Team Mgmt. 2025 Back Line *Benny Hill theme plays*

[Yoda_]

Sad when 1 player goes down and the whole system goes out the window

 

[Squeaky]

Sad when 1 player goes down and the whole system goes out the window

There's a system?

 

[div12ressie]

There's a system?

The blame Laverde system

 

[Donakebab]

Who'd want to be a defender when the rest of the team sells you down the river each week with constant turnovers and weak pressure efforts, but you cop all of the blame and vitriol.

Sure some/most rightfully deserve a whack, but it's the shit efforts up the ground that are amplified down back.

 

[Calthorpe14]

Who'd want to be a defender when the rest of the team sells you down the river each week with constant turnovers and weak pressure efforts, but you cop all of the blame and vitriol.

Sure some/most rightfully deserve a whack, but it's the shit efforts up the ground that are amplified down back.

This is the key for us. It doesn’t matter who is down there for us right now. If the ball comes in that easily and without any pressure at all, you’re going to get killed

 

[Yoda_]

Hiding to nothing on a day like that, why be an Essendon defender?

And why invest lots of money and draft picks in blokes that are essentially just witches hats due to what's happening up the ground.

Bringing a pairing knife to a machete fight.

the only positive im looking at with regards to personnel is the light at the end of the tunnel who played positively well on the weekend in the VFL.

Matter of time before the holding player Dylan Shiel is replaced by Zak Johnson or Jayden Nguyen.

 

[Zach Package]

the only positive im looking at with regards to personnel is the light at the end of the tunnel who played positively well on the weekend in the VFL.

Matter of time before the holding player Dylan Shiel is replaced by Zak Johnson or Jayden Nguyen.

So I'd challenge that as well because Shiel should just be playing in the middle. All the centre bounce attendances that Perkins and Redman got over the last fortnight, he should be getting. He just needs to play in his natural position, and there is plenty of room to do that.

If Scott's intention is setting him up to fail as a means to manage him out and go even younger, I guess it's a tick?

 

[faible]

So I'd challenge that as well because Shiel should just be playing in the middle. All the centre bounce attendances that Perkins and Redman got over the last fortnight, he should be getting. He just needs to play in his natural position, and there is plenty of room to do that.

If Scott's intention is setting him up to fail as a means to manage him out and go even younger, I guess it's a tick?

Or they've pushed Shiel out of the middle to allow the younger cohort - Caldwell, Durham, Tsatas & Perkins thus far - to lift their CBAs and see how they go in there.

Realistically, there was simply no one else to play in Shiel's current position down back, and all preseason he'd looked quite decent there.

We've been the youngest side in the AFL each week with Shiel playing, and the alternative options are all debutants.

Chances are he'll be dropped soon enough if he doesn't do better.

 

[nipst@r]

Who is current leader of the backline?

Not sure i have noticed much directing traffic, setting up structures behind the ball. Think most disappointed with mckay. Lever/Moore/Ryan are all prone to getting beaten 1 on 1 but they still direct team mates and establish structure.

Dies McKay do this, did he do it at North?

The hawks open side kick out was appalling for the lack of communication from chb. I may be missing it but I'm not seeing passionate discussions between backs or even the backs to mids.

Backs have a bit of self pity/ and stuck in indovidual black holes atm. Maybe Martin back again as he seemed to at least be vocal about support.

Mckay should be doing it based on contract

Mcgrath based on leadership role

Be vocal and passionate about getting the basics right. Probably bit worrying about rebuild of not showing some of those signs.

 

[Yoda_]

The backline looked much better when up the field worked and pressured the ball carrier.

Not rocket science but geez the media went hard at these blokes last week. Good come back and strong resilience from probably the most settled part of the ground (albeit inconsistent)

 

[Yoda_]

Am starting to gain some confidence in the back 6 with decent kicking skills.

Reid looks like a surgeon with his kicking. Ridley is a jet. McKay and McGrath played within themselves and looked comfortable enough. Andy had moments but was surprised he had it 26 times.
Redman and Roberts were very good as well.

 

[Megabattimus]

Backline has been a lot better the past two weeks. Helps when the midfield can stop it coming in as quick as it did against Hawthorn and Adelaide.

 

[andleanback]

Backline has been a lot better the past two weeks. Helps when the midfield can stop it coming in as quick as it did against Hawthorn and Adelaide.

Certainly helps having McKay Reid and Ridley all out there. Which has been the plan from the start of 2024, we’ve just had to wait due to injures

 

[Yoda_]

Backline has been a lot better the past two weeks. Helps when the midfield can stop it coming in as quick as it did against Hawthorn and Adelaide.

the midfield group has certainly looked a lot better in the last two weeks. Admittedly the first two games were against top shelf midfields. Goal should be to continue to add depth to it

 

[Yoda_]

Who was our genuinely top shelf, elite half back flanker?

I was red hot on Mason Redman

27

Mason Redman

Age

28

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.2

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

5.1

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

262.0

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

210.3

3star

D

12.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.4

4star

MG

144.2

3star

having an AA blazer stolen by Daniel Rioli

17

Daniel Rioli

Age

29

Ht

179cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.2

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.7

3star

T

3.2

5star

MG

179.2

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

3.3

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

2.6

4star

MG

144.9

3star

D

9.0

3star

K

3.8

2star

HB

5.2

4star

M

0.8

1star

T

3.8

5star

MG

160.2

3star

in 2023 but has gone backwards since. Before that, who was it? Heppell? Wellman?

Furthermore, who was the last half back flanker we turned into an elite midfielder? Heppell?

I am talking about Nick Daicos has gone on to become a bonafide midfield star, Bailey Williams is a bonafide midfield star (albeit behind the ball), Ed Richards

20

Ed Richards

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.7

3star

D

11.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

5.3

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.1

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

, Rory Laird

29

Rory Laird

Age

32

Ht

178cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.4

5star

K

12.9

5star

HB

12.5

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.3

4star

MG

367.5

5star

D

19.6

5star

K

10.9

4star

HB

8.7

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

MG

255.3

4star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

4.0

5star

etc. We just dont develop


We dont need interceptors, we need kickers and good ones.

 

[ant555]

Who was our genuinely top shelf, elite half back flanker?

I was red hot on Mason Redman having an AA blazer stolen by Daniel Rioli in 2023 but has gone backwards since. Before that, who was it? Heppell? Wellman?

Furthermore, who was the last half back flanker we turned into an elite midfielder? Heppell?

I am talking about Nick Daicos has gone on to become a bonafide midfield star, Bailey Williams is a bonafide midfield star (albeit behind the ball), Ed Richards, Rory Laird etc. We just dont develop


We dont need interceptors, we need kickers and good ones.

What is this ? take 10 on what you want

Been saying this for a while now.

 

[Yoda_]

Who was our genuinely top shelf, elite half back flanker?

I was red hot on Mason Redman having an AA blazer stolen by Daniel Rioli in 2023 but has gone backwards since. Before that, who was it? Heppell? Wellman?

Furthermore, who was the last half back flanker we turned into an elite midfielder? Heppell?

I am talking about Nick Daicos has gone on to become a bonafide midfield star, Bailey Williams is a bonafide midfield star (albeit behind the ball), Ed Richards, Rory Laird etc. We just dont develop


We dont need interceptors, we need kickers and good ones.

What is this ? take 10 on what you want

Been saying this for a while now.

will it be Farrow or Angus Clarke? Zak Johnson moving forward first?


think the back line is the most settled part of the ground now

 

[Keystone agony]

will it be Farrow or Angus Clarke? Zak Johnson moving forward first?


think the back line is the most settled part of the ground now

Money has to be on farrow for a move onball

But we may not need it either

Caldwell, Durham, Martin, Sharp, Robey, Bewick could get us a fair way

 

[eth-dog]

It's an interesting potential mix (including injured players here)

Key Defenders: Hayes, McKay, Reid, Gerreyn
Medium Defenders: Kondogiannis, Prior, Ridley, Bourke, Farrow, Redman
Small Defenders: McGrath, Roberts, Johnson, Nguyen

Assuming we go Reid and McKay as the keys, think that we'll preference Farrow and Redman as mediums and then you have McGrath and Roberts as smalls. The last spot could go to any of Johnson, Nguyen, Mondo or Prior.

 

[JT_the_Man]

With Ridley out I'd like something like

McGrath - McKay - Farrow
Redman - Reid - Johnson
Nguyen

That's assuming we persist with Prior on the wing and Roberts on ball though.

 

[Yoda_]

Cal Twomey in post match press conference, brought up the fact that Ridley, Reid & McKay have played something like 6 or 7 out of 50 something games together.

That back 6, when all fit and going well, is a top 4 challenging backline to build around.

Key defenders; McKay, Reid
Interceptors; Redman, Ridley
Kickers; Farrow, Roberts

We just need them all to be on the park together because it looks, on paper, truly potentially, elite.

 

[eth-dog]

15th in both goals and scores per inside 50 this season. 12th in terms of opposition accuracy inside 50. Not going great guns by any stretch of the imagination

 

[Old Campaigner]

Can you filter by games Ridley played in?

 

[eth-dog]

Can you filter by games Ridley played in?

Probably, but I'm not good enough technically to do that. We conceded a goal 19.2% of the time against Melbourne and 28.3% against Gold Coast FWIW

 

[ant555]

First two games would not have helped the numbers either.