Universal Love Optimism for 2019

[Runk]

Trust in John.

 

[DERO]

Dodoro reckons the list in the best shape it has been in since 2000. New recruit Joe Daniher should have immediate impact next year.

 

[Mootsy]

Definitely need a Mitchell type midfielder to come in, a player that just has no fear in the contest.

 

[Old Stuckup]

Add 2017 Daniher to this team and we beat the Hawks and possibly the Pies too.

 

[jmoo wan]

My mum tells me there is always next year and I just laugh I feel like I been saying that for 10 years haha

But dude- what if there was no next year?

 

[BomberTime]

I think this season has been more important than last year, we have discovered more about our players this year. Won our interstate trips and played some kids. Our MCG form is a huge concern and something they need to address. The defense and forward lines look settled. Midfield still have a couple of concerns but unless Dylan Shiel or Setterfield declare their interest in joining; I would be taking our top ten pick to the draft. I’d have a best 22 looking something like..

Gleeson Hooker Francis
McKenna Hurley Saad
Merrett Langford Smith
Stringer Daniher Baguley
Fantasia McKernan Tipungwuti
Bellchambers Heppell McGrath
Zaharakis Myers Guelfi Parish

Really need McGrath to start hitting his straps as a mid after an up and down year. Love to see him put some kgs and try him inside a bit more. Baguley has been great but I wonder if he can sustain it? It’s his position to lose though. What to do with Laverde too? Has the talent and tools. He could be a real difference in our team if he gets his body right. There are definitely spots in that 22 up for grabs; guys like Begley, Mutch, Redman and Clarke can elevate themselves with a good pre season.
An unpopular decision would be to look at what you would get for Zaharakis. You probably wouldn’t do as he is popular with the playing group but the guy needs to be doing more and standing up during big games like yesterday. 5 goals for the season is a poor return, he needs to do more with the ball.

 

[Jesse Custer]

But dude- what if there was no next year?

Dude, tomorrow never comes

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Like to see McGrath go permanent mid in his third year. You don’t use pick 1 for back pocket/flanker. Played better with Zaka and Parish out. So need to work out his role there.

Francis hasn’t done anything as yet to be considered best 22, understandable in a difficult year. Hhopefully steps up next season

 

[Maxabillions]

Since round 9 Richmond are 8 wins 3 losses with a percentage of 126.3

Since round 9 Essendon are 8 wins 3 losses with a percentage of 119.7

With Joe to come back and hopefully another inside mid I'd say 2019 is looking pretty good.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Same thread every year after another mediocre season.

Club needs to make some tough decisions and get 1 or 2 more players in.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Same thread every year after another mediocre season.

Club needs to make some tough decisions and get 1 or 2 more players in.

Yep enough is enough because i can tell you if we have another disapointing season again next year supporters will start to turn.

 

[citizen-erased]

Season was over before it got started. It's been a good run of late, but we are still a Jekyll and Hyde team.
The hawks game saw some very stupid, sloppy football return. It was an indictment on hawthorn on how much we scored and how close we got.

If Shiel indicates he wants to come to Vic, we need to do whatever we can to make him pick us.
We have some great ball movement from HB and through the middle, but outside Fanta, Dev & Stringer, too few go for the jugular and try to win games off their own boot. Hooker and Joey are the only other two i can think of.

Kind of glad we are missing finals. The feel good effort of losing convincingly in 2017 to the swans bothered me
It was a sense of mission accomplished, we're a good team.

 

[Shanghaistu]

Guys, I’m all for the enthusiasm for 2019 - but I’m also worried that the club overall might have become used to mediocrity and able to sell memberships and generate good finances regardless of on-field success. In big-picture terms, how did North, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Collingwood all go past us this year? Particularly Collingwood given all their injuries. We’ve done a lot as a club since the debacle of 2015 - 3 top 10 draft picks, new coaching and administration, unearthed and developed significant new talent and even the “SSS” recruiting coup - but we only got from 15th to 11th on the ladder in those 3 years. Really hope we can break the ‘mediocrity hold’ next year and finally make September relevance a reality.

 

[jmoo wan]

Yep enough is enough because i can tell you if we have another disapointing season again next year supporters will start to turn.

supporters already turn back and forth several times a week, on this very board.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Yeah I'm not feeling it. This year has been an utter failure and I think it'll be a while before I'm feeling optimistic again.

The stats since round 9 (or whatever it is) just annoy me. So what? It doesn't mean anything. We know our best is great but it's just that - it doesn't mean anything. You can have a great quarter or game or month. It doesn't matter. You have to have a great season. You have to win enough games (say, 15 or whatever) to put you in the top 4 to have a shot at it.

Of course every team has a poor week or game every so often. That's footy. But have a poor month, or longer, like we did? That's it. Your season's over.

Until and unless they are able to put together a full season of quality footy then we're going nowhere. I saw no sign of that this year. If anything, it's been the opposite.

We have a good win, are going well, and come to a game against a poor opponent that we should win... will we perform professionally and put in the required performance to just win it? Or will we take our foot off the gas?

We have a poor week and lose. Do we know how to address it and arrest it immediately and turn it around by the next weekend? Or will it linger for weeks on end and before we know it, our season's over? Do the leaders know how to do that? I see nothing that says they do.

We're good when things are going well and we fold when faced with adversity or a lack of motivation. It's the same each year.

For me the best thing the club has done is years was in late 2015 when they sat down and did a proper, considered strategic plan. Because that gave us a map rather than just "we'll do our best every year".

http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL Tenant/Essendon/Images/2015 Strategic Plan Presentation.pdf

Among the usual optimism or whatever there is each off-season, this calmly lit a way forward and had us Top 4 by 2018. It was more than reasonable.

So we've failed. Why? Do we know why? Will it be acknowledged and addressed?

 

[citizen-erased]

Guys, I’m all for the enthusiasm for 2019 - but I’m also worried that the club overall might have become used to mediocrity and able to sell memberships and generate good finances regardless of on-field success. In big-picture terms, how did North, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Collingwood all go past us this year? Particularly Collingwood given all their injuries. We’ve done a lot as a club since the debacle of 2015 - 3 top 10 draft picks, new coaching and administration, unearthed and developed significant new talent and even the “SSS” recruiting coup - but we only got from 15th to 11th on the ladder in those 3 years. Really hope we can break the ‘mediocrity hold’ next year and finally make September relevance a reality.

All of those teams are coached to win. Little things done right as a unit.

With the exception of Melbourne, who i think have an excellent list, we should be ahead of all those teams.
Whilst we have talent in our backline, we defend poorly. That's the difference.

Too many of our defenders are getting ready for the receive and rebound run, rather than focusing on locking the ball down and making sure no one is free to get cheap goals.

Pretty clear our Plan A is outscore the opposition, rather than stop them scoring.
That's fine, and great as a spectacle, but the second our forward line is nullified, we're screwed.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

All of those teams are coached to win. Little things done right as a unit.

With the exception of Melbourne, who i think have an excellent list, we should be ahead of all those teams.
Whilst we have talent in our backline, we defend poorly. That's the difference.

Too many of our defenders are getting ready for the receive and rebound run, rather than focusing on locking the ball down and making sure no one is free to get cheap goals.

Pretty clear our Plan A is outscore the opposition, rather than stop them scoring.
That's fine, and great as a spectacle, but the second our forward line is nullified, we're screwed.

Worsfold really needs a good tatictian at his side hoping the club is going hard for Caracella

 

[citizen-erased]

Worsfold really needs a good tatictian at his side hoping the club is going hard for Caracella

I feel this is where we need to focus our efforts.
A senior assistant to fill the Neeld/McKenna void.
A look at our fitness crew and the injury crisis/decision making we have on injured players.

By and large, don't mind our list. Happy to trade/draft to add depth or improve a few spots in the best 22.
But right now, i don't see a gaping hole in our side.

 

[doug85]

Yep enough is enough because i can tell you if we have another disapointing season again next year supporters will start to turn.

When supporters “turn”, what does that actually mean? Other than just bagging the club on the internet.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

When supporters “turn”, what does that actually mean? Other than just bagging the club on the internet.

Another disapointing season next year and the media vultures will circle the club and it won't be supporters on the internet baying for blood only.

 

[Knox Harrington]

Dude, tomorrow never comes

if tomorrow never comes, will essendon know how much I love them?

 

[Eleven 38]

Dude, tomorrow never comes

Dammit, I just saw a sign saying "free beer tomorrow" outside a pub.

 

[Doss]

When supporters “turn”, what does that actually mean? Other than just bagging the club on the internet.

Nothing.

 

[SherbertLemon]

To be honest the only time I’ve ever been truly excited post our early 2000 season was last year.

I was pissed at the start of this year because I knew we were better than that.

Thankfully I was right. However it was an empty feeling because I had figured we’d destroyed our finals hopes. Which we had. You can’t lose to Carlton and expect to have a shot at the 8.

I have high expectations for this group. Call me a fool, I’m excited for the next 4 years.

 

[Maxabillions]

Yeah I'm not feeling it. This year has been an utter failure and I think it'll be a while before I'm feeling optimistic again.

The stats since round 9 (or whatever it is) just annoy me. So what? It doesn't mean anything. We know our best is great but it's just that - it doesn't mean anything. You can have a great quarter or game or month. It doesn't matter. You have to have a great season. You have to win enough games (say, 15 or whatever) to put you in the top 4 to have a shot at it.

Of course every team has a poor week or game every so often. That's footy. But have a poor month, or longer, like we did? That's it. Your season's over.

Until and unless they are able to put together a full season of quality footy then we're going nowhere. I saw no sign of that this year. If anything, it's been the opposite.

We have a good win, are going well, and come to a game against a poor opponent that we should win... will we perform professionally and put in the required performance to just win it? Or will we take our foot off the gas?

We have a poor week and lose. Do we know how to address it and arrest it immediately and turn it around by the next weekend? Or will it linger for weeks on end and before we know it, our season's over? Do the leaders know how to do that? I see nothing that says they do.

We're good when things are going well and we fold when faced with adversity or a lack of motivation. It's the same each year.

For me the best thing the club has done is years was in late 2015 when they sat down and did a proper, considered strategic plan. Because that gave us a map rather than just "we'll do our best every year".

http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL Tenant/Essendon/Images/2015 Strategic Plan Presentation.pdf

Among the usual optimism or whatever there is each off-season, this calmly lit a way forward and had us Top 4 by 2018. It was more than reasonable.

So we've failed. Why? Do we know why? Will it be acknowledged and addressed?

Do you recall anything happening in early 2016 that might have caused a bit of disruption to that plan?

If we achieve top 4 in 2019, which I think we're capable of, then I'd say being only a year behind schedule is a pretty good result.