Essendon, where are they now?

[Halftimehero]

If the returning players step back in without any issues then they can play finals, we are talking about 4 All Australians here, there is some real quality in the team.

Z Merrett, Daniher, Parish, Fantasia, Langford, Laverde, Francis and Tippa are all going to be even better.

The calls of they were crap in 2015 with those players so will be crap again with them are just rubbish, anyone with any idea would acknowledge the mental toll the whole thing had taken on them saw them absolutely fall apart at the seems.


Will be in the middle 6.

 

[demondavey]

Should finish above Richmond, not sure about Melbourne.

I don't rate us at all

 

[demondavey]

If Worsfold selects on balance instead of seniority top 6. Vice versa bottom 8.

Who would you suggest leaving out?

 

[DrEvil_]

I don't rate us at all

Melbourne is all between the ears, if they decide to play they can play, or they could lose to Essendon VFL side. Hopefully Goodwin gives them a huge kick up the arse.

 

[Jeremias]

They won't play finals in 2017 but I do believe they'll bounce back very quickly.

I've said it all year - this year was obviously a bad one for them but long-term it may prove to be hugely beneficial.

There's a lot of young talent I rate at that club and that will talent will be added to via the draft. If they have a good trade period they'll be laughing.

 

[Dogsman16]

Can't see them in the bottom 6. Literally bringing back their best midfielder, their 3rd best midfielder, their best defender and I think Hooker should play FF and will probably be their best forward as well. Not to mention a whole stack of solid foot soldiers that will improve their depth immensely.

Not to mention the underserved pick 1 they will receive which I assume they will be able to split for all of GWS's first round picks (5,15,16). They could then even use picks 15 and 16 to trade in some decent players and use pick 5 at the draft. FWIW I think if you look back at the past 10 drafts good chances are your able to draft a player in the 4 - 7 range that ends up a better player than pick 1. How many times have we seen that.

I think they will scrape into the middle 6 at very worst. I don't see much difference between them and Port, Stk, or NM next year in terms of list quality.

 

[demondavey]

Melbourne is all between the ears, if they decide to play they can play, or they could lose to Essendon VFL side. Hopefully Goodwin gives them a huge kick up the arse.

Melbourne need to get so much better. The club needs a flag, it's the only way we will get respect back from the competition. Anyway, this is about Essendon, I think they'll be a strong side next year, if they don't play finals, they will in 18. Hopefully contending in 19&20.

 

[Tiger2709]

Wow its in the middle of a prelim here

We're bigger than Jesus

Still not as big as the Beatles though.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Unless they magically get a forwardline they will be in the bottom 6. Hooker is a defender, you don't move an AA defender forward to patch a hole.

Not convinced they have the depth. Their best 23/24 is good, after that is a worry.

 

[Tiger2709]

Yeah if only anything had occurred in the last year that suggested we might have found/developed some new players or that our players in 2015 may have had some sort of off-field issue to deal with that may have affected their play. Oh well guess we'll just be down the bottom alongside Richmond.

All clubs developed some new players last year and the returnees while good hardly set the World on fire under Hird, no reason to think you will improve massively, oh that off field issue is know as being caught drug cheating, as much as the AFL and its media arm would like peole to think differently there are no heroes in the returnees just a bunch of drug cheats.

 

[Halftimehero]

Unless they magically get a forwardline they will be in the bottom 6. Hooker is a defender, you don't move an AA defender forward to patch a hole.

Not convinced they have the depth. Their best 23/24 is good, after that is a worry.

When Hooker went forward in 2015 for the last 10 games he averaged 2 goals from 4 shots a game in a team getting belted, he is one of the best contested marks in the game whether forward or back, he is more than capable of kicking 50+ goals a season.

 

[Unfazed]

Will start slowly but improve as the season goes on. will finish 8 -10th next year and really hit their straps in 2018 - I hope.

 

[Hawkthorn33]

I honestly think that finals are a real possibility for them next year and on. Could be a Hawks 09 situation where we had to play all our young guys and reserve players due to injuries which fast tracked our progress in the future

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Who would you suggest leaving out?

Problem is so many of our senior players are slow inside types who are not really capable of either the running or repeat contesting required for finals football. We have Watson, Myers, Stanton, Hocking, Goddard, Howlett, Bird, Heppell, probably Kelly. I'd play at max 5 of them in the side. Heppell and Watson the only certainties.

 

[vide0n]

11th

 

[Jeremias]

Not convinced they have the depth. Their best 23/24 is good, after that is a worry.

That's arguably the greatest benefit from their 2016 campaign. By virtue of having 12 senior players wiped out for the year they've been able to provide opportunities to these depth players.

They'll be better off for it in the long run.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

When Hooker went forward in 2015 for the last 10 games he averaged 2 goals from 4 shots a game in a team getting belted, he is one of the best contested marks in the game whether forward or back, he is more than capable of kicking 50+ goals a season.

Pigs fly too, he won't be magically going to be in the top 3-4 forwards in the game. He's an elite defender though, not sure why on earth you have this thing of moving defenders, first it was Hurley, not it's Hooker. Just trade for a forward/draft one.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

That's arguably the greatest benefit from their 2016 campaign. By virtue of having 12 senior players wiped out for the year they've been able to provide opportunities to these depth players.

They'll be better off for it in the long run.

Not convinced personally, with the exception on Parish and a few of the top youngsters (who would have played anyway), I am far from convinced.

 

[Halftimehero]

Pigs fly too, he won't be magically going to be in the top 3-4 forwards in the game. He's an elite defender though, not sure why on earth you have this thing of moving defenders, first it was Hurley, not it's Hooker. Just trade for a forward/draft one.

Because when Hooker was moved forward he was putting up the numbers of an elite forward, it isnt that hard to understand, he won the best and fairest playing half the season in defence and the other half forward.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Because when Hooker was moved forward he was putting up the numbers of an elite forward, it isnt that hard to understand, he won the best and fairest playing half the season in defence and the other half forward.

Winning best and fairest awards in bottom 8 seasons isn't one I'd be jumping for the moon about. No doubt he can do a ROLE up forward, my issue is he can be in the top 2-3 defenders in the game easily, he is ELITE in defence there isn't a question there. I'm not convinced, but you might be right, lets just agree to disagree, and I do hope it works out.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Winning best and fairest awards in bottom 8 seasons isn't one I'd be jumping for the moon about.

Not even when you beat an AA player...

 

[DrEvil_]

Pigs fly too, he won't be magically going to be in the top 3-4 forwards in the game. He's an elite defender though, not sure why on earth you have this thing of moving defenders, first it was Hurley, not it's Hooker. Just trade for a forward/draft one.

They have Daniher, just need to teach him how to kick.

 

[JackFlash]

If the returning players step back in without any issues then they can play finals, we are talking about 4 All Australians here, there is some real quality in the team.

Z Merrett, Daniher, Parish, Fantasia, Langford, Laverde, Francis and Tippa are all going to be even better.

The calls of they were crap in 2015 with those players so will be crap again with them are just rubbish, anyone with any idea would acknowledge the mental toll the whole thing had taken on them saw them absolutely fall apart at the seems.


Will be in the middle 6.

Middle 6? With the rise of the Saints and Demons, it will be a tight squeeze in that middle 6. GWS and the Dogs are not going anywhere, the Swans won't fall in a hurry, will the Crows collapse in a heap? Cats and Hawks will still be at least 6th - 8th best. You are banking on no improvement at all by the Blues, Pies, Dockers, Port or Tigers and a reliance on both the Eagles and Roos falling off the perch completely? The Bombers will be doing very well if they finish 12th in 2017. 2018 is the year where they will challenge for a top 8 spot. They were average before the ban, the return might not work for many of them anyway?

 

[Milanista28]

Would be disappointed if we didn't make finals or at least give it a real shake, Our aim has to be the top 8 and falling short is a failure.

Gotta aim big.

On the Hooker forward debate he had 39 shots at goal in his 9/10 games forward, He needs to improve his accuracy but those numbers are elite anyway you look at then, Guys just a star footballer.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

They have Daniher, just need to teach him how to kick.

Well like Cloke, not sure that's happening any time quick!