Should Essendon Tank?

[BurnleyBomber]

While there's still a mathematical chance of making the finals there's no way the coaching staff and playing group is going to 'tank'.

Like everyone else who supports Essendon, I don't think we'll make the finals, but I won't go as far to say "I KNOW WE WON'T MAKE THE FINALS", because no one actually 'knows'.

This should be reason enough to dispell any 'tanking' BS.

 

[Schmick]

Tanking is weak. Definately wouldn't want us doing it.

Our #1 priority is to play the youngsters, and use this year as a development year for them to fast track their experience so that next year they will be alot better and make us a stronger team in 09. Of course we'll still be trying to win, but it shouldn't be the #1 priority as there is no chance of us making finals. So basically just keep doing what we're doing.

 

[rines]

actually good point burnley.. who knows if we get ourselves to ninth place.. with carlton at 8 and then the AFL finds they have breached the salary cap to get judd and strips them of all their competition points (ala NRL bulldogs) and we could make the finals

ahh i should be a hollywood script writer

 

[Burzum]

I don't advocate tanking, and I think it's a disgraceful act for a club to pull. But... we're in need of a star player and with the induction of the Gold Coast and West Sydney teams in the coming years, they're going to get plenty of concessions in the draft. We have to make the most of it while we have a high pick.

If there was a year to do it, this is it. I don't have a problem of any club doing it this season.

 

[Big Blow Hard]

I see your point and duly noted. I agree. However...

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=438426&page=44

We are not talking about other drafts. In the drafts that have had Top Tens as highly rated as this draft, few top ten picks have failed. In weaker drafts, many have. If this draft is as great as is being made out, pick 3-8 will still get a great player. Every draft, the best players are coming in more equipped and ready for AFL football. The only thing a top 2 pick gives you is someone almost ready made. It took Cooney a long time to come to terms with AFL, whats to say Rich, or Swift wont take as long. Just providing a lnk to your own opinion in another thread proves nothing.

 

[Big Blow Hard]

I don't advocate tanking, and I think it's a disgraceful act for a club to pull. But... we're in need of a star player and with the induction of the Gold Coast and West Sydney teams in the coming years, they're going to get plenty of concessions in the draft. We have to make the most of it while we have a high pick.

If there was a year to do it, this is it. I don't have a problem of any club doing it this season.

If, including this and next years draft, we have not drafted the required players to make us competitive again, then we never will. Much of our future planning is supposedly already here, we just need the icing on the cake. And to get a big fish to the club. Gold Coast, will not be given the top 5 picks in the draft. At worst they will get every second pick. If we are not playing finals the year they come in, then all our last few years of drafting have been an absolute waste.

 

[The Donners]

We are not talking about other drafts. In the drafts that have had Top Tens as highly rated as this draft, few top ten picks have failed. In weaker drafts, many have. If this draft is as great as is being made out, pick 3-8 will still get a great player. Every draft, the best players are coming in more equipped and ready for AFL football. The only thing a top 2 pick gives you is someone almost ready made. It took Cooney a long time to come to terms with AFL, whats to say Rich, or Swift wont take as long. Just providing a lnk to your own opinion in another thread proves nothing.

I proved that point wrong with a reply to your post. Simply put its bullshit. You're also hoping this year's is a strong draft, you don't know if they're AFL capable, they haven't played a game, I've given you the figures of players that go top 3 compared with the picks from 4-14, I proved you wrong... you questioned it so I provided you with more proof regarding your top 10 picks in the only superdraft year that you could rate as '06 is too soon to give up on players, '01 Molan, Sampi and Hale were top 10 and I would've thought them to be pretty close to duds wouldn't you? Also I wouldn't have thought Xavier Clarke or Sam Power were worthy top 10 picks would you??? That's 5 players in a superdraft year that you would not trade a top 10 pick for... unless you're Fremantle!

 

[Burzum]

If, including this and next years draft, we have not drafted the required players to make us competitive again, then we never will. Much of our future planning is supposedly already here, we just need the icing on the cake. And to get a big fish to the club. Gold Coast, will not be given the top 5 picks in the draft. At worst they will get every second pick. If we are not playing finals the year they come in, then all our last few years of drafting have been an absolute waste.

We need a superstar midfielder, I think Myers can be that. But he won't a genuine gun in and under clearance midfielder, and that's exactly what we need. Rich certainly has that potential.

I don't rate our list that much tbh, so I'm probably more critical than I should be.

 

[The Donners]

We need a superstar midfielder, I think Myers can be that. But he won't a genuine gun in and under clearance midfielder, and that's exactly what we need. Rich certainly has that potential.

I don't rate our list that much tbh, so I'm probably more critical than I should be.

I'm probably the same, no shame.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Don't like it.

There are two potential endings to this season:

1. We improve dramatically, and start climbing the ladder on the back of 2-6 more wins. We get pick 5-7. However, the wins have come on the back of players like Lonergan, Monfries, Stanton, Laycock, Neagle, Reimers, Myers etc., not on the back of Pev, JJ etc. This means that the youngsters are starting to play winning footy, and we will a much better side next year.

2. We carry on like we did after the Carlton game, and get pick 2-4. We then wait for a Rich to develop, and become an integral part of our team. Some of the youngsters we're blooding now turn out to be not that good, and we delist them, 20-30 games wasted on a player who doesn't turn out to be important in our future, taking them away from another kid. We become a better side in 2-3 years.

I know which I'd rather. I agree that they're a little polarised, but the general gist is accurate.

 

[Big Blow Hard]

We need a superstar midfielder, I think Myers can be that. But he won't a genuine gun in and under clearance midfielder, and that's exactly what we need. Rich certainly has that potential.

I don't rate our list that much tbh, so I'm probably more critical than I should be.

People didn't rate Sydneys, Norths, Collingwoods lists either. So lets hope we can prove you and others wrong. I have to say, i am more excited about most of the recent draft picks than a few years ago.

 

[sen entertainment bloke]

Where's the play to win until the twenty minute mark of the last quarter and then leave the ground option?

 

[Rack Watts]

NO! ENJOY THE YEAR!
All top 10 picks are good.
The better we do this year the more confidence we will have next year and the more games we will win then.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

No, but we should feature heavily in trade week trying to upgrade a few of our picks.

 

[danzan22]

Joel Selwood went at pick 7, you dont need a top 3 pick to get a quality midfielder.

 

[Blind Turn]

It's a head versus heart thing. The heart is saying 'come on boys win win win'. The head says, 'Ah well if we lose we have first crack at a Rich or Naitanui.' One thing the heart and head both agree on however is that we must not get the wooden spoon! The System has given us this involuntary desire to see our team lose and this goes against the spirit of supporting a club.

 

[Merv]

Something to think about.

It appears that the reason most are advocating tanking mainly because they feel we need an A grade Mid prospect or two.

We might choose Watts, Trengove or someone similar as we might feel they are the best players available.
I have been told by someone that actually knows what they are talking about that Dodoro is quite keen on Yarran.

For those that were here last draft day, remember the crying from many that we didn't draft Palmer?

Don't build your hopes up on getting a midfielder (as Dodoro and Knights have both said on multiple occasions that they believe we have drafted many potential midfielders over the last 2 drafts) only to have your hopes dashed on Draft day.

 

[Burzum]

Something to think about.

It appears that the reason most are advocating tanking mainly because they feel we need an A grade Mid prospect or two.

We might choose Watts, Trengove or someone similar as we might feel they are the best players available.
I have been told by someone that actually knows what they are talking about that Dodoro is quite keen on Yarran.

For those that were here last draft day, remember the crying from many that we didn't draft Palmer?

Don't build your hopes up on getting a midfielder (as Dodoro and Knights have both said on multiple occasions that they believe we have drafted many potential midfielders over the last 2 drafts) only to have your hopes dashed on Draft day.

I'm not really pinning my hopes on getting a gun midfielder, I would still be quite happy with Hurley or Watts. I haven't seen Yarran, so I couldn't really comment on him.

 

[Burzum]

Joel Selwood went at pick 7, you dont need a top 3 pick to get a quality midfielder.

Selwood was rated number one or two prior to injuring his knee. There were question marks over a doctors report that it may be degenerative.

 

[The Donners]

Joel Selwood went at pick 7, you dont need a top 3 pick to get a quality midfielder.

Kepler Bradley went at pick 7. Selwood is the 4th or 5th midfielder at Geelong, take Ablett and Corey out of the side and see how he goes.

 

[The Donners]

Don't build your hopes up on getting a midfielder (as Dodoro and Knights have both said on multiple occasions that they believe we have drafted many potential midfielders over the last 2 drafts) only to have your hopes dashed on Draft day.

That's very true, i remember Knights in particular saying that to which I retorted to the tv "not much good drafting 10 midfielders if none of them are any good"!

 

[daffo]

I think we should play the kids (which we are currently are doing). That might lead to an extra couple of losses, but that doesn't mean we are tanking. I don't think this should be a problem for Essendon though, we go out and play to win. You can see it in the players faces, they go out to win.

 

[made from beer]

i hate losing, winning on friday night was the clincher for me. although not the greatest win in the clubs history, it still put a smile on my dial!

go the win at all times, dont breed mediocrity. .. .

 

[FBDonkey]

I dont think we want to finish bottom 2 so we may as well just keep going as we are. Give Naitanui to Melbourne, give Rich to West Coast (we dont want another WA player, we have too many already), and get the next best at 3

 

[timbo3195]

Any pick in the top 5 will be great this year with the talent coming in this draft so I don't really mind whether we finish 16th or 11th.

The thing that bothers me is by finishing higher we will have later 2nd round and 3rd round picks which will surely result in us missing any of the players who slip. Like Swift?