on after months of equivocation.

“Everyone was rapt,” Kelly said. “I had caught up with Jobe before he went away and hadn’t asked him about it, but when he announced it you could see this big sigh or relief and happiness.

“If he was a **** bloke no one would be fazed if he came back or not, but (the reaction) is a real credit to the person he is.

“He is an outstanding player and an outstanding person as well.”


Matt Dea also signed a two-year contract extension yesterday after invigorating his career since being picked as a top-up after a frustrating career at Richmond.
Click to expand...
 
Skipper_ said:
I'm thinking finishing 1st and going into the finals 22-0 and winning all games by infinity points.
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That'll be sweet.
The look on Buddy's face when Harltey holds him goalless as Hurley gives him a cheeky belt in the face while taking a 1 handed screamer. Because the mark was so good and deemed self defense the umpires and match review panel give Buddy 2 weeks suspension for mouthing off.
 

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coastalpipeline said:
That'll be sweet.
The look on Buddy's face when Harltey holds him goalless as Hurley gives him a cheeky belt in the face while taking a 1 handed screamer. Because the mark was so good and deemed self defense the umpires and match review panel give Buddy 2 weeks suspension for mouthing off.
Click to expand...
coastalpipeline said:
Just to add salt into the wound Watson wins the brownlow by 1 vote with Buddy 2nd due to ineligible having been suspended for 2 weeks during the year.
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I get the feeling you're a huge fan of a Buddy.
 
I've thought about the Bombers and what 2017 entails. Some really good players on your list.

Can't help feel you might provide a bit of everything. Some inspiring wins followed by some bad losses.

The AFL is now divided between clubs who play system (Hawks) versus just good list clubs (Geelong). Being from Perth originally, I've always followed Worsfold but have never put him in the 'system' group of coaches. I think that will hurt the bombers leaving you fighting out 7-13 give or take 1 spot.
 
as I don't think we can win the flag, my main hope is that we don't fall into playing Stanton, kelly, howlet, hocking, bags at the expense of Laverde, Langford, parish Francis redmon etc week in week out

Fully expect to see those young guys given every opportunity within reason to cement their spots in the senior side and in doing so, bring us closer to a flag
 
Finals return 'realistic' aim for Bombers, says Worsfold

NEW-LOOK Essendon deserves to be recognised as frontrunners for a return to the finals, says new coach John Worsfold.

The Bombers have welcomed back 10 star players, including stars Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell and Michael Hurley, from drug bans after they were banned in 2016.

Add to that this year's No.1 draft pick Andy McGrath, a mercurial key forward with massive potential in Joe Daniher and a young midfield star coming off a breakout year in Zach Merrett, and Worsfold has plenty to smile about.

Despite winning just three games in 2016, Worsfold is confident the Bombers can bounce back strongly from their bottom-placed finish.

"(Finals) has to be realistic," Worsfold said on Tuesday.

"We're one of (10) clubs that didn't play finals last (season) that want to play finals this (season). We think we deserve as much recognition as one of the teams that want to challenge for that top eight as Collingwood, Richmond, Melbourne, Carlton or Fremantle."

As an experienced hand at the helm of a Bombers side decimated by their long-running supplements saga, Worsfold faced little scrutiny when the team managed just three wins in 2016.

That certainly won't be the case in Worsfold's second year at Essendon, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

"I love (pressure)," Worsfold said.

"I'd rather have that than people saying 'ah well, you're going to be last again'. That's not a good position to be in.

"The better your squad becomes, the more expectation there is, and as coaches, we should be thriving on that."

A key priority for the Bombers over the off-season is improving their firepower.

Essendon was dead last in scoring last season, averaging just 65.31 points per game, compared to Adelaide's competition-leading 112.86.

Worsfold is hoping the addition of James Stewart from Greater Western Sydney, the return of swingmen Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley and the continued development of Orazio Fantasia will give Daniher plenty of help.

"It's certainly an area we have to improve on. We've struggled to kick scores over the last few years," Worsfold said.

"There's been a massive amount of expectation on (Daniher) as a rookie but he's not a rookie anymore. He's now developed to the point where we know how well he can impact and he's got that support around him now.

"It's OK having talent there (but) if you don't get it in there quick, it plays into the opposition's hands. We want to move the ball a lot more cleanly through the midfield and from the back half to get it inside 50 quick.
Click to expand...

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-12-20/finals-return-realistic-aim-for-bombers-says-worsfold
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Honestly, we should be confident.

Great fixture, great age profile, strong talent on every line and we have better depth/competition for spots than any year since the early 2000s.

Fixture is almost as easy as possible:

- We play 2 likely bottom 4 sides twice
- The only top 8 side we face twice is Adelaide which means that we have a chance to go 1-1 with them because of Etihad
- Clear stadium advantage in our games against Melbourne, Port and West Coast

We have a mature list. It is actually a huge contrast to most lists which either lack quality in the under 25s or over 25s.

There is either a former AA player or a possible future one every 2 to 3 years down our list:

-Watson (31), Goddard (31) and Kelly (32)
- Hooker (28)
- Hurley (26)
- Heppell (24)
- Daniher (22)
- Merrett (21)
- Parish (19)

There are also very few that I either think aren't good enough to make a round 1 team or good enough to make it.

Should expect to win more than we lose. Honestly, think 10 wins is base camp for our list right now.
 
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