Training 2024 Preseason Training Thread

[faible]

Im probably the least bothered by the stat and twitter account amongst out supporters, but bring it up as an example that we talk a big preseason quite regularly, and arent shy to sell an offseason too.

Our peak has been 8th since 04 and we've had a ceiling that is getting past that first week of finals for a long time now.
I like what brad's doing but ill wait to see what it translates to come years end.

I don't necessarily think its personnel but a culture within the club that has contributed to that record. It shouldn't be news everyone is training well preseason i guess

Personnel drives culture drives personnel. We needed a circuit breaker. The whole doping saga probably should have been that, but we failed to really reset there, and for the following few years.

I think Scott is building on from what Rutten started in terms of resetting the culture and personnel, but Scott has the advantage of an extra couple of years of Rutten's list changes, past experience to add credibility, and a far better resourced football program.

Somewhat ironically, when we brought in Hird we realised that we were drastically under-resourcing the football program and gave him far better resources than Knights had. Then, post saga, we made the exact same mistake with both Worsfold and Rutten by cheaping out on our football program and hamstringing them.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Where are you getting the extra two wins from? If you want to bring injuries into it, Richmond and North would have beaten us if they were healthy. Every team can argue natural progression, as they should - but why would we progress further or faster than any other side? The sides around us should also progress.

for starters, having the likes of Draper, Setterfield, Ridley, 2MP and Parish not missing big stretches of the year would be a massive factor. Sure, we'll get some injuries, but they are absolute prime movers.

Consider more contribution from Cox, Jones and Reid. Then consider that we now have a key back, so Ridley and other defenders can play a more natural game. We have depth in the ruck with Goldstein. We have a small forward who, whilst he may not be the player he once was going to be, is probably a damn sight better than any other options we have.

I agree all teams should expect "natural progression" but it's hard to argue against the fact that our demographics leave us poised to reap much more from natural progression than what most teams would.

I'm not going to suggest we are going to do a Collingwood, but look at how things came together for them after Buckley left and they bedded down a new game plan. It can, and does, happen.

Personally, I would be extremely disappointed if we didn't make finals, and win at least one. Now, more fool me you might say, but I'll say it again. Our demographics say that's where we should be. Let's see.

Edit: didn't realise when I wrote this that this debate happened 4-5 days ago - shows how much attention I pay in the offseason. Don't mean to go over old ground if that's what I've done

 

[citizen-erased]

Personnel drives culture drives personnel. We needed a circuit breaker. The whole doping saga probably should have been that, but we failed to really reset there, and for the following few years.

I think Scott is building on from what Rutten started in terms of resetting the culture and personnel, but Scott has the advantage of an extra couple of years of Rutten's list changes, past experience to add credibility, and a far better resourced football program.

Somewhat ironically, when we brought in Hird we realised that we were drastically under-resourcing the football program and gave him far better resources than Knights had. Then, post saga, we made the exact same mistake with both Worsfold and Rutten by cheaping out on our football program and hamstringing them.

It was interesting to see how hard we didnt cut last year.
And as it stands and i read this thread, i think we're still tinkering and like 23, bottom 4 is much a chance as top 8.

 

[faible]

It was interesting to see how hard we didnt cut last year.
And as it stands and i read this thread, i think we're still tinkering and like 23, bottom 4 is much a chance as top 8.

Essendon Playing List for 2020 - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

We've turned over a truckload of the list since 2020. I count 14 players on the list in 2020 who are still here this year.

 

[citizen-erased]

Spot on - everyone is flying during pre season - why are we any different?
In short - don't tell us; show us! (and not just for half a year either)
I know last year fell off the cliff, but try to resurrect something, anything from the ashes of a good start to the season rather than insipid beltings under the excuse that 'we're cooked'.

I look back on last season and wonder

We shocked the dees during gather rd
Tigers and blues usually pants us but we got both whilst down
4x games v bottom 2 (no one else got this and we barely made hay with it)

Still very dubious on us

 

[supportyourteam]

Essendon Playing List for 2020 - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

We've turned over a truckload of the list since 2020. I count 14 players on the list in 2020 who are still here this year.

And a truck

 

[ant555]

Don’t make me tap the sign, “2024 Preseason Training Thread”


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Best start tapping

 

[citizen-erased]

Best start tapping

I think i can make tenuous links to training and not buying it until it plays out over a season ;p

Ill stop now.

 

[EnolaGay]

Best start tapping

This thread is dead to me


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[bombreys]

for starters, having the likes of Draper, Setterfield, Ridley, 2MP and Parish not missing big stretches of the year would be a massive factor. Sure, we'll get some injuries, but they are absolute prime movers.

Consider more contribution from Cox, Jones and Reid. Then consider that we now have a key back, so Ridley and other defenders can play a more natural game. We have depth in the ruck with Goldstein. We have a small forward who, whilst he may not be the player he once was going to be, is probably a damn sight better than any other options we have.

I agree all teams should expect "natural progression" but it's hard to argue against the fact that our demographics leave us poised to reap much more from natural progression than what most teams would.

I'm not going to suggest we are going to do a Collingwood, but look at how things came together for them after Buckley left and they bedded down a new game plan. It can, and does, happen.

Personally, I would be extremely disappointed if we didn't make finals, and win at least one. Now, more fool me you might say, but I'll say it again. Our demographics say that's where we should be. Let's see.

Edit: didn't realise when I wrote this that this debate happened 4-5 days ago - shows how much attention I pay in the offseason. Don't mean to go over old ground if that's what I've done

Fair enough. I personally can’t see going from how we finished last year to winning a final. I don’t think we’re anywhere near the top 8 sides from 2023.

An honest question that hopefully doesn’t sound too condescending - were you saying/thinking the same things last offseason and the one before that? Or do you think something will click this offseason/this year?

 

[faible]

Fair enough. I personally can’t see going from how we finished last year to winning a final. I don’t think we’re anywhere near the top 8 sides from 2023.

An honest question that hopefully doesn’t sound too condescending - were you saying/thinking the same things last offseason and the one before that? Or do you think something will click this offseason/this year?

I was far more limited in what I thought the list could do in 2023 than in 2024.

The players we've added are all upgrades on the Best-22 which should improve the performance floor, we've got no one important in the age bracket likely to decline, and we've got a few players coming to the point of their career where they should start showing if they're going to be good AFL players or just AFL players like Perkins and Hobbs.

I still think our range caps out around the bottom part of the 8, but mainly I'd hope / expect to see more consistency and not have games like the GWS one.

 

[Vindicater]

My expectation is 6-10 but with far less blowouts.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Fair enough. I personally can’t see going from how we finished last year to winning a final. I don’t think we’re anywhere near the top 8 sides from 2023.

An honest question that hopefully doesn’t sound too condescending - were you saying/thinking the same things last offseason and the one before that? Or do you think something will click this offseason/this year?

nope, I have been extremely bearish in the last two years. Last year I hoped the new coach would improve things but I realistically didn't think one preseason would do it.

I just think the offseason additions were really well targeted and executed and that our demographics have us well placed to capitalise on natural progression. As I pointed out previously, we were mauled by injuries last year and to particularly important players. While that will doubtless happen to some extent, I hope it's considerably less impactful this year. Cross fingers there I guess, but we also have much more depth this year, broadly-speaking.

Another point of difference that appears to be between you and me is that I don't think the gap between top and bottom (outside the very bottom) is very big at all. In fact, I think it's so tiny that intangible factors like attitude, circumstance, injury and other factors are in many ways more deterministic than on-board talent.

I'm also hopeful, although not particularly optimistic, that the running of the club might improve from the absolute clown show it's been years and years now. That one I'm much less bullish about sadly

 

[thaibomber]

I just put 1K on us making the 8 at 2.75... easy 1,750... oh ,Thought this was the pearlers thread, sorry.

 

[ant555]

Any chance this becomes the pre season thread again ?

 

[FlyingV]

I would love to see Parish at the front of these time trials for a change. Not sure what he runs a 2km in but with 8-9 preseasons now under his belt would like to have confidence his lack of 2 way running is a choice and not an inability to run with the best mids in the league.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Does anyone know if training will be on at the hangar at 9am or so on Saturday?

I'm hoping to make the trek and get unrealistic expecations that I can be disappointed about by Round 3.

 

[Milanista28]

Does anyone know if training will be on at the hangar at 9am or so on Saturday?

I'm hoping to make the trek and get unrealistic expecations that I can be disappointed about by Round 3.

They've been starting between 8:30 and 9 on most Saturdays, getting close to intra club sessions as well, might have good time this Saturday if you head out. If we don't do a full scale intra this week then I'm certain we will next week.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

They've been starting between 8:30 and 9 on most Saturdays, getting close to intra club sessions as well, might have good time this Saturday if you head out. If we don't do a full scale intra this week then I'm certain we will next week.

Thanks! Much appreciated

 

[faible]

I would love to see Parish at the front of these time trials for a change. Not sure what he runs a 2km in but with 8-9 preseasons now under his belt would like to have confidence his lack of 2 way running is a choice and not an inability to run with the best mids in the league.

You don't get to the front of the 2km TT bunch without being a pretty gifted runner naturally, Parish's fitness (like Merrett) is good 'enough'. It's not what's holding him back.

You only have to look at Nik Cox to see how a guy with an elite TT but not the right running patterns can end up a pretty long way behind the play.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

scrolling through this forum's player threads, the shear number of ones with "injury" in their title is pretty alarming for me.

 

[brain taylor]

scrolling through this forum's player threads, the shear number of ones with "injury" in their title is pretty alarming for me.

check out some reports from across the league and it’ll be less alarming

 

[doug85]

check out some reports from across the league and it’ll be less alarming

And when you realise most of them have recovered.

 

[bombreys]

nope, I have been extremely bearish in the last two years. Last year I hoped the new coach would improve things but I realistically didn't think one preseason would do it.

I just think the offseason additions were really well targeted and executed and that our demographics have us well placed to capitalise on natural progression. As I pointed out previously, we were mauled by injuries last year and to particularly important players. While that will doubtless happen to some extent, I hope it's considerably less impactful this year. Cross fingers there I guess, but we also have much more depth this year, broadly-speaking.

Another point of difference that appears to be between you and me is that I don't think the gap between top and bottom (outside the very bottom) is very big at all. In fact, I think it's so tiny that intangible factors like attitude, circumstance, injury and other factors are in many ways more deterministic than on-board talent.

I'm also hopeful, although not particularly optimistic, that the running of the club might improve from the absolute clown show it's been years and years now. That one I'm much less bullish about sadly

All interesting and reasonable points - I will leave it here as other seems keen to get back to pre-season chat.

Here's hoping you're smack on the money.

 

[Vander18]

I would love to see Parish at the front of these time trials for a change. Not sure what he runs a 2km in but with 8-9 preseasons now under his belt would like to have confidence his lack of 2 way running is a choice and not an inability to run with the best mids in the league.

More than one thing can be true….