Why Were Essendon So Highly Fancied Before Round 1?

[Damon_3388]

Long-time member, first time positing in a long while. Something has me puzzled - Why we're Essendon so highly fancied before Round 1?

This isn't a "hindsight hero" call, or an attempt to "stick it up" the Bombers or sink the boots in. I wondered this when Mick Malthouse tipped the Don's to win the flag, and many people were picking them to make the top 4. Honestly, I expected "same old" mediocre Essendon we always get, 7th-12th range, looking good one week, average-to-poor the next. I didn't see where the big improvement was meant to come from, or why they were suddenly going to vault into the top 4. They still have a mostly young and unproven list. Obviously though, prior to Round 1, it was all opinion and speculation, and the season was yet to play out.

Now we're at the half way point, 11 games in, and the Don's are 2-9, with a record and percentage poor enough for the wooden spoon in most other seasons (if we didn't have an all-time worst bottom 2 in North Melbourne and West Coast right now), and they look many miles off the pace in effort, intensity, toughness and skill.

Were the majority and the "experts" just wrong? Was this always going to happen? As someone who has been observing footy more casually in recent times (off BigFooty, not really following the weekly media analysis closely), where exactly has it all gone wrong for Essendon? Is anyone dying to say "I told you so!" about these Bombers, or do most who predicted a rising Essendon have egg on their face here?

 

[Danw0w]

This was always going to happen. Essendon overachieved last year and have regressed back to the mean. They are still a few years off being properly competitive.

 

[Engimal v3]

Dumb supporters

 

[SBYM]

Given Carlton of all teams has won two finals since the Bombers last won theirs, it does feel like the latter tends to enjoy a pretty optimistic narrative within the footy community every summer.

Last year they exceeded expectations and I guess the subsequent chatter reflected that heightened level, irrespective of any corrections that may have been coming.

 

[Yoda_]

Don't know many Essendon supporters who expected us to exponentially improve. Suggested? Absolutely, but to state it will happen is just dumb. Correct

 

[Boxhead_31]

Main reason is that the HeraldSun is a sponsor of the Bombers and everyday during the off-season they wrote a story saying how fantastic everything was going with the club over Summer

 

[marcmurphy3]

Most commentators arent very insightful. If you look at their ladder predictions every year they pretty much just repeat the previous year top 8, moving the younger teams up a few spots and older teams down a few spots. Happens on BF as well.

Essendon = 2021 finalist + youth = 2022 TOP 4-6

In fairness most Essendon fans seemed to be hoping to scrape into finals again at best. The overating was mostly from media and other clubs fans

In either case they are better then they are showing at the moment. Wouldnt be surprised if they jump up again next year after everyone predicts a bottom 4 finish.

 

[Yoda_]

Main reason is that the HeraldSun is a sponsor of the Bombers and everyday during the off-season they wrote a story saying how fantastic everything was going with the club over Summer

Can you check for me here please cause I can't see Herald sun amongst those sponsors

 

[windyhill]

Main reason is that the HeraldSun is a sponsor of the Bombers and everyday during the off-season they wrote a story saying how fantastic everything was going with the club over Summer

So you’re saying the herald sun is like the geelong advertiser ?

 

[JackFlash]

It's a club completely in stagnation... there appears to be no direction whatsoever and god knows what Mick Malthoses was thinking tipping them for the flag pre-season?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

In fairness most Essendon fans seemed to be hoping to scrape into finals again at best. The overating was mostly from media and other clubs fans

Yep majority of Essendon fans did not buy into the hype that was all Mick Malthouse and the media.

Most of us knew that we were going to take a step back or two and possibly miss finals but not go comeplelty backwards.

 

[Xtreme]

Its the hype train. There's still a strong stench over the "supllements saga" and the media like to sell hope to the supporters when it really just a fairytale.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Essendon fans + Media

 

[Present Not Past]

Bigfooty flogs.
St Kilda are top 4 but were apparently in no mans land before round 1 with no youth.
Go figure.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Why Mick Malthouse thinks Essendon can win the premiership

"They’ve got all the ingredients."

www.sen.com.au

 

[Boxhead_31]

So you’re saying the herald sun is like the geelong advertiser ?

Except the Herald is a touch more biased

 

[Blackhawk42]

Were they though? I saw them in the lower part of the 8 in some predictions and outside the 8 for most. I think we all thought they slightly overachieved last season and would struggle a little with a tougher fixture.

Even the crazy Essendon fans I knew didn't expect them to finish any higher than 8th.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Must of been media spin for dollars.
I had them to finish 12.
Last year the scraped in to the 8 with an easy draw and good players playing well.
A tougher draw and few injuries preseason they were never moving up the ladder.
I knew teams below them like blues tiges and dockers would also improve.

 

[Dangerousfield]

Fell into the finals last year on the back of a soft draw and a number of players playing above their normal standing. Did they beat a team of note last year?

Tougher draw, a few injuries to key players, older players regressing, lack of real culture resurfacing - tumble down ladder

Malthouse has been an idiot for a decade. Remember the infamous season launch "can't see us losing a game". Has become an irrelevant idiot

 

[BarryMorgan]

Because, possibly through no fault of its own, Essendon has more cheerleaders in the ranks of the AFL media than any other club.

 

[Arr0w]

Don't know many Essendon supporters who expected us to exponentially improve. Suggested? Absolutely, but to state it will happen is just dumb. Correct

Pretty sure you stated Essendon would improve

 

[NetworkNerd]

There was a thread in Bay 13 saying 'predict where Essendon will finish in the top 4'

It sucked me in

 

[Upgrayedd]

If you honestly listen to Mick Malthouse, I've got some Snake oil to sell you.

They showed a lot of promise last year, However a lot of players haven't taken that next step and big portion are having down years, Combined with the hype which really wasn't Essendon's doing.

They are performing worse then expected in my eyes, but the hype of top 8 bound was best case, All that talk of premierships and winning finals was laughable as they took a backwards step in the off-season last year and brought in some high young players. So Im not sure why people were hopeful they would spring back up in a hurry

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Played finals last season, very young side.

That’s the depth of insight you’re gonna get from 99% of media commentators.

Essendon is rebuilding. I didn’t think we’d be 2-9… but rebuilds usually aren’t linear. If we do challenge it’s still years away.

 

[HairyO]

Clickbait. I had Essendon below Hawthorn. And I dont rate Hawthorn that high. 12th to 14th for us - which Ive said from before the pre-season.

The only surprise really is West Coast. I think most predicted they would be bottom 4 - but they are just horrendous. Simpson should drop half the team and just play kids. Or drop himself.