Essendon, where are they now?

[citizen-erased]

Good list?
I question that

Essendon is about an 8th -12th side

Thats a good list if you're 8th with our age profile.
And with what has been seen of our best.

There is work to do. Particularly with getting a functioning forward line.

Missing Daniher & Smith all season, barely having Fantasia ever fit, Hooker having issues at the start and end of the year, Hurley and Bellchambers going down, Heppell hobbled at the pointy end.

We're 7th on the back of those injuries and some pretty pathetic efforts at times (GWS Rd1, Saints, Swans, Port, Dogs).

Good. Not great.

 

[FairKouta]

Have a good List need a big bodied mid and caracella they will come good

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Have a good List need a big bodied mid and caracella they will come good

Need a Cripps/Kennedy type

 

[FairKouta]

Need a Cripps/Kennedy type

I would throw the kitchen sink at Hopper severely underrated

 

[citizen-erased]

I would throw the kitchen sink at Hopper severely underrated

don't have much of a kitchen sink to trade

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

I would throw the kitchen sink at Hopper severely underrated

s**t yeah I'm a big Hopper fan he's exactly what we need

 

[WillHayward]

This bloke needs to be held to account.
Has escaped scrutiny way too long.

 

[WillHayward]

Need a Cripps/Kennedy type

Spot on.
You looked much better with Dylan Clarke in the side. But you need another big bodied mid.
If I were the Bombers Id be targeting a Crouch brother. Ballarat boys. Might be a straight swap for Orazio.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

This bloke needs to be held to account.
Has escaped scrutiny way too long.

I cant wait till he drafts another skinny hbf that we hope to turn into a mid.

Reckon we had many chances at our picks to land a big body mid but for some reason we let them slide pass us for the next team to swoop. Been at the club for over a decade now needs to go and give some else a shot.

 

[citizen-erased]

Spot on.
You looked much better with Dylan Clarke in the side. But you need another big bodied mid. Hopper would be perfect.

Begley could be that kid. Was drafted as an Oliver-type (though more speculative).
As could Stringer.
Both need the tank but they both have the size.

Hopper, Wines, Cogs - any would be great. Just don't have the currency to get them.

 

[FairKouta]

Spot on.
You looked much better with Dylan Clarke in the side. But you need another big bodied mid.
If I were the Bombers Id be targeting a Crouch brother. Ballarat boys. Might be a straight swap for Orazio.

Brad crouch will do. I'm not it's a straight swap but I'm sure Adelaide could do with a creative forward after eddie

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Begley could be that kid. Was drafted as an Oliver-type (though more speculative).
As could Stringer.
Both need the tank but they both have the size.

Hopper, Wines, Cogs - any would be great. Just don't have the currency to get them.

Probably not worth much right now but a Orazio/Wines swap with pick swaps involved.

 

[citizen-erased]

Probably not worth much right now but a Orazio/Wines swap with pick swaps involved.

I'd rather not trade someone who structures our fwd line up
Raz and Daniher are not trades i'd make - they are at low value post 2 years of mismanaged injury. And at their best they are elite forwards.

Gotta be patient there. Forward line is bad enough as it is without trading our best talents out. Esp if we can get Stringer more in the middle

Would love 2020 to see Daniher, Fantasia and Stewart 100% fit, with Tippa and potentially Mozzie getting in there.

 

[HairyO]

We have ruined McGrath, he would be a decent player in a good system.
Agree with your second part though.
The stench permeates through the whole club though

Its the Tom Scully / Tom Boyd / Jack Watts effect.

Instant expectation and while he had a good 1st year, he didnt massively step up in the 2nd year. Compare him to Worpel who has gone through the roof this year. Pick 1 vs Pick 45.

It may well be in a few years McGrath is a handy half back flanker who spends time in the middle. If Worpel turned out to be a plodder he would not be attacked, given there was no expectation on him. Its all upside.

That said, its mindset as well. Cripps loses pretty much every week. Yet every week he is giving 100% and never, ever lowers his shoulders. Nathan Jones too.

Yet Essendon as an entire team goes missing.

 

[The 747]

They rate their list on how they perform when they are all playing at their best (see this thread and the EFC posters) not how they perform on average. You can see the vast disparity on the Trades board and see what they rate their players as in terms of value, it's wildly irrational.

So it becomes a search for the magic beans which will make all the players play their best every game, is that Knights? No. Is that Hird? YES! Oh wait that was PED's. Is that Bomber? YES but nah we want Hird back. Is that Hird? YES but not anymore. Is it Worsfold? No and on it goes.

Like the Pies first six years under Buckley, each year they "win" the trade period by bringing in AFL standard players who should make the best 22 better but the results don't show that. But coaches at Essendon who are not James Hird don't get the luxury of being backed in.

 

[citizen-erased]

Its the Tom Scully / Tom Boyd / Jack Watts effect.

Instant expectation and while he had a good 1st year, he didnt massively step up in the 2nd year. Compare him to Worpel who has gone through the roof this year. Pick 1 vs Pick 45.

It may well be in a few years McGrath is a handy half back flanker who spends time in the middle. If Worpel turned out to be a plodder he would not be attacked, given there was no expectation on him. Its all upside.

That said, its mindset as well. Cripps loses pretty much every week. Yet every week he is giving 100% and never, ever lowers his shoulders. Nathan Jones too.

Yet Essendon as an entire team goes missing.

Disagree. the sooner we get him on the ball, so he can replicate that U/18 form that saw him bolt up the rankings the better.
The flanker/PT mid role is what is holding him back.

Worpel reminds me of Clarke for us. Both drafted late. Both stepped into key roles needed by both sides this year.
The weight of expectation only comes for these guys after they start performing...though i will admit Worpel slid. A lot. I had him top 25 that year. Got so close to that first pick of ours. Cursed the hawks for taking him.

 

[citizen-erased]

They rate their list on how they perform when they are all playing at their best (see this thread and the EFC posters) not how they perform on average. You can see the vast disparity on the Trades board and see what they rate their players as in terms of value, it's wildly irrational.

So it becomes a search for the magic beans which will make all the players play their best every game, is that Knights? No. Is that Hird? YES! Oh wait that was PED's. Is that Bomber? YES but nah we want Hird back. Is that Hird? YES but not anymore. Is it Worsfold? No and on it goes.

Like the Pies first six years under Buckley, each year they "win" the trade period by bringing in AFL standard players who should make the best 22 better but the results don't show that. But coaches at Essendon who are not James Hird don't get the luxury of being backed in.

I'd argue Hird only lasted as long as he did because of the PED investigation.
2011 - made finals. Like Knights in his first year. And Woosha in his first year with all the players back
2012 - missed finals. Like Knights and Woosha
2013 & 2015 - he would have been up against it had the results not been a result of the investigation into the club.
And lets be honest, clubs can be loathe to sack ex-player legends once appointed coach...which was my misgiving when we appointed him
So that may have sustained him a little longer

But the "god complex" you insinuate is not there outside a few rabid-esque fans.
Hird had the same time Woosha has. And Woosha will likely spend an extra year at the club, if not more should 2020 prove more fruitful.

 

[PP34]

McGrath at number 1 in 2016 was also baffling. They already had Merrett, Heppell and Zaharakis on their list as outside mids, and McCluggage was comfortably the best prospect available.

Seemed like they jumped after GWS showed interest in taking him at number 2, not factoring in how different their list dynamics are, and the luxury they have in being able to cherry-pick early selections in areas of need.

Taranto the bigger miss I think. They have guys who can hurt teams on the outside, a big bodied mid like Taranto would have been perfect to complement.

Yes McGrath was seen as ready made for a side getting all its players back. But they just ignored two bigger bodies mids.

 

[branedotorg]

Taranto the bigger miss I think. They have guys who can hurt teams on the outside, a big bodied mid like Taranto would have been perfect to complement.

Yes McGrath was seen as ready made for a side getting all its players back. But they just ignored two bigger bodies mids.

isn't he cotchin/selwood/marc murphy sized? sam walsh sized? not that those guys aren't genuine inside mids but i think of cripps, sydney's kennedy, jarrod berry even the inbetween elliott yeo more 'beasts'

 

[RearNaked]

Tulla with a s**t list manager and an out of date coach one big bodied mid and a decent Ruck/backup while Draper develops. No more ******* flankers!

 

[Bald]

Begley could be that kid. Was drafted as an Oliver-type (though more speculative).
As could Stringer.
Both need the tank but they both have the size.

Hopper, Wines, Cogs - any would be great. Just don't have the currency to get them.

He's 26 next year. Far from career over but he's 'needed the tank' for 6-7 years nearly, just doesn't have the mindset.

 

[SSSSSS]

Middle of the road side with a middle of the road list. Bit of a nothing club.
Very little upside.

Might scrape the 8 but can't see them breaking their finals win drought any time soon.

 

[class78]

Spot on.
You looked much better with Dylan Clarke in the side. But you need another big bodied mid.
If I were the Bombers Id be targeting a Crouch brother. Ballarat boys. Might be a straight swap for Orazio.

didn't know essendon were based in ballarat? and tbh matt crouch was an all australian like two years ago and is still 24? idk if his trade value equates to orazio, who is quickly becoming pretty overhyped

 

[Judd2Sewell]

With their injury list it's no wonder they are looking average. The thumpings are indicative of a team down on confidence, poorly coached, suffering from a lack of leadership and most importantly a team missing key players.

Woosha is on this last legs and the team is just limping to the finish line. The injuries are catching up to them now.

As others have pointed out they desperately need a strong inside midfielder to compliment Zerrett and Shiels. They also desperately need Daniher back.

 

[Conca Cuddle]

I'm really surprised Essendon didn't draft a young mid bull last year to complement their midfield stocks, instead opting for a project player at pick 38 in Mosquito. From what I recall there were a few on the board in the 40's (Ross, Bytel)