Yikes, there's not too many on those lists which will have other teams lining up to trade... Maybe Geelong would be keen on Goldstein or hooker to keep themselves in the 30+ age bracket
Analysis The Rebuild Of Essendon And North Melbourne And Their Future Prospects
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Yikes, there's not too many on those lists which will have other teams lining up to trade... Maybe Geelong would be keen on Goldstein or hooker to keep themselves in the 30+ age bracket
That is what I would be doing. There is pretty much zero currency in any of them. Better to keep the best to Shepard the kids through their first couple of years.
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North Melbourne
Todd Goldstein (33) Keep
Robbie Tarrant (32) - UFA Keep
Aaron Hall (31) Delist
Jack Ziebell (30) - UFA Keep
Ben Cunnington (30) Keep
Tom Campbell (30) - UFA Delist
Shaun Atley (29) - UFA Keep
Jared Polec (29) Keep
Josh Walker (29) - UFA Keep
Dom Tyson (28) Delist
Taylor Garner (28) - RFA Delist
Jed Anderson (28) Keep
Aidan Corr (27) Keep
Luke McDonald (27) Keep
Trent Dumont (25) FA Request
We tripped at step 0 in 2018 when we should have looked to build foundations instead of topping up for an unlikely top 4 tilt.
Argument to be made that we'd have McDonald, Hollands, Robertson, Kemp, Georgiades & Bergman on top of Cox, Perkins, Brand and Eyre plus a full contingent of picks for this coming draft minus Shiel & Reid from the current list.
Our rebuild will look shaky if the same crew who have masterminded 20 years outside the top 4 remain in control.
Argument to be made that we'd have McDonald, Hollands, Robertson, Kemp, Georgiades & Bergman on top of Cox, Perkins, Brand and Eyre plus a full contingent of picks for this coming draft minus Shiel & Reid from the current list.
Our rebuild will look shaky if the same crew who have masterminded 20 years outside the top 4 remain in control.
DaTBird187
What D Farke?
- Feb 9, 2014
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Devon Smith, Dylan Shiel, Jake Stringer and Adam Saad (in and out) were not brought in to build a foundation for the future. That was what was required after the list issues caused by the dark times.
I bet what Devon Smith and Dylan Shiel were sold is not what the situation is now.
Smith, Stringer Saad trade period was a good one.
Devon Smith, Dylan Shiel, Jake Stringer and Adam Saad (in and out) were not brought in to build a foundation for the future. That was what was required after the list issues caused by the dark times.
I bet what Devon Smith and Dylan Shiel were sold is not what the situation is now.
Gave us additional players entering their peak to add to Heppell, Hurley, Hooker, Merrett, Daniher, etc.
We should have hit the draft from there.
Smith was a super cheap deal. 11 & future 3rd for Smith, Future 2nd & current 2nd (which was half the Stringer deal)
11 & future 3rd effectively bought us Smith & Stringer.
Add to that, we bought Saad low and sold high.
We could be rolling out;
Ridley Hooker Francis
Hind Cox Heppell
Merrett Caldwell Langford
Smith Jones Georgiades
Stringer McDonald Tippa
Draper McGrath Hollands
Parish Perkins Robertson Bergman
w/ Kemp, Robertson, Brand, Eyre, Bryan, etc as depth.
Daniher, Fantasia & Shiel vs. 7 kids on top of a decent core
We are paying for the decisions of Dodoro, Campbell and Richardson in 2018 and 2019 to sell hope to fans rather than building a strong team foundation
Daniher in particular. If he wasn't signing a contract extension, we should have sold
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- Jul 23, 2018
- 6,495
- 7,588
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Daniher and Fantasia were key players in the pitch to recruit Shiel. Then both didnt play all year and asked for trades 12 months later. Ruined whatever idea we thought we had in recruiting Shiel at all. If the club knew Daniher and Fantasias intentions would we have still gone for Shiel? I wouldn't think so. Id prefer if the club was more aware of the playing groups mentality though, rather than claiming they were blindsided.
- Banned
- #133
But surely you need more draft picks.
Instincts
Cancelled
- Sep 21, 2020
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Question is, how do we get them in a viable way? Most players we either A. Don't want to trade or B. Have no currency at all
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- #135
Maybe you'll have to be more open-minded about trading decent players.
Instincts
Cancelled
- Sep 21, 2020
- 600
- 980
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
I'm thinking Zurhaar could be one of them... Had a ripper 2019 and then dropped off, not sure how much Eagles or Freo would want him and what his value would be
- Dec 2, 2014
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We lose 21 games and then draw ours and then we both ask the AFL for priority picks?
JT_the_Man
Draft King
I’ll bite.
Cale Hooker (33) - Retire
David Zaharakis (32) - Retire
Michael Hurley (31) - Keep
Andrew Phillips (30) - Walks in FA/Delist/Retire
Patrick Ambrose (30) - Retire/Delist
Dyson Heppell (29) - Keep
Dylan Shiel (28) - Keep
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (28) - Keep
Devon Smith (28) - Keep
James Stewart (28) - Keep
Jake Stringer (27) - Keep
Nick Hind (27) - Keep
Martin Gleeson (27) - Delist
Tom Cutler (27) - Delist
If Ambrose can get on the park he might hang around.
- Nov 7, 2020
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- #139
and when we get Horne this year we’ll have 4 potential guns including Phillips.
That’s a real good start.
- Banned
- #140
You're keeping a lot of older guys for a team that's "rebuilding". How should Essendon seek to acquire extra draft picks?
Hurley, for example. Wouldn't you try to get a pick in the 20s for him and just move on?
The Bombers made a good start last year by taking three picks in the top 10. Surely you need to double down this year and try to get five picks in the top 30 or something like that?
JT_the_Man
Draft King
Name one team that would pay a pick in the 20s for a 31 year old who probably won’t play a game of football this year?
If Shiel or Smith (particularly Smith, the end appears to be coming very quickly for him) want to chase success I’m open to trading them. There is a section of the supporter base that wants to trade Darcy Parish, although I’m opposed to that atm.
If Merrett walks we’ll take the top 5 compensation pick.
It isn’t as though we need to sweep a broom through, we fielded the youngest 22 in the league on the weekend ffs lmao.
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- Banned
- #142
If you packaged him with another pick for an upgrade, he might appeal to the Dogs.
Brian Lake played his first game for Hawthorn aged 31.
Of course, it depends on the state of his body.
Well, generally when rebuilding there is a bit of a broom.
But sure, if you prefer "steady as she goes", that's one approach.
JT_the_Man
Draft King
The broom of getting ”getting rid of your best experienced players” has not worked well in the past.
Ask Melbourne.
- Banned
- #144
Really? If Melbourne are an example of anything, they're an example of why you need early picks. Where would they be without Oliver and Petracca?
Who did they dump that has come back to bite them?
I'm not saying you should dump genuine top-liners on a whim. But if a team is rebuilding they have to make clear-eyed calls on older players, particularly if they're not genuine top-liners.
Let's say Essendon finish bottom four this year. Let's say Merrett leaves as a FA and you get Band 1 compensation, adding another early pick. You could argue that's sufficient. Judging from what you're saying, you think that's enough. You don't necessarily think Essendon should be proactive in adding to that draft hand with further picks in the top 30?
I think Essendon should probably consider offers for any player over 25 that significantly improves that draft hand.
The Prosecutor
Brownlow Medallist
- Sep 13, 2011
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I personally wouldn't be against dangling Smith and/or Shiel on the market.
The Prosecutor
Brownlow Medallist
- Sep 13, 2011
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One of the biggest issues we have is a leadership void. Trading a bloke like Hurley, who is one of the few genuine leaders at the club, for all time low value just doesn't make sense.
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- #147
How old will Hurley be when Essendon are playing finals again?
Tell me, do you think Essendon are actually rebuilding or do you reckon it's just a down year and you could bounce back in 2022 without any major overhaul?
Because that's the self-assessment that determines the approach.
There's no doubt things can turn around quickly but I'm inclined to think you need to invest more aggressively in the draft rather than retain guys who are 27 and older.
The Prosecutor
Brownlow Medallist
- Sep 13, 2011
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Probably retired, but having him around to help develop the next generation of leaders will provide more value than a speculative late third rounder would.
As I said above, if you want to dangle players for trade bait, Smith/Shiel are the two who would have some currency and would be expendable. Shiel, for instance, could command a first round pick from a team like Geelong.
- Banned
- #149
Well, I'm not saying you should trade him for a speculative late third-rounder.
I think your approach should be to acquire as many picks in the top 30 as you can. If that meant trading Hurley then I think you'd have to consider it.
JT_the_Man
Draft King
Merrett aside (if he walks we have more than enough draft currency) the only players I’d consider dealing are Shiel (should still have good trade value) and Smith (has been declining rapidly since 2018 but probably still has decent value, let him spend his last days hunting for a flag). Obviously if someone wants a Gleeson or Cutler we deal them for whatever we can get, but the reality is no one will and they won’t be at Essendon next year. There’s no point trading someone like Hurley, who offers leadership and guidance to the younger players for a speculative draft pick.
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