Moved Thread Five years on: are Essendon in a good place?

[JayJ20]

And you finished last in 2016.....Because?

Because of the WADA bans. Either we're punished only after the WADA ban or the punishment is brought forward so that we're kicked out of the 2013 finals campaign. The AFL chose the second option.

 

[Stopher]

And you finished last in 2016.....Because?

We had thew fewest points of all teams in the league. Do keep up.

 

[juss]

I think the saga certainly woke us up as a club. We were still in the "we'll win because we're Essendon" mindset.

We've done things right since then.


We are


Go ahead

Youve done what you had to do since then. Helped a lot by a number 1 draft pick that eventuated to a list that was better than wooden spooners.

 

[TRAWP]

I said from day dot, Essendons players were the only people punished in this whole event. The club benefited, look at all the blooded rookies, stars they've discovered, draft picks and what was hit for the club? Financials, for one of the most financial clubs?

 

[The Goon]

In a great place off-field.
Time will tell on-field but Saad, Smith and Stringer are pretty handy pick ups (if the latter gets his head together). McGrath looks the goods too. Add these to their established A's and B's and I wouldn't be surprised if they shook some teams in September.

Will be known as drug cheats for at least the next decade though. You'd want to win a premiership to put up with that as a supporter.

 

[Power Raid]

great marketing.

 

[JayJ20]

Youve done what you had to do since then. Helped a lot by a number 1 draft pick that eventuated to a list that was better than wooden spooners.

Hang on. I thought that we had a bottom 4 list before the bans because we finished bottom 4 in 2015? That's what everyone was saying on here.

We're one of only a few Victorian clubs that never got a priority pick, so I'll take the pick we got for actually finishing last. Remember when the AFL was handing out top 3 picks to Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond and Melbourne? That's actually a gift

 

[MaddAdam]

I will never understand how they got gifted a number 1 pick for basically cheating

The AFL did penalize them very heavily - heaviest ever penalties - in 2013, including loss of draft picks.

The punishment did have to stop at some point.

 

[tigertigertiger]

Hang on. I thought that we had a bottom 4 list before the bans because we finished bottom 4 in 2015? That's what everyone was saying on here.

We're one of only a few Victorian clubs that never got a priority pick, so I'll take the pick we got for actually finishing last. Remember when the AFL was handing out top 3 picks to Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond and Melbourne? That's actually a gift

when was Richmond "handed" a top 3 pick outside of the rules?

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

Hang on. I thought that we had a bottom 4 list before the bans because we finished bottom 4 in 2015? That's what everyone was saying on here.

We're one of only a few Victorian clubs that never got a priority pick, so I'll take the pick we got for actually finishing last. Remember when the AFL was handing out top 3 picks to Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond and Melbourne? That's actually a gift

You got a priority pick for finishing second last.

Leroy Jetta in 2006.

 

[Percel]

If i was a bombers fan heading to the G this season, id be hopeful and chuffed to be where they are.

 

[Stopher]

You got a priority pick for finishing second last.

Leroy Jetta in 2006.

Yep, a year after Collingwood got 2 x top 5 picks for the same thing. Even when we got handouts, we were still dudded!

 

[MaddAdam]

I think the saga certainly woke us up as a club. We were still in the "we'll win because we're Essendon" mindset.

Agreed that the wake up call was certainly needed.

Do you reckon the mentality will stay "woke" though? I reckon after you win a flag it will go back to the old Essendon mindset pretty quickly. Plenty never lost that.

 

[JayJ20]

You got a priority pick for finishing second last.

Leroy Jetta in 2006.

You mean an end of first round? I'm talking about the priority picks at the start of the first round that teams got for winning less than 4 games. Heck we missed out on players like Pendlebury back in the 2005 draft because Hawthorn, Collingwood and Carlton got a start of first round priority pick.

when was Richmond "handed" a top 3 pick outside of the rules?

Brett Deledio was a priority pick. Our number 1 pick wasn't a priority pick, nor is it outside of the rules

 

[MaddAdam]

I said from day dot, Essendons players were the only people punished in this whole event. The club benefited, look at all the blooded rookies, stars they've discovered, draft picks and what was hit for the club? Financials, for one of the most financial clubs?

Hird and Evans went from top the world to pretty shitty (in a footy sense)

Evans was a definite for the Commission and being lined up to chair it, that's gone now.

Hird is flogging choccy bars at Northland when before it all he also had the world at his feet.

 

[MaddAdam]

In a great place off-field.
Time will tell on-field but Saad, Smith and Stringer are pretty handy pick ups (if the latter gets his head together). McGrath looks the goods too. Add these to their established A's and B's and I wouldn't be surprised if they shook some teams in September.

Will be known as drug cheats for at least the next decade though. You'd want to win a premiership to put up with that as a supporter.

Longer than that, I'd say 30 - 40 years at least. There's a generation of kids who grew up coming of footy age with them as the drug cheat club. That stuff sticks.

 

[DapperJong]

I've never quite witnessed an obsession such as this.

 

[Oscarman]

In a good place. Has been an interesting path they have taken to get there.

 

[Beerfish]

Do you reckon the mentality will stay "woke" though? I reckon after you win a flag it will go back to the old Essendon mindset pretty quickly. Plenty never lost that.

Easy fella. Let's cross that bridge when we get to it eh?

 

[Beerfish]

Longer than that, I'd say 30 - 40 years at least. There's a generation of kids who grew up coming of footy age with them as the drug cheat club. That stuff sticks.

On figbooty maybe. Most people have already moved on irl.

 

[JayJ20]

On figbooty maybe. Most people have already moved on irl.

Mostly on the Carlton, The North Melbourne Football Club Established 1869 and Hawthorne boards though.

 

[MaddAdam]

Easy fella. Let's cross that bridge when we get to it eh?

Oh it will happen. The sooner it is, the more it will be painted as a "redemption flag" which will be gut churning. If it isn't for a while yet, and there's nobody on the list or coaching associated with the doping stuff, then it will be different.

 

[MaddAdam]

On figbooty maybe. Most people have already moved on irl.

Yeah, which is why people still crap on about "rooting the vice captain's wife" for North, or a drug culture for West Coast or many other examples.

The drug cheats thing will be with Essendon for a generation yet.

 

[MaddAdam]

Mostly on the Carlton, The North Melbourne Football Club Established 1869 and Hawthorne boards though.

Yep, you'd expect certain clubs to hold it dearer than others. All clubs do it for the clubs they love to hate.

 

[Beerfish]

Oh it will happen. The sooner it is, the more it will be painted as a "redemption flag" which will be gut churning. If it isn't for a while yet, and there's nobody on the list or coaching associated with the doping stuff, then it will be different.

Not sure where it's coming from but I wish I had your confidence. Flags are pretty hard to win even when you're going okay. You of all people should know this given North's recent history.