Club Focus Essendon 2021 - Kelly, Hobbs, Lord, McDonagh

[The 747]

Is back playing reserves.

Will most likely end up bqck in Adelaide once his current contract ends I reckon.

What happened there? I recall he was playing key defence (not that I thought he was all that good at it) then disappeared (wellness break)?

Doesn't like it at Essendon, or probably won't make it regardless?

In any event Parish's development makes up for that IMO.

 

[eth-dog]

What makes you say that? He doesn’t live anywhere near Adelaide and his family didn’t want him to change clubs last time he wanted to move?

He'd be back in by now IMO. It seems like we're planning for life after him.

What happened there? I recall he was playing key defence (not that I thought he was all that good at it) then disappeared (wellness break)?

Doesn't like it at Essendon, or probably won't make it regardless?

In any event Parish's development makes up for that IMO.

I think he's playing there out of necessity. I'd love for him to stay and we get another genuine tall to let him play on mediums.

 

[Ambrosia]

He'd be back in by now IMO. It seems like we're planning for life after him.

I think he's playing there out of necessity. I'd love for him to stay and we get another genuine tall to let him play on mediums.

I’m not sure that’s the case. Remembering that he took time away for the club which isn’t the same as just being injured. I’m not the biggest believer in his footballing ability but I expect he’ll work his way back into the side eventually.

Doubt we trade him unless a club offers us a top 20-25 pick which is very unlikely imo

 

[Ants]

He'd be back in by now IMO. It seems like we're planning for life after him.
....

Disagree with this. This is the first week he's played either VFL or AFL, so a choice would have only had to be made this week. Given GWS's forward line, playing a 4th tall back would have been tricky. Bringing him back via the VFL makes sense.

I think there is a decent chance he stays with us.

 

[eth-dog]

Disagree with this. This is the first week he's played either VFL or AFL, so a choice would have only had to be made this week. Given GWS's forward line, playing a 4th tall back would have been tricky. Bringing him back via the VFL makes sense.

I think there is a decent chance he stays with us.

He's played the last two weeks. The fact that it wasn't VFL is irrelevant

 

[Ants]

He's played the last two weeks. The fact that it wasn't VFL is irrelevant

I didn't think he played last week? I thought he missed that game.

Any word on how he did if he played? He just might not have earned a senior spot.

 

[eth-dog]

I didn't think he played last week? I thought he missed that game.

Any word on how he did if he played? He just might not have earned a senior spot.

Didn't really do anything wrong from what I saw, but they were only highlights. Played mostly in defence. Used the ball pretty well

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Reckon Francis will leave seems the rigours of playing AFL too much for him to cope with

 

[HBFlanker]

What are these two worth as it stands?

Essendon clearly heading in another direction. None of these guys will see midfield time next year and it will only diminish as Perkins continues to develop.

I wouldnt be shocked at all if at least one of them is traded out at the end of this season.

 

[HirdyLannister]

Shiel ain't going anyway, vital cog for our team.

Devon we will give away for a half eaten bag of twisties

 

[Orange crush]

North rebuffed by Kelly ..., turn their gaze to ex-giants

 

[Thetrader15]

North rebuffed by Kelly ..., turn their gaze to ex-giants

Carlton may be interested...

Whatever happened to Smith anyway, he just seems like a really angry player who can't get near the ball these days.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Devon just signed a 2 year deal only a month ago

 

[HBFlanker]

North rebuffed by Kelly ..., turn their gaze to ex-giants

I dont rate either of them to be honest.

I think Essendon would be a better team without them

 

[eth-dog]

Devon just signed a 2 year deal only a month ago

Try 5 months ago but yeah.

Shiel is our best clearance player. He isn't going anywhere.

 

[WillHayward]

Try 5 months ago but yeah.

Shiel is our best clearance player. He isn't going anywhere.

Parish has 153 clearances and ranks #2 in the entire comp.

So please spare us the exaggerating.

 

[eth-dog]

Parish has 153 clearances and ranks #2 in the entire comp.

So please spare us the exaggerating.

Parish has done it this year. Shiel the better part of 8 years. Excuse me for wanting more than 20 games before declaring him better.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

I don't think Essendon will or should have a big trade period. They are building nicely and I don't think there is any out of contract player on the market that really fills a need for them (they could do with a decent youngish ruckman but they are as rare as Hens Teeth)

Dodoro I hate to say it has done some good work in the past couple of years.

 

[WillHayward]

Parish has done it this year. Shiel the better part of 8 years. Excuse me for wanting more than 20 games before declaring him better.

Oh ok sure.
So you have the top two clearance players in the entire comp.
You must be on top of the ladder with all these superstars I assume?

Shiel is a good player but nothing more than good.

 

[eth-dog]

Oh ok sure.
So you have the top two clearance players in the entire comp.
You must be on top of the ladder with all these superstars I assume?

I never said that. I said Parish has to do it for more than just this year before he's as good as Shiel. There are others who are ahead of both, as they've been better than Shiel for a longer period of time.

Last year Sam Weideman had a better year than Tom McDonald. Did that mean he's a better player? No, because McDonald has been outperforming him for a longer period of time, which was proven this year when McDonald moved past him again. If Parish has a better year than Shiel again next year it'll be up for debate but until then Shiel's consistency year on year has him ahead for me.

 

[Colonial]

North rebuffed by Kelly ..., turn their gaze to ex-giants

To be fair, for the most part, North aim for big name players.

Carlton on the other hand.

 

[WillHayward]

I never said that. I said Parish has to do it for more than just this year before he's as good as Shiel. There are others who are ahead of both, as they've been better than Shiel for a longer period of time.

Last year Sam Weideman had a better year than Tom McDonald. Did that mean he's a better player? No, because McDonald has been outperforming him for a longer period of time, which was proven this year when McDonald moved past him again. If Parish has a better year than Shiel again next year it'll be up for debate but until then Shiel's consistency year on year has him ahead for me.

Parish 2021 average = 7.65 clearances/game
Shiel 2020 average = 4.93 clearances/game

 

[carnthedons]

I don't think Essendon will or should have a big trade period. They are building nicely and I don't think there is any out of contract player on the market that really fills a need for them (they could do with a decent youngish ruckman but they are as rare as Hens Teeth)

Dodoro I hate to say it has done some good work in the past couple of years.

I don’t think youngish decent ruckman is a need with Draper and Bryan. We need consistency, more 2 way balanced mids, small forwards, small backs and our developing talls to come good for me. Then if Cox is staying on a wing we need another tall, if he’s going to play tall we need another winger as I don’t fully trust Ham and like Langford/Cox as wings for their height and marking ability.

 

[eth-dog]

Parish 2021 average = 7.65 clearances/game
Shiel 2020 average = 4.93 clearances/game

You're either being deliberately obtuse or are just plain missing the point. Yes, Parish is having a better year. However one better year doesn't mean he's better, when Shiel has been consistently great in this area of the game since before Parish was drafted.

 

[faible]

I don’t fully trust Ham

What about Durham?