Essendon 2021

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Also, I'm not sure saying the Bombers are crap and won't do any damage in September is "trolling" when people saying it have been correct for 16 years.

Essendon supporters claiming they will be good are the real trolls.

No reasonable Essendon supporter is suggesting we will be any good in 2021. None


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This entire thread is a troll. The Dodoro thread along with numerous other similar threads has finally disappeared.
Solution. Let’s start another to troll Essendon fans. Should be good for at least 100 pages.

It’s pathetic


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Remove Williams and McGovern. The rest have < 60 games total. So you can't go claiming it.

McGovern is barely best-22 on output so far.

So Williams who has played a few very good games in the middle, but most of his 110ish have been on the HBF.

Really needed to plan your argument a lot better.
You have moved the goal posts so far not even the worst ever Levi Casboult mis-kick could score ... and you are still out by a third.
 

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Hooker is set to be played forward whilst Hurley is still doing a reasonable job in defence. No world beater but passable none the less.

Ambrose has been injured whilst BZT is given ample opportunity. The need to play the young defenders is a little silly. In 12 - 18 months Brand, Cox/Reid could be pushing for a consistent senior berth.
Right now none of the kids are required to play AFL


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Thanks Yoda, exactly what I was saying.

None of the kids are ready to take over for another season or two at least. An injury to either of your experienced players leaves your kids exposed.
 
It's strange the fact a topic appears on the main board, yet cannot be discussed, truly perplexing. Head in the sand syndrome perhaps? Some very salient points were raised yet get retorted by the cry of "troll" responses from the Essendon posters.

I wonder why that is?

Baffling. Last I checked this was BIG FOOTY and we discussed footy here. Clearly I was mistaken.
 
You have moved the goal posts so far not even the worst ever Levi Casboult mis-kick could score ... and you are still out by a third.

So when you name a bunch of players that have a sum total of < 60 games AFL experience, and claim they're "senior AFL ready" because Mitch McGovern has played a number of games, yet we have actual players that have played actual AFL games, who aren't "senior AFL ready".

You can't even consistently decide what AFL ready is to make your criticism.
 
So when you name a bunch of players that have a sum total of < 60 games AFL experience, and claim they're "senior AFL ready" because Mitch McGovern has played a number of games, yet we have actual players that have played actual AFL games, who aren't "senior AFL ready".

You can't even consistently decide what AFL ready is to make your criticism.
Dow and Setterfield have played 78 games between them, even allowing for you removing some names that had been mentioned.

Try again.
 
Dow and Setterfield have played 78 games between them, even allowing for you removing some names that had been mentioned.

Try again.

Apologies, I didn't count Setterfield in the <60. I did count Dow though.

Either way, you can't claim that our youth with limited games played doesn't count, then in the same breath claim TDK, Stocker and Kemp do count.

It's nonsensical, like your argument.
 
Apologies, I didn't count Setterfield in the <60. I did count Dow though.

Either way, you can't claim that our youth with limited games played doesn't count, then in the same breath claim TDK, Stocker and Kemp do count.

It's nonsensical, like your argument.
Mids don’t take as long as talls to be AFL ready, as an example Walsh has only played 39 games and you won’t find any supporter seriously arguing he is not up to it.

Being one of 6-12 players rotating through the midfield is a much easier gig than being left one out against a monster forward who is fitter, quicker and much stronger than you are.

You can also hide mistakes in a midfield as there is a chance to get the ball back, any mistakes made by defenders usually directly result in a score, can be demoralising for kids who are not ready to play at that level.

Not fair on your kpp blokes to expect them to have the impact of a new mid after a similar number of games. They are simply not ready and will be horribly exposed if Hooker and/or Hurley are not playing.
 

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Thanks Yoda, exactly what I was saying.

None of the kids are ready to take over for another season or two at least. An injury to either of your experienced players leaves your kids exposed.

An issue that is present at virtually every club, in fact Essendon probably has more KPD's than most AFL clubs.
 
Makes you wonder why the Gold Coast virtually gave him away for free.
Salary dump?

There is this kid called Ben King whom could be one of the best key forwards in the comp ahead of Peter Wright. Easy to see why they wanted to off load the rumoured $500,000 on the books.
 
There's potential with the list but they just never play confident football thus far. Natural footballers don't fumble and intuitively play well enough to compete for whole games. I just haven't seen that from the club in a long time. Just basic football fundamentals. Fumbley play, dropping marks, hack kicks, no confidence to take the game on, except a few like Tippanwudi, Stringer, Mcgrath etc..

Fairly confident Rutten/Caracella/Giansiracusa/Kelly/Jordan/Tudor can at least teach our list how to play competitively for entire games by the end of the season at least. Making finals or not. (Doubtful).

It's a joke how poorly our senior players have been over five years. If players like Zaharkis, Hooker and Hurley play a bit more than one-dimensional positioning, then it's a good sign. Hooker can be good but the next game is slow and misses marks etc. Hurley solid at key back but doesn't work up the ground enough. Zaharakis just very inconsistent doesn't take the game on enough. Same with Heppell, Merrett. (In my opinion). We don't get consistency up forward. They're just good at clearing the disposal out into space and onto the foot. Our marking is deplorable. Hardball clearances rely on too few players and they don't work together as a team, play like prima donna's.

If you go back to 2000, watch how good the team was at setting up quickly, passing, behind the head handballs, Harlem globe trotter assists. kicking precision, marking. It's night and day.
 
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Jabba73

Since you have such an affinity of our list, how do Essendon line up in their back 6 in round 1?

Bear in mind the returning guys from longinjury lay offs, the new positions, training reports and match sims currently under taken.

I'll hazard a guess you won't be remotely close.
Would go with something like this:
BP Aaron Francis - gotta hope he is over his injury worries and everything clicks for him, has potential
FB Brandon Zerk-Thatcher - gotta play a tall here and he is close to the only option apart from Ambrose
BP Jordan Ridley - most likely to have a break out year after a promising last season, looks the goods
HB Michael Hurley - most experience and can direct play. Will get found out at times
CHB James Stewart - every club is looking for the next Liam Jones, the failed forward turned defender
HB Mason Redman - hope that last year was ‘second year‘ blues, lack other options. Needs to lift
Bench Patrick Ambrose - if injury free, best back up for young defensive unit.

Would be tempted to roll Devon Smith through there as well, at least he likes to tackle and can run a bit.

Not a lot of household names ... yet. Could do worse and have to put Parish or McGrath back there to add some class as the ball may well spend plenty of time in your defense.
 
I think Essendon in 2021 will be bad.

BUT

And this is a very big BUT.

I actually think they have decided to take a step down the ladder and a giant leap forward.

Bombers have faced reality and gone down the youth/re-build path.

Sure 2021 will be ugly but I'd rather be ugly with kids than scrap around in 10th with delusions that you are a contender when you aren't.

So at least now they have hope in the future.

They have a spine for the next decade and young star ruckman.

Nice place to start.

Young star ruckman ? Oh the media hype gets to some .


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Young star ruckman ? Oh the media hype gets to some .


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Despite not dominating Draper was the best ruck on the ground in 6 of 8 games in his first year back from an ACL. Great blend of marking, endurance, tap work and physicality. He’s gonna be a star if he avoids injury.
 
I’d rank us the 14th best team in the comp.

I fully expect to finish a little higher than that on the ladder though, as we have a very favourable fixture. Double ups are Adelaide, Hawthorn, North, GWS, Collingwood - 3 of the 4 teams I rate us as being better than, with the other 2 not being far ahead of us.
 
Would go with something like this:
BP Aaron Francis - gotta hope he is over his injury worries and everything clicks for him, has potential
FB Brandon Zerk-Thatcher - gotta play a tall here and he is close to the only option apart from Ambrose
BP Jordan Ridley - most likely to have a break out year after a promising last season, looks the goods
HB Michael Hurley - most experience and can direct play. Will get found out at times
CHB James Stewart - every club is looking for the next Liam Jones, the failed forward turned defender
HB Mason Redman - hope that last year was ‘second year‘ blues, lack other options. Needs to lift
Bench Patrick Ambrose - if injury free, best back up for young defensive unit.

Would be tempted to roll Devon Smith through there as well, at least he likes to tackle and can run a bit.

Not a lot of household names ... yet. Could do worse and have to put Parish or McGrath back there to add some class as the ball may well spend plenty of time in your defense.
I think the horse has well and truly bolted with Aaron Francis the guy has talent no doubt but just doesn’t have it mentally to be an elite player it was a bad sign when his home town clubs showed very little interest a couple of years back
 

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