Automatic starters in our best 22

[Shane Hird]

In my opinion it's a clean slate for 08 (and it rhymes, perhaps that should have been the slogan...or perhaps not)....anyway, I reckon there's a whole bunch of guys who'd have been every bit 'automatic' under sheeds, but who will need to prove themselves all over again to knights.

Guys like McPhee and Lovett-Murray will be battling it out with Welsh and Nash and even guys like Myers and Pears. None of the above would be automatic at this stage.

Even David Hille could be not quite automatic if Knights likes the thought of a Laycock and Ryder combo for the next decade.

So I guess in summary I'd say that Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher are the only automatic selections.

However, in the spirit of the thread I'm going to nominate Courtney Dempsey as the guy who will make himself an automatic starter as the year progresses.

All of those players will be in the side (NLM maybe) come rd1 if fit.


Myers and Pears??? Come on. Are you serious?


Then again,who knows what Knights will pick. Good form in NAB cup games will decide it.

 

[frosty1]

I have no doubt most of those guys will be in the side, but my point is that Knights will sit down and assess what the guys can bring to the table. Myers and Pears won't walk into the side, but what I was tring to say was that Nash, McPhee, Welsh and Lovett-Murray all play approximately the same role. It is possible one or two will miss out if there's better players in the other roles they might play (eg if Knights prefers Gumbleton or Neagle to McPhee in the forward line). I also see Myers and Pears starting off in a similar role to the aforementioned group, and although I doubt they'll be slotting straight in, I do think that good pre-season form will have the selection panel thinking.

To clarify, we probably have 6-8 guys who could play the running half back flank role (amongst eaches other abilities). If there's room for 3 of them in the side (at a stretch), then the 4th-8th guys are competing with different guys in different positions where they're not quite so 'automatic'. And as I can't be sure who the best 3 (say) are of the potential running half backs, I find it impossible to state that *any* of them are therefore 'automatic' selections.

 

[Shane Hird]

I have no doubt most of those guys will be in the side, but my point is that Knights will sit down and assess what the guys can bring to the table. Myers and Pears won't walk into the side, but what I was tring to say was that Nash, McPhee, Welsh and Lovett-Murray all play approximately the same role. It is possible one or two will miss out if there's better players in the other roles they might play (eg if Knights prefers Gumbleton or Neagle to McPhee in the forward line). I also see Myers and Pears starting off in a similar role to the aforementioned group, and although I doubt they'll be slotting straight in, I do think that good pre-season form will have the selection panel thinking.
To clarify, we probably have 6-8 guys who could play the running half back flank role (amongst eaches other abilities). If there's room for 3 of them in the side (at a stretch), then the 4th-8th guys are competing with different guys in different positions where they're not quite so 'automatic'. And as I can't be sure who the best 3 (say) are of the potential running half backs, I find it impossible to state that *any* of them are therefore 'automatic' selections.

See!!... there it is again. Fans getting excited about the idea of 18 or 19 year olds playing multiple games in their first season.

I've learnt my lesson with Gumbleton last year. i thought he'd slot straight in and play a dozen or so games.

Pre-season 'fitness' means shit to me when talking about really young players.

Remember what happen to Jetta last year? Plays first 4 games...then BANG! out for 5 with a groin. Comes back in the VFL,plays a few..then BANG,a quad goes. Then his groin played up again towards the end of the season and we end up getting bugger-all out of him because he was played to early.

I know its not gunna happen to every player,but these days,with the pace of the game so hot,we can't gamble with new recruit's fitness. Most of them have bodies that can't handle it.

Gets back to the issue about how the AFL draft age should be raised and how most 18 year olds havn't got the muscle strength to handle the pounding on the body that the modern game dishes out.

And talking about half back flankers....the most demanding spot in the side imo. You have got to be ready to run hard all day,week after week. Its no place for the weak.

Thats why Welsh,NLM and Nash will hopefully keep healthy all season so we can call on them to fill those roles when needed.

 

[warney7]

Welsh is part of that group. He's an A-U-T-O-M-A-T-I-C selection for rd1 if fit. Although the actual phrase 'automatic selection' would never be uttered by anyone connected to an AFL club,we all know every club has em.


Competition for places? Yer...Welsh is a senior player who has younger players trying to take his spot. But fortunatly for him,his form has been good enough in '07 to warrant a place in the side come rd 1.


And its not new at Essendon to have the coach declare that every spot is up for grabs...its what Sheedy told Hird the first time he spoke to him when arrived as a recruit. He's been doing it for 30 years. Pushing his players harder and making them fight for spots...except the last few years

I mention three of the most senior guys at the club as the only real automatic selections, which isn't limited to them when thinking further, and you go and write a whole post on Andrew Welsh?

It's not like I said he isn't in our best 22

For the idea of the thread, first picked players are.

Lloyd
Lucas
Fletcher
McVeigh
Hille
Davey
Stanton

 

[Shane Hird]

I mention three of the most senior guys at the club as the only real automatic selections, which isn't limited to them when thinking further, and you go and write a whole post on Andrew Welsh?It's not like I said he isn't in our best 22

For the idea of the thread, first picked players are.

Lloyd
Lucas
Fletcher
McVeigh
Hille
Davey
Stanton

Yer sorry about that. Must have been thinking of another post at the time and just launched into a tirade after clicking your post.

It happens sometimes when going on BF late at night.

Had some long days at work this week over here in Perth and the 40 degree
heat must have fried my brain a tad.

 

[Blueinblood]

Question: Why do essendon only have 2 pure ruckman on their list. Im not trying to stir but i have just wondered for a while. Please dont tell me that knight is like grant thomas and does not believe in ruckmen

 

[Spikey]

Question: Why do essendon only have 2 pure ruckman on their list. Im not trying to stir but i have just wondered for a while. Please dont tell me that knight is like grant thomas and does not believe in ruckmen

Ryder's a ruckman too

 

[Slattery_20]

We've also got Bellchambers (2nd PSD pick), who brings that up to 3

Ryder was recruited as a ruckman, and could still end up there. At the least he counts as a half ruckman & I dare say he'd go into the ruck before Bellchambers

Surely you're aware it's harder to find genuine ruckman than it sounds?

 

[Windas_Magic]

Question: Why do essendon only have 2 pure ruckman on their list. Im not trying to stir but i have just wondered for a while. Please dont tell me that knight is like grant thomas and does not believe in ruckmen

Thats why we drafted Bellchambers. Plus, Ryder or GUmby could be used.

 

[SirJimi05]

Question: Why do essendon only have 2 pure ruckman on their list. Im not trying to stir but i have just wondered for a while. Please dont tell me that knight is like grant thomas and does not believe in ruckmen

We have 4 Ruckmen on our list. Do your homework next time.

 

[Jono B]

Laycock needs some white line fever like Paddy Ryder.

Seems too placid at times and from memory, had a stinker of a game against Carlton late in the season.

Too early to call him a certain starter over Hille just yet, especially with his consistency.

He got the maximum votes in the coaches award from both coaches.

 

[DaSawx]

He got the maximum votes in the coaches award from both coaches.

Shocks me, had a stinker in the first half, must have made up for it

 

[frosty1]

See!!... there it is again. Fans getting excited about the idea of 18 or 19 year olds playing multiple games in their first season.

I've learnt my lesson with Gumbleton last year. i thought he'd slot straight in and play a dozen or so games.

Pre-season 'fitness' means shit to me when talking about really young players.

Remember what happen to Jetta last year? Plays first 4 games...then BANG! out for 5 with a groin. Comes back in the VFL,plays a few..then BANG,a quad goes. Then his groin played up again towards the end of the season and we end up getting bugger-all out of him because he was played to early.

I know its not gunna happen to every player,but these days,with the pace of the game so hot,we can't gamble with new recruit's fitness. Most of them have bodies that can't handle it.

Gets back to the issue about how the AFL draft age should be raised and how most 18 year olds havn't got the muscle strength to handle the pounding on the body that the modern game dishes out.

And talking about half back flankers....the most demanding spot in the side imo. You have got to be ready to run hard all day,week after week. Its no place for the weak.

Thats why Welsh,NLM and Nash will hopefully keep healthy all season so we can call on them to fill those roles when needed.

Give me a break, you've picked on one minor point of my post and done it to death. Just because Pears and Myers won't be playing every week, doesn't invalidate my point that none of those other guys are automatic. My thoughts on Myers and Pears were that if they looked well advanced in the preseason Knights might be inclined to try and find them half a dozen games each across the season as part of their development. And those games have to come at someone else's expense.

Guys who *may* be in the mix for a running defender spot (so demanding that Grant Birchall managed to step in pretty easily at the Hawks...we'll have to wait and see what Knights' game plan is before we comment on the demands within his game-style)

Welsh (can play mid-sized forward)
McPhee (can play forward)
Lovett-Murray (can play forward)
Nash (may be able to play midfield)
Slattery (more defensive than the others)
Fletcher (If they look to free him up top make play, although is better value closer to goal)
Ramanauskas (might be the ideal spot for him next year)

and the list goes on and on with guys who may be able to slot in there.

Remember, Knights has spoken about rebuilding the defence, so it would not surprise to see someone unexpected to slot into one of these positions.

So, given the above, I stand by my thoughts that none of these HBF types are 'automatic' choices. For sure I expect them to be playing from Rd 1, but there's a huge difference between 'likely' and 'automatic'.

 

[pazza]

Just on NatRat (Lovett-Murray), I think the reason some don't have him as automatic starters is because of how much game time he's missed in the last couple of years. He really does need a full pre-season.

 

[SM10]

See!!... there it is again. Fans getting excited about the idea of 18 or 19 year olds playing multiple games in their first season.

I've learnt my lesson with Gumbleton last year. i thought he'd slot straight in and play a dozen or so games.

Pre-season 'fitness' means shit to me when talking about really young players.

Remember what happen to Jetta last year? Plays first 4 games...then BANG! out for 5 with a groin. Comes back in the VFL,plays a few..then BANG,a quad goes. Then his groin played up again towards the end of the season and we end up getting bugger-all out of him because he was played to early.

I know its not gunna happen to every player,but these days,with the pace of the game so hot,we can't gamble with new recruit's fitness. Most of them have bodies that can't handle it.

Gets back to the issue about how the AFL draft age should be raised and how most 18 year olds havn't got the muscle strength to handle the pounding on the body that the modern game dishes out.

And talking about half back flankers....the most demanding spot in the side imo. You have got to be ready to run hard all day,week after week. Its no place for the weak.

Thats why Welsh,NLM and Nash will hopefully keep healthy all season so we can call on them to fill those roles when needed.

Also the fact Pears is currently only 17... I highly doubt he will play next year and even the year after

 

[Merv]

Also the fact Pears is currently only 17... I highly doubt he will play next year and even the year after

I think you might be surprised

 

[SM10]

I think you might be surprised

I hope I will be Merv (providing he earns his spot through good form in the NAB cup and/or at Bendigo, and not because injury)

But I think he is still a couple of years off by all reports.

Sounds like he will be a star CHB for the future though Which will allow Paddy to go into the ruck

 

[topdon]

Amazing how a player who in his debut season played 11 or so game, is now considered no only an automatic starter, but in our top 10!! Shows us how thin our list really is. Doesn't it?

 

[Slattery_20]

That glass can be half full too - could be that he's a really good talent

 

[DaSawx]

Maybe because he's extremely important in winning games for us, how many single players can have entire backlines and midfields looking back over their shoulder's all game.

 

[Slattery_20]

Exactly
He'd find a place in any side
It's not like he's an 18 year old anyway, he hit the ground running

Geelong game killed our chances

 

[warney7]

Please dont tell me that knight is like grant thomas and does not believe in ruckmen

Others have already spoken of our ruck stocks.

Don't worry that he'll be a GT.

He had no bearing on the list that he has to work with, except for a few draft choices.

Give him a couple of years and if he's not worried about our rucks........then you can be concerned!

 

[Longy413]

Amazing how a player who in his debut season played 11 or so game, is now considered no only an automatic starter, but in our top 10!! Shows us how thin our list really is. Doesn't it?

Are you talking about the soon to be 24 year old?