Team Mgmt. 2020 & 2021 team selections, injuries and availability

[Lore]

So you're probably aware of the spreadsheets I keep posting everywhere. Well this will be something of a home for it I guess.


___________________________________________

Spoiler: PREVIOUS VERSIONS

 

[ghostdog]

We like the tradition of having a perpetually injured forward line, so anyone who is injured, injury prone or playing in pain is now a forward.

Maybe Truck, as a defender, was a repressed forward who now has the opportunity to live his dreams through others.

 

[The Donners]

No Cookies | Herald Sun

No Cookies

www.heraldsun.com.au

Stringer has managed his achilles over summer and after pulling up sore in match simulation the club has made the decision that he will commit to a period of strengthening the area instead of continuing full training.

Essendon is determined to get Stringer back to full fitness rather than limping through his achilles issues after he battled when returning from a syndesmosis strain last year.

“He’s on an achilles program to strengthen that area. After that he will continue to build his loads. It’s important for Jake that we set him up for success this year, so that’s what we are doing.”

Poor management of our players yet again. So they managed his injury and then as the season comes nearer they decide to strengthen the area of weakness.

We’re complete boneheads. No wonder Fantasia and Daniher wanted to leave.

Different year same shit.

 

[ghostdog]

Poor management of our players yet again. So they managed his injury and then as the season comes nearer they decide to strengthen the area of weakness.

We’re complete boneheads. No wonder Fantasia and Daniher wanted to leave.

Different year same sh*t.

It's okay. We'll just swing Laverde forward from defence. Walla can fill Laverde's role. No need to stress.

 

[Haychh]

Shiel a forward???!?

 

[Lore]

Shiel a forward???!?

It’s in the article I quoted above. It also says Perkins Caldwell Parish. The idea is that the midfield will run through the forward line and hit the scoreboard (as they should)

 

[JT_the_Man]

Shiel a forward???!?

These magnets really are moving.

 

[Bjchan13]

What do you reckon ghostdog ? Park Shiel in the forward line?

 

[mxett]

So let's spend a few seasons trading for quality mids then play them forward? Wtf?

 

[ghostdog]

What do you reckon ghostdog ? Park Shiel in the forward line?

Bloody hell. Nothing surprises me anymore. I'll go with Bellchambers in a forward pocket.

 

[Bjchan13]

Bloody hell. Nothing surprises me anymore. I'll go with Bellchambers in a forward pocket.

Peter Wright to the wing

 

[ghostdog]

Peter Wright to the wing

Well, at least we'll take marks. I can't really criticise. I advocated shifting Redman to a wing last season.

 

[TheGrizz]

People need to chill out regarding these new positions being bandied around for players.
The reality is that the AFL has chopped interchange rotations down to 75 from 90. That means 4 less bench interchanges a quarter.

If you assume the lion share of those are midfield rotations (say 10/15) that is 10 less opportunities for mids to recover on the bench. So guys like Shiel, Zerrett, McGrath etc that normally would just rotate from the midfield to the bench (with maybe a little time on the wing) are going to have to 'rest' somewhere else on the ground, like up forward.

Conversely guys who normally wouldnt crack the midfield rotation and would be stuck on a flank, will need to pinch hit in the middle a bit to cover the extra midfield rotation needed to cover the lost interchange and to accommodate a flank for Shiel/Zerrett to rest on.
This is why i imagine we have heard puff pieces this summer about Ham/Cahill etc playing on-ball, to create these extra rotation. By no means are they likely to play large portions of the game on ball, but they will need to snag a few minutes here and there to manufacture rest time for our actual midfield brigade. It is what Richmond have done for 4 years.

Rest assured, come round 1 Shiel wont be at CHF, and Ham wont be listed as rover. They are just being trained there so they arent completely useless come the point in the season where they will need to produce 5mins of stop gap footy in that position for the sake of rotations.

 

[ghostdog]

People need to chill out regarding these new positions being bandied around for players.
The reality is that the AFL has chopped interchange rotations down to 75 from 90. That means 4 less bench interchanges a quarter.

If you assume the lion share of those are midfield rotations (say 10/15) that is 10 less opportunities for mids to recover on the bench. So guys like Shiel, Zerrett, McGrath etc that normally would just rotate from the midfield to the bench (with maybe a little time on the wing) are going to have to 'rest' somewhere else on the ground, like up forward.

Conversely guys who normally wouldnt crack the midfield rotation and would be stuck on a flank, will need to pinch hit in the middle a bit to cover the extra midfield rotation needed to cover the lost interchange and to accommodate a flank for Shiel/Zerrett to rest on.
This is why i imagine we have heard puff pieces this summer about Ham/Cahill etc playing on-ball, to create these extra rotation. By no means are they likely to play large portions of the game on ball, but they will need to snag a few minutes here and there to manufacture rest time for our actual midfield brigade. It is what Richmond have done for 4 years.

Rest assured, come round 1 Shiel wont be at CHF, and Ham wont be listed as rover. They are just being trained there so they arent completely useless come the point in the season where they will need to produce 5mins of stop gap footy in that position for the sake of rotations.

Last paragraph here is what I have previously said I suspect will happen. The problem is that the rest of this is theory. I recall part of the anger of supporters last season was as a result of poor communication from the club. So here we are again; I'd be fine with this if it were the case, but no-one from the club has actually articulated this. Not unusual that nuffies like me come along and wonder out loud what the hell's going on, in lieu of explanation from the coaches. Can't chill. They're making me nervous and we haven't even started yet.

 

[Lore]

Last paragraph here is what I have previously said I suspect will happen. The problem is that the rest of this is theory. I recall part of the anger of supporters last season was as a result of poor communication from the club. So here we are again; I'd be fine with this if it were the case, but no-one from the club has actually articulated this. Not unusual that nuffies like me come along and wonder out loud what the hell's going on, in lieu of explanation from the coaches. Can't chill. They're making me nervous and we haven't even started yet.

I guess you have to start by reading the articles from the club about it before you can judge how they communicate though.

 

[ghostdog]

I guess you have to start by reading the articles from the club about it before you can judge how they communicate though.

View attachment 1058601

Fair point, but seeking scoreboard impact from midfielders is a given, isn't it?
It is possible that I've missed the strategy explanation about shifting Laverde and Cahill. I don't remember reading the reasons Stewart has been moved and the forwardline vision that goes along with that. And so on. Maybe I'm letting my cynicism get the better of me.

 

[faible]

Rest assured, come round 1 Shiel wont be at CHF, and Ham wont be listed as rover. They are just being trained there so they arent completely useless come the point in the season where they will need to produce 5mins of stop gap footy in that position for the sake of rotations.

Honestly, i'll almost be disappointed if they aren't after all this drama.

We've already seen Shiel play out of the goal square at times when he's resting, and for decades we saw midfielders rest forward. The concept of mids only ever being on-ball or on the bench is a fairly modern thing owing to the ability to rotate them on and off the field as much as needed.

Martin, Dangerfield, Fyfe all rest forward, and have done for a fair while now.

 

[BrunoV]

Going by this is sounds like Hurley still struggling with whatever this infection is

Hurley is not exactly a big deal.

We're not playing him forward because he commands a position there.

 

[faible]

Hurley is not exactly a big deal.

We're not playing him forward because he commands a position there.

I read in one of the other threads that he was going to be playing back but had been training forward because we were likely to use him in a swing-man role the way we'd done with Hooker.

Either way, I think one of Hooker & Hurley play in defence, I don't think we can (or should) play both down back

 

[BrunoV]

Rather than looking at the "story" of the number of changed positions, actually focus on what each change of position looks like it is trying to achieve. Most of it make perfect sense.

Stewart is a bit frustrating because I want to see him prove he is a quality forward but we do not have a defender who in the next 2 years (at a minimum), and on size and athleticism alone is suited to playing on any of King, King, Dixon, Lynch, McKay, Hipwood, Daniher, Taberner, Lobb, Brown and Cox at a minimum. That doesn't include the likes of Kennedy, Hawkins, Cameron and Naughton who are some of the best and/or most dangerous players in the game.

Hooker even at his best hasn't played on hard leading players since about 2011. Hurley is being played forward and has not been trusted to play as a KPD for most of the last 3 years (for reasons that are well and truly beyond my comprehension). Ambrose doesn't have the size to go with the big boys as much as he will battle away, he's also struggling with injury. Francis struggles 1v1 and while he has improved it's not his gig and he's also a bit undersized/athletically limited. Ridley is wasted as a KPD, BZT can't run and the rest are too young and/or inexperienced.

I know I'd prefer to have a look at Jones forward more than I would at BZT in defence or any of the 1st or second year defenders.

Cahill to defence is an attempt to replace 2 of the spots we have not filled following the departures of Saad, McKenna and McQuillan. I don't look at it with enthusiasm but in terms of maximising the available talent on the list, and the reality that Cahill probably doesn't play forward as Smith gets squeezed from the midfield rotation to accommodate the inclusion of Caldwell and, it looks to me, Langford (who I suspect will play more inside) inside. Perkins and Cox will also be added to the midfield and wing rotations. I also don't want to see Perkins or Cox wasted at half back. Mosquito is injured.

The midfield reshuffle also applies to Heppell who as a player our midfield needs to move on from is also needed at half back for his experience. The experienced core of the defence (Hurley and Hooker) has become an unknown quantity due to poor recent exposed form. The next most experienced played becomes Redman.

I can't picture Laverde in defence, at all, but so be it. Even with Cahill we're still 1 half back short of where we were (which from memory really only had McQuillan as a small defender/running player in a VFL team). He can take a mark and has an explosive burst which could be useful at half back. He was also an excellent field kick initially (which is something that has deserted him in more recent times).

It looks to me that we are re-shuffling the team in a way that protects it from the decline of Hooker, Hurley and Ambrose in addition to the loss of Daniher as much as possible. This is in circumstances in which the replacements are not ready as much as they look like an excellent set of talls. They're behind the 8-ball because as first year players in 2020 they weren't getting full training and match play or as 18 year olds they missed a year of footy (and are being managed even more than first year players are usually managed).

The only thing that concerns me is the possibility of playing Draper and Phillips in a team which, with Stewart in defence, looks like a bit too likely for my comfort.

It's also not like we're precluded from putting these players back in their normal positions.

 

[TheGrizz]

Behind a paywall (so i cant read for sure) but Cody Brand a possible 2021 debutant by the looks?

 

[faible]

View attachment 1058724

Behind a paywall (so i cant read for sure) but Cody Brand a possible 2021 debutant by the looks?

This was an article about some of the young guys, I'm guessing if they're talking about a young tall it'll be Cox

No Cookies | Herald Sun

No Cookies

www.heraldsun.com.au

AFL: The 15 young Essendon players who will form the nucleus of the Bombers’ next flag tilt
It’s more than 6000 days since Essendon last won a final. But the emerging youngsters at the club are out to end that drought – and possibly go even farther.

Jon Ralph

Essendon hasn’t won a final for more than 6000 days, but the crop of young guns coming through the Bombers’ ranks are seeking to change that.
Football boss Josh Mahoney has detailed the progress of the 15 kids who the club believes will provide the nucleus of their next flag tilt.

HARRISON JONES
– First year as a key forward was wiped out because of foot issues after being taken at No. 30 in the 2019 national draft

“Harrison Jones was drafted last year but missed a full year of footy which would have been playing in a real VFL development role. We have already seen this pre-season that’s he’s really athletic and is developing really well. He has put on weight and he will give himself every chance to take the opportunities that are in front of him. I think that’s true of all our young players. There will be opportunities for young players to play this year. That if they are training well and doing the right things, the coaches will pick them and give them every chance.”

NIK COX
– 199cm No. 8 draft selection who can play both ends and has superb disposal but is lightly-built at 82kg

“We have trained him a majority of the time on the wing and also at half back. He’s one of our exciting draftees. He’s quite athletic, he has such an ability to run. He won our first time trial. When we drafted him we knew he was an elite runner, but the pleasing thing is that he took on the players in his first time trial and he was really pushing the rest of the group.

“His athleticism is a real standout, but with his skills he’s able to use both sides and he’s been able to do quite a bit of training already. Physically both him and Zach Reid are a fair way from being the key position players they will grow into, but their athletic profile will allow them to play before that.”

ARCHIE PERKINS
– X-factor forward-mid taken at pick nine in the national draft

“Archie is a bit more physically developed than some of the other draftees we took this year. He can play through the midfield or forward, but he’s training mostly as a forward and he’s already shown the class that he has got as that type of player. He has that ability to move through traffic, to take on and draw an opponent and create space quite clearly already.”

ZACH REID
– 200cm key defensive prospect from the Gippsland Power who also has great running power

“He’s a tall prospect over 200cm and he’s very athletic, he’s got great skills and he’s going to be a very exciting prospect. It is a bit of an unknown about what position he will ultimately play at AFL level. He played both ends at under 18 level, but can also play ruck. Along with Nik Cox they are such exciting players for Ben Rutten to be able to experiment with and bring through with their development.”

JYE CALDWELL
– Third-year AFL midfielder and former No. 11 selection secured from GWS along with picks 44 and 74 in exchange for Essendon’s No. 29 and a future second-rounder

“The main thing with Jye is he has been able to be consistent with his training. He has had an interrupted career so far in his first couple of years. So, he’s doing a lot of training and he adds another player to the midfield depth. What we have already seen is he is very good at the stoppages with his handball and creativity and bringing others into the game, which is why we targeted him. And he is also improving his outside running from the stoppages.

It’s what we are trying to build through the midfield – a high number of players who can go through there. We think it’s even more important with the lowering of (interchange) rotations through the year (to 75) and we think it can be a real strength for Essendon. We think we have eight or 10 who could play through the midfield or in different roles and that’s really important.”

SAM DRAPER
– Was a revelation as an aggressive ruckman in his first year of senior AFL football coming off a knee reconstruction

“I think what he showed in his first eight games of AFL football was that he was super competitive and athletic and he’s going to be a really important player for the club. The ruck division with himself and Andrew Phillips, and Nick Bryan and Peter Wright is well balanced. Tom Bellchambers is coaching them this year, so we are looking forward to seeing his development along with the other guys in the ruck. His competitiveness is a standout and although he’s only young in his AFL career he’s developing in different areas, how to push forward and take a mark and impact the scoreboard and also push back into defence. He has been able to do the majority of the pre-season and he’s well placed to play in the pre-season games.”
Sam Draper was the surprise packet of 2020.

TOM HIRD
– Category B rookie and the son of club legend James Hird, who missed most of 2020 with a navicular injury

“He missed most of last season, but what we have already seen from him is his work ethic and his ability to learn about the game. He is continually with the coaches, continually wanting to be educated and they are good characteristics for what we are trying to build. We want players who want to get better and we want to set up an environment for improvement and he has those key attributes.”
Tom Hird has the drive to succeed at AFL level.

JORDAN RIDLEY
– Won the club’s best-and-fairest last year in a breakout season as a brilliant marking defender

“Jordan had a standout year last season and the next challenge for him will be the attention of players in opposition clubs. We know he is already aware of that and he is working on different strengths to make sure he has the impact he had last year. He plays an important role in our back six and he will be well-supported by a group of players.

“We think with the way we want to play defensively, we want to put high pressure on the ball carrier so that should allow for guys to be intercept players, whether it’s Jordan or whether it’s a guy like Aaron Francis.”

Jordan Ridley had an incredible 2020 season for Essendon.

PETER WRIGHT
– 24-year-old former top-10 draft pick from Gold Coast whose career had stagnated before the Bombers pounced

“I think Peter is at a stage now where said he wants to take ownership of his career.

He has done every session in pre-season, he wants to be coached hard and he is giving himself every chance to play a key role in the forward line.”

Former Sun Peter Wright is hungry to reignite his career.

MASON REDMAN
– Has played 33 games in the past two seasons as a mid-sized defender who can intercept mark and provide valuable bounce off half back

“We have got a lot of players on our list in the age bracket of Mason who have so much improvement in them and just like we saw with Jordan Ridley, who made such big improvements in the past season, there are no limits with that group.

“Mason has done the majority of the pre-season and his run and ball use off half back is really important for us. We have seen him do it and we are looking forward to him getting back to playing high level footy with real consistency this year.”
Can Mason Redman take his game up a notch this year?

JAYDEN LAVERDE
– Now 24 but being locked into a defensive role after six years as a small marking forward and half forward

“Jayden has an injury interrupted career so far in the AFL and it’s about settling him down in one position. It’s about him being able to join in training and settling him down in defence at the moment. It’s important to get him some consistency and trying to string some training sessions and games together so he can maximise the talent that he’s got.”
Jayden Laverde is hoping to turn his fortunes around.

JOSH EYRE
– 198cm Next Generation Academy tall taken at pick 39 in last year’s national draft

“Josh Eyre can play at both ends, but he has played the majority of his football down back. He is very skilful on both sides and he is part of that group with Cody Brand, who are tall players, where we have to be ultra-cautious with their loads so we build them up slowly. The club made the decision in the draft period to really stockpile a number of talls for medium to long term to rejuvenate our key position stocks. We need to make sure we set them up for success, but also don’t limit them if they are creating their own opportunities.”
Josh Eyre is part of the Bombers’ tall stocks.

CODY BRAND
– The club’s No. 53 pick last year as a 195cm shutdown defender who competes strongly in the air

“He is probably more of a defender at this stage. He is very good at the fundamentals and knows how to play defence very well and he has already shown us the ability to execute the simple brilliance in the training that he has done.”
Cody Brand will be trying to crack into the best 22 this year.

NICK BRYAN
– 202cm ruckman taken at pick 38 in the 2019 national draft from the Oakleigh Chargers and has impressed this summer to add depth to the club’s ruck stocks

“Nick is a developing ruckman and tall who is very athletic and has good follow-up when the ball hits the ground. He adds to our ruck depth along with Sam Draper, Andrew Phillips and Peter Wright.”

Nick Bryan is a long-term project player for Essendon.

NED CAHILL
– The 56th pick in the 2019 national draft who is being trialled in defence after kicking 30 and 22 goals in his two top-age NAB League seasons with the Dandenong Stringrays

“We are training him in defence. He has really good agility, he is a good decision maker and we are excited to see him learning the defensive craft.”

 

[BrunoV]

This was an article about some of the young guys, I'm guessing if they're talking about a young tall it'll be Cox

That's gotta sting if you're BZT.

 

[eth-dog]

That's gotta sting if you're BZT.

He probably plays early doors anyway.

 

[faible]

That's gotta sting if you're BZT.

Well McGrath isn't mentioned either and most would consider him a lock for our future Captain, so BZT is in good company.

But yes, if you're BZT I'd think seeing them bring in 4 x KPP's is suggesting they don't have total confidence in him making it.

 

[eth-dog]

There have been whispers about BZT going home after this contract too.