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I reckon they will be anywhere from 8-14. Lack class and real depth. Daniher still not training. IMO Juddy is fairly accurate

Absolute rubbish. They’ve got more class than most clubs in the league. Depth is interesting, but given they’ve hit the draft fairly hard the best 3-4 years they’re still creating the right mix.

8-14 is optimistic. 5-10 is my guess.
 
Nothing about what you’ve said is substantial.

You’ve said they lack class everywhere, which is the opposite side of the same coin. Every team has classy players and workers, you can’t have a 22 full of X-factor players, which Essendon actually have in abundance. They need more toilers.

So they’re just ‘comparably old’, which is flimsy at best. They’ve got very few players (if any) over 30 in their best 22. They’re just about at the prime age. Bring especially young doesn’t make a team good. Their age profile reflects the upward trajectory they were on before the supplements scandal, when they had a good spread of developing talent. This is effectively their second push after spending a few years resetting (although not by choice).

You can not rate their players all you want, but Daniher is an All-Australian and Hurley has 2 AA’s. Regardless how you weight these attributions, they are clearly quality players for their position. Getting Daniher fit is their main concern at the moment.

Again, taking one game and trying to use it as illustrative is always reductive and I’ll-advised. They managed to beat all of West Coast, Geelong, GWS and Sydney last year. Week-to-week consistency is a far better explanation for their lapses, which were mostly early on in the season.

I am not basing my opinion on the fact that we beat them. I am saying how we have beaten them for several years is something to be looked at.

they may be in their 'prime' but if you are not good even your 'prime years' wont be great.

Upward trajectory, they haven't played finals since when? last time they won a final was over 14 years ago.

Being young doesn't make you good, but there is a lot of room for development, being older less room for development and lower ceiling.

No class anywhere = no class on every line... lack class everywhere = gaping holes in most lines.

Every year I hear tripe about this time saying Essendon will have a great year. Then every year there is the same story they under preformed.

Having a few talented players who do not play as a team does not make them a good club.

10 times out of 10 I would take our list vs theirs.

As SOS stated easy to build a team that can sit in the middle of the table, which is what they have.

They are not flag contenders this year and next year the list gets older and will still be 'underperforming'
 
:cool: The Coniglios are a big wealthy family well known in construction circles in Perth..... Just sayin.
see how he feels waking up with his favourite nailbag dead in the bed.....
 
I am not basing my opinion on the fact that we beat them. I am saying how we have beaten them for several years is something to be looked at.

they may be in their 'prime' but if you are not good even your 'prime years' wont be great.

Upward trajectory, they haven't played finals since when? last time they won a final was over 14 years ago.

Being young doesn't make you good, but there is a lot of room for development, being older less room for development and lower ceiling.

No class anywhere = no class on every line... lack class everywhere = gaping holes in most lines.

Every year I hear tripe about this time saying Essendon will have a great year. Then every year there is the same story they under preformed.

Having a few talented players who do not play as a team does not make them a good club.

10 times out of 10 I would take our list vs theirs.

As SOS stated easy to build a team that can sit in the middle of the table, which is what they have.

They are not flag contenders this year and next year the list gets older and will still be 'underperforming'

I'm not quoting this to agree with you, just in the wish I hope you are 100% correct.
 

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I'm not quoting this to agree with you, just in the wish I hope you are 100% correct.
I'll take it.

I am not a football prophet and can only base it off what I see. And the answer in regards to Essendon is not much.

With out list, Potential (and bucket loads of it).

I could be wrong, but I doubt it. ;)
 
Absolute rubbish. They’ve got more class than most clubs in the league. Depth is interesting, but given they’ve hit the draft fairly hard the best 3-4 years they’re still creating the right mix.

8-14 is optimistic. 5-10 is my guess.

Not rubbish. My opinion. Time will tell. I don't rate their list. I think it is very middle ground. I believe they have a group of good players but fall away and lack absolute elite talent. I think Heppell & Hurley are very good but not elite and Merrett needs to prove he can't get easily shut out in games. McGrath is good but I'm not convinced he is any more. Francis could be top end? Daniher is really talented but has serious injury concerns

We will win a flag or several way before they do
 
Not rubbish. My opinion. Time will tell. I don't rate their list. I think it is very middle ground. I believe they have a group of good players but fall away and lack absolute elite talent. I think Heppell & Hurley are very good but not elite and Merrett needs to prove he can't get easily shut out in
games. McGrath is good but I'm not convinced he is any more. Francis could be top end? Daniher is really talented but has serious injury concerns

We will win a flag or several way before they do

This is all just mostly wishful thinking, with a bit of papering over the good aspects. For their positions Shiel, Merrett, Hurley and Daniher are elite players. All All-Australians.

Then their next tier in Heppell, Hooker, Smith, Fantasia is very solid.

The ‘We will win a flag or several before them’ is just hyperbole and starry-eyed rhetoric. Let’s get off the bottom of the ladder first.
 
This is all just mostly wishful thinking, with a bit of papering over the good aspects. For their positions Shiel, Merrett, Hurley and Daniher are elite players. All All-Australians.

No not wishful thinking. Not how I work.

I certainly don’t agree the players you named are elite. IMO not even close but that’s MY opinion
 
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Have to agree with Soapy ...those are not elite players....Shiel might have been elite as a transition midfielder in the right lineup but I cant see him being that when he has to go first at the ball now. Daniher is far too inconsistent and dare I say a bit lazy. Hurley is not even close to elite for that position. Merret is handy but a long way to go yet.
 

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No not wishful thinking. Not how I work.

I certainly don’t agree the players you named are elite. IMO not even close but that’s MY opinion

Yeh, you’re way off on that one. Shocking call.

Have to agree with Soapy ...those are not elite players....Shiel might have been elite as a transition midfielder in the right lineup but I cant see him being that when he has to go first at the ball now. Daniher is far too inconsistent and dare I say a bit lazy. Hurley is not even close to elite for that position. Merret is handy but a long way to go yet.

So he hasn’t played a game for Essendon but now loses his elite status because you’ve projected how he will go in a different team? Shocking call.

Daniher’s 2018 was a right off due to injury but was AA in 2017 as a 23-year old. No issues with his work rate at all.

Hurley is a dual all All-Australian defender and comfortably a top 5 KPD.

Merrett handy - give me a spell. Absolute gun.

I know it’s trendy to dislike Essendon but it’s dull just making things up and disguising personal bias as ‘opinion.’
 
Bias has nothing to do with it. Oh I freely admit I cant stand them but nevertheless those are my objective opinions based on observation and your opinions are yours and so it should be.

On Shiel, no..he hasnt lost elite status...he never was elite to my eyes but he had an elite midfield around him and now he doesn't and that makes a big difference.
 
Yeh, you’re way off on that one. Shocking call.



So he hasn’t played a game for Essendon but now loses his elite status because you’ve projected how he will go in a different team? Shocking call.

Daniher’s 2018 was a right off due to injury but was AA in 2017 as a 23-year old. No issues with his work rate at all.

Hurley is a dual all All-Australian defender and comfortably a top 5 KPD.

Merrett handy - give me a spell. Absolute gun.

I know it’s trendy to dislike Essendon but it’s dull just making things up and disguising personal bias as ‘opinion.’


I don't want to attack you personally, however are you not doing the same thing?

When was the last time Essendon were relevant?

Now they get Sheil and Daniher back and all of a sudden they are a force to be reckoned with.

I will believe it when I see it.
 
Sorry La Dispute I forgot to quote.
And I have to thank you also because a bit of argy bargy took my mind off the state of bigfooty .....cheers man
 
Yeh, you’re way off on that one. Shocking call.



So he hasn’t played a game for Essendon but now loses his elite status because you’ve projected how he will go in a different team? Shocking call.

Daniher’s 2018 was a right off due to injury but was AA in 2017 as a 23-year old. No issues with his work rate at all.

Hurley is a dual all All-Australian defender and comfortably a top 5 KPD.

Merrett handy - give me a spell. Absolute gun.

I know it’s trendy to dislike Essendon but it’s dull just making things up and disguising personal bias as ‘opinion.’

You’re entitled to your opinion and you may be right but the personal stuff isn’t needed. I’ve given my opinion and it’s what I believe. Move on
 

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I don't want to attack you personally, however are you not doing the same thing?

When was the last time Essendon were relevant?

Now they get Sheil and Daniher back and all of a sudden they are a force to be reckoned with.

I will believe it when I see it.

I’ve provided clear-cut reasons for why these players are elite. AA’s are one way of evaluating a players standing in their game for their position, as is opposition feedback (AFLPA team of the year etc). I haven’t seen any response which has essentially challenged this, just the usual cliches when these players are mentioned.

Who knows how they’ll go with their best team in 2019? I’d certainly be optimistic if I was an Essendon fan given the last three Grand Finals results.
 
Bias has nothing to do with it. Oh I freely admit I cant stand them but nevertheless those are my objective opinions based on observation and your opinions are yours and so it should be.

On Shiel, no..he hasnt lost elite status...he never was elite to my eyes but he had an elite midfield around him and now he doesn't and that makes a big difference.

He’s now got Merrett, Heppell and Smith around him, with an improved Langford. That’s a very handy midfield group, but yes you’re right he’s likely to be tested without the protection Ward and Coniglio provide.
 

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