Retired #21: Dyson Heppell - Goodnight, sweet prince. What a legend! 🤙 - 24/8

[Lore]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 27, Highly Evolved

 

[DapperDon]

Get a haircut and shave the beard; who was the last premiership captain to look so scruffy for Christ’s sake?

That would be sending a message.

What message? You can't play football unless you're Johnny Unitas?

 

[faible]

What message? You can't play football unless you're Johnny Unitas?

Exactly, send him to Cotchin’s barber.

 

[quotemokc]

He lacks pace, if he had less hair on his face there would be less drag and he would be faster.

Pro cyclists shave their legs to gain an edge.

 

[TheBrightSide]

I don’t mind the beard, but those sideburns have to go.

 

[onthemove77]

I love Dyson, but the kid doesn't look like a leader, the dreads and beard look terrible

 

[NAB777]

What message? You can't play football unless you're Johnny Unitas?

He looks like a hobo, not an AFL captain. Once a player starts paying that much attention to cultivating an image, if he's not backing it up on the field, it's time to reign him in.

 

[DapperDon]

He looks like a hobo, not an AFL captain. Once a player starts paying that much attention to cultivating an image, if he's not backing it up on the field, it's time to reign him in.

So having short hair and no beard will fix his kicking?

 

[ant555]

Nothing wrong with his captaincy. He is still busting a gut on field, it's just his kicking has become an issue this season. I don't know if he's trying to kick past his skill level more as he feels the side needs him to, but something has changed and it's not working.

He wasn't alone today in the "where did your skills go?" department

Agree and disagree.
Yes he is busting a gut on the field. Gives 120% on and off the field as far as training goes and effort goes.
Yes does need to get his old skill level back. Is going down the Swallow path with that one.
But is he too nice ? Should be him telling blokes to toe the line, being angry when the side is not doing what it is supposed to.
Seems to me leadership group is too matey. Too nice. Almost like a bunch of hipster coffee mates. No one really prepared to tell the hard truths.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Kicking was fine yesterday.

 

[DapperDon]

Agree and disagree.
Yes he is busting a gut on the field. Gives 120% on and off the field as far as training goes and effort goes.
Yes does need to get his old skill level back. Is going down the Swallow path with that one.
But is he too nice ? Should be him telling blokes to toe the line, being angry when the side is not doing what it is supposed to.
Seems to me leadership group is too matey. Too nice. Almost like a bunch of hipster coffee mates. No one really prepared to tell the hard truths.

Yeah fair point there. He certainly lacks the campaigner gene which can help in the leadership department. Plays his heart out but does lack that angry determination to lift others or pull them into line. From what can be seen externally anyway.

 

[Highly Evolved]

Yeah fair point there. He certainly lacks the campaigner gene which can help in the leadership department. Plays his heart out but does lack that angry determination to lift others or pull them into line. From what can be seen externally anyway.

Agree with both yourself and ant555. Our whole leadership group seems pretty laidback from an outsider's perspective. Hooker is loud but fairly chilled out, and Hurls is like a quiet angry.

I don't think Heppell is a poor choice for Captain, nor do I think he should change his appearance. He will however, have to grow into this role and adapt his personality traits to be more effective. Sometimes he may need to be a little more aggressive to set the tempo. A good example was that he probably shouldn't have backed away when Smith came into bat for him.

His disposal efficiency is down, but I'll back him to put in "Captain's moments/games". Would LOVE to see him back on the HBF but alas, noone to take his place in the midfield.

 

[NAB777]

So having short hair and no beard will fix his kicking?

Seperate issue - that's a skill problem - and a problem that he will never fix. He's 25, and is as skilful as he is ever going to be. And, as he has bulked up over the years, he has gotten slower - and he was slow to begin with. So...if you are dead slow, you'd better have something to compensate. Jobe had a brilliant footy brain, unbelievable strength, and unbelievable hands. I am not sure Heppell has got anything truly elite.

He is not the sort of midfielder we need, so to be honest, I am not sure where he sits. In fact, unless we get somehow get a gun, fast midfielder in the next year, I'd trade him while he has some currency.

Regardless, IMO, in terms of his captaincy, he needs to start looking & acting like a leader - not a guy who'd prefer to be surfing at Byron Bay.

 

[NAB777]

Agree with both yourself and ant555. Our whole leadership group seems pretty laidback from an outsider's perspective. Hooker is loud but fairly chilled out, and Hurls is like a quiet angry.

I don't think Heppell is a poor choice for Captain, nor do I think he should change his appearance. He will however, have to grow into this role and adapt his personality traits to be more effective. Sometimes he may need to be a little more aggressive to set the tempo. A good example was that he probably shouldn't have backed away when Smith came into bat for him.

His disposal efficiency is down, but I'll back him to put in "Captain's moments/games". Would LOVE to see him back on the HBF but alas, noone to take his place in the midfield.

The last thing we need in the backline is another sideways kicker who isn't accountable for an opponent.

 

[Mootsy]

I love Dyson, but the kid doesn't look like a leader, the dreads and beard look terrible

If you look at some of the behind the scenes videos that get posted on EFC from time to time, he is extremely confident as a communicator and very vocal during training runs. I can totally see why he was chosen as Captain. He's got that maturity of skills ingrained in him, now you can assume a bunch of things, but hair and beard have zilch to do with any of that.

 

[Doss]

Seperate issue - that's a skill problem - and a problem that he will never fix. He's 25, and is as skilful as he is ever going to be. And, as he has bulked up over the years, he has gotten slower - and he was slow to begin with. So...if you are dead slow, you'd better have something to compensate. Jobe had a brilliant footy brain, unbelievable strength, and unbelievable hands. I am not sure Heppell has got anything truly elite.

He is not the sort of midfielder we need, so to be honest, I am not sure where he sits. In fact, unless we get somehow get a gun, fast midfielder in the next year, I'd trade him while he has some currency.

I can't agree with this, but with a qualifier.

He is not the sort of midfielder who should be the leader of your midfield. That's what sums it up for me.

I think there is absolutely room for a Heppell type, but when he's trying to more or less play the role that Jobe did in his heyday, then you have a problem.

 

[bjisgod9]

Trade him? Demote him from the captaincy after a few years in the job? Calm it down guys, its a few poor games in a looong season. Don't remember too many upset with him in our two wins this year. Not many winners on the ground if any this week so you just can't pick out individual players, especially one of our most consistently good players. He is just not a Dangerfield/Fyfe/Martin but there are not many of those players in the game!

 

[Doss]

For the record I think the calls to trade him are way off and I'm not unhappy with him being captain, although I will say I wish he would impose himself a bit more at times.

 

[onthemove77]

If you look at some of the behind the scenes videos that get posted on EFC from time to time, he is extremely confident as a communicator and very vocal during training runs. I can totally see why he was chosen as Captain. He's got that maturity of skills ingrained in him, now you can assume a bunch of things, but hair and beard have zilch to do with any of that.

I'm old fashioned and from a different generation, private schools don't allow it, police force, and to be honest mate know business would employ a senior manager presenting that way. What happens if there's a few seconds left on the clock the game is tied he's leading up for a mark and the hair gets in his eyes and drops the mark?

 

[Doss]

Good lord. I don't think Heppell's hair or beard is what is holding him back.

 

[faible]

I can't agree with this, but with a qualifier.

He is not the sort of midfielder who should be the leader of your midfield. That's what sums it up for me.

I think there is absolutely room for a Heppell type, but when he's trying to more or less play the role that Jobe did in his heyday, then you have a problem.

This is true; Heppell gives 100% but he’s not going to be a Jobe type bulldozer, let alone an Elite one.

I’m not sure where his best position is currently, an issue I think we have with a few players in that midfield group.

 

[onthemove77]

I can't agree with this, but with a qualifier.

He is not the sort of midfielder who should be the leader of your midfield. That's what sums it up for me.

I think there is absolutely room for a Heppell type, but when he's trying to more or less play the role that Jobe did in his heyday, then you have a problem.

I remember in his first 2 years he played of the half back flank and looked good in that position, read it so well

 

[Donakebab]

I can't agree with this, but with a qualifier.

He is not the sort of midfielder who should be the leader of your midfield. That's what sums it up for me.

I think there is absolutely room for a Heppell type, but when he's trying to more or less play the role that Jobe did in his heyday, then you have a problem.

Playing second/third fiddle in 2014 was when he was at his best, but we had a much bulkier midfield rotation; Watson, Hocking, Myers, Howlett, Stanton, Goddard, Zaharakis, Chapman, etc. It was slow as treacle, but at it had grunt and the bulk to protect each other.

 

[DapperDon]

I'm old fashioned and from a different generation, private schools don't allow it, police force, and to be honest mate know business would employ a senior manager presenting that way. What happens if there's a few seconds left on the clock the game is tied he's leading up for a mark and the hair gets in his eyes and drops the mark?

Bankers are nice clean cut looking people. Aren't they great?

 

[Phone]

if private schools and the police force don't like something then it's a good bet that the something is probably alright

anyways remember two years ago when the richmond captain sucked. and then his team won some stuff and now he's good, or something. 'judging' leadership as outsiders is a bunch of bollocks.

 

[Its Manbearpig]

Why do people sook endlessly about long hair. Who seriously gives a flying **** about how the blokes hair looks. I'll never understand the amount of whinging and sooking I hear and read about it..