Roast Essendon in no mans land

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Foxx said:
Seems we've just crossed from on field irrelevance to relevant.
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Yes. However no one will believe it until we make a semi or pre lim.

The challenge is laid before us and we’re in a nice position right now.

Just gotta keep working hard and don’t take any side for granted.
 

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mcgrath_truther said:
our game against carlton in 3 weeks will be the biggest indicator of where we’re at imo.

big stage vs an inform team
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The goalposts keep shifting with this and will continue to do so all year.

Originally it was rebounding from a horrific performance against Port by beating the Bulldogs … comfortably. ✅

Then taking that form on the road to a venue we were embarrassed at a fortnight earlier. ✅

Then it was on the big stage on ANZAC Day. Didn’t win but did everything possible besides that final set shot. ✅

Then the calls that we wouldn’t back it up on the road against a ‘lesser’ opponent ✅

Yesterday against the Giants, playing in one of their star players 300th and who were at full strength (minus Callum Brown) was seen as the ‘big test’. Passed that one. ✅

Now it will be getting over the banana peel games of NM and Richmond.

Then it will be Carlton.

I don’t have delusions of grandeur that a finals drought will end this season but it will eventually, one day, and then it will be “Oh… but you’ve only won 1 final in X years! You need to win insert number here to be legit!” …

It won’t stop all year. The fact we didn’t win finals in like 2009 means we are crap. All so selective yet sooo relevant to 2024.
 
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WillHayward said:
Brad Scott is a gun.

In hindsight - getting North to a prelim was a feat of unimaginable brilliance.
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North had a pretty good team back them..
Unfortunately he and his regime (assistant coaches and recruiting staff etc) didn't leave the club in great shape, youth wise going fowards, but probably enough time has elapsed now to suggest North's current woes cannot really be blamed on Brad Scott.

I Waa critical of Scott making public his desire of his players to gain an 'Essendon Edge' and for the most part, they (players) have delivered on that.

And Dodoro finally won trade week in his twilight, that Zerk-Thatcher for Duursma trade was daylight robbery, Dons well ahead on that deal so far.
 
Macca18 said:
The goalposts keep shifting with this and will continue to do so all year.

Originally it was rebounding from a horrific performance against Port by beating the Bulldogs … comfortably. ✅

Then taking that form on the road to a venue we were embarrassed at a fortnight earlier. ✅

Then it was on the big stage on ANZAC Day. Didn’t win but did everything possible besides that final set shot. ✅

Then the calls that we wouldn’t back it up on the road against a ‘lesser’ opponent ✅

Yesterday against the Giants, playing in one of their star players 300th and who were at full strength (minus Callum Brown) was seen as the ‘big test’. Passed that one. ✅

Now it will be getting over the banana peel games of NM and Richmond.

Then it will be Carlton.

I don’t have delusions of grandeur that a finals drought will end this season but it will eventually, one day, and then it will be “Oh… but you’ve only won 1 final in X years! You need to win insert number here to be legit!” …

It won’t stop all year. The fact we didn’t win finals in like 2009 means we are crap. All so selective yet sooo relevant to 2024.
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Would be funny if your first finals win took out port and got them to sack Hinkley.
 

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blitzer said:
I think having seen Eagles over the last 5 or so weeks - its obvious that when they have most of their players fit and available they really aren't a bad team but they fall away very quickly in terms of depth. So the teams that caught Eagles in this last month and a bit had a much sterner challenge than I suspect will be the case at other times of the year.

Dockers are a hard team to place. They've been patchy and right now its hard to evaluate them as anything other than a 6-10 range team. Forward line does not seem on the same level as their defense and midfield.
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well today the Eagles lost to the magpies 103-37. So Eagles form is extreme on both ends. at their best they can beat some teams. At their worst? Look at their losses in 2022 and 2023.


As for te dockers... well I agree they will finish between 7th to 11th. Sadly I think the dockers will finish 9th or 10th.

Backline is great. Midfield is good.

Forward line is the weakness. However, I rather freos forward line "weaknesses" and " Problems " than what we had in 2012-5. Here is why.

I like that 2012-15 forward line. But it was Limited. Pav was 191 cm and our full forward. Chris Mayne is 187 cm Centre half forward that wouldnt be a 2nd tall in any other club. he would of been a 3rd tall on a forward flank or on the bench.

Walters and Ballantyne were good small forwards on forward pockets. and B gead and C grade mids filled the forward flanks.

Now.... lets compare to the current dockers forward line.

Luke Jackson is versatile. 198 cm and can play as a ruck or full forward.

Josh Traecy is good. 193 cm tall. a rookie pick in that 2021 rookie draft. 15 games and 13 goals in 2021, 4 games and 1 goal in 2022 17 games and 15 goals in 2023. The bloke has kicked 18 goals and 3 behinds form 8 games in 2024.

Jye Amiss, another young 195 cm forward. 3 games and 4 goals in 2022. 22 games and 41 goals in 2023. The bloke has has 12 goals and 8 behinds from 8 games in 2024.

as for the smalls, Walters is 33 years old. Frederick is only 23 and has kicked 28 goals last season. Switkowski is 26 years old.

Oh and 23 year old Sam sturt is 190 cm. can play as a floating 2nd tall as a centre half forward. I like him as a 3rd tall. He might get 10 disposals a game but is worth it he is one of our most accurate kicks when it comes to set shot goals.

there is talent there in that dockers forward line. Most of those blokes are aged 23 or under. Wonder how they will be when they are all 25-29 years old?



As for Essendon. They played will yesterday. Brad Scott is a decent coach. I wont be shocked if he guides them to a finals win.
 
think this season we're looking/generally have been much fitter going into games than previously. something that we've lacked for a significant amount of time is a lack of general fitness amongst the players, some moreso than others.

while we're by no means a destination club, a lot of those that we've traded for last season, duursma, mckay, gresham and goldstein have all been serviceable to fantastic players. really added to our overall depth.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
You're irrelevant until you’re playing in GFs and winning flags.

Seeing anything else as “success” is a failure in itself.
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stepping stones. win a final and then go from there. No team goes from not winning finals to winning a GF.

I think there's more than 1 relevant team each year.

until we jag a final, it all means nothing.
 
HirdsTheWord said:
stepping stones. win a final and then go from there. No team goes from not winning finals to winning a GF.

I think there's more than 1 relevant team each year.

until we jag a final, it all means nothing.
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Richmond didn't win a final from 2001 until 2017
 
6.5 wins after 9 games is an excellent start, and with games still to play against north, Richmond and west coast, making finals is a realistic expectation.

A win’s a win and whether it’s by 3 points or 30 points, it’ll still yield the same amount of premiership points.

If Langford, Zerrett, McGrath and Martin can remain injury free then it’s looking good.
 
Great8 said:
Until we win a final we are still irrelevant
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I guess it depends how you perceive relevance.

For me a side becomes relevant when they become respected, and genuinely feared by top opposition sides.

Although I think it will take more than 1 win and a draw against top 4 quality teams to establish that.
 
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Engimal v3 said:
Agreed
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Expert in irrelevance.

One win in your last 30 games. The one win cost you a once-in-a-generation player. Longer premiership drought than us. Haven’t beaten us since we had a team of tops ups (2016). Lowest VIC crowd figures.

You’re well qualified. No wonder you’re obsessed with every Essendon thread on here.
 
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