Essendon 2017

[Grand Uncle Horace]

That argument is crap. He could have easily been a back to back premiership coach, and the messiah Paul Roos would not have been a premiership coach at all. What talent are you talking about and when did he have it at his disposal? If your talking about Cousins, Glass, Judd, Kerr and Cox, they really only played together until the end of 2006. Worsfold started coaching in 2002, Judd's first year, Kerr' and Cox second year, and Glass third year. In his first three years he had them in finals each year with the young 'talented list', and then two consecutive grand finals in 2005 & 2006. They still managed to play finals in 2007 despite Cousins been on absent for most of the year and Judd barely been able to run. By 2008 Judd and Cousins were gone, and the whole club was basically in rebuild.

The Swans were an average team and should not have come within a Bull's Roar of them. Worsfold was regularly criticised over his tenure for failing to adapt to game circumstances. The sheer wealth of talent on that list dwarfed that of other teams and was largely wasted (and I am not talking about some of their players wasting themselves).

He seems to have become a little more flexible at Essendon (the assistants might be helping) which he needed to be given the top end talent is just a sprinkle at the older end and at the younger end of that team's list. He is undoubtedly a decent bloke and that was sorely needed at your club.

 

[Skipper_]

I think some of Essendon's defensive issues could be resolved if Hooker plays back (yes I know that would likely curtail their attacking threat meaning oppo defenders can sag off and double team joey). Still, I'd be interested to see how Stewart, Daniher, AMT, Fantasia and others fare with that rejig. As it stands I think teams can blaze deep into the bombers' backline without much risk of it being marked by their defenders and in modern footy that is absolute gold.
I know Hooker's had a good year up forward but I feel like they're wasting his talent. Maybe it's just a stop gap thing for 2017 and he'll be shifted back next year...

Our defence isn't the issue; our midfield is. We constantly lose the clearance and inside 50 count meaning the ball is in the other team's half a lot. If the ball is at the wrong end a lot of the time you are going to get scored against.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Except Adelaide defend and have one of the lowest pts against in the league

You really think Essendon don't defend by design?

Nothing to do with our midfielders being slow poor runners and incapable of close man marking.

 

[citizen-erased]

The ages are for the 22's on the field, not the list. Have heard that Essendon is chasing Jarrad McVeigh, which is a surprise to me. Would've thought easing a younger player into that role makes more sense, unless the club feels it's close. Dea's probably not the answer but Tuohy's doing a job at Geelong. Those players aren't so scarce that McVeigh should be an option.

BTW Essendon was comfortably the second-oldest team last weekend, average age 26.00. With West Coast set to hack and slash, if Essendon doesn't refresh the 22 they're likely to be the oldest team in 2018. And that means they must be in contention for the flag.

we'll run in with a fairly young 22 next year, peppered with some experience

Baguley Hartley Ambrose
McKenna Hurley Gleeson
Parish Heppell McGrath
Begley Daniher Tippa
Green Hooker Stewart
Bellchambers Merrett Zaka
Laverde Langford Francis Goddard

Thats 4 guys i would consider on the old side, and all 4 are in good form still.
Thats without the offseason additions.

McVeigh sounds like a Mitchell-esque move. We're giving him a one year playing contract and easing him into the coaching role.
He'll play for as long as he's playing good football. I imagine we'll draft a rebounding HBF this year as we only have McKenna in that role at the moment and the kids we have are more intercept defenders than run and dash types. There is Redman, but i view him more as a winger.

 

[citizen-erased]

Positives
Young players coming on further: ZMerrett, Fantasia, AMT, Daniher, McKenna, Gleeson, McGrath
Some Banned players coming back and playing good footy: Hurley, Heppell,Hooker

Negatives
Some young players not coming on: Francis, Laverde (injury excuse), Langford, JMerrett, Redman, Morgan
Draftees (McGrath aside) not getting 1st exposure, which is probably more of a Coaching issue playing under performing formerly banned players.
Banned mid aged players coming back and being poor: Colyer, Myers
Unconvincing game plan reminiscent of Matt Knights.

Going to make finals so gets a pass. Some of the negatives could still turn around.

Francis, Langford & Redman have looked good at VFL level. We are being very patient with them (whilst we can), but expectations will be they cement starting 22 spots in the next 12-18 months. All still under 21.
Same applies with last years draftees. Begley could have come in 6-7 weeks ago. But we kept his face pressed at the window. Then he makes his debut and was hardly done by to not get the RS nod. Mutch is in the same boat. Kid looks ready. Clarke & Ridley will take longer. Ridley had a back injury and he needs to build the body to play defence. Clarke is Jobe mk2. Finds the ball inside and is good with his hands. Kicking needs a bit of work.

i'd add Bellchambers to the returning players in good form. Honestly had zero hope he'd return to be a regular.

Everything else is right.
The Knights criticism of Woosha is a bit over the top though. We lose clearances and stoppages too easily, which means the game plan has a fatal flaw. We could have 5 goal leads in the quarters and they are easily sapped if the opposition gets a run on from the middle.
In his defence, we don't have the personnel to fix that. We need a prolific stoppage/tackling mid. Josh Kelly is the ideal recruit, but unlikely we get him. Laverde, Begley & Langford are the bigger bodied types who can play midfield (as well as forward) but they aren't fully developed yet.

So we either wait or play guys like Watson & Myers.
The failed recruitment of these inside mids from 2010-2012 has hurt. Kavanagh, O'Brien, Browne, Ashby - probably needed at least one of these guys to pan out to pair with Heppell.
Or not overlooked Parker for Steinberg....

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

You are right C-E. The Macca deal would the same as the Snitchell deal. One year playing and then 2 years in the box.

Macca is a cluey bloke who after a good apprenticeship at a few clubs will make an excellent coach. Hopefully he will eventually coach the Bloods.

 

[Power Raid]

The dons performance in 2017 has been impressive. They'll cause some damage in September

 

[eth-dog]

Didn't want to start trouble but I'm glad someone tabled it.

Big difference is defensive intent. Under Knights we had the worst defence in the league over those three years, conceding a goal 30% of the time it entered forward 50. This season we've conceded a goal 23% of the time.

 

[MightyTiger]

Big difference is defensive intent. Under Knights we had the worst defence in the league over those three years, conceding a goal 30% of the time it entered forward 50. This season we've conceded a goal 23% of the time.

Massive improvement.

 

[eth-dog]

Massive improvement.

Absolutely. The back line is the only place we've had serious injuries, with Ambrose and Brown (who isn't best 22 but first picked outside of it) gone for the majority of the season it's been a really good effort. Imagine what'll happen if we get an actual midfield to protect them?

 

[citizen-erased]

You are right C-E. The Macca deal would the same as the Snitchell deal. One year playing and then 2 years in the box.

Macca is a cluey bloke who after a good apprenticeship at a few clubs will make an excellent coach. Hopefully he will eventually coach the Bloods.

i don't mind the idea tbh.
Though i like our back 6 sans Kelly as it is, so i wonder if it would be more of an injury cover option, rather than a regular 22 playing option.
Either way, the likes of McKenna, Gleeson and McGrath have blossomed under Kelly's tutelage. To keep that going with a fresh angle from someone as experienced as McVeigh is a good thing. Also, we keep the whole brother thing going.
Daniher's, Merrett's, Parish's (hopefully) and McVeigh the younger.

 

[eth-dog]

i don't mind the idea tbh.
Though i like our back 6 sans Kelly as it is, so i wonder if it would be more of an injury cover option, rather than a regular 22 playing option.
Either way, the likes of McKenna, Gleeson and McGrath have blossomed under Kelly's tutelage. To keep that going with a fresh angle from someone as experienced as McVeigh is a good thing. Also, we keep the whole brother thing going.
Daniher's, Merrett's, Parish's (hopefully) and McVeigh the younger.

Didn't David Johnson (brother of Mark) play for us a bit too?

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I think the Pies will be interested in Macca and possibly St.Kilda. If it is possible to have a civil agreement with the Pies, Pendles would go to Sydney on a similar deal, effectively a swap.

 

[citizen-erased]

Didn't David Johnson (brother of Mark) play for us a bit too?

Yes he did. 5 games or so i think.

 

[bradrowe#32]

I think the Pies will be interested in Macca and possibly St.Kilda. If it is possible to have a civil agreement with the Pies, Pendles would go to Sydney on a similar deal, effectively a swap.

Why wouldn't it be civil? We did a deal for Jolly very easily.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Why wouldn't it be civil? We did a deal for Jolly very easily.

Macca is unrestricted FA and out of contract. Thought Pendles was contracted. So the deal would require you guys to allow it. Personally it looks like a win/win.

 

[Stopher]

I don't think many would have had Essendon finishing higher than all of West Coast, Melbourne, Bulldogs, St Kilda and Hawthorn (and maybe even Collingwood?) So that's a tick.

Obviously making the finals in the process is a big tick. Having a respectable record against other top 8 teams (3-5) is again a positive.

One thing I like about playing Sydney there is that it will be a fantastic learning experience for this team, whatever the result.

 

[andrewb]

We have a healthy list coming into finals and we have six guys who are averaging over a goal a game.

Finished three games below 1st.

Thanks to the stupid pre finals bye I'm not putting any limits on what we can achieve, but I'll also be happy if we go out with an honorable loss to the swans.

 

[boncer34]

Macca is unrestricted FA and out of contract. Thought Pendles was contracted. So the deal would require you guys to allow it. Personally it looks like a win/win.

Hang on.

Are you saying trade McVeigh for Pendlebury is a win/win for both clubs?