Essendon 2021

[boncer34]

Nature of an Essendon thread. I see the pattern also. Same sh*t on and off the field...only difference being the year.
Looks like another year of dumpster Essendon threads ahead...giddyup.

This aged better.

 

[Del165198]

Will be the weakest I can remember but hilariously Hawthorn will beat them in the crapness stakes and take pick 1.

Oopsies.

 

[Del165198]

Has been a pretty good year for the Bombers, well above supporter expectations I would guess.

So long as they stay the course with drafting rather than trading in quick fixes they are in a good spot IMO.

They're just one of those teams that doesn't really bottom out (top ups excluded) but also never really challenges and usually misses the 8. We probably shouldn't have expected anything different

 

[Bipolar Bear]

Will 2021 be the weakest Essendon team in the afl era ? NO forward line extremely average midfield and an aging backline

Nope.

 

[boncer34]

They're just one of those teams that doesn't really bottom out (top ups excluded) but also never really challenges and usually misses the 8. We probably shouldn't have expected anything different

What's the definition of a bottom out for you?

 

[Milanista28]

Sensing growing optimism amongst fans.

Who will be bringing this 'blue collar football' ? I m thinking Parish. Tough as they come.

Good call

 

[Del165198]

What's the definition of a bottom out for you?

Bottom 3-4?

 

[Back One Out]

What's this ?

Bommies up 'n' about and beating their chests because their team is 9th on the ladder?

How cute.

 

[Masotiger]

They're just one of those teams that doesn't really bottom out (top ups excluded) but also never really challenges and usually misses the 8. We probably shouldn't have expected anything different

Not this time. Very much on the right track. You can build teams around kids like Draper, Jones, Cox. Wait until they mature. Expect Essendon to consolidate in finals over the next few years and really push up.

 

[boncer34]

Bottom 3-4?

Fair enough. I would say having multiple trips into the bottom 8, it's usually only 9th or 10th fighting for 8th spot, is pretty close to bottoming out.

We've managed to probably kickstart our rebuild by getting 3 years of that style of draft into 1 year.

I take your point though.

 

[boncer34]

What's this ?

Bommies up 'n' about and beating their chests because their team is 9th on the ladder?

How cute.

Who's up and about?

I still don't think we'll play finals and we sure as shit won't contend next year either.

 

[Del165198]

Not this time. Very much on the right track. You can build teams around kids like Draper, Jones, Cox. Wait until they mature. Expect Essendon to consolidate in finals over the next few years and really push up.

How many times has this been said about Essendon/carlton over the past 20 years?

One day it'll be true, but it took Richmond 35 years. Keep your powder dry for now

 

[I Remember Bluey]

What's the definition of a bottom out for you?

 

[300Weatherby]

Bombers are really building a competitive team, they have some bloody good talent now.

After another pre season under a good coach and a bit of belief I think they'll play finals next year

 

[HeathySure]

They have won 9 and lost 11. An improvement but the media fapping over them is quite nauseating. They have won the same as Freo and Saints (who's season is apparently a disaster). ONe more than Carlton who have also improved but the coach is about to get sacked, and 2 more than Gold Coast who everyone wants out of the competition.

Lets see another year before we go proclaiming them premiers

 

[boncer34]

They have won 9 and lost 11. An improvement but the media fapping over them is quite nauseating. They have won the same as Freo and Saints (who's season is apparently a disaster). ONe more than Carlton who have also improved but the coach is about to get sacked, and 2 more than Gold Coast who everyone wants out of the competition.

Lets see another year before we go proclaiming them premiers

I think that the media excitement has come because of predictions like the ones earlier in this thread.

St Kilda and Carlton were expected to be big improvers and haven't done so. Although Carlton is probably in the same rebuild spot as Essendon so the negativity is bizzare in the media.

Essendon on the other hand have probably won double the games they were expected too.

 

[Le Grille]

I think that the media excitement has come because of predictions like the ones earlier in this thread.

St Kilda and Carlton were expected to be big improvers and haven't done so. Although Carlton is probably in the same rebuild spot as Essendon so the negativity is bizzare in the media.

Essendon on the other hand have probably won double the games they were expected too.

I’d say negativity towards Carlton is that they “win trade period every year” yet that doesn’t appear to improve the clubs record at all.

Losing Daniher and Saad probably tempered expectations re: the dons this year a bit

 

[Ambrosia]

How many times has this been said about Essendon/carlton over the past 20 years?

One day it'll be true, but it took Richmond 35 years. Keep your powder dry for now

Essendon love to knee cap their upward momentum by making bad list management decisions in an effort to get better in the short term.

2021 off-season will be a good test case to see if we have actually turned a corner in that area.

 

[evo]

Good call

Exciting times at Tulla

 

[Masotiger]

How many times has this been said about Essendon/carlton over the past 20 years?

One day it'll be true, but it took Richmond 35 years. Keep your powder dry for now

We're talking about Essendon. Carlton are a different case in point. Do you know why it took Richmond 35 Years?

I'll give you a brief synopsis: The arse fell out of the club after losing the '82 GF to Carlton. Captain, Vice-Captain and Deputy Vice-Captain all left the club. Engaged in trade wars with Collingwood in the mid '80s which left the club broke and rattling tins in 1990. Sacked Northey in '95 after looking like doing something. Where Richmond is today started in the late 2000's with the appointment of Gary March as president. Got the right people in, cleared the debt, the players were the last piece of the jigsaw. It doesn't happen overnight. Took Richmond 10 years to win a flag after righting the ship.

Essendon's drug saga was a decade ago. They've paid their dues. They've cleared the deck, assembled a competent coaching team and look to have drafted some very good young talent which you could build a team around. I can see shades of my mob in todays Bombers. Essendon is a massive Victorian club and I expect them to play finals this year and consolidate in the coming years. Would love to play them in a high stakes final at the 'G if we can ever get back there. The place would rock.

 

[Ambrosia]

Essendon will always find a way to finish mid table it seems

 

[Back One Out]

Who's up and about?

I still don't think we'll play finals and we sure as sh*t won't contend next year either.

Huh? Keep the faith, Bonce.

Essendon will make a push for the Top 4 next year with McGrath, Shiel and Francis back in the mix and with the expected improvement from Draper, Jones, Cox, Perkins and Caldwell.

 

[boncer34]

Bombers will push for the Top 4 next year with McGrath, Shiel and Francis back in the mix and with improvement from Draper, Jones, Cox, Perkins and Caldwell.

That's your opinion.

 

[Back One Out]

That's your opinion.

Well, obviously it's my opinion. That's why I posted it.

I just don't think there's much between clubs these days and things change quickly. The comp has never been more even. There is very little between the best sides and the mid-tier sides and the bottom sides.

Geelong are just okay. They're solid enough, but no world beaters, and they'll probably win the flag.
This time last year, the Swans were a bottom four team; Melbourne was 9th; and the Bulldogs were 7th and lucky to play finals.

It's understandable for long-suffering fans to be defeatist. We see that with Melbourne fans at the moment. They should be excited about their premiership chances, but every Dees fan I speak to keeps telling me they won't win...

I'd be shocked if Essendon can't rise a few places next year and finish 5th or 6th

 

[Milanista28]

Exciting times at Tulla

Hope so, baby steps but this group seem more committed than years past.