Essendon 2017 Pre-Season

[FISTO]

Our list is in better shape than yours. No doubt about it as well.

I want whatever the * you're on, reality is such a bore sometimes.

 

[Milanista28]

I want whatever the **** you're on, reality is such a bore sometimes.

Your under 25s are massively underwhelming, Not sure you can argue that.

 

[Brad Goodman]

Whatever Cronulla have achieved they probably can as well.

 

[Blue1980]

He used the ball 6% better than any other year in his career.

I liken Kelly to Del Santo, still AFL standard but past their best and don't hurt sides like they once did.

I know their different type of players hit the comparison is valid.

Statistically it looked like one of Del Santos best seasons this year, but watching him you knew he was about done and his game involved a lot more useless disposals

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I liken Kelly to Del Santo, still AFL standard but past their best and don't hurt sides like they once did.

I know their different type of players hit the comparison is valid.

Statistically it looked like one of Del Santos best seasons this year, but watching him you knew he was about done and his game involved a lot more useless disposals

Except Kelly was never a weapon like Dal Santo. His disposal was rarely damaging, he has always been a retention type. The difference being Geelong had the weapons to give that type of possession value.

 

[TonaldDrump]

I want whatever the **** you're on, reality is such a bore sometimes.

Geelong has very little young talent. If Dangerfield or Selwood go missing this year their whole team will fall apart. If you don't win the flag this year or the next, your club is ****ed.

 

[Keystone agony]

The concerns about our forward line i think can be rectified and could be seen next year to all of a sudden have plenty of weapons.

I see in the 22 round season
Daniher - 50 goals
Fantasia - 40 goals(kicked 19 in last 8 and 29 in last 17 games)
Hooker - 40 goals (Kicked 20 in last 10 games)
Laverde - 30 goals (went at a goal a game in a poor year for him and the club)
Colyer - 25/30 goals (Went a goal a game last he played and that was further up the field will start more half forward this year with development of Z.Merrett)

Theyre 5 of our starting forwards in my current best 22. Parish starts the other flank and the club will be hoping he can take another big step in improvement next year. Otherwise we may go taller with Francis. Langford will be more in a midfield role next year and push forward as he usually does no guarantee hes best 22 though.

The midfield is very deep. One of the deepest in the comp but maybe lacks true A graders. Plenty of B graders and i think alot depends on Watson. Hes an A grade big body when his passion and body is there. Heppell is an A grade accumulator who goes all day and Zac Merrett now possess's that top ilk. But our success in the midfield will come like it did for the dogs 2016.

Bontempelli - Watson
Macrae - Heppell
Liberatore - Hocking
Dahlhaus - Z.Merrett
L.Hunter - Stanton
C.Daniel - Parish
Picken - Zaharakis
Wallis - Myers
C.Smith - Colyer

Add Laverde, Fantasia and Langford all who can play midfield.

We're the toughest team to predict just ahead of Fremantle.

Im like the sentiment of people here think we could finish as high as 4th and also finish as low as 16th.

 

[Bulldog1954]

But our success in the midfield will come like it did for the dogs 2016

Bontempelli - Watson
Macrae - Heppell
Liberatore - Hocking
Dahlhaus - Z.Merrett
L.Hunter - Stanton
C.Daniel - Parish
Picken - Zaharakis
Wallis - Myers
C.Smith - Colyer

Add Laverde, Fantasia and Langford all who can play midfield.

I'm obviously biased, but you don't actually think the quality of the midfielders you've listed for each side is comparable do you?

 

[Skipper_]

I'm obviously biased, but you don't actually think the quality of the midfielders you've listed for each side is comparable do you?

My opinions on those comparisons:

Bontempelli>Watson
Macrae<Heppell
Liberatorae>Hocking
Dahlhaus<Merrett
Hunter>Stanton
Daniel>Parish
Picken<Zaharakis
Wallis>Myers
Smith<Colyer

 

[Keystone agony]

I'm obviously biased, but you don't actually think the quality of the midfielders you've listed for each side is comparable do you?

Id say you guys are ahead but more illustrating the depth we have which i think is a major reason why you guys went so well rather than having those absolute A grade stars.

 

[Sainter93]

Well if you read closely it looks like Trent will be a handy addition to the Essendon midfield in 2017 according to Foxtel.

The 2012 brownlow stays at Windy Hill!

 

[BattlerGM]

Id say you guys are ahead but more illustrating the depth we have which i think is a major reason why you guys went so well rather than having those absolute A grade stars.

Good depth is better than landing a big fish. Good depth > Fyfe, Dangerfield etc

 

[Saint]

Our young guys have got the jump on counterparts of a similar age which has accelerated their development, how far they develop is the real question. We saw the young dogs take their game to another level, we'll see if the young dons can achieve the same over the next 2-3 years.

Kelly is in the team as a dependable veteran, much like Crawf for Hawthorn in his last year. Didn't really achieve much, but he was there and could do a job when asked.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Time will tell, IMO they'll start off slowly as the returning players find their feet, those returning players will also have to gell with a lot of new players which will also take time, I think they'll turn at the halfway mark well off the pace then have a good second half, sneaky finals chance IMO, 8th-14th, very hard team to rate obviously.

 

[Blind Turn]

The returning players give a very stable support structure for our team. The depth of talent is the best I can remember it being. Genuinely think that 38-40 players have a realistic chance to establish themselves as best 22 all the way down to the likes of Long on the rookie list.

But the thing that has me most excited is that there are a large number of players who are positioned nicely for 'breakout' years. If just a few of them do then we will be competing with the best teams.

The likes of Langford, Laverde, Parish, Fantasia, Colyer, Francis, Gleeson, Hartley, Tippa, and 2 newbies lighting up the track in McGrath and Begley, all have the potential to be household names in the near future. Hopefully they click at the same time.

I can't see McKenna, Redman, Morgan, or Stewart breaking out this year but I hope to see them cameo regularly.

For the first time in a long time I can see a real momentum at our club.

 

[QuietB]

He used the ball 6% better than any other year in his career.

So you are telling me the opposition didn't really care because they were going to win by 10 goals anyway

 

[Bomberblitzer]

So you are telling me the opposition didn't really care because they were going to win by 10 goals anyway

Such a naive and ill-informed comment. In the elite world of AFL football do you really think teams show up on game day unprepared for their opponents?

How did Melbourne (who managed to defeat Hawthorn among other good sides) go against the Bombers?

 

[Jack Bradley]

If they don't make the 8 it will be seen as a failure.

All this talk about Essendon talent - now its time to walk.

 

[Bomberblitzer]

If they don't make the 8 it will be seen as a failure.

All this talk about Essendon talent - now its time to walk.

By whom?

 

[Jack Bradley]

By whom?

By football supporters?

Derp

 

[The Donners]

By football supporters?

Derp

Really? Of nearly 50k responses on an afl.com.au poll only 45% of football supporters believe Essendon will make the 8.

I'm interested to see if you have differing information.

 

[QuietB]

Such a naive and ill-informed comment. In the elite world of AFL football do you really think teams show up on game day unprepared for their opponents?

How did Melbourne (who managed to defeat Hawthorn among other good sides) go against the Bombers?

And do you really think Kelly was playing at the same intensity he was in his very best years at Geelong when he was winning premierships?

Citing disposals and disposal efficiency as some sort of proof he had the third best year of his career is laughable

 

[Red Black and Blue]

And do you really think Kelly was playing at the same intensity he was in his very best years at Geelong when he was winning premierships?

Citing disposals and disposal efficiency as some sort of proof he had the third best year of his career is laughable

Citing stats isn't the be all and end all, it's purely a piece of the puzzle. Yes he played at a lower intensity and it suited him, it didn't suit Stokes or Chapman who were shithouse with us, his role also one that suited his skillset.

I also said he should have been made the AA 40 man squad. Now that is a judgement that isn't subjective to Essendon alone, I would have watched at least 85% of games this year, with the exception of JJ at the start of the year, there weren't any small backs that were playing football that was discernibly better than Kelly.

Also for comparison about cheap possessions, AA's Shaw and Rampe had 39 and 33 inside 50's for a grand total of 1 goal 0 assists and 1 goal 1 assist. Kelly kicked 2 goals and had 4 assists from 42 inside 50's. Not amazing stats but better than the best...

 

[Bomberblitzer]

And do you really think Kelly was playing at the same intensity he was in his very best years at Geelong when he was winning premierships?

Citing disposals and disposal efficiency as some sort of proof he had the third best year of his career is laughable

You're obviously confused.

 

[underthestars]

10-18th. more chance of the latter than the former.