Essendon's Depth

[celtic_pride]

You can't possibly predict how Essendon will go in 2 years, a lot of things can happen in that time, not just retirement but recruitment.

With all this talk in different threads about how we are so bad and got a long season ahead of us is more in hope and wishfull thinking. like a lot of vultures fighting over a carcass.

Well all I think is that you are years away from winning another flag, perhaps further away than Carlton or the Kangas.
Sure the Bombers haven't had early picks but still, the players you have picked up don't appear to be impressive (well relatively speaking) compared to other clubs youth.

 

[don4eva]

That's because even in our bad seasons, we've managed to stay away from the bottom of the ladder unlike Carlton and St.Kilda.

 

[celtic_pride]

That's because even in our bad seasons, we've managed to stay away from the bottom of the ladder unlike Carlton and St.Kilda.

Well it seems these days, you have to fall down a bit before you can come back up.
If Essendon keep filling their lists with top-ups like Murphy and Zantuck and stop making room for decent young talent, then they are going to end up like Carlton in 2002.

 

[nonchalance]

Zantuck's 22, celticpride - are you suggesting there was decent, younger talent available in the PSD?
Murphy's clearly a top-up, but he was a trade for Cory McGrath, who will never be better than a bench player, and wasn't getting a game anyway.

The downside to having guys like Allan and Murphy in the side is not giving more gametime to the young blokes (Laycock and Dyson would probably take those two spots).
The upside is that we were two goals away from a Preliminary in a rebuilding year.

 

[Longy413]

Well it seems these days, you have to fall down a bit before you can come back up.
If Essendon keep filling their lists with top-ups like Murphy and Zantuck and stop making room for decent young talent, then they are going to end up like Carlton in 2002.

In the 2004 draft we drafted four rookies before we took Zantuck.
In the 2003 draft we also took four rookie before we took Allan (Murphy was a trade).

Zantuck is a 22 year old. That is young and he has talent.
We have a very young list. Murphy, Allan and Zantuck were all drafted to fill a need. Allan because it was decided that Laycock and Cartledge were not ready for AFL football, who can judge how much that has benifited the career and confidence of Jason Laycock, that he didn't have to play AFL when he simply wasn't ready for it.
Murphy was drafted because we had an obvious need for a skillfull midfielder. Stanton, Dyson, Winderlich etc weren't ready, and probably still aren't. These guys aren't taking the spots of talented youngsters. They are filling a requirement.

 

[don4eva]

celtic,

Laycock, Dyson, Stanton, Lovett and Thomas - give these kids a chance to prove themselves before you make comments like "make room for decent young talent."

coz i think these young guys have what it takes. they just need time to show it.

 

[celtic_pride]

Zantuck's 22, celticpride - are you suggesting there was decent, younger talent available in the PSD?
Murphy's clearly a top-up, but he was a trade for Cory McGrath, who will never be better than a bench player, and wasn't getting a game anyway.

The downside to having guys like Allan and Murphy in the side is not giving more gametime to the young blokes (Laycock and Dyson would probably take those two spots).
The upside is that we were two goals away from a Preliminary in a rebuilding year.

You might be right about Cory Mcgrath, but still Murphy was one a pretty big pay packet and we had to clear space for players like Stevens etc .
As for PSD, I'm glad Carlton picked up someone like Eddie Betts over a player like Trent Knobel or Zantuck, Zantuck's got talent, but he's head space is all messed up.
Not sure if Dyson is going to be a league player, Laycock needs more time, he looks pretty good admittedly but I think Sheedy is relcutant to play more kids from Essendon because A) they aren't ready yet or B) they aren't up to it.
I'm sure if they had their time again, Essendon would have chosen an young gun like Tenace over Kep Bradley, who is struggling at senior level, but admittedly big blokes take longer to develop.
Where Essendon have done well is trading early picks for a gun like Adam Mcphee and other players, but I think once Hird and Fletcher retire (this is Hird's last year most likely according to the papers) Essendon may really struggle.

 

[celtic_pride]

celtic,

Laycock, Dyson, Stanton, Lovett and Thomas - give these kids a chance to prove themselves before you make comments like "make room for decent young talent."

coz i think these young guys have what it takes. they just need time to show it.

Well maybe your right, although if the Bombers are hit by injuries, and they are thrown into the deep end, your team may struggle, on the other hand I could be wrong, but still the Bombers probably need to give them more game time this year I think.

 

[Longy413]

I'm sure if they had their time again, Essendon would have chosen an young gun like Tenace over Kep Bradley, who is struggling at senior level, but admittedly big blokes take longer to develop.

Kepler Bradley has played 5 games. He was good on Sunday, his courage was unquestionable. His attitude, he tenacity was fantastic. He has put on 8kg and he found a lot of the ball.

Winderlich, Alvey, Reynolds, Walsh (now gone), Bullen are young midfielders already on our list when we took Bradley ahead of Tenace.

Dyson, Stanton, Nash, Lovett were all taken in the same draft. That is a lot of young midfielders to carry on one list. We had an obvious need for a key position and took the best in the draft. Remember Kepler Bradley won the medal for the best player in the Under 18 carnival. We knew we would get Stanton at 13 who has been every bit as good as Tenace and experienced finals football.

KP players take longer to develop and we are very happy with the progress of Kepler. He will play more games this year than Tenace.

 

[Longy413]

Well maybe your right, although if the Bombers are hit by injuries, and they are thrown into the deep end, your team may struggle, on the other hand I could be wrong, but still the Bombers probably need to give them more game time this year I think.

If any team is hit by injuries (perhaps except Port) they will struggle.
Collingwood did last year after two grand finals. Brisbane and Sydney both lost with a similar amount of players out on the weekend as Essendon did.
St Kilda, Hawthorn have all had poor seasons in recent history with a big injury list.

 

[Ausgard]

If any team is hit by injuries (perhaps except Port) they will struggle.

And some teams don't even need to be hit by injuries

 

[nonchalance]

You might be right about Cory Mcgrath, but still Murphy was one a pretty big pay packet and we had to clear space for players like Stevens etc .

Oh, I know - Cory's exactly what you lot needed. A depth player who won't take up salary cap space. Win-win trade, that one - for both clubs and both players.

Longy's covered the other major points.
Just to enforce the Bradley thing, though - while we do have a weakness in terms of the midfield, we've got a lot of young pacy midfielders, some of whom should make it.
Our tall defense stocks, on the other hand, are in a bit of trouble. Lucas is a forward, Henneman and Hunt are poor at best, Solomon and McPhee are too short. Richards may or may not make it, and the other tall kids are forwards or ruckmen. As you noted, Fletcher can't have more than two or three years left.
Therefore, we seriously needed a young tall defender with some talent, and Bradley definitely has talent.

 

[Sports Capital]

Hope that Hird, Lloyd and the Johnno's stay fit!

I enjoyed what I saw of the baby Bombers tonight! should be an enjoyable season if that standard is maintained!

Blues have got a couple of crackers!

Oh its shocking isn't it McPie, losing in Feburary. Our season is over surely!

Look at it like this, take these players out of these clubs and you tell me how they'd go against a full strength opposition.

Adelaide: McLeod, Ricciuto, Clarke, Hart and Edwards.
Brisbane: Voss, Black, Brown, Power, Keating.
Carlton: Kouta, Lappin, Whitnall, Fevola and French.
Collingwood: Buckley, Rocca, Tarrant, Wakelin and Fraser.
Fremantle: Sandilands, Pavlich, Bell and Farmer.
Geelong: G. Ablett, King, Ottens, Scarlett and Ling.
Hawthorn: Spida, Crawf, Hodge, Mitchell and Holland.
Kangaroos: Simpson, Harvey, Archer, Rocca and Porter.
Melbourne: Neitz, White, Bizzel, Robertson and Yze.
Port: Tredrea, Primus, Francou, Wanganeen and Pickett.
Richmond: Richo, Brown, Gaspar, Coughlan and Stafford.
St. Kilda: Riedwolt, Hayes, Gehrig, Harvey and Hudghton.
Sydney: Hall, Goodes, Maxfield, Ball and Williams.
Doggies: West, Johnson, Grant, Smith and Darcy.
Eagles: Cousins, Judd, Gardiner, Matera and Sampi.

Explain to me how those teams would cope without those players playing against a full strength. Hell thats what we were missing.

 

[parrot]

Kepler Bradley has played 5 games. He was good on Sunday, his courage was unquestionable. His attitude, he tenacity was fantastic. He has put on 8kg and he found a lot of the ball.

Winderlich, Alvey, Reynolds, Walsh (now gone), Bullen are young midfielders already on our list when we took Bradley ahead of Tenace.

Dyson, Stanton, Nash, Lovett were all taken in the same draft. That is a lot of young midfielders to carry on one list. We had an obvious need for a key position and took the best in the draft. Remember Kepler Bradley won the medal for the best player in the Under 18 carnival. We knew we would get Stanton at 13 who has been every bit as good as Tenace and experienced finals football.

KP players take longer to develop and we are very happy with the progress of Kepler. He will play more games this year than Tenace.

Bradley looks like a Fletcher mark II. Lanky backman. Good mobility but poor flexibility and easily exposed at ground level. Has anyone else noticed, but he seems to tilt his head to one side. Strange. Would have thought a talented pacey midfielder like Tenace would have been a far better options for the Dons, because of their well documented lack of pace and lack of midfielders. I guess the temptation of a Fletcher clone was just too great for Sheedy. Suspect he's regreting his decision. This guy's no world-beater. Seemed frustrated and struggled against more talented opposition on Sunday.

 

[Sports Capital]

Good midfielders are a dime a dozen. Good talls, like Keps, are rare.

 

[Total Package]

Good midfielders are a dime a dozen. Good talls, like Keps, are rare.

If they are a dime a dozen why do you have Zero.

 

[parrot]

If they are a dime a dozen why do you have Zero.

A good, yet obvious question.

 

[Longy413]

Bradley looks like a Fletcher mark II. Lanky backman. Good mobility but poor flexibility and easily exposed at ground level. Has anyone else noticed, but he seems to tilt his head to one side. Strange. Would have thought a talented pacey midfielder like Tenace would have been a far better options for the Dons, because of their well documented lack of pace and lack of midfielders. I guess the temptation of a Fletcher clone was just too great for Sheedy. Suspect he's regreting his decision. This guy's no world-beater. Seemed frustrated and struggled against more talented opposition on Sunday.

The guy has played 5 games.

Easily exposed at ground level? I think you made that up. For a guy who is right on 200cm tall he is very good at ground level.

If we had of taken Tenace Geelong would have taken Bradley with the next pick. We got Stanton at 13, they ended up with Cameron Thurley.
Bradley and Stanton > Tenace and Thurley.

 

[nonchalance]

For the blind:

while we do have a weakness in terms of the midfield, we've got a lot of young pacy midfielders, some of whom should make it.
Our tall defense stocks, on the other hand, are in a bit of trouble. Lucas is a forward, Henneman and Hunt are poor at best, Solomon and McPhee are too short. Richards may or may not make it, and the other tall kids are forwards or ruckmen. As you noted, Fletcher can't have more than two or three years left.
Therefore, we seriously needed a young tall defender with some talent, and Bradley definitely has talent.

 

[Longy413]

If they are a dime a dozen why do you have Zero.

Meanwhile WCE are playing a half back flanker (a very talented one) at Full-Forward to cover their lack of Key Position players.

Very happy with the Kepler, Stanton, Dyson, Nash combination thanks.

 

[Total Package]

Meanwhile WCE are playing a half back flanker (a very talented one) at Full-Forward to cover their lack of Key Position players.

Very happy with the Kepler, Stanton, Dyson, Nash combination thanks.

A half back flanker??? Quentin Lynch is actually a full forward and played all his junior career and in fact even in the WAFL up until a year or so ago as a Forward... at 194cm and 104kg I'd hardly call him a back flanker.

 

[Longy413]

A half back flanker??? Quentin Lynch is actually a full forward and played all his junior career and in fact even in the WAFL up until a year or so ago as a Forward... at 194cm and 104kg I'd hardly call him a back flanker.

I was talking about Beau Waters. But nice to see you're rotating the entire 2004 Half Back line through the goal square.

 

[Daytripper]

Bradley looks like a Fletcher mark II. Lanky backman. Good mobility but poor flexibility and easily exposed at ground level. Has anyone else noticed, but he seems to tilt his head to one side. Strange. Would have thought a talented pacey midfielder like Tenace would have been a far better options for the Dons, because of their well documented lack of pace and lack of midfielders. I guess the temptation of a Fletcher clone was just too great for Sheedy. Suspect he's regreting his decision. This guy's no world-beater. Seemed frustrated and struggled against more talented opposition on Sunday.

You don't get players out of the draft for the next season. You pick them looking forward 4 to 5 years.

Bradley, Laycock etc were picked to cover the possible retirements of Hird and Fletcher. This is why Essendon is consistently able to remain a top 8 side as they are always planning ahead.

I see Hawthorn is following this approach too and I applaud them for that.

What is this well documented lack of pace ?????
As has been well illustrated on this thread, basically every team who has won a flag this century would not be considered a quick team.

Footballers win games of football, not runners. Otherwise every team would be full of David and Tim Clark's.

 

[dave_27]

lol, rejoicing over essendon losing a pre season game.

hadnt been on here in a long time but its still the same as when i was last on and that is that most supporters r obsessed with essendon, posters on here would rather watch essendon lose than their own side win, and dont we ********en love it!

we r the centre of the AFL, everything revolves around us. we r envied.

 

[doog. where's my car]

Kangaroos: Simpson, Harvey, Archer, Rocca and Porter.

hmm