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

AFL Club Focus

Ants

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Sep 27, 2005
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Watching our VFL games a few times this year, plus our bottom 6 performers at AFL, and our small depth is putrid. Obviously some hopes/assumptions that kids will develop, but we really need 6+ small players to be drafted/come-on so that we have a strong 26-28 squad for a real AFL push. Next few drafts have to be small focussed, and any trade involving more than a single pick nixed on the head before it starts.

Would love to get a Langdon type over the next two years, wings are still an issue (especially if Cox plays more key position going forward or doesn't progress).
 
Watching our VFL games a few times this year, plus our bottom 6 performers at AFL, and our small depth is putrid. Obviously some hopes/assumptions that kids will develop, but we really need 6+ small players to be drafted/come-on so that we have a strong 26-28 squad for a real AFL push. Next few drafts have to be small focussed, and any trade involving more than a single pick nixed on the head before it starts.

Would love to get a Langdon type over the next two years, wings are still an issue (especially if Cox plays more key position going forward or doesn't progress).
I think the big thing for our wings is that Langford has needed to play more inside of late which takes away our best winger essentially. Cox on a wing provides a great POD so I hope he continues to play there, not sure we need him as a KPP.

I do think this year and next we should be focusing on getting a few inside mids and some small defenders though. Luckily we have a few Father Sons coming through as small forwards the next two years with Davey x2, and if they get drafted Nyawi Moore and Tex Wanganeen
 

Ambrosia

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 11, 2010
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Watching our VFL games a few times this year, plus our bottom 6 performers at AFL, and our small depth is putrid. Obviously some hopes/assumptions that kids will develop, but we really need 6+ small players to be drafted/come-on so that we have a strong 26-28 squad for a real AFL push.

Would love to get a Langdon type over the next two years, wings are still an issue (especially if Cox plays more key position going forward or doesn't progress).

Agreed although we have been hit pretty hard with injuries to our mids. Best 22 outs; Shiel, McGrath, Caldwell and Snelling plus senior depth players in Zaharakis and Clarke being injured as well.

It showed up massively in the Hawks/Box Hill game where the only available mid sized players not playing AFL were Durham (been on the list 2 weeks), Hird (70kg category B rookie ) and Johnson (second year player coming off an ACL).
 

Ants

Premiership Player
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I think the big thing for our wings is that Langford has needed to play more inside of late which takes away our best winger essentially. Cox on a wing provides a great POD so I hope he continues to play there, not sure we need him as a KPP.

I do think this year and next we should be focusing on getting a few inside mids and some small defenders though. Luckily we have a few Father Sons coming through as small forwards the next two years with Davey x2, and if they get drafted Nyawi Moore and Tex Wanganeen
I think the focus should be less inside-mid but more outside-mid. The guys we have out at the moment (Caldwell, Shiel, McGrath) are all able to play inside. I also have hopes for Perkins on the inside. What we really need is to cut the turn-overs. Plus kids able to play outside can come on through the flanks.

I agree with the Daveys (plus maybe Moore, Wanganeen, Rode and Egan) we may have the small forwards covered.
Agreed although we have been hit pretty hard with injuries to our mids. Best 22 outs; Shiel, McGrath, Caldwell and Snelling plus senior depth players in Zaharakis and Clarke being injured as well.

It showed up massively in the Hawks/Box Hill game where the only available mid sized players not playing AFL were Durham (been on the list 2 weeks), Hird (70kg category B rookie ) and Johnson (second year player coming off an ACL).
I'd consider Snelling a forward, Zaka and Clarke will soon be gone (so they don't count for future depth anyway), and we've only missed all three of Shiel, McGrath and Caldwell for the last few games. Most of the season we've only missed two clear best 22 mids (Shiel & Caldwell), and I think there are good odds most years you'll have 1-2 injuries in your first 7 mids.

So I don't consider our injury list a major issue, in the context of list building. It really is our lack of depth. Which is fine if you (like me) don't consider 2021/2022 the priority, but the building phase.
 
I think the focus should be less inside-mid but more outside-mid. The guys we have out at the moment (Caldwell, Shiel, McGrath) are all able to play inside. I also have hopes for Perkins on the inside. What we really need is to cut the turn-overs. Plus kids able to play outside can come on through the flanks.

I agree with the Daveys (plus maybe Moore, Wanganeen, Rode and Egan) we may have the small forwards covered.

I'd consider Snelling a forward, Zaka and Clarke will soon be gone (so they don't count for future depth anyway), and we've only missed all three of Shiel, McGrath and Caldwell for the last few games. Most of the season we've only missed two clear best 22 mids (Shiel & Caldwell), and I think there are good odds most years you'll have 1-2 injuries in your first 7 mids.

So I don't consider our injury list a major issue, in the context of list building. It really is our lack of depth. Which is fine if you (like me) don't consider 2021/2022 the priority, but the building phase.
We still struggle defensively at stoppages. I know what you're saying about cutting out the turnovers but right now our inside and outside depth have been tested.
 

Ambrosia

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 11, 2010
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I think the focus should be less inside-mid but more outside-mid. The guys we have out at the moment (Caldwell, Shiel, McGrath) are all able to play inside. I also have hopes for Perkins on the inside. What we really need is to cut the turn-overs. Plus kids able to play outside can come on through the flanks.

I agree with the Daveys (plus maybe Moore, Wanganeen, Rode and Egan) we may have the small forwards covered.

I'd consider Snelling a forward, Zaka and Clarke will soon be gone (so they don't count for future depth anyway), and we've only missed all three of Shiel, McGrath and Caldwell for the last few games. Most of the season we've only missed two clear best 22 mids (Shiel & Caldwell), and I think there are good odds most years you'll have 1-2 injuries in your first 7 mids.

So I don't consider our injury list a major issue, in the context of list building. It really is our lack of depth. Which is fine if you (like me) don't consider 2021/2022 the priority, but the building phase.

Agree wholeheartedly just commenting that our bottom 6 and VFL problems have been exacerbated by injury.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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Watching our VFL games a few times this year, plus our bottom 6 performers at AFL, and our small depth is putrid. Obviously some hopes/assumptions that kids will develop, but we really need 6+ small players to be drafted/come-on so that we have a strong 26-28 squad for a real AFL push. Next few drafts have to be small focussed, and any trade involving more than a single pick nixed on the head before it starts.

Would love to get a Langdon type over the next two years, wings are still an issue (especially if Cox plays more key position going forward or doesn't progress).
Depth in general.
Outside rucks & not small defenders, we don't bat deep.

2-3 more mids, small defender, small forward & KPF are still needs.
 

Ants

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Depth in general.
Outside rucks & not small defenders, we don't bat deep.

2-3 more mids, small defender, small forward & KPF are still needs.
I disagree on KPF. We're well placed for talls. Across 2019 & 2020 we took Phillips, Jones, Bryan, McBride, Wright, Cox, Reid, Eyre, Brand, and Baldwin. To add to Draper, Francis, Zerk, Stewart, Ridley and (currently playing tall) Lav. So of those Wright, Jones, Baldwin and Eyre all played predominantly as forwards previous (either U18 or GCS), and Reid and Cox also have played forward at U18 level at times. McBride has kicked 4 goals forward in the last two weeks at VFL level. We might want to play a resting ruck forward. And we've got Stringer & Waterman as medium forwards who play tall. So lots and lots of forward options.

We should not be investing anything in talls this draft, and hopefully not 2022 either. Trust the recruiters that enough of these guys come on to fill the spine and surrounding roles. Lloyd & Lucas didn't do much in 1995 either; its next year we should have a better idea of if we have gems or spuds.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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I disagree on KPF. We're well placed for talls. Across 2019 & 2020 we took Phillips, Jones, Bryan, McBride, Wright, Cox, Reid, Eyre, Brand, and Baldwin. To add to Draper, Francis, Zerk, Stewart, Ridley and (currently playing tall) Lav. So of those Wright, Jones, Baldwin and Eyre all played predominantly as forwards previous (either U18 or GCS), and Reid and Cox also have played forward at U18 level at times. McBride has kicked 4 goals forward in the last two weeks at VFL level. We might want to play a resting ruck forward. And we've got Stringer & Waterman as medium forwards who play tall. So lots and lots of forward options.

We should not be investing anything in talls this draft, and hopefully not 2022 either. Trust the recruiters that enough of these guys come on to fill the spine and surrounding roles. Lloyd & Lucas didn't do much in 1995 either; its next year we should have a better idea of if we have gems or spuds.
It's more a watch point for me.
Hooker is going on 33.
Phillips will become our 4th ruck behind Bryan & Wright soon it seems. Nor have i seen anything to suggest he's a forward.
We haven't seen Bryan forward yet.
Baldwin is coming off 2x ACLs
Eyre could end up a CHB.
McBride is still a wait and see proposition.
Cox looks to be carving out a career as a winger, rather than KP player

If Hooker retires, it's Wright + Jones on the proven front.
If i'm truly brutal on this, Wright isn't a world beater either.

if Baldwin or Eyre don't crack the side by next year and/or Bryan doesn't have a forward game to compliment his rucking, then i think we need to look at a Bruce-type pickup.
Not a gun. Just an experienced, up to it AFL body to play a role. though i must note Bruce is having a pretty good year too.
 
It's more a watch point for me.
Hooker is going on 33.
Phillips will become our 4th ruck behind Bryan & Wright soon it seems. Nor have i seen anything to suggest he's a forward.
We haven't seen Bryan forward yet.
Baldwin is coming off 2x ACLs
Eyre could end up a CHB.
McBride is still a wait and see proposition.
Cox looks to be carving out a career as a winger, rather than KP player

If Hooker retires, it's Wright + Jones on the proven front.
If i'm truly brutal on this, Wright isn't a world beater either.

if Baldwin or Eyre don't crack the side by next year and/or Bryan doesn't have a forward game to compliment his rucking, then i think we need to look at a Bruce-type pickup.
Not a gun. Just an experienced, up to it AFL body to play a role. though i must note Bruce is having a pretty good year too.
That is hyperbole at its worst. There have been plenty of premiership sides with key forwards weaker than Peter Wright. If Baldwin or Eyre don't crack the side it won't be disaster by any means, same with Bryan. We'll still have Jones (hopefully improving to a 30-40 goal/year forward), Stringer (who's still relatively on track for a 40 goal year if he stays fit) and Wright (who has 11 goals in the 8 games he's played mostly forward, which should roughly translate to a high 20's goals in a full year). If we can get 100-110 goals between those three it's a good result.

We have oodles of young talls. Let's wait and see how they go.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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That is hyperbole at its worst. There have been plenty of premiership sides with key forwards weaker than Peter Wright. If Baldwin or Eyre don't crack the side it won't be disaster by any means, same with Bryan. We'll still have Jones (hopefully improving to a 30-40 goal/year forward), Stringer (who's still relatively on track for a 40 goal year if he stays fit) and Wright (who has 11 goals in the 8 games he's played mostly forward, which should roughly translate to a high 20's goals in a full year). If we can get 100-110 goals between those three it's a good result.

We have oodles of young talls. Let's wait and see how they go.
probably more if one goes down in the event Baldwin & Eyre aren't looking like making.

As i said, watch point more than anything else.
Certainly nothing to burn a first rounder on unless the 2nd coming of Lloyd/Buddy is there for the taking.
 

Ants

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It's more a watch point for me.
Hooker is going on 33.
Phillips will become our 4th ruck behind Bryan & Wright soon it seems. Nor have i seen anything to suggest he's a forward.
We haven't seen Bryan forward yet.
Baldwin is coming off 2x ACLs
Eyre could end up a CHB.
McBride is still a wait and see proposition.
Cox looks to be carving out a career as a winger, rather than KP player

If Hooker retires, it's Wright + Jones on the proven front.
If i'm truly brutal on this, Wright isn't a world beater either.

if Baldwin or Eyre don't crack the side by next year and/or Bryan doesn't have a forward game to compliment his rucking, then i think we need to look at a Bruce-type pickup.
Not a gun. Just an experienced, up to it AFL body to play a role. though i must note Bruce is having a pretty good year too.
If they all fail (and you left out Reid) then we may have to get someone. But we'd give them at least two more years. After all, none of them might be great, but some might be good enough, so if we had a bigger hole elsewhere we'd focus on that.

2023 is when we would probably be trying to trade for missing pieces.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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If they all fail (and you left out Reid) then we may have to get someone. But we'd give them at least two more years. After all, none of them might be great, but some might be good enough, so if we had a bigger hole elsewhere we'd focus on that.

2023 is when we would probably be trying to trade for missing pieces.
Reid's a back. not sure he's an option forward at all.
 

Ants

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I didn't know that. Interesting
There were some interesting discussions on this board in the draft sub-board. There were a number of fans of teams with picks #6=>#16 who thought they needed a key forward, but knew that the top 3 stand-outs (JUH, McDonald, Thillithorpe) would not be available.
 

Ants

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A bit of updating required of the OP. Stringer extended, Laverde triggering an extension to 2022 and Hind was originally given two years to 2022.

So with that being the case, not really anyone uncontracted I'd be upset losing. List management side seems in good shape. A few we'd (presumably) like to keep like BZK and Guelfi, but not huge issue if they left for elsewhere.
 
A bit of updating required of the OP. Stringer extended, Laverde triggering an extension to 2022 and Hind was originally given two years to 2022.

So with that being the case, not really anyone uncontracted I'd be upset losing. List management side seems in good shape. A few we'd (presumably) like to keep like BZK and Guelfi, but not huge issue if they left for elsewhere.
Laverde has an option to extend but hasn’t necessarily triggered it, the club hasn’t even announced Stringer yet and as for Hind, you’ll have to let footywire know as it’s their source data that needs updating.
 

Ants

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Laverde has an option to extend but hasn’t necessarily triggered it, the club hasn’t even announced Stringer yet and as for Hind, you’ll have to let footywire know as it’s their source data that needs updating.
I was under the impression Lav's trigger was a general one, it wasn't an option only for him to choose to trigger.

But the point of the post was less about the OP, but more about how we're now pretty well placed as far as signings. All the major ones done.
 
Jul 16, 2013
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Get Laverde signed up.

Get rid of zaka, cutler, ambrose and a few others.

Hooker probably retires is my thinking but happy for him tobget another year. (Although will not be a best 22 I think)

Go to the draft with our first and 2 thirds to fill gap.
 

walterhobbs

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Aug 13, 2020
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Get Laverde signed up.

Get rid of zaka, cutler, ambrose and a few others.

Hooker probably retires is my thinking but happy for him tobget another year. (Although will not be a best 22 I think)

Go to the draft with our first and 2 thirds to fill gap.
How’s Francis going? Is he still away from the club on the mental health break?
 
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