AFL Player #21: Dyson Heppell aka Farnsy

21 - heppell.jpg

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 27, Highly Evolved
 
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May 6, 2007
39,093
22,782
South East Suburbs
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspurs, Melbourne Vixen
I posted this back on August 9, 2020.

Doesn't have the resume of Luke Hodge but would love for our skipper to do what Hodgey did in the twilight of his career and that is marshal the troops across half back.

With Hooker and Hurley coming toward the end, the rest of the back 6 (bar Saady - 100 AFL games) are still reatively inexperienced. Would be great to have a wise head around Ridley, Redman, BZT, McKenna etc.

Dyson started there and could very well finish there and do a reasonable job. I wont write him off till we see him return to the AFL, it will just be a long road back for the skipper.

Obviously with the losses of McKenna, Saad and a lesser extent Fantasia, the idea of Hep going to half back should be and is gaining momentum.

I've always liked him behind the ball, he had his time on the ball, did well but it's time for younger guys to do there part in the midfield.
 
May 6, 2007
39,093
22,782
South East Suburbs
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Essendon
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We have approximately 1000 marking defenders and a total of 2 marking midfielders (Langford and Heppell) and we want to move one to half back and the other to half forward. Essington logic
wouldn't have thought so. Heppell is going offer more at half back than a Devon Smith or David Zaharakis.
 
wouldn't have thought so. Heppell is going offer more at half back than a Devon Smith or David Zaharakis.
He's also more important to us to be that marking midfielder that we need
 
He's also more important to us to be that marking midfielder that we need

Agree if he moves anywhere it should be wing or high half forward. they are just going to have to cover the flanks with Ridley and Francis IMO depending on match ups.
 

fairbump_playon

Premiership Player
Jun 27, 2014
4,757
7,607
AFL Club
Essendon
He's at a career turning point. Can he get fit and add a few years of good footy and be seen as leading us out of the worst?
Or is he cactus and part of the dead wood that needs to go.

Hope it's the former. Would be good to see him get a good run.
 
Sep 22, 2011
40,569
87,810
Your girlfriend's dreams
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Essendon
What does that look like? 🤔🤔

The guy’s 2020 was ruined by injury but prior to that he had been a pretty bloody good midfielder for about five years. He won the B&F in 2014, was third in 2015 and 2017 (missed 2016 obv), second in 2018 and 5th in 2019 when missed 5 games.

He’s easily been in our top few best and most consistent players for many, many years. He’s also 6”2 and 85kgs in a midfield that gets called “too small” approx 750 times per day on here.

I’m happy to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he’s leading the way in the middle come round 1. If he shows he’s lost it then fair enough, but hopefully it was merely the year from hell and he has a few good years left.

Who knows, as he gradually slows he may even put on another 3, 4, 5 kgs and bang a bit. He might not be an inside beast BUT he has always been able to win his own ball and he does lay tackles.
 
Aug 15, 2011
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The guy’s 2020 was ruined by injury but prior to that he had been a pretty bloody good midfielder for about five years. He won the B&F in 2014, was third in 2015 and 2017 (missed 2016 obv), second in 2018 and 5th in 2019 when missed 5 games.

He’s easily been in our top few best and most consistent players for many, many years. He’s also 6”2 and 85kgs in a midfield that gets called “too small” approx 750 times per day on here.

I’m happy to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he’s leading the way in the middle come round 1. If he shows he’s lost it then fair enough, but hopefully it was merely the year from hell and he has a few good years left.

Who knows, as he gradually slows he may even put on another 3, 4, 5 kgs and bang a bit. He might not be an inside beast BUT he has always been able to win his own ball and he does lay tackles.

Typically you play 4 onballers. Youve locked Heppell intonone of those spots whonare the other 3?

Who are the 3 wingmen? And whos on the flanks?

Our side needs to find a halfback from the midfield. Do they go back to Andy Mcgrath? Does he have enkugh kicking penetration and damage from back there? I dont think so but defensively hes very good.

Or do we go with Zac Merrett? As a mid he basically roams across the back of the centre square anyway.

Or is it Dev Smith that continues at half back a role that i dont think worked and his best football was as a hubrid between half fwd/onball whereas his number 1 ace is his tackling ferocity

We have about 8 guys who play their best footy inside but the issue is that doesnt fit and some need to find other roles. Who and where?
 
Sep 22, 2011
40,569
87,810
Your girlfriend's dreams
AFL Club
Essendon
Typically you play 4 onballers. Youve locked Heppell intonone of those spots whonare the other 3?

Who are the 3 wingmen? And whos on the flanks?

Our side needs to find a halfback from the midfield. Do they go back to Andy Mcgrath? Does he have enkugh kicking penetration and damage from back there? I dont think so but defensively hes very good.

Or do we go with Zac Merrett? As a mid he basically roams across the back of the centre square anyway.

Or is it Dev Smith that continues at half back a role that i dont think worked and his best football was as a hubrid between half fwd/onball whereas his number 1 ace is his tackling ferocity

We have about 8 guys who play their best footy inside but the issue is that doesnt fit and some need to find other roles. Who and where?

I’d say McGrath, Heppell, Shiel and Merrett are our four best mids. So having to choose four, I’d go with them.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
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AFL Club
Essendon
Should play as the 7th defender / half back in my view.

I'm not one to overrate his first year. It's long been evident that the intercept half back role is the easiest role to play. It was a good first year but it pails compared to McGrath's first year, ruining the opposition's best small forwards and rebounding, or Sam Walsh's feats in the middle.

Given Heppell's skill set, strong above head, reads the play well and someone who can marshal the troops, it's where I see him being able to impact a game most significantly while allowing us to hide his flaws.

I'm also concerned about Hooker and Hurley, it does not seem like a combination that is long for AFL footy. Defences becomes very inexperienced if Hooker or Hurley is not playing.

Also, there is no point recruiting Caldwell and then not giving him midfield minutes. You'd think we have two shiny new additions to add in a few weeks time. Makes me wonder why we didn't make a point of moving Smith on (though I suppose it would be too embarrassing for those who thought it was a good idea to bring him in).
 
Play him as a marking winger that can occasionally pinch hit in centre bounces. He's still one of our best clearance players.
 
Apr 26, 2007
14,518
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Victoria
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Essendon
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The guy’s 2020 was ruined by injury but prior to that he had been a pretty bloody good midfielder for about five years. He won the B&F in 2014, was third in 2015 and 2017 (missed 2016 obv), second in 2018 and 5th in 2019 when missed 5 games.

He’s easily been in our top few best and most consistent players for many, many years. He’s also 6”2 and 85kgs in a midfield that gets called “too small” approx 750 times per day on here.

I’m happy to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he’s leading the way in the middle come round 1. If he shows he’s lost it then fair enough, but hopefully it was merely the year from hell and he has a few good years left.

Who knows, as he gradually slows he may even put on another 3, 4, 5 kgs and bang a bit. He might not be an inside beast BUT he has always been able to win his own ball and he does lay tackles.
He’s been nowhere near the player he was pre saga. He’s still a solid citizen but he’d be one of our highest paid players based on his 2014 form.
 
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