Opinion 2025 Thoughts, expectations and predictions

[jannissary]

to be entirely truthful, i don't mind if we finish in the bottom 4 next season. i really want scott to pull the finger out and play some of the youth that [we] have been dying to see. get some games into hayes, keep roberts in the side etc. i truly think that we're too proud of a club to commit to a rebuild that we so desperately need.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Our selected side has been pretty youthful on average especially in the later stage of the year and that's even with Lav, Kelly, Shiel and Stringer in the team. Not out of place in terms of how they finished the year.

Hope Roberts can stay and Saad can break into the side. The addition of Kako and Tsatas (questions on Elijah but he's still 19 and is showing improvement) would make them even more inexperienced. Reid being able to stay on the park would change the whole dynamic not just for 2025 but for our future.

But it'll be the season after the recent FA inclusions have had a year to gel and the 24/25+ long-term players on our list hopefully getting better, so I expect us to still be competitive as we develop.

 

[BomberManU]

Now the emotion is gone, I'm reasonably upbeat about 2025. We've given the youth a look at what's required at the top level and they have a pre-season to prepare, for 2025.
I hope to see players in their preferred positions.
I hope to see an improvement in fitness.
I expect better performances against lower ranked teams and more competitive against the top liners.
I expect to close out games better.

 

[jannissary]

Our selected side has been pretty youthful on average especially in the later stage of the year and that's even with Lav, Kelly, Shiel and Stringer in the team. Not out of place in terms of how they finished then year.

Hope Roberts can stay and Saad can break into the side. The addition of Kako and Tsatas would make them even more inexperienced. Reid being able to stay on the park would change the whole dynamic not just for 2025 but for our future.

But it'll be the season after the recent trade inclusions have had a year to gel and the with the more 24/25+ long-term players on our list hopefully getting better, so I expect us to still be competitive as we develop.

View attachment 2095446

i think age wise we're still young, but overall there's a lack of genuine leadership across the ground from the old(er) players. i think that's what we should ideally be looking towards getting into our players/side next season.

 

[P Money]

I'm looking forward to seeing added layer/s to the game plan. I'm sure a big part of our game plan this year was addressing the abominable end-to-end transition of oppo teams that we allowed for the last (at least) couple of years and keeping us competitive throughout most games. Scott noted that our style of play doesn't lend itself to smashing lower teams, but I'd hope that's not the end game for him.

He mentioned when he took over that the access to data and analysis on the state of the game he had working at AFL HQ showed the game was moving to a more attacking style, so I don't think he's forgotten that. I'd hope to see us start playing with a bit more freedom and flair now that he's had a year to embed some defensive prowess across the ground (not that the team has mastered it by any stretch).

 

[ant555]

Think I will wait until after the draft / FA period and some of pre season.

 

[brutus76]

12th-15th next year as long as the kids are getting games

Otherwise if it's status quo a 21st year of MEHHHHHHH

 

[JayJ20]

I'll have more to say after the trade period, draft and fixture release, but I want one thing addressed. I want a good percentage which is in part due to a poor conversion.

We have the 4th most inside 50s in the league (5th for differential) but rank 13th for goals kicked and 9th for behinds. That's really poor. Our inside 50s are over inflated because of it.

I want list management decisions to address this. Rosas and Kako is a great start.

We lost the inside 50s count in only 3 of our losses this year, which is the least in the league.

vs Sydney at the SCG (inside 50s count 59-56)
vs Port Adelaide at AO (63-43)
vs Brisbane at the Gabba (62-47)

3 out of 11. Make it 3 out 12 if we include the draw to Collingwood. I don't think any club has close to that amount of losses/non-wins when they win territory.

 

[JT_the_Man]

12th but we’ll spend one half of the year looking like a top 4 side and the other half looking like a bottom 4 side.

Actually based on that logic let me upgrade us to 9th. Wildcard weekend here we come!

 

[joey_jo_jo]

12th but we’ll spend one half of the year looking like a top 4 side and the other half looking like a bottom 4 side.

Actually based on that logic let me upgrade us to 9th. Wildcard weekend here we come!

hopefully we switch it up and look good in 2nd half of year, then everyone will talk us up as being a threat for 2026!

 

[BrunoV]

While there is no current sign that we will see anything different next season, and that will likely result in a fall down the table, we should at least wait until we see what happens with the list.

The question I have for those out there, if assume that the current top 8 will be around the mark next season, what makes anyone think Essendon is currently better placed to push into the top 8 than Collingwood, Fremantle, Melbourne, Gold Coast, St Kilda and even Adelaide?

As things stand, Essendon is not going to have to try very hard to finish in the bottom 5 or 6. From there, it's an easy fall into the bottom 4.

I'll say it again, it cannot be a legitimate option for Brad Scott to play the kids without a focus on results. Tolerance for that assumes this list is not the one he has shaped, that it is not the result of his poor judgment. He has not made one remotely difficult or culture changing decision. I cannot help but notice the glut of re-signings that happened during our amazing run in the top 4 this season when, as Phone likes to say, we had those great performances against West Coast.

Wait until you start hearing that we can't move on players under contract and that we don't want to be picking late in a draft.

 

[Shanghaistu]

While there is no current sign that we will see anything different next season, and that will likely result in a fall down the table, we should at least wait until we see what happens with the list.

The question I have for those out there, if assume that the current top 8 will be around the mark next season, what makes anyone think Essendon is currently better placed to push into the top 8 than Collingwood, Fremantle, Melbourne, Gold Coast, St Kilda and even Adelaide?

As things stand, Essendon is not going to have to try very hard to finish in the bottom 5 or 6. From there, it's an easy fall into the bottom 4.

I'll say it again, it is cannot be a legitimate option for Brad Scott to play the kids without a focus on results. Tolerance for that assumes this list is not the one he has shaped, that it is not the result of his poor judgment. He has not made one remotely difficult or culture changing decision. I cannot help but notice the glut of re-signings that happened during our amazing run in the top 4 this season when, as Phone likes to say, we had those great performances against West Coast.

Wait until you start hearing that we can't move on players under contract and that we don't want to be picking late in a draft.

We’ll go up the ladder because we’re Essendon, we were good 25 years ago and the club can do lots of PR stuff and we get a lot of media coverage….. at least, that’s been our MO for the last 24 years anyway

 

[Squeaky]

Not much thought & even less expectation!

 

[Squeaky]

hopefully we switch it up and look good in 2nd half of year, then everyone will talk us up as being a threat for 2026!

We did that one other year and then got slaughtered by GWS in R1...

 

[crackers65]

2025 will be career defining for half our list. If we don’t see improvement across the season, there will be immense pressure on coaches and the board. We are Essendon and are not renowned for patience, I hope Barham has the strength to
keep us on this rebuilding path, even though it’s not the type of rebuild a lot would like to see.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I think we need to see how the trade/draft period pans out.

Expectations if we trade out picks and bring in a bunch of mature players and free agents are going to be vastly different to a situation where we trade out some mature players and hit the draft

 

[Shanghaistu]

Most important expectation - shut up and just win games. Don’t want to hear talk about ‘edge’, ‘we’re hurting’, ‘mastering the process’ , ‘playing for our lives’, etc. would rather have silence from the club than endless hollow spin

 

[JayJ20]

While there is no current sign that we will see anything different next season, and that will likely result in a fall down the table, we should at least wait until we see what happens with the list.

The question I have for those out there, if assume that the current top 8 will be around the mark next season, what makes anyone think Essendon is currently better placed to push into the top 8 than Collingwood, Fremantle, Melbourne, Gold Coast, St Kilda and even Adelaide?

As things stand, Essendon is not going to have to try very hard to finish in the bottom 5 or 6. From there, it's an easy fall into the bottom 4.

I'll say it again, it cannot be a legitimate option for Brad Scott to play the kids without a focus on results. Tolerance for that assumes this list is not the one he has shaped, that it is not the result of his poor judgment. He has not made one remotely difficult or culture changing decision. I cannot help but notice the glut of re-signings that happened during our amazing run in the top 4 this season when, as Phone likes to say, we had those great performances against West Coast.

Wait until you start hearing that we can't move on players under contract and that we don't want to be picking late in a draft.

Yeah I'm thinking more of the same. One reason I liked Brad initially was my belief that he would impose something on the side that would shake it up like we saw Sam Mitchell do and what we're seeing Dimma do now.

Instead, I think he's been a bit more on the timid side which is disappointing.

We can finish fringe top 8 next year like we almost did the last 2 years because we can have a soft fixture, but that doesn't mean we're any closer to contention. Scott said that he's looking for a sustained finals run that eventually leads to premiership contention but we need to see ruthless list management and an investment in youth for that to happen. This off season will tell us a lot about whether Scott is the coach for us.

He said he would make significant changes to the list IIRC so we'll see what happens.

 

[rumply]

Yeah I'm thinking more of the same. One reason I liked Brad initially was my belief that he would impose something on the side that would shake it up like we saw Sam Mitchell do and what we're seeing Dimma do now.

Instead, I think he's been a bit more on the timid side which is disappointing.

We can finish fringe top 8 next year like we almost did the last 2 years because we can have a soft fixture, but that doesn't mean we're any closer to contention. Scott said that he's looking for a sustained finals run that eventually leads to premiership contention but we need to see ruthless list management and an investment in youth for that to happen. This off season will tell us a lot about whether Scott is the coach for us.

He said he would make significant changes this off season so we'll see what happens.

Yep. There's little point speculating on next season until we see where the list sits at in a couple months. If they just tinker around the edges then we will all have a solid grounds for zero expectation.

 

[Beerfish]

Yeah great thread mcgrath_truther

 

[Pweter]

We’ll go up the ladder because we’re Essendon, we were good 25 years ago and the club can do lots of PR stuff and we get a lot of media coverage….. at least, that’s been our MO for the last 24 years anyway

Mate, we're getting close to a 4-peat. Peter Jackson said we should win a flag every 7 years because we're Essendon. Taking into account 24 years without a flag that's 3 we're due starting next year, plus another in 2028 to make it, on average, one every 7 years since 2000.

I for one can't wait!

 

[jannissary]

Yeah great thread mcgrath_truther

2024 is basically in the past already, i’m a forward thinker

 

[bomberlegend2007]

We win a final in 25, dip in 26.

 

[Corleone]

Predictions

Wins: 5-8
Ladder Position: 13th-16th
Scott Sacked: Round 20
Sheedy to make a clumsy attempt at seizing control of the board with the general concept of installing Hird as coach. This will be supported by Welsh, maybe with him (Welsh) as a puppet President.

Oh and to top it off Hawks and carlton will play off in the grand final.

 

[Vindicater]

Will finish about the same

7th-13th bracket.