Analysis Positives?

[ghostdog]

Rumour has it from blitz that truck is challenging the older players.

Line in the sand moment hopefully. Some players don’t want to play his game plan.

If true, that is a positive in my view. The way Hooker was 'omitted' should be the new norm. This isn't to say I liked the way Hooker was made an example of - there were others whose omission as an example would have been more appropriate. 'Managed' as a euphemism for 'omitted' goes to the kind of culture we create.

 

[Zach Package]

Those aren’t massive positives I don’t reckon

I don’t think those are the positives, I think those are the missed opportunities for more positive outcomes because of decisions made that lack any kind of forethought.

 

[Howard Moon]

I reckon if truck has drawn a line in the sand it's a huge positive, whether or not the game plan is worth playing is debatable...but they do need to be shook, the whole joint does! In a weird way he's almost like the anti knights cast in the same role.

Knights came in with a brief, shake it up, revitalise, piss off the old comfortable guard, ultra attack game style

Trucks brief, shake it up, revitalise, piss off the old saga crew, ultra defence game style.

One might argue being ultra anything in game style is the wrong choice but after the vanilla we have endured since saga, I guess we need something jolting to wake the joint up.

Don't forget what knights did worked, he didn't see the results but were tracking very well post him, til ..you know what

 

[faible]

Rumour has it from blitz that truck is challenging the older players.

Line in the sand moment hopefully. Some players don’t want to play his game plan.

Don't mind it, if we're confident that Rutten + Caracella can produce a winning game plan, then there needs to be a whole club investment in the players performing that plan.

If you can't or won't do what's required, then your position should be in jeopardy, no matter who you are. When we add new players they should be ones that can do what's asked of them.

One thing that we shouldn't do is hamstring the new coach(es) by not letting them build the list that they need. If they're good enough to be the head coach, they're good enough to have that level of control. If they're not good enough, then they shouldn't be head coach.

It seems there's competing interests behind the scenes working at cross-purposes to what Worsfold has wanted, and what Rutten wants. If coterie groups are driving this - as is rumoured - then the club administration needs to step in and tell them to piss off.

 

[Pweter]

Rumour has it from blitz that truck is challenging the older players.

Line in the sand moment hopefully. Some players don’t want to play his game plan.

Is it just me, or is this the epitome of Essendon these days. Rather than get on board and try and improve as a club, we have players sooking about a game plan without seeing how effective it can be for our side, and making their opinion known which would only sew the seeds of discontent.

Any coach in that position is handicapped from the start.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Don't think there were many positives in this year but for me, as others have said, players like Draper and Riddler coming through. Not just "he seems alright, let's see in a couple years" but genuine future A grader stuff. Makes me very excited to see the future.

Irving's debut was exciting although dampened by the ACL.

McGrath taking his game to a new level.

Parish getting better and better.

 

[Yoda_]

Positive for 2020?

Sam Draper - Big, big plus is seeing the big sardine coming on. Absolutely love this bloke and how he goes about it. Will only get better and better.

Jordan Ridley - Silk ! Kid is looking like he could be the best player on our list in the near future. Another who should only get better.

Kyle Langford - A big plus is his consistency. We could all see the glimpses and we had hoped for his best games to be the rule but found his niche and added a new dimension to the wing.

Andy McGrath - Most would suggest he is our best, or second best positive for the year but he has been going ok. It's not bad to expect more from him? That game against Hawthorn he was bloody brilliant and somewhere close to that consistently in 2021 would be bloody brilliant.

 

[windyhill]

Season ends Saturday.

 

[Fin ice Smuggler]

Bellchambers retiring is a positive - about 7-9 more players to go, a couple coaches and CEO.

 

[Yoda_]

Bellchambers retiring is a positive - about 7-9 more players to go, a couple coaches and CEO.

oversite or not but you missed list manager as well

 

[ant555]

I will throw in a left field one. Francis being played as the full back for a few games and then BZT playing on Dixon. Showed they where at least looking in a forward direction in some cases.

 

[Yoda_]

I will throw in a left field one. Francis being played as the full back for a few games and then BZT playing on Dixon. Showed they where at least looking in a forward direction in some cases.

I agree with these, although limited, it was a big step forward for both the kids to hold up comparatively speaking of there experience.

 

[faible]

I will throw in a left field one. Francis being played as the full back for a few games and then BZT playing on Dixon. Showed they where at least looking in a forward direction in some cases.

We'd be pinning hopes on Brand being a genuine KPD and getting up around the 200cm mark. Francis and BZT are both around the 195cm / 6'4" while your Lynch / Dixon / Kings are all ~200cm / 6'6" - 6'8" area. That's a lot of size to be giving away.

 

[ant555]

We'd be pinning hopes on Brand being a genuine KPD and getting up around the 200cm mark. Francis and BZT are both around the 195cm / 6'4" while your Lynch / Dixon / Kings are all ~200cm / 6'6" - 6'8" area. That's a lot of size to be giving away.

All true but my point was they where given a look at playing a decent role as the number 1 defender.

 

[doug85]

Not sure if mentioned yet, but Daniher getting back on the field and showing what he’s capable of. A couple of months ago I thought he was out the door and we’d be lucky to get band 2 compo.
Now, he might stay and be a good player and an important player. Or, he goes and we get decent compensation.

 

[Dave]

5 less games to endure than usual.

 

[boncer34]

As one of the more positive and optimistic posters on the board let me contribute to this thread.

McGrath - Stepped up this year, disposal still needs work, but he moved in the right direction.
Parish - See McGrath, and add that we were right, playing him in the midfield works. Although his forward craft isn't horrible
Langford - Finally seems to have found his niche.
Daniher - Got back and looked threatening, if he signs even more of a positive
Francis - Like ant555 said playing him as the FB was a good nod to the future and I think he certainly held his own
Ridley - What needs to be said?
Stewart - Left field one but I liked what he showed in patches, who knows maybe a full pre-season, full fit Daniher and Stringer and maybe those patches will become more frequent.
Mosquito - Looked like being a very exciting player for the future before the injury
Zerk-Thatcher - See Francis
Clarke - Ok so they didn't play him as the midfield wrecking ball we hoped, but he doesn't look out of place. Just handball first please.
Draper - Having an AFL quality ruckman is a strange feeling.
Snelling - I don't think he'd look out of place in the 18-22 player range in any team, we just need to build a better 18 so he isn't forced to "play up."

 

[Yoda_]

I must say an under rated positive has been the success of Zac Merrett to the wing this year. Has opened up a spot in the middle (although no one has really taken it with both hands) but Zac has gone about his business. Is kicking it more than ever (since his 2017 AA year) and it is resulting in more I50's, more metres gained than what we have seen in the previous two seasons.


If we can fill that void he has left on the inside then we should really see the benfits of Zac on the outiside 3 fold

 

[faible]

I must say an under rated positive has been the success of Zac Merrett to the wing this year. Has opened up a spot in the middle (although no one has really taken it with both hands) but Zac has gone about his business. Is kicking it more than ever (since his 2017 AA year) and it is resulting in more I50's, more metres gained than what we have seen in the previous two seasons.


If we can fill that void he has left on the inside then we should really see the benfits of Zac on the outiside 3 fold

Seems a guy better suited to being the 2nd / 3rd receiver in space than at the bottom of a pack, generally good by foot too.

Now we just need that bottom of the pack kind of player.

 

[bombreys]

Ridley the obvious one. He looks every bit a 200+ game player and the ideal intercept defender. I like to think I can put bias aside, but if I was a list manager and told I could build a team around every AFL listed player, I'd have Ridley on a HBF. Because he's such a good intercept player, I think his defensive work (especially spoils/in the air) gets overlooked at times. He's a gun.

Draper looks the goods. Will be 22.5 years old by the start of next season. Our/his goal should be to finish the 2021 season as somewhere between the 5th-10th best ruck in the league.

McGrath's taken another step. Seems to play against our game plan and is actually willing to move the ball forward with pace. Makes a few mistakes, but if you remind yourself he's 22 (!!!), very easy to forgive - will make less and less of those as the years go by.

Mozzy - looks incredibly smooth and polished for a 20 year old who played 3 (?) games. Probably the toughest spot (forward pocket) to debut, but looked really promising.

James Stewart - has always been a personal favourite, so just happy to see him back in. After such a long time out, slotted back in really nicely. Will be very handy if he can reinvent himself as a defender. Never going to be our best player, but tall utilities don't grow on trees.

Left-field one: Dylan Clarke. Understand he's limited - and you can't have too many of his type in your 22, but he tries his guts out and just wants to win. Wouldn't mind seeing him given a dedicated period as a defensive forward, where he's told to run with your Dochertys/Richs/etc.