Opinion Essendon - where are they at?

[WalshistheGOAT]

Get down to the beach tomorrow Walshy. Next weekend the Blues get a shot at redemption.

I've been there all week Meowbagger. On holiday in WA for a family wedding but unfortunately some poor campaigner just got gnawed in half by a great white in Esperance a couple days ago.

Taken the shine off the idea of spending the day down there a bit.

 

[Mr Meow]

I've been there all week Meowbagger. On holiday in WA for a family wedding but unfortunately some poor campaigner just got gnawed in half by a great white in Esperance a couple days ago.

Taken the shine off the idea of spending the day down there a bit.

I had to change my reaction from a like to a wow as I finished that post - geez! Stay safe.

 

[Chadwiko]

Brad "No Man's Land" Scott

 

[Daka]

So many mistakes going foward last night from the Bombers too much over possesion and second guessing by the players but I don't think that was the worst part, Defensively very poor imo Hawthorn kicked so many easy goals and they didn't play that amazing themselves.

 

[threesixpio]

They were good - we were just better. If I’m a Bombers supporter I’m seeing green shoots.

I now have to scrub myself in the shower for four hours after imagining being a bombers supporter.

 

[NetworkNerd]

Bombers will be alright. Heading in the right direction.

Jye Caldwell is a jet!

 

[HeHateMe]

I thought they were good, if the game went for another quarter I think they would have came over the top. They need to work on making the most of their inside 50s and a what to do when the opposition is on top.

The game was really lost in the 1st quarter when they had no answers, was also won in the 4th when we did just enough to answer back each time they got on a roll.

If they can manage to correct that they will win enough games this year to be their abouts.

 

[MisterB]

Not horrible, but biggest challenge is having the ability to kick winning scores against good teams.

 

[g_TRAIN]

Bombers will be alright. Heading in the right direction.

Jye Caldwell is a jet!

Yeah and his performance last night and even last year should be a reminder that some players take time.

He was pretty average for 5 years before hand.

 

[g_TRAIN]

They are on the right track

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Jye Caldwell is a jet!

No he's not.

 

[Osho]

Bombers look pretty good for a round 1.
Pretty well organised, I thought their forward line work was poor and they didn't cohere that well. They'll have a feeling of missed opportunity.

 

[Yoda_]

No he's not.

tell us you didn't watch the game last night without actually telling us you didn't want the game

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Bombers look pretty good for a round 1.
Pretty well organised, I thought their forward line work was poor and they didn't cohere that well. They'll have a feeling of missed opportunity.

But what does 'pretty good' mean?
10-12th?
8th-10th?
Top 8?

'Pretty good' with the apparent trajectory of being very good in the next 1-2 years? 2-3 years?

Being 'pretty good' is almost the worst place to be if the pieces aren't already in place to become very good.

I don't think Essendon have the pieces in place to be very good.

 

[Cool Kangas]

Brad "No Man's Land" Scott

The vortex

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

tell us you didn't watch the game last night without actually telling us you didn't want the game

When people start referring to players like Caldwell as 'jets' and start thinking that he's the type that's going to make Essendon a legitimate contender - you know you're in strife as a team.

He's a 2nd stringer, at best.

It's not until the 2nd stringers get to play as 2nd stringers that a team can ever be any good. Basically, if he's the cream of your crop - you're an average team.

Like guys like Jack Steele at St Kilda, Nathan Jones at Melbourne etc. - they're just not good enough to be a top shelf player. If these types of guys are your top shelfers, you're not a good team.

As 2nd stringers they're excellent. But that's all they'll ever be.

Caldwell is only ever going to be a 2nd stringer. If he's Essendon's top shelf, then they're going to be ordinary.

 

[Yoda_]

When people start referring to players like Caldwell as 'jets' and start thinking that he's the type that's going to make Essendon a legitimate contender - you know you're in strife as a team.

He's a 2nd stringer, at best.

It's not until the 2nd stringers get to play as 2nd stringers that a team can ever be any good. Basically, if he's the cream of your crop - you're an average team.

Like guys like Jack Steele at St Kilda, Nathan Jones at Melbourne etc. - they're just not good enough to be a top shelf player. If these types of guys are your top shelfers, you're not a good team.

As 2nd stringers they're excellent. But that's all they'll ever be.

Caldwell is only ever going to be a 2nd stringer. If he's Essendon's top shelf, then they're going to be ordinary.

Every team has one gun mid, occasionally two and a supporting cast. Caldwell is bordering on moving from support cast to the guy. Last nights efforts suggest he may very well move into the top echelon.

He is no better or worse than Jai Newcombe, Tom Liberatore, Rory Laird etc. All who have been AA calibre players. Jai absolutely could move into that group

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Every team has one gun mid, occasionally two and a supporting cast. Caldwell is bordering on moving from support cast to the guy. Last nights efforts suggest he may very well move into the top echelon.

He is no better or worse than Jai Newcombe, Tom Liberatore, Rory Laird etc. All who have been AA calibre players. Jai absolutely could move into that group

He's much, much worse than Liberatore.

And as good as Liberace is, a team with him as their top shelfer would be an ordinary team.

I'm not even knocking Caldwell necessarily. He's just not a top shelf mid, and never will be. The fact that he's seen as a top shelfer at Essendon simply tells us where Essendon are currently at.


FWIW, I see Brayshaw in a similar vein.

He's another that would be an awesome 2nd stringer. But the fact he's Freo's best is indicative of where they're at.

 

[Yoda_]

FWIW, I see Brayshaw in a similar vein.

He's another that would be an awesome 2nd stringer. But the fact he's Freo's best is indicative of where they're at.

I think it's starting to make a little sense when I read this. No one is out to go, "geez, I wish Brayshaw was one of ours".

 

[Westlo]

When people start referring to players like Caldwell as 'jets' and start thinking that he's the type that's going to make Essendon a legitimate contender - you know you're in strife as a team.

He's a 2nd stringer, at best.

It's not until the 2nd stringers get to play as 2nd stringers that a team can ever be any good. Basically, if he's the cream of your crop - you're an average team.

Like guys like Jack Steele at St Kilda, Nathan Jones at Melbourne etc. - they're just not good enough to be a top shelf player. If these types of guys are your top shelfers, you're not a good team.

As 2nd stringers they're excellent. But that's all they'll ever be.

Caldwell is only ever going to be a 2nd stringer. If he's Essendon's top shelf, then they're going to be ordinary.

With Caldwell it's not a question if he's a second stringer or better since he's clearly gone to a new level, it's a question if he can maintain this level like Merett or if he's going to be at that level a short time like Darcy Parish 2021.

36disp 11 tackles 10 clearances against the current flag favs isn't exactly second stringer numbers.

Like I'll compare against your mids best games (by afl points since who the **** watches GC games) last year.

Miller 33disp 1 tackle 7 clearances
Anderson 36 disp 8 tackles 6 clearances
rowell 35disp 10 tackles 8 clearances

Are Miller and Anderson second stringers?

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

I think it's starting to make a little sense when I read this. No one is out to go, "geez, I wish Brayshaw was one of ours".

Any team with Brayshaw as their top shelfer will be ordinary. Any team with Brayshaw as a 2nd stringer would likely be very good.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

36disp 11 tackles 10 clearances against the current flag favs isn't exactly second stringer numbers.

If a top shelf mid gets numbers like that - their team usually wins.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

When people start referring to players like Caldwell as 'jets' and start thinking that he's the type that's going to make Essendon a legitimate contender - you know you're in strife as a team.

He's a 2nd stringer, at best.

It's not until the 2nd stringers get to play as 2nd stringers that a team can ever be any good. Basically, if he's the cream of your crop - you're an average team.

Like guys like Jack Steele at St Kilda, Nathan Jones at Melbourne etc. - they're just not good enough to be a top shelf player. If these types of guys are your top shelfers, you're not a good team.

As 2nd stringers they're excellent. But that's all they'll ever be.

Caldwell is only ever going to be a 2nd stringer. If he's Essendon's top shelf, then they're going to be ordinary.

You cant be serious bloke is a legit gun last night wasn't just a one off he's been playing this type of footy the last 2 years

 

[Red Black and Blue]

You cant be serious bloke is a legit gun last night wasn't just a one off he's been playing this type of footy the last 2 years

I agree with him. He's a quality player, but he's not a rip the throat out of the opposition type. Martin, Dangerfield, Petracca, Bontempelli, Daicos level players is what is required.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

You cant be serious bloke is a legit gun last night wasn't just a one off he's been playing this type of footy the last 2 years

It's just run of the mill B-Grader/B+ level footy.