Essendon 2021

[BRAB]

Essendon had a great year. Making finals a few years early and then losing to a team in their window isn't a bad thing.

Plenty to take out of it.

 

[Ambrosia]

For that reason I can see you pulling back for a few years until these guys build into their primes. Clearly this group was not ready for finals, but a great experience for them nonetheless.

I don’t see Stringer regressing. You have figured out his perfect role and need to leave him there. Build around him. Hooker, Tippa and Heppell will naturally regress. Massive question marks over Shiel.

Bombers need to be targeting that 20-24 bracket at the trade table and should look to use their banked cash on an FA. Merrett, Parish, Draper, Ridley, Stringer and IMO Cox can be as strong a 6 as any.

What are the massive question marks over Shiel? We clearly overpaid but he is still a quality footballer imo.

I don’t think we should be looking to trade in anyone outside of your bargain Hind, Cutler, Wright freebie types.

Hooker and Tippa did very little in the second half of the year I don’t think either are big worries in terms of replacing unless Tippa’s mental health is completely shot.

Agree with the sentiment that development isn’t linear but in the grand scheme of things in terms of overall talent it’s hard to make a case for us going backwards next year.

 

[Bad Seed]

They won't have the softest draw of any team next year.
And they also don't have a top 12 draft pick this year (had 3 last year).

Softest draw? What Acid have you taken today? I'm tipping the brown. Are you aware that we played most of our games interstate this year and missed most of our home games? Or are you just trying to make up fairytales to suit your rubbish trolling argument. I think Norf supporters should be more concerned with playing 11 home games in Tassie than the Dons draw.

 

[Great8]

Essendon seem to have a habit of scraping into finals, getting smashed then missing finals the next year. Will history repeat?

Possibly, I expect us to go backwards next year. We are trying to address our list issues but I’m just glad we aren’t looking for a quick fix like previous years. Build from the draft and then hit FA in a couple of years when we are closer.
At the start of the year we were touted to finish bottom 4 and lose Parish and Merrett because our culture was so shit thanks to Worsfold. I think we are on the right path but no short cuts please

 

[Bic]

Won't play finals next year

 

[emblurr]

Reckon getting belted in another final undoes a lot of their good work.

This is a weird thing to say

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

What are the massive question marks over Shiel? We clearly overpaid but he is still a quality footballer imo.

Question marks over his position in the midfield. Merrett and Parish are clearly 1+2. Caldwell needs to play on ball. Stringer and McGrath should be spending plenty of time in there.

I don’t see room for him on the inside and his kicking is a liability on the wing or a back flank. His fitness has been an issue over the last 18 months.

If a club comes in for him a deal should be entertained. You could use your cap space as leverage to get a decent pick.

 

[carnthedons]

Massively overacheived against expectations for the year. Came up against a team that’d been on top most of the season in conditions that suited them in an elimination final after we weren’t supposed to win a game. Hard to be unhappy with that

 

[TigerTime88]

Softest draw? What Acid have you taken today? I'm tipping the brown. Are you aware that we played most of our games interstate this year and missed most of our home games? Or are you just trying to make up fairytales to suit your rubbish trolling argument. I think Norf supporters should be more concerned with playing 11 home games in Tassie than the Dons draw.

I think it’s in reference to the fact you only really beat the dogs this year. Outside of that you didn’t beat a team in the top 8.

McGrath the biggest disappointment out of today. McCluggage certainly would have been handy.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I thought they would be bottom four at the start of the year. Far exceeded my expectations and I think the future looks pretty good. All their main players have 5+ years available and Cox, Perkins, etc. will only get better.

Thought Parish was nothing more than average before the season. The Shiel injury gave him the opportunity to play midfield time and I don't think he'll leave that position again. Well deserved AA and now a genuine star. Was BOG by an absolute mile in the first half today.

 

[ash_1050]

We punched above everyone's expectations this year and showed a lot of promising signs. Plenty to be excited about for the years to come.

 

[Bad Seed]

Question marks over his position in the midfield. Merrett and Parish are clearly 1+2. Caldwell needs to play on ball. Stringer and McGrath should be spending plenty of time in there.

I don’t see room for him on the inside and his kicking is a liability on the wing or a back flank. His fitness has been an issue over the last 18 months.

If a club comes in for him a deal should be entertained. You could use your cap space as leverage to get a decent pick.

Yeh I think if a Club came in for a strong offer they would look at it.

 

[Ambrosia]

Question marks over his position in the midfield. Merrett and Parish are clearly 1+2. Caldwell needs to play on ball. Stringer and McGrath should be spending plenty of time in there.

I don’t see room for him on the inside and his kicking is a liability on the wing or a back flank. His fitness has been an issue over the last 18 months.

If a club comes in for him a deal should be entertained. You could use your cap space as leverage to get a decent pick.

Don’t really see any of those points as material.

Stringer isn’t spending plenty of time on ball he just attends centre bounces.

McGrath moves to the wing where his defensive work will be valuable.

I would have thought a main midfield rotation of Parish, Merrett, Shiel, Caldwell supported by Langford/Stringer is a good thing not a bad one

We have plenty of cap space and I don’t see teams lining up to trade for him.

 

[Gavin Excell]

They won't have the softest draw of any team next year.
And they also don't have a top 12 draft pick this year (had 3 last year).

That's true but you'd have to accept they have improved their playing stocks this year

 

[Andronicus]

Going back to the OP for a second, the clear answer is no. Essendon won't be good in 2021.

They are a real chance for bottom 4.

Still just as brilliant after 8th loses to 5th.

One would say this call is laugh worthy.

Blues were pretty confident going into this season. Let's hope the next lamb that coaches them isn't stitched up by the board.

 

[BruceTempany14]

We punched above everyone's expectations this year and showed a lot of promising signs. Plenty to be excited about for the years to come.

Good post .

If cox can improve , hind can have another good year and Parish remains a player that coaches refuse to tag then you’ll be right .
Two meter Peter can’t be relied upon , and Stringer must remain focussed .
Hate your club but a good crack at it this year . Took their opportunity.


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[Channels]

They won trade week?

 

[Rod Stroker]

That's true but you'd have to accept they have improved their playing stocks this year

Yeah, because they had 3 picks in the top 10 last year. Not even The Dodo could have screwed that up.

 

[Ambrosia]

I think it’s in reference to the fact you only really beat the dogs this year. Outside of that you didn’t beat a team in the top 8.

McGrath the biggest disappointment out of today. McCluggage certainly would have been handy.

But harsh on a guy who has just come back from an extended lay off. Very unlikely that McGrath ever catches McCluggage but he only has to get back to his 2020 form to be a very handy bonus for the Dons next year.

 

[Ambrosia]

They won trade week?

Yeah seems like a clear lie. This whole thread’s premise was us being the worst side in the comp after losing 3 established players for speculative picks.

Outside of Dodoro swindling Carlton out of pick 8 for Adam Saad we were considered big losers.

 

[TigerTime88]

But harsh on a guy who has just come back from an extended lay off. Very unlikely that McGrath ever catches McCluggage but he only has to get back to his 2020 form to be a very handy bonus for the Dons next year.

Maybe but he is a pick 1. Wasn’t his first game back and I thought Caldwell gave more off a longer spell. McGrath needs to improve his kicking as he just hacks it. That’s not just an observation from today where there were a lot of hack kicks forward.

 

[Ambrosia]

Maybe but he is a pick 1. Wasn’t his first game back and I thought Caldwell gave more off a longer spell. McGrath needs to improve his kicking as he just hacks it. That’s not just an observation from today where there were a lot of hack kicks forward.

Hard to come back from injuries where you can’t run imo. Look at Dunkley he’s still well off his best after looking like one of the best mids in the comp earlier in the year and he’s now 4 games back.


Agree his disposal in traffic is poor by foot. Which is annoying as he’s good by hand and has the physical tools to try and create space.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Softest draw? What Acid have you taken today? I'm tipping the brown. Are you aware that we played most of our games interstate this year and missed most of our home games? Or are you just trying to make up fairytales to suit your rubbish trolling argument. I think Norf supporters should be more concerned with playing 11 home games in Tassie than the Dons draw.

Yes softest draw. And no it's not my opinion. It was done by those crowds who rate the draw difficulties of each team. Was posted by someone either earlier in this thread or another thread.

Your mob is the only team who had double up games against the teams that finished 18th, 17th, and 14th, and only 1 of your wins was against a top 8 team.
8th flattered the Bombers, and today showed it.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Can be a better team without getting more wins/finishing higher on the ladder. Reid is pretty much a new addition to the list next year given he spent most the year injured and he’s a top 10 pick.

Make a case for us going backwards next year.

Well you'll have a tougher draw to start with. You won't have the softest draw 2 years in a row after making finals.

Who knows how next year will pan out. Pies scraped into the 8 last year only to finish second last this year. Richmond, WC, Saints also dropped out of the 8.

 

[dave10]

They won't have the softest draw of any team next year.
And they also don't have a top 12 draft pick this year (had 3 last year).

Doesn’t really matter. The list is really solid. Not many missing pieces. A big pre season for young players the most important thing.