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Roast Essendon in no mans land

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Injury hit and playing an inexperienced team , I get it.

Went to the game as a neutral and heck me Essendon don’t have any idea WTF to do when they have it, they barely lead or move and the always look sideways and back, handball in circles . At least you could see what Richmond wanted to try and do. Dons good players even look lost now to me from the cheap seats
 
Injury hit and playing an inexperienced team , I get it.

Went to the game as a neutral and heck me Essendon don’t have any idea WTF to do when they have it, they barely lead or move and the always look sideways and back, handball in circles . At least you could see what Richmond wanted to try and do. Dons good players even look lost now to me from the cheap seats

The one that stood out to me was in the first, I think, where Hobbs and Tsatas were 1m away from each other and Hobbs kept handballing back to Tsatas because he didn't want to take the kick inside 50, despite Tsatas being known for being a poor kick.
 
That draft where they picked up Cox, Reid and Perkins with consecutive first rounders could’ve really set them up.

But Dorodo is a fraud.
Wut?

Yes Dodoro was on the gravy train for far too long but that draft was a hazy Covid impacted one. You tell me who nailed it and with what picks as many of the top 10 are yet to reach great heights.
 
Essendon two mid rotations down and they send Merritt fwd.
He looks like scoring and he’s moved out of the fwd 50.
Hmmm

Anyways, now they’ve two more injured players on their list than North.
One thing about Tiges and North both teams aren’t really needing to move out underperforming players. Not a significant amount anyway.
North have most of their talent now and we need to focus on replacing retirees over the next three years.

Bombers are on the slide still I think.
 
Essendon two mid rotations down and they send Merritt fwd.
He looks like scoring and he’s moved out of the fwd 50.
Hmmm

Anyways, now they’ve two more injured players on their list than North.
One thing about Tiges and North both teams aren’t really needing to move out underperforming players. Not a significant amount anyway.
North have most of their talent now and we need to focus on replacing retirees over the next three years.

Bombers are on the slide still I think.

Yeah Merrett forward for the fourth quarter did feel a bit suspect.

I think very generous take on the tigs and North. They’ve plenty of blokes yet to show much and could easily end up in the bucket of underperforming players.
 
The one that stood out to me was in the first, I think, where Hobbs and Tsatas were 1m away from each other and Hobbs kept handballing back to Tsatas because he didn't want to take the kick inside 50, despite Tsatas being known for being a poor kick.
I was at the ground so had more of a view as to what they were working with and there weren’t any clear options for them to kick to.

In saying that, if I’d have recruited Tsatsas and Hobbs I’d be thinking there’s two of my starting midfield for the next 10 years. They just haven’t come on and been the players they showed potential of being in the under 18s.
 
Wut?

Yes Dodoro was on the gravy train for far too long but that draft was a hazy Covid impacted one. You tell me who nailed it and with what picks as many of the top 10 are yet to reach great heights.

It’s much bigger than that draft

Here’s what Essendon spent their first round draft picks on over six years:

2017: Devon Smith
2018: Dylan Shiel
2019: Dylan Shiel
2020: Nik Cox, Archie Perkins, Zach Reid
2021: Ben Hobbs
2022: Elijah Tsatas

That’s a six-year run of absolute disastrous failure at the top end of the draft and will cripple any club. It’s what has necessitated the current rebuild.
 

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So with the new injuries to Setterfield and Martin we will have this group of players to replace them.

Shiel
Davey Jr
Menzie
Guelfi
El-Hawli
McMahon
Visintini
Gerryn
Unwin
Nguyen

We are going to end the season on a 12 game losing streak and a percentage in the 40s
 
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It’s much bigger than that draft

Here’s what Essendon spent their first round draft picks on over six years:

2017: Devon Smith
2018: Dylan Shiel
2019: Dylan Shiel
2020: Nik Cox, Archie Perkins, Zach Reid
2021: Ben Hobbs
2022: Elijah Tsatas

That’s a six-year run of absolute disastrous failure at the top end of the draft and will cripple any club. It’s what has necessitated the current rebuild.
Sums it up really

If 4/8 of those guys are good then you are contending.

But 1/8 is terrible and the 1 is Reid who is always injured so in practical terms it's 0/8.

Dodoro should be in prison.
 
Interesting take.

Of the long list of issues that Essendon has, Zach Merrett as captain is not one.

Would love honest thoughts on whether he contributes culturally off field though

Two marks recently for me against him
1) the obvious leaking from his management to journos whilst contracted to say St Kilda were going after him, to get his contract redone
2) saying he’d prefer smaller lists as it’d allow stars to be paid more (as if he doesn’t get paid enough)

On field performances only go so far. Maybe AFL players don’t see this as disrespect but if I was Tom Edwards for example I’d feel like the captain doesn’t respect me after those comments.
 
So with the new injuries to Setterfield and Martin we will have this group of players to replace them.

Shiel
Guelfi
El-Hawli
McMahon
Visintini
Gerryn
Unwin
Nguyen

We are going to end the season on a 12 game losing streak and a percentage in the 40s

Martin a huge loss, but surely Setterfield out is a huge opportunity to give Tsatas 6 weeks playing that role. Sink or swim, no sub, just go out & show us what you can do playing the defensive, handball linking, inside mid role.

I’m still a believer in him, he just needs the right role. This is his time.
 
So with the new injuries to Setterfield and Martin we will have this group of players to replace them.

Shiel
Guelfi
El-Hawli
McMahon
Visintini
Gerryn
Unwin
Nguyen

We are going to end the season on a 12 game losing streak and a percentage in the 40s
At this rate the afl will need to grant us top ups again just to field a team.

The vfl side are suffering too they have no players all playing for the seniors.

Season from hell
 

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It’s much bigger than that draft

Here’s what Essendon spent their first round draft picks on over six years:

2017: Devon Smith
2018: Dylan Shiel
2019: Dylan Shiel
2020: Nik Cox, Archie Perkins, Zach Reid
2021: Ben Hobbs
2022: Elijah Tsatas

That’s a six-year run of absolute disastrous failure at the top end of the draft and will cripple any club. It’s what has necessitated the current rebuild.
Dudoro was an absolute cancer. It'll take years and years to fix what he created.

McGrath and Parish on massive long term deals was his departing gift aswell
 
I’m giving them an out this year based on injuries. They’ve been cruelled.

I do have overall list build concerns though. Can’t see the soup base of a premiership squad in the making. Feels like a team on track to cap out around 7th- 10th unless they really make some uncomfortable decisions.
 
I’m giving them an out this year based on injuries. They’ve been cruelled.

I do have overall list build concerns though. Can’t see the soup base of a premiership squad in the making. Feels like a team on track to cap out around 7th- 10th unless they really make some uncomfortable decisions.

It is very clear Rosa also believes this.

I reckon the only guys who are in our next tilt would be

Martin
Durham
Caldwell
Roberts
Caddy
Kako
Vigo
Clarke
Johnson
Merrett potentially as a Zorko late career shift.
 
I’m giving them an out this year based on injuries. They’ve been cruelled.

I do have overall list build concerns though. Can’t see the soup base of a premiership squad in the making. Feels like a team on track to cap out around 7th- 10th unless they really make some uncomfortable decisions.

like any rebuilding club we’ll need to convert our significant draft capital into actual talent over the next 2-3 years.

Is bottom 3 still on the cards this year if North win today?
 
It is very clear Rosa also believes this.

I reckon the only guys who are in our next tilt would be

Martin
Durham
Caldwell
Roberts
Caddy
Kako
Vigo
Clarke
Johnson
Merrett potentially as a Zorko late career shift.

Hopefully one or two of Reid, Ridley or Hayes can stay fit enough to be relied on too.

Redman still got a lot of footy. Hopeful McKay can get back to prior years form. But yeah overall agree with the sentiment
 

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Roast Essendon in no mans land

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