Essendon's Next premiership

[Kong]

Pears has either broken even with or beaten the following "power forwards":

Fev, Brown, Riewoldt, Riewoldt, Tippett, Bradshaw, Pavlich, Roughead, Lynch.

 

[yaco55]

Pears has either broken even with or beaten the following "power forwards":

Fev, Brown, Riewoldt, Riewoldt, Tippett, Bradshaw, Pavlich, Roughead, Lynch.

Stand by my opinion that Hurley and Hooker have shown more as key backs.

Of that list only Fev, N.Riewoldt, Bradshaw, Pavlich and Roughhead our leading type power forwards.

 

[Kong]

I was kind of illustrating a point; you said "power forwards" and then listed two of the less physical, powerful examples.

"Power forwards" are the gorillas like Brown, Tredrea, Brereton, Carey etc.

Anyway, semantics.

In an ideal world, I'd have Hooker on the taller, mobile players like N Riewoldt, Buddy and Tippett; Pears on the smaller or more powerful forwards like Brown, Cloke and Pavlich.

 

[stay true]

I don't necessarily agree that Hooker has shown more than Pears. After his 2009, Pears was rated behind just Frawley as the best young key defenders in the game. Since then he's spent more than half the time injured. Hooker has been solid but the only thing he's got him covered in is games played.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Hooker has been solid but the only thing he's got him covered in is games played.

...2 whole games!

 

[HurleyTheFuture]

IMO, Pears is a bit overrated on performances to date - Hurley and Hooker have shown more as Key Backs.

Need to find the right match up for Pears - He is best suited to playing on tall forwards who strength is leading - Can struggle against big power forwards - who are strong at contested marking - Read Butcher/J.Riewoldt.

It is a matter of getting the match ups right - Hooker to take the forward who is strong at contested marking and Pears the tall forward who is the leading type.

He had a terrific 09 then hasnt been able to keep the body together

 

[yaco55]

I was kind of illustrating a point; you said "power forwards" and then listed two of the less physical, powerful examples.

"Power forwards" are the gorillas like Brown, Tredrea, Brereton, Carey etc.

Anyway, semantics.

In an ideal world, I'd have Hooker on the taller, mobile players like N Riewoldt, Buddy and Tippett; Pears on the smaller or more powerful forwards like Brown, Cloke and Pavlich.

Agree semantics.

Think the important thing is that the coaches hold their nerve - In a perfect world Hooker is more suited to CHB and Pears FB.

 

[Towno78]

Voted 2013.

People say we have no midfield, but it's already there in my opinion.

In two years, a midfield of Watson, Hocking, Zaharakis, Melksham, Heppell and Stanton will strike fear into the hearts of opposition clubs.

Yep. I don't think our midfield will be quite at the "strike fear into the hearts of opposition" level, but I certainly think it will be one of the better midfields and hopefully we can add 1 or 2 more players through the next 2 drafts/trading periods.

More importantly for me, I think by 2013 our key position stocks should really start mostering opposition regularly...
Ryder - 25 & ~140games
Hooker - 24 & ~70games
Pears - 23 & ~70games
Hurley - 22 & ~70games
Crameri - 24 & ~50games
TBell - 23 & ~45games
Carlisle - 21 & ~30games

I don't think you need the best midfield if you've got the best big men in the league, these guys should be thereabouts by then.

 

[mike14]

Unfortunatly I can't see it any time soon. Sure the planets may line up and we get over the line, but there's nothing in our list, game plan or current club culture that I can see helping us win the big one, at least not in the next half decade

 

[SirJimi05]

Yep. I don't think our midfield will be quite at the "strike fear into the hearts of opposition" level, but I certainly think it will be one of the better midfields and hopefully we can add 1 or 2 more players through the next 2 drafts/trading periods.

More importantly for me, I think by 2013 our key position stocks should really start mostering opposition regularly...
Ryder - 25 & ~140games
Hooker - 24 & ~70games
Pears - 23 & ~70games
Hurley - 22 & ~70games
Crameri - 24 & ~50games
TBell - 23 & ~45games
Carlisle - 21 & ~30games

I don't think you need the best midfield if you've got the best big men in the league, these guys should be thereabouts by then.

History suggests that 100+ is the key number so I'd say 2013 is a little premature.

2014-2015 we should start giving it a shake. Then we need to really on luck and a good run with injuries.

 

[Towno78]

History suggests that 100+ is the key number so I'd say 2013 is a little premature.

2014-2015 we should start giving it a shake. Then we need to really on luck and a good run with injuries.

Ryder's already there, and Hurley and Crameri have the physical attributes to dominate before 100. Hooker and Pears maybe as well if they get their bodies right this year.
Agree the other two are probably a little further off from dominating as key players, but I think as a group they will start looking pretty intimidating by 2013.

 

[Towno78]

People also tend to forget or ignore the reduced output from some players a year on. I agree that as a team we will be better next year, but nowhere near enough to compete with the top 4. Id say we'd have done well to finish in the top 8 again next year.

As I said before, with players like NLM, Davey, Hille, McVeigh, Quinn, Dyson, Welsh, Neagle and to some extent Jetta on the list we just wont compete at the next level. It will take 2/3 years minimum to turn these guys over unless James Hird and co. can work some magic at the trade/draft table.

Quinn, Dyson, Welsh and Neagle will all be gone this year.
Davey, Hille & McVeigh and possibly NLM will be gone next year. That's 1 year, not 2-3.