Review 2017 Expectations - Time to reflect

[LB#16]

The Facebook page called 'Essendon Football Club Supporters Page' posted this;

"BREAKING: The club's wish to have a blockbuster match to begin next season is set to be granted, with either Hawthorn or Melbourne set to be our opponents on a Friday night for Round 1."

 

[Beerfish]

The Facebook page called 'Essendon Football Club Supporters Page' posted this;

"BREAKING: The club's wish to have a blockbuster match to begin next season is set to be granted, with either Hawthorn or Melbourne set to be our opponents on a Friday night for Round 1."

Hmm.. decisions, decisions. Melbourne would clearly be the better game but to utterly destroy Hawthorn would be pretty damn entertaining too.

 

[LB#16]

Hmm.. decisions, decisions. Melbourne would clearly be the better game but to utterly destroy Hawthorn would be pretty damn entertaining too.

Open a new era of success as Hawthorn's new era of sucking opens. Couldn't be more perfect.

 

[jmoo wan]

Hmm.. decisions, decisions. Melbourne would clearly be the better game but to utterly destroy Hawthorn would be pretty damn entertaining too.

It has to be against Hawthorn surely

 

[Doss]

First time in a long time Melbourne is a harder opponent than Hawthorn.

I feel this sort of thing is jumping the gun a tad.

 

[Doss]

Bah, deleting the post just makes this look weird, Skipper_.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Essendon set to be given Round 1 prime time blockbuster when banned players return

SAM LANDSBERGER, Herald Sun
October 20, 2016 8:00pm
Subscriber only

JOBE Watson and his suspended Essendon teammates will return from their drug bans in a prime time MCG blockbuster next season.

The AFL is set to grant Essendon’s wish for a home Round 1 game and is close to locking in its opponent – either Melbourne or Hawthorn.

The Bombers will invite their army of supporters to march from Federation Square to the game as one to welcome back their heroes.

A match-up against the Demons would pit Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham against their former Essendon teammates and mark the start of champion Jordan Lewis’s defection from Hawthorn.

Hibberd, Melksham and 10 Bombers, including likely new captain Dyson Heppell, will be eligible to play for the first time since 2015 after serving their bans.

A duel against the Hawks would carry even more interest if off-season targets Jaeger O’Meara, Tom Mitchell and Tyrone Vickery fill the gaps created in their shock trade period.

The Bombers are set to welcome back their banned players, including Jobe Watson, with a Round 1 prime time blockbuster. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The Bombers wrote to the league in August requesting a home Friday night game against Melbourne to start 2017.

The Herald Sun revealed it formed part of the club’s fixture submission, as Easter will fall in about Round 4 and the league had locked in the annual Carlton-Richmond clash to launch the season on a Thursday night.

“This request is as much about looking to create a new tradition with our fans walking together as one to our first home match of every season,” Dons chief executive Xavier Campbell said.

“It’s been a long time since Essendon have played a home game consistently in Round 1.

“We always seem to play an away game, or a game at Etihad Stadium in a secondary timeslot.”

The Demons and Hawks are logical opponents considering the Bombers already have annual MCG matches against Collingwood (Anzac Day), Richmond (Dreamtime) and Geelong (country game) locked into the schedule.

The league is yet to finalise timeslots, but the Dons’ first game is likely to be on a Friday or Saturday night.

The Round 1 epic adds to what should be a dream Essendon draw.

The club will also be granted one of the easiest fixtures because of its ladder finish this season and will host Anzac Day.

Michael Hibberd could face his former Essendon teammates in Round 1 next year. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The Bombers believed they had a strong case to host Round 1 because 14 of their past 16 season-openers have been away – the most of any club.

During that time, Essendon has had seven interstate season-openers.

Campbell said rewarding the club’s loyal fan base with a bumper game to kick off 2017 was a “really important consideration”.

The Bombers believe their 2017 fixture should not be compromised because of their ladder slide.

Carlton was frozen out of Friday nights this year after it collected the wooden spoon, but Campbell said “everyone would acknowledge” the Bombers were a special case this season.

After a Friday night stinker this year, coach John Worsfold said Channel 7 would be the loser if the AFL banished Essendon from primetime.

The league will release the fixture later this month and has confirmed the pre-finals bye will be retained.

I wish the media will stop calling them "suspended" or "banned" players they are no longer those.

 

[Doss]

Probably not worth really worrying about, dude.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Probably not worth really worrying about, dude.

Yeah I know I'm just reminded of the saga every time I read an article that mentions those 2 words that's all.

 

[Beerfish]

It has to be against Hawthorn surely

View attachment 303179

That is magical.

 

[blitzer]

It has to be against Hawthorn surely

View attachment 303179

I wish i had more than 1 like to give to this post.

 

[Jade]

I know the kid that made this, he's a great young fella, part of the cheersquad.

I know it's a bit hokey, but you've got to admit he's on the right track.

Get on YouTube and give the kid some likes, he's put some effort in to this.

 

[Andronicus]

I wish the media will stop calling them "suspended" or "banned" players they are no longer those.

So the bludgers just wanted a holiday this year?

bastards leaving us to languish.

 

[Lore]

They are suspended until the 13th of November, so technically still suspended atm. I think that means they'll be allowed back on the 14th, which is 18 days away (who's counting? Less than three weeks left!)



Fletch was meant to have a game day role this year, I wonder if we can expect him to get that opportunity again next year (and whether it can be announced before his suspension ends, which is on the 21st of November like Jobe).

 

[yaco55]

Only 12 days to the players return for pre-season training which includes the suspended players. Exciting times ahead.

 

[MarkG]

I expect (hope) to finish top 6.

Which sides will slide from 2016?

North (not enough quality mid level guys to take over from the old retired guys)

Hawks (loss of Mitchell, Lewis, Hill and guys like Bruest and others being used as trade bait will destroy their soul)

Cats (too reliant on Dangerfield and Selwood... too many average players around them)

West Coast (their team has too many flat trackers.. Lack heart)

 

[JayJ20]

I don't see us finishing top 6. We have a tendency to drop what we should win, and win what we should lose. So it evens out.

If we make the finals, I think we'd be in the 7-8 range. With our soft draw, a record of 13-9 or 14-8 is very achievable.

 

[JayJ20]

Now that the draw is out, what games do you see as crucial games?

To me, the following games determine whether we make finals or not.

Round 1 vs Hawthorn MCG
Round 6 vs Melbourne Etihad
Tound 7 vs Fremantle Domain
Round 9 vs West Coast Etihad
Round 21 vs Adelaide Etihad
Round 23 vs Fremantle Etihad

These games will make or break us IMO. Need to win at least 3-4 of those games. The only ones I see as a real challenge here is Fremantle in Perth and Adelaide at Etihad.

 

[fishardansin]

There is no way to be sure of anything next year. However, my gut feel is that we'll start of rusty. As young players find or refind their feet the returning players will take time to blow the cobwebs out and comfortably execute skills under the physical and mental pressure of a blockbuster AFL game. Then there is getting used to the grind again. Finally it is the new kids, Dea + Kelly and returning players all gelling under Worsfold's game plan that will take time as well.

I expect a slow start but by the end of the year competition for spots will be huge, providing there is a manageable injury toll. All of the issues I mentioned above should regularly improve, else questions should be asked. So it depends on how long it takes for the gelling to to occur. We could draw aces and the frypan of the longer preseason for the older boys followed by the fire of an intense encouter with the Hawks in round 1 could galvanise the team immediately. Pick 1 could immediately provide optimism around the club, the returning midfield could gel and KPPs are settled immediately.

However, that is unlikely and if the gaining of momentum takes too long I can see us carrying an emotional weight into the deep of winter and just losing way too many games in the first two thirds of the season. Even in this scenario I see a chance for real optimism. Getting that momentum late in the season will provide the confidence to grow into 2018, the chance to fairwell some champions and be an attractive place for a FA.

Watching that video that Jade posted has put a thought in my head beyond the intended emtional focus. Stanton. It struck me that Zaka's early form last year, Zerrett becoming something else, Heppell and Watson means opposition won't have a have a huge defensive focus on Stanton. He never had pace and endurance doesn't dimininsh in youur 30s. With a year out he'll have little to no niggles. I can see his link running as being very important next year.

We'll finish one about the Doggies in the 13th to 6th range. If it is 6th we'll enter the finals with momentum. Importantly I can see us have a year that we defeat all of Hawthorn, Carlton, North, Collingwood and Port. That'd be sweet.

 

[hurlygurdy]

There is no way to be sure of anything next year. However, my gut feel is that we'll start of rusty. As young players find or refind their feet the returning players will take time to blow the cobwebs out and comfortably execute skills under the physical and mental pressure of a blockbuster AFL game. Then there is getting used to the grind again. Finally it is the new kids, Dea + Kelly and returning players all gelling under Worsfold's game plan that will take time as well.

I expect a slow start but by the end of the year competition for spots will be huge, providing there is a manageable injury toll. All of the issues I mentioned above should regularly improve, else questions should be asked. So it depends on how long it takes for the gelling to to occur. We could draw aces and the frypan of the longer preseason for the older boys followed by the fire of an intense encouter with the Hawks in round 1 could galvanise the team immediately. Pick 1 could immediately provide optimism around the club, the returning midfield could gel and KPPs are settled immediately.

However, that is unlikely and if the gaining of momentum takes too long I can see us carrying an emotional weight into the deep of winter and just losing way too many games in the first two thirds of the season. Even in this scenario I see a chance for real optimism. Getting that momentum late in the season will provide the confidence to grow into 2018, the chance to fairwell some champions and be an attractive place for a FA.

Watching that video that Jade posted has put a thought in my head beyond the intended emtional focus. Stanton. It struck me that Zaka's early form last year, Zerrett becoming something else, Heppell and Watson means opposition won't have a have a huge defensive focus on Stanton. He never had pace and endurance doesn't dimininsh in youur 30s. With a year out he'll have little to no niggles. I can see his link running as being very important next year.

We'll finish one about the Doggies in the 13th to 6th range. If it is 6th we'll enter the finals with momentum. Importantly I can see us have a year that we defeat all of Hawthorn, Carlton, North, Collingwood and Port. That'd be sweet.

Don't expect there to be a huge competition for spots. Our depth runs to about 28 but that will equate to about the 6 or so injuries you would expect to average along the way. Just hope the injuries are spread throughout the list and don't target one area of the ground.
It's our depth that i think will get us playing finals next year. It's been a long long while since we could properly cover injuries. Fingers crossed you are wrong about the slow start!

 

[fishardansin]

Don't expect there to be a huge competition for spots. Our depth runs to about 28 but that will equate to about the 6 or so injuries you would expect to average along the way. Just hope the injuries are spread throughout the list and don't target one area of the ground.
It's our depth that i think will get us playing finals next year. It's been a long long while since we could properly cover injuries. Fingers crossed you are wrong about the slow start!

I'm hoping that Redman and two of this year's draft can make that 31 deep.

 

[JayJ20]

There is no way to be sure of anything next year. However, my gut feel is that we'll start of rusty. As young players find or refind their feet the returning players will take time to blow the cobwebs out and comfortably execute skills under the physical and mental pressure of a blockbuster AFL game. Then there is getting used to the grind again. Finally it is the new kids, Dea + Kelly and returning players all gelling under Worsfold's game plan that will take time as well.

I expect a slow start but by the end of the year competition for spots will be huge, providing there is a manageable injury toll. All of the issues I mentioned above should regularly improve, else questions should be asked. So it depends on how long it takes for the gelling to to occur. We could draw aces and the frypan of the longer preseason for the older boys followed by the fire of an intense encouter with the Hawks in round 1 could galvanise the team immediately. Pick 1 could immediately provide optimism around the club, the returning midfield could gel and KPPs are settled immediately.

However, that is unlikely and if the gaining of momentum takes too long I can see us carrying an emotional weight into the deep of winter and just losing way too many games in the first two thirds of the season. Even in this scenario I see a chance for real optimism. Getting that momentum late in the season will provide the confidence to grow into 2018, the chance to fairwell some champions and be an attractive place for a FA.

Watching that video that Jade posted has put a thought in my head beyond the intended emtional focus. Stanton. It struck me that Zaka's early form last year, Zerrett becoming something else, Heppell and Watson means opposition won't have a have a huge defensive focus on Stanton. He never had pace and endurance doesn't dimininsh in youur 30s. With a year out he'll have little to no niggles. I can see his link running as being very important next year.

We'll finish one about the Doggies in the 13th to 6th range. If it is 6th we'll enter the finals with momentum. Importantly I can see us have a year that we defeat all of Hawthorn, Carlton, North, Collingwood and Port. That'd be sweet.

I actually think that we will start off great riding the emotions, then fall in the middle part of the season as the emotions wear off, then finish the season off strongly as we start to gel.

 

[hurlygurdy]

I'm hoping that Redman and two of this year's draft can make that 31 deep.

Two of this years draft? I guess our number one pick should provide depth if not more, but i wouldn't dare hope that of a later pick. Look at Laverde and Langford in their first seasons... Pretty much liabilities in a good team (regardless of potential shown).

 

[yaco55]

Two of this years draft? I guess our number one pick should provide depth if not more, but i wouldn't dare hope that of a later pick. Look at Laverde and Langford in their first seasons... Pretty much liabilities in a good team (regardless of potential shown).

First year players are usually liabilities in a team, hence why few play full seasons - Also in any given week around 4 to 6 of the 22 perform poorly, and are liabilities.

 

[Doss]

First year players are usually liabilities in a team, hence why few play full seasons - Also in any given week around 4 to 6 of the 22 perform poorly, and are liabilities.

This is correct. The only first year players that have been fixtures from word go in recent years for us are Merrett, Heppell and Parish, and Parish probably wouldn't have been if the 12 weren't suspended.