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Debutant
one fairly apt appraisal from afl.com.au (for those too lazy to browse across)
Essendon's 2005 report card
Wednesday 7 September 2005
Jason Phelan
Exclusive to afl.com.au
2005 record and ladder position: 8 wins, 14 losses - 13th
2004 record and ladder position: 13 wins, 11 losses - 6th
What went right: In a season where the club finished 13th with eight wins, not a lot went right, but Bomber fans will take heart from the promising crop of youngsters that showed they will be part of a bright future at Windy Hill.
Kevin Sheedy showed what a powerful tool the rookie list can be by introducing Andrew Lovett and Nathan Lovett-Murray who combined for an unheard of total of 37 games and displayed great poise under pressure. After 15 starts in his debut season, Brent Stanton added another 19 and put in a string of eye-catching performances, while fellow youngsters Kepler Bradley, Ricky Dyson, Angus Monfries and Jason Laycock all took giant strides in the right direction.
After a career-threatening hip injury, key position prospect Courtney Johns was finally able to get on the park. He made his AFL debut and played three games, but more significantly looks set to tackle a full pre-season for the first time.
What went wrong: Essendon's biggest problem this year was inconsistency. The Bombers just couldn't be counted on to put in a solid, even performance from one week to the next and failed to put two wins together for the entire season as a result. It's not that the players didn't want to put in the effort; they just couldn't because a constant stream of injuries meant the selection table was more of a revolving door with the make-up of the team in a constant state of flux. Scott Lucas and the Johnson boys were the only players to appear in all 22 home-and-away games.
The loss of Matthew Allan and Adam Ramanauskas to long-term knee injuries was compounded by the who's who of Bomber stars whose time spent on the sidelines robbed the team of continuity. The absence of Allan shifted the bulk of the rucking burden onto David Hille, but even he was absent from the side for nine games, leaving Jason Laycock and Tristan Cartledge to battle it out with seasoned ruckmen too early in their football development. However, Laycock in particular, showed some good signs.
At season's end, Essendon ranked 15th in hit-outs and allowed the most hit-outs by the opposition of any team in the competition. This severely hampered their onballers' efforts to clear the ball from stoppages.
Compounding the Bombers' injury woes was the failure of a host of players with significant time at AFL level to show continued improvement and cement themselves as quality AFL players. Among those who spent 2005 treading water were Jason Winderlich, Jobe Watson, Mark Alvey, Ty Zantuck, Justin Murphy, Sam Hunt, Damian Cupido, Marc Bullen and Ben Haynes. With that amount of players underperforming the pressure for those in the senior side to play well and hold their spot was simply non-existent.
Who stepped up: Brent Stanton. Drafted with pick 13 in the 2003 NAB Draft, the pacy winger was supposed to take some time to develop, but played 15 games in his debut year as he studiously went about learning his craft. His second year at Windy Hill was a quantum leap ahead and he showed – especially in the second half of the season – that he will be a cornerstone of the Bombers' midfield for years to come. Underlined his burgeoning talent with a 25-disposal, 10-mark, and two-goal display against Collingwood in round 16.
Missing in action: Cupido and Justin Murphy. While there were several players who puzzled fans with their inability to make progress this year, the apparent lack of interest shown by these two at times was astounding. Both are blessed with oodles of natural talent, but appear unwilling or unable to make the most of their gifts.
Cupido's lackadaisical attitude towards training earned him the very public ire of Kevin Sheedy back in April when the coach demanded a marked lift intensity if he was to continue in the red-and-black next season. Played nine games after that outburst, but it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to stay at Windy Hill.
After promising early-season form, Murphy finished the year at Bendigo and at 29 years of age would struggle to find a fifth AFL club to continue his career with if the Bombers let him go. The talented utility was little more than an empty guernsey against Hawthorn in round 20 – finishing with six disposals - in his last game before being dropped and even received the Bronx cheers of a Bomber faithful that has grown tired of his wasteful ways late in the game.
Rising Star: Lovett. There's a lot to like about the way this guy goes about his football because it hasn't been an easy road to the AFL for him. Overlooked in the draft after playing with the Northern Knights in the U18s, Lovett went west and played with East Perth in 2003 before earning a spot on the Bombers' rookie list in 2004. He was retained on that list in 2005, but received his big break when he was elevated to the senior list early in the year after Andrew Lee went onto the long-term injury list.
A self-confessed "lazy footballer" in his early years, Lovett has turned his career around with a work ethic that is beyond reproach and he is finally starting to reap the rewards.
Lovett announced his arrival with 20 possessions, seven marks and two goals in the Anzac Day clash against Collingwood which saw him awarded the Anzac Medal for best afield in only his third game.
He played every game for the rest of the season and delighted fans with his blistering pace. Has cemented his spot and look for even bigger things from him in the future.
Best win: The Bombers' biggest win of the season was their merciless 99-point pummelling of Carlton in round 21, but their best win of the year was the round 13 triumph over St Kilda at Telstra Dome.
With their season balanced on a knife edge with a 4-8 record, the Dons would require eight wins from their last 10 games to participate in the finals and they gave their fans hope with a barnstorming 15-point win. Essendon went toe-to-toe with the Saints, but trailed by 15 points midway through the third quarter and it looked like the Bombers were just going to wander off quietly into the night.
However, they dug deep and showed heartening mental toughness to put on a five-goal burst and reclaim a lead which was challenged for the rest of the match, but never surrendered. Murphy played like everyone knew he could, setting up the play from half-back in a commanding 30-disposal performance, Stanton offered a glimpse of his prodigious talent with 25 touches and Lovett (19 possessions) made several eye-catching runs out of defence.
Worst defeat: This one's a tough call. The Bombers limped to their seventh loss in 11 games when the Crows put them to the sword to the tune of 88 points in Adelaide. There's no disputing the Dons were bad that night, but arguably their worst defeat came directly after their best win of the year.
Having restored hope with a gutsy and determined effort against the Saints, the Bombers surrendered without a yelp against the Kangaroos in round 14 at Telstra Dome and continued the frustrating trend of following each hard-fought win with a defeat. The young stars that had shone so brightly the week before were unable to repeat the dose and the older heads just couldn't carry the load.
The team spirit and spark of excitement in evidence just seven days earlier was nowhere to be seen and while the Bombers were still a mathematical chance to make the finals, they showed they wouldn't be there in September with their soulless performance in that 42-point defeat.
Shopping list: The Bombers desperately need to shore up their defence and it wouldn't surprise if a big centre half-back prospect is the first cab off the rank on draft day. Injuries to Dustin Fletcher and Adam McPhee forced Sheedy to rob Peter to pay Paul and send Lucas down back at times throughout the year and the Dons would love to have more cover at the key defensive posts.
Despite his decision to play on next year, James Hird is in the twilight of his career and will not have to same impact as in years past, so while we're at it, add the discovery of a new Hird - who is basically irreplaceable - to Sheedy's list of things to do during the off-season.
What the coach says:
"I think that we made the decision at the halfway mark or before that we would plough as many games into our under 23 side as we could. And that's basically Lovett-Murray, Lovett, Ted Richards, those sorts. And I think we did that," Sheedy said.
"Otherwise you keep going around in circles and you keep coming eighth, seventh, sixth.
"If we get the pre-season right I think we could have an exciting year."
What we say: Despite a long injury list, a losing record and no finals appearance the Bombers - unlike some others (I'm looking at you Carlton, Hawthorn and Collingwood!) - were able to maintain a reasonable level of competitiveness while blooding a host of promising youngsters this year.
With some shrewd drafting, maybe a trade or two and continued player development the Dons won't be too far off being legitimate premiership contenders once again.
Essendon's 2005 report card
Wednesday 7 September 2005
Jason Phelan
Exclusive to afl.com.au
2005 record and ladder position: 8 wins, 14 losses - 13th
2004 record and ladder position: 13 wins, 11 losses - 6th
What went right: In a season where the club finished 13th with eight wins, not a lot went right, but Bomber fans will take heart from the promising crop of youngsters that showed they will be part of a bright future at Windy Hill.
Kevin Sheedy showed what a powerful tool the rookie list can be by introducing Andrew Lovett and Nathan Lovett-Murray who combined for an unheard of total of 37 games and displayed great poise under pressure. After 15 starts in his debut season, Brent Stanton added another 19 and put in a string of eye-catching performances, while fellow youngsters Kepler Bradley, Ricky Dyson, Angus Monfries and Jason Laycock all took giant strides in the right direction.
After a career-threatening hip injury, key position prospect Courtney Johns was finally able to get on the park. He made his AFL debut and played three games, but more significantly looks set to tackle a full pre-season for the first time.
What went wrong: Essendon's biggest problem this year was inconsistency. The Bombers just couldn't be counted on to put in a solid, even performance from one week to the next and failed to put two wins together for the entire season as a result. It's not that the players didn't want to put in the effort; they just couldn't because a constant stream of injuries meant the selection table was more of a revolving door with the make-up of the team in a constant state of flux. Scott Lucas and the Johnson boys were the only players to appear in all 22 home-and-away games.
The loss of Matthew Allan and Adam Ramanauskas to long-term knee injuries was compounded by the who's who of Bomber stars whose time spent on the sidelines robbed the team of continuity. The absence of Allan shifted the bulk of the rucking burden onto David Hille, but even he was absent from the side for nine games, leaving Jason Laycock and Tristan Cartledge to battle it out with seasoned ruckmen too early in their football development. However, Laycock in particular, showed some good signs.
At season's end, Essendon ranked 15th in hit-outs and allowed the most hit-outs by the opposition of any team in the competition. This severely hampered their onballers' efforts to clear the ball from stoppages.
Compounding the Bombers' injury woes was the failure of a host of players with significant time at AFL level to show continued improvement and cement themselves as quality AFL players. Among those who spent 2005 treading water were Jason Winderlich, Jobe Watson, Mark Alvey, Ty Zantuck, Justin Murphy, Sam Hunt, Damian Cupido, Marc Bullen and Ben Haynes. With that amount of players underperforming the pressure for those in the senior side to play well and hold their spot was simply non-existent.
Who stepped up: Brent Stanton. Drafted with pick 13 in the 2003 NAB Draft, the pacy winger was supposed to take some time to develop, but played 15 games in his debut year as he studiously went about learning his craft. His second year at Windy Hill was a quantum leap ahead and he showed – especially in the second half of the season – that he will be a cornerstone of the Bombers' midfield for years to come. Underlined his burgeoning talent with a 25-disposal, 10-mark, and two-goal display against Collingwood in round 16.
Missing in action: Cupido and Justin Murphy. While there were several players who puzzled fans with their inability to make progress this year, the apparent lack of interest shown by these two at times was astounding. Both are blessed with oodles of natural talent, but appear unwilling or unable to make the most of their gifts.
Cupido's lackadaisical attitude towards training earned him the very public ire of Kevin Sheedy back in April when the coach demanded a marked lift intensity if he was to continue in the red-and-black next season. Played nine games after that outburst, but it remains to be seen whether he has done enough to stay at Windy Hill.
After promising early-season form, Murphy finished the year at Bendigo and at 29 years of age would struggle to find a fifth AFL club to continue his career with if the Bombers let him go. The talented utility was little more than an empty guernsey against Hawthorn in round 20 – finishing with six disposals - in his last game before being dropped and even received the Bronx cheers of a Bomber faithful that has grown tired of his wasteful ways late in the game.
Rising Star: Lovett. There's a lot to like about the way this guy goes about his football because it hasn't been an easy road to the AFL for him. Overlooked in the draft after playing with the Northern Knights in the U18s, Lovett went west and played with East Perth in 2003 before earning a spot on the Bombers' rookie list in 2004. He was retained on that list in 2005, but received his big break when he was elevated to the senior list early in the year after Andrew Lee went onto the long-term injury list.
A self-confessed "lazy footballer" in his early years, Lovett has turned his career around with a work ethic that is beyond reproach and he is finally starting to reap the rewards.
Lovett announced his arrival with 20 possessions, seven marks and two goals in the Anzac Day clash against Collingwood which saw him awarded the Anzac Medal for best afield in only his third game.
He played every game for the rest of the season and delighted fans with his blistering pace. Has cemented his spot and look for even bigger things from him in the future.
Best win: The Bombers' biggest win of the season was their merciless 99-point pummelling of Carlton in round 21, but their best win of the year was the round 13 triumph over St Kilda at Telstra Dome.
With their season balanced on a knife edge with a 4-8 record, the Dons would require eight wins from their last 10 games to participate in the finals and they gave their fans hope with a barnstorming 15-point win. Essendon went toe-to-toe with the Saints, but trailed by 15 points midway through the third quarter and it looked like the Bombers were just going to wander off quietly into the night.
However, they dug deep and showed heartening mental toughness to put on a five-goal burst and reclaim a lead which was challenged for the rest of the match, but never surrendered. Murphy played like everyone knew he could, setting up the play from half-back in a commanding 30-disposal performance, Stanton offered a glimpse of his prodigious talent with 25 touches and Lovett (19 possessions) made several eye-catching runs out of defence.
Worst defeat: This one's a tough call. The Bombers limped to their seventh loss in 11 games when the Crows put them to the sword to the tune of 88 points in Adelaide. There's no disputing the Dons were bad that night, but arguably their worst defeat came directly after their best win of the year.
Having restored hope with a gutsy and determined effort against the Saints, the Bombers surrendered without a yelp against the Kangaroos in round 14 at Telstra Dome and continued the frustrating trend of following each hard-fought win with a defeat. The young stars that had shone so brightly the week before were unable to repeat the dose and the older heads just couldn't carry the load.
The team spirit and spark of excitement in evidence just seven days earlier was nowhere to be seen and while the Bombers were still a mathematical chance to make the finals, they showed they wouldn't be there in September with their soulless performance in that 42-point defeat.
Shopping list: The Bombers desperately need to shore up their defence and it wouldn't surprise if a big centre half-back prospect is the first cab off the rank on draft day. Injuries to Dustin Fletcher and Adam McPhee forced Sheedy to rob Peter to pay Paul and send Lucas down back at times throughout the year and the Dons would love to have more cover at the key defensive posts.
Despite his decision to play on next year, James Hird is in the twilight of his career and will not have to same impact as in years past, so while we're at it, add the discovery of a new Hird - who is basically irreplaceable - to Sheedy's list of things to do during the off-season.
What the coach says:
"I think that we made the decision at the halfway mark or before that we would plough as many games into our under 23 side as we could. And that's basically Lovett-Murray, Lovett, Ted Richards, those sorts. And I think we did that," Sheedy said.
"Otherwise you keep going around in circles and you keep coming eighth, seventh, sixth.
"If we get the pre-season right I think we could have an exciting year."
What we say: Despite a long injury list, a losing record and no finals appearance the Bombers - unlike some others (I'm looking at you Carlton, Hawthorn and Collingwood!) - were able to maintain a reasonable level of competitiveness while blooding a host of promising youngsters this year.
With some shrewd drafting, maybe a trade or two and continued player development the Dons won't be too far off being legitimate premiership contenders once again.
