Roast Essendon in no mans land

[carnthedons]

a question thats been asked is would the coach, who is renowned for not, play the kids due to these injuries?

I dont care, its bloody exciting seeing these kids show plenty

My hope is just that Brad sees the positive reinforcement and keeps playing the kids, sink blocks of games into them not just a week or two as the sub here and there and back to the 2s

 

[BuffDog]

Based on what we’ve picked up in the MSD and our likely NGA kids, I’d say our two biggest list holes are an A grade goal kicking mid and a half back with elite ball use.

Very bullish on the kids coming through which compared to the older brigade seem to be hungrier, cleaner and better kicks. It helps when you recruit on talent compared to solely private school boys from ‘good families’ with ‘leadership’ qualities.

We’ve also taken much needed steps to improve our VFL program which has been putrid since COVID. They’re not overly flash yet but much more competitive which is so critical to the development of the kids.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Any Essendon fan saying that we should sacked Brad need to calm down he's building this young group towards something imo.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Not sure where to put this, the first 3 threads I searched were all locked.
Is McGrath #1 the biggest waste of a number 1 pick.

Yeah other players have flopped more than Andy but guys like Boyd, Watts, Patton and McCartin were all touted KPF's. The type of player hard to find.

Whereas Essendon have used their No.1 on a vanilla general defender. Most clubs could find a similar player from the 3rd round onwards and give them 2-3 years to develop in the reserves.

Watching yesterday I genuinely thought he wouldn't get a game with us, and at Essendon he's VC.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Not sure where to put this, the first 3 threads I searched were all locked.
Is McGrath #1 the biggest waste of a number 1 pick.

Yeah other players have flopped more than Andy but guys like Boyd, Watts, Patton and McCartin were all touted KPF's. The type of player hard to find.

Whereas Essendon have used their No.1 on a vanilla general defender. Most clubs could find a similar player from the 3rd round onwards and give them 2-3 years to develop in the reserves.

Watching yesterday I genuinely thought he wouldn't get a game with us, and at Essendon he's VC.

I wanted Tim Tarranto or Hugh McClugage with pick 1.

iirc GWS wanted McGrath as a replacement for Heath Shaw but we pounced on McGrath with pick 1. GWS took Taranto at 2 and McClugage at Brisbane with 3

McGrath won the RS playing as a gun HBF we then tried to turn him into a mid for a few years and stuffed up his development now he's just a plodder.

 

[Rod Stroker]

only 2 teams now have a worse percentage, Richmond and WC.

LOL!

Give Brad an extension.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Not sure where to put this, the first 3 threads I searched were all locked.
Is McGrath #1 the biggest waste of a number 1 pick.

Yeah other players have flopped more than Andy but guys like Boyd, Watts, Patton and McCartin were all touted KPF's. The type of player hard to find.

Whereas Essendon have used their No.1 on a vanilla general defender. Most clubs could find a similar player from the 3rd round onwards and give them 2-3 years to develop in the reserves.

Watching yesterday I genuinely thought he wouldn't get a game with us, and at Essendon he's VC.

McGrath is serviceable enough but he wouldn't be on anywhere near the deal he is on with us at another club.

Like he is a good enough defender, but his ball use is absolutely abysmal for the top level of footy. he just constantly makes the wrong choice and leads to a turnover, alot of the time he has time and space but he just shits the bed.

It is a pretty common theme though with us, you'd expect to even make it to this level you would have a certain level of general footy ability but some of the basic footy skills at Essendon is more alarming than i cared to admit.

It will take a LONG time to fill the hole created by Dodoro and previous player development. All we can do is hope we are on the right path. it wont be the last pantsing we get by a top end team. I guarentee you that.

 

[jdstorm]

McGrath is serviceable enough but he wouldn't be on anywhere near the deal he is on with us at another club.

Like he is a good enough defender, but his ball use is absolutely abysmal for the top level of footy. he just constantly makes the wrong choice and leads to a turnover, alot of the time he has time and space but he just shits the bed.

It is a pretty common theme though with us, you'd expect to even make it to this level you would have a certain level of general footy ability but some of the basic footy skills at Essendon is more alarming than i cared to admit.

It will take a LONG time to fill the hole created by Dodoro and previous player development. All we can do is hope we are on the right path. it wont be the last pantsing we get by a top end team. I guarentee you that.

AFL careers aren’t overly long and we’re basically year 2 of the latest rebuild thanks to caddy and Roberts being successful picks.

AFL careers are short and generally 3-5 years is when things start to come together as your strength players (KP + inside mids) are now physically developed

Best case with this group is probably 2 years away from making an impact.

It’s a tricky mess to untangle but should mostly be done this offseason with another 10 players turned over then it’s just about building and plugging gaps

 

[Ambrosia]

Not sure where to put this, the first 3 threads I searched were all locked.
Is McGrath #1 the biggest waste of a number 1 pick.

Yeah other players have flopped more than Andy but guys like Boyd, Watts, Patton and McCartin were all touted KPF's. The type of player hard to find.

Whereas Essendon have used their No.1 on a vanilla general defender. Most clubs could find a similar player from the 3rd round onwards and give them 2-3 years to develop in the reserves.

Watching yesterday I genuinely thought he wouldn't get a game with us, and at Essendon he's VC.

I mean if you invent a criteria where failed high upside picks don't count then sure.

He's a very very good defensive player with an awful habit of hacking the ball forward when under any pressure except for the first half of 2023 and 2024 where he was very good for some reason.

When played as mid he accumulated the ball well and racked up tackles but again disposal lets him down.

 

[MagpieExcalibur]

worst group of small forwards in the AFL (Kako , Gresham , Guelfi , Davey Jnr , Menzie)

 

[MagpieExcalibur]

they have to shift Nic Martin forward to try and score very reminiscent of Petracca forward for Dees

 

[HirdsTheWord]

AFL careers aren’t overly long and we’re basically year 2 of the latest rebuild thanks to caddy and Roberts being successful picks.

AFL careers are short and generally 3-5 years is when things start to come together as your strength players (KP + inside mids) are now physically developed

Best case with this group is probably 2 years away from making an impact.

It’s a tricky mess to untangle but should mostly be done this offseason with another 10 players turned over then it’s just about building and plugging gaps

yes and no

Essendon scarcely hits their draft picks and even when they do we need 50+ games to see if they are up for it.

Take recent memory.

Cox - Bust
Ridley - Talent there but simply cannot get his body up for AFL. 2016 draft class and hasn't even played 100 games.
Perkins - Bust
Reid - Future also there but again cannot get his body ready for AFL.
Tsatas - Looking to be a bust
Hobbs - has a crack but is very meh
Draper - Also constantly injured.

could go on and on.

IMO we need 2-3 years to nail drafts, than a further 3-4 years to actually develop them to be 50+ gamers.

I think best case we are in this hole for another 4-5 years.

Bloody hard work supporting this club. Cannot understate the job Rosa has in front of him.

 

[boncer34]

yes and no

Essendon scarcely hits their draft picks and even when they do we need 50+ games to see if they are up for it.

Take recent memory.

Cox - Bust
Ridley - Talent there but simply cannot get his body up for AFL. 2016 draft class and hasn't even played 100 games.
Perkins - Bust
Reid - Future also there but again cannot get his body ready for AFL.
Tsatas - Looking to be a bust
Hobbs - has a crack but is very meh
Draper - Also constantly injured.

could go on and on.

IMO we need 2-3 years to nail drafts, than a further 3-4 years to actually develop them to be 50+ gamers.

I think best case we are in this hole for another 4-5 years.

Bloody hard work supporting this club. Cannot understate the job Rosa has in front of him.

Draper an odd addition to that list.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Draper an odd addition to that list.

How so? Are you suggesting Draper doesn't have constant injury issues?

Has done an ACL, Had knee surgery last year mid season, and did his Achilles this year.

 

[boncer34]

How so? Are you suggesting Draper doesn't have constant injury issues?

Has done an ACL, Had knee surgery last year mid season, and did his Achilles this year.

He was a rookie pick.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

He was a rookie pick.

still a pick.....

 

[Ambrosia]

still a pick.....

From nearly 10 years ago

 

[HirdsTheWord]

From nearly 10 years ago

so?

shows a constant theme at Essendon of not nailing drafting/picks

Ridley is an almost 10 year old Pick, and still one we cant get right.

 

[Vindicater]

only 2 teams now have a worse percentage, Richmond and WC.

LOL!

Give Brad an extension.

Look at the head**** on this one.

 

[MagpieExcalibur]

when Goldy at almost 37 is your second BOG your in trouble

 

[WN123]

when Goldy at almost 37 is your second BOG your in trouble

Says more about Goldy than about the team demographic. 6 Teenagers plus 2 20 year olds. 7 first year players plus another 2 in their second years. When was the last time a team had that many teens or first year players. I’ve had a bit of a look at Richmond and North this year and couldn’t find anything close.
It’s about time we committed to a full rebuild even it has been forced by injury.

 

[Lads23]

Says more about Goldy than about the team demographic. 6 Teenagers plus 2 20 year olds. 7 first year players plus another 2 in their second years. When was the last time a team had that many teens or first year players. I’ve had a bit of a look at Richmond and North this year and couldn’t find anything close.
It’s about time we committed to a full rebuild even it has been forced by injury.

Correct, and a few more debuts to come at the bombers. Visintini up next!

 

[Skipper_]

Need to start hitting on our draft picks for a change.

Caddy, Roberts, Kako, Clarke and Johnson across the last 2 years appears to be a reasonable start.

All 5 of those guys at this stage seem to project towards AFL standard players in the long-term.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Need to start hitting on our draft picks for a change.

Caddy, Roberts, Kako, Clarke and Johnson across the last 2 years appears to be a reasonable start.

All 5 of those guys at this stage seem to project towards AFL standard players in the long-term.

The real question is whether they can develop players beyond looking ok in their first couple of years.

Looking at the 2020 draft is pretty crazy. Cox and Perkins looked serious talents in 2021. But they've shown almost nothing since. Seeing Holmes and Neale dominate on the weekend after being much later picks coming off a much lower base was a pretty stark demonstration of the problem.

 

[Donflicted]

The real question is whether they can develop players beyond looking ok in their first couple of years.

Looking at the 2020 draft is pretty crazy. Cox and Perkins looked serious talents in 2021. But they've shown almost nothing since. Seeing Holmes and Neale dominate on the weekend after being much later picks coming off a much lower base was a pretty stark demonstration of the problem.

We have sunk alot of resources into that development at the club within the list of changes in the past 3 years its something thats being addressed and constantly being looked into