Club Focus Essendon 2025

[Ticky009]

Data from footywire. To check the draft order see the thread here.

Footywire says: "While we make every effort to keep up to date with player contracts, it is likely that our data may at times be out of date, incomplete or inaccurate. If you find any player contracts that need updating, please let us know using our brand new contract submission form."

 

[jdstorm]

So what’s our best case scenario for a draft hand if everyone whose name has been kicked around actually leaves..?

Depends on if we’re counting pick trades for higher picks or not

Best case is 1,2, 8(11) 11(14) + points for sweid and El Achar.

List spots matter here and don’t imagine we will have spots for more then 6 rookies

 

[MisterMarcus]

So what’s our best case scenario for a draft hand if everyone whose name has been kicked around actually leaves..?

Merrett - two mid/late firsts
Ridley - late first
Draper - early second rounder compo?
Anyone else??

So you'd have your first two high picks, three late firsts and an early second, plus your two existing seconds.

Depending on what you want, you might consider trading those late firsts (or two late firsts and an early second?) to Richmond for Pick 3, since they've got absolutely nothing between Pick 3 and Pick 70.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Another development year coming up, I hope they have a good recruitment team probably not the draft they want to load up on, clearing the decks wouldnt be the worst idea and puts them in a strong position when tassie enters to go free agents.

Thankfully we cut out that cancer that was Dodoro.

Matt Rosa did really well last year by trading Stringer and in doing so it helped us get an extra first rounder and second rounder on top of drafting Isacc Kako.

We have 2 firsts (3 if Draper nets us band 1) plus 2 second rounders we also have another 2 nga kids avaible

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Merrett - two mid/late firsts
Ridley - late first
Draper - early second rounder compo?
Anyone else??

So you'd have your first two high picks, three late firsts and an early second, plus your two existing seconds.

Depending on what you want, you might consider trading those late firsts (or two late firsts and an early second?) to Richmond for Pick 3, since they've got absolutely nothing between Pick 3 and Pick 70.

I be trying to get pick 6 from GC they need points

 

[Ash1337]

Sounds like the older players are pissed with the way their club went about things this season. Especially Merrett and Ridley. Likely Merrett is leveraging change and staying if the club can convince him there will be changes. Ridley probably harder to convince because their fitness and condition team failed him and wants to go to a club that is better at it. Unless Dons can get someone with a good track record.

 

[Keystone agony]

Sounds like the older players are pissed with the way their club went about things this season. Especially Merrett and Ridley. Likely Merrett is leveraging change and staying if the club can convince him there will be changes. Ridley probably harder to convince because their fitness and condition team failed him and wants to go to a club that is better at it. Unless Dons can get someone with a good track record.

Honestly think if we had on field success it wouldnt matter as much

 

[txbyhull]

2026 F4, 2027 F3 + Ridley for 2026 F2 and 2027 F1 from Bris? Moves a fourth to a second and a third to a first in the next 2 years, feel like I'm probably severely undervaluing Ridley here especially considering Brisbane physio miracle track record. Cant see Bris trading 26 first unless they know for sure what the look is for next years first round

 

[Lore]

Merrett - two mid/late firsts
Ridley - late first
Draper - early second rounder compo?
Anyone else??

So you'd have your first two high picks, three late firsts and an early second, plus your two existing seconds.

Depending on what you want, you might consider trading those late firsts (or two late firsts and an early second?) to Richmond for Pick 3, since they've got absolutely nothing between Pick 3 and Pick 70.

Shiel, Laverde, Tsatas, Hobbs potentially. Parish has been speculated about too. Perkins is a media favourite.

 

[Ash1337]

26 F4, 27 F3 + Ridley for 26 F2 and 27 F1 from Bris? Moves a fourth to a second and a third to a first in the next 2 years, feel like I'm probably severely undervaluing Ridley here especially considering Brisbane physio miracle track record. Cant see Bris trading 26 first unless they know for sure what the look is for next years first round

You forgot Dons NGA Sweid expecting to be bid end of first or early 2nd. I posted in the Ridley thread 16 F1 46 48 61 + Robertson for Ridley 22, 25.

 

[txbyhull]

You forgot Dons NGA Sweid expecting to be bid end of first or early 2nd. I posted in the Ridley thread 16 F1 46 48 61 + Robertson for Ridley 22, 25.

I apologise I think you misread my post because i wrote 26 and 27 instead of 2026 and 2027. I didn't deal with any current year picks. Mb

 

[WindyHillZephyr]

A point on all these departures or possible departures. Essendon would find it impossible to reach the minimum player payment ceiling (whatever it's called). They would have to reset a lot of contracts to be forward paid, this in turn leads to players (agents) wanting to leave the club towards the end of their contract. Ugly cycle repeats.

 

[Lore]

A point on all these departures or possible departures. Essendon would find it impossible to reach the minimum player payment ceiling (whatever it's called). They would have to reset a lot of contracts to be forward paid, this in turn leads to players (agents) wanting to leave the club towards the end of their contract. Ugly cycle repeats.

Yep. the ones that want to leave now have already been paid. But the flip side of that is they weren’t on that much in the next couple of years so the hole they make in the cap probably isn’t that big.

 

[WindyHillZephyr]

Yep. the ones that want to leave now have already been paid. But the flip side of that is they weren’t on that much in the next couple of years so the hole they make in the cap probably isn’t that big.

Any idea on how skewed these contracts can be? For example: Year 1 $1.2 mill, Year 2/3 $700 k, year 4 1.4 Mill. that would make it difficult for players to break contracts

 

[Lore]

Any idea on how skewed these contracts can be? For example: Year 1 $1.2 mill, Year 2/3 $700 k, year 4 1.4 Mill. that would make it difficult for players to break contracts

Whatever the players managers and list bosses agree to. I think there’s a minimum pay in the cba but that’s about it

 

[Scotland]

A point on all these departures or possible departures. Essendon would find it impossible to reach the minimum player payment ceiling (whatever it's called). They would have to reset a lot of contracts to be forward paid, this in turn leads to players (agents) wanting to leave the club towards the end of their contract. Ugly cycle repeats.

The AFL have their head in the sand about this. Free agency with compo and trading players without needing to receive back equivalent salary cooks list profiles. The salary caps of at least 3-4 teams in 2026 should be nowhere near within 5% of the top teams. The floor should be 70-80%.

As an NBA fan I take the Jerry Reinsdorf (RE: Scottie Pippen) approach. Once you sign a contract don't come back to me until it's finished. I hate that clubs are able to get around the salary cap by front/back ending contracts and that players are forever asking for trades and seeking renegotiated terms etc.

AFAIC - for example - if Merrett is on $1.2m and Hawthorn don't have $1.2m of cap space going into trade week they should need to demonstrate how that room is created. And he should have to go there on whatever terms he's on now, then after a year he can re-sign to an extension beyond 2027. The system is just too immature.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Top 4 probably out of the question for next year, but should make top 6.

 

[iambrilliant]

Liam jones

19

Liam Jones

Age

34

Ht

199cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

6.5

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

134.5

2star

D

7.6

2star

K

6.1

3star

HB

1.4

1star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.4

2star

MG

116.3

2star

D

9.4

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.0

2star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

would be a good pickup for a year or 2

 

[cAsEy_18]

Liam jones would be a good pickup for a year or 2

He would not.

 

[iambrilliant]

He would not.

Can’t be any worse then laverde or ben McKay ? Gives some much needed leadership and would be free

 

[jdstorm]

Liam jones would be a good pickup for a year or 2

Can’t be any worse then laverde or ben McKay ? Gives some much needed leadership and would be free

Laverde is gone because he’s not good enough to make the VFL squad

Have McKay Reid Hayes Blackison Gerryn plus whatever Cox and Jones have.

McMahon can also play back and then there’s whatever happens with Ridley.

We’re pretty set for a KPD just need health

 

[iambrilliant]

Laverde is gone because he’s not good enough to make the VFL squad

Have McKay Reid Hayes Blackison Gerryn plus whatever Cox and Jones have.

McMahon can also play back and then there’s whatever happens with Ridley.

We’re pretty set for a KPD just need health

Fair enough , I like the look of Reid. Any other experienced players you think you will go after ?

 

[jdstorm]

Fair enough , I like the look of Reid. Any other experienced players you think you will go after ?

Hard to know.

The team seems to be trying to target High end talent and well. It’s likely no one who fits that description would want to go to Essendon this season.

Essendon will likely be adding 6 players via the draft so will need to make some big cuts/trades. To free up those spots.

In general they are likely looking for a power mid and pressure forward.

 

[EconomicDecline]

Top 4 probably out of the question for next year, but should make top 6.

Brisbane?

 

[Vindicater]

Finally going the full rebuild option.

Merret situation is messy and he will go for unders but hopefully it galvanises the younger core and drives them forward. Rosa as a list manager seems competent which is all we need for awhile after the Dodo.

Caddy, Roberts, Lual, Visintini, Kako, Clarke, Johnson and Unwin all look like AFL talent of varying tiers.

If we can add another 3-4 from this upcoming draft it will give us an actual core of decent players of the same age for the first time since Sheedy was in charge.

 

[Yoda_]

You forgot Dons NGA Sweid expecting to be bid end of first or early 2nd. I posted in the Ridley thread 16 F1 46 48 61 + Robertson for Ridley 22, 25.

I think we run the gauntlet because those two seconds are right on the edge of needing to use should a bid comes. If they come after, little points would be required to match