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

 

[Lore]

Considering Jobe was captain until 2016 (Goddard was the stand-in for 2016) and Heppell took over in 2017. He was 24 when he took on the captaincy – same age McGrath, Ridley, Draper are now, and younger than Merrett, Langford, Laverde, Parish, and Redman. He's basically been the face of the cobbled together group that we've had through the entire post-saga period, and has had to be quite a lot more mature at a younger age than any of those others I just mentioned.

His legacy as captain is in keeping this smouldering shell of a club together after the coaching exodus in 2015 and the player suspensions in 2016 with some degree of success physically and psychologically (though we still had a covid-exacerbated and probably coaching-exacerbated exodus in 2020). Getting the players to enjoy playing footy rather than worrying about all the external stuff. And then through covid and the hubs, of course.

It might've been a different captaincy under a different set of circumstances, particularly if we'd drawn a line under the saga in 2018; if Tanner had moved on sooner instead of being in absentia, if Campbell had critical feedback and proper oversight from the board through that period. If Covid didn't happen, if we'd had our 2013 and 2014 picks, who right now would be senior leaders of the club competing with Merrett for captaincy. But that didn't happen, and so I think Heppell's captaincy is very much shaped by Worsfold's coaching and the post-saga circumstances he found himself in.

Hindsight will probably be kinder to him in context than the last couple dozen pages of this thread have been.

 

[frodos gardener]

Good outcome. Thanks for doing your best, Dyson.

 

[Beerfish]

Great for Dyson too. Hopefully he can stay fit and enjoy his footy this year.

 

[citizen-erased]

Considering Jobe was captain until 2016 (Goddard was the stand-in for 2016) and Heppell took over in 2017. He was 24 when he took on the captaincy – same age McGrath, Ridley, Draper are now, and younger than Merrett, Langford, Laverde, Parish, and Redman. He's basically been the face of the cobbled together group that we've had through the entire post-saga period, and has had to be quite a lot more mature at a younger age than any of those others I just mentioned.

His legacy as captain is in keeping this smouldering shell of a club together after the coaching exodus in 2015 and the player suspensions in 2016 with some degree of success physically and psychologically (though we still had a covid-exacerbated and probably coaching-exacerbated exodus in 2020). Getting the players to enjoy playing footy rather than worrying about all the external stuff. And then through covid and the hubs, of course.

It might've been a different captaincy under a different set of circumstances, particularly if we'd drawn a line under the saga in 2018; if Tanner had moved on sooner instead of being in absentia, if Campbell had critical feedback and proper oversight from the board through that period. If Covid didn't happen, if we'd had our 2013 and 2014 picks, who right now would be senior leaders of the club competing with Merrett for captaincy. But that didn't happen, and so I think Heppell's captaincy is very much shaped by Worsfold's coaching and the post-saga circumstances he found himself in.

Hindsight will probably be kinder to him in context than the last couple dozen pages of this thread have been.

kinder than our governance has been for his entire career.
even now we're a shambles.

Knights -> Hird
ASADA & bans
Return/Woosha
Woosha-Truck
Truck -> Clarkson Scott

Quite the ****show

 

[BrunoV]

Considering Jobe was captain until 2016 (Goddard was the stand-in for 2016) and Heppell took over in 2017. He was 24 when he took on the captaincy – same age McGrath, Ridley, Draper are now, and younger than Merrett, Langford, Laverde, Parish, and Redman. He's basically been the face of the cobbled together group that we've had through the entire post-saga period, and has had to be quite a lot more mature at a younger age than any of those others I just mentioned.

His legacy as captain is in keeping this smouldering shell of a club together after the coaching exodus in 2015 and the player suspensions in 2016 with some degree of success physically and psychologically (though we still had a covid-exacerbated and probably coaching-exacerbated exodus in 2020). Getting the players to enjoy playing footy rather than worrying about all the external stuff. And then through covid and the hubs, of course.

It might've been a different captaincy under a different set of circumstances, particularly if we'd drawn a line under the saga in 2018; if Tanner had moved on sooner instead of being in absentia, if Campbell had critical feedback and proper oversight from the board through that period. If Covid didn't happen, if we'd had our 2013 and 2014 picks, who right now would be senior leaders of the club competing with Merrett for captaincy. But that didn't happen, and so I think Heppell's captaincy is very much shaped by Worsfold's coaching and the post-saga circumstances he found himself in.

Hindsight will probably be kinder to him in context than the last couple dozen pages of this thread have been.

You've mentioned the cobbled together groups. As I see it the biggest problem with this was not complimenting Heppel with the characters that he needed.

He was give introverts and pissant sunshine bombers like Daniher and Fantasia.

How were Hooker, a much more aggressive, confrontational personality, and Hurley, the elder statesman, not his deputies the whole time?

McGrath is the guy for me. Merrett has only even been shunted into potential candidacy by virtue of being one of our best players.

Merrett is not a natural leader by words or actions.I think back to McGrath in 2018, the remarkable interview he gave to SEN prior to the Geelong match, confronting Shiel for his selfishness. He was captain of Brighton, that's basically being a politician for a year.

But it feels a year too early for McGrath. He really needs to get back to what he does best for a year.

A firmer hand is required.

 

[yodellinhank]

This is fantasy land stuff.

Was it not enough for him to sacrifice a year of his career then front up to press conference after press conference after press conference for 5 years copping s**t for stuff that was completely beyond his control?

The fact that we can say ‘he saved the club’ and it’s not ridiculous hyperbole is an achievement in its own right.

You're right, that is fantasy land stuff.

 

[Lore]

How were Hooker, a much more aggressive, confrontational personality, and Hurley, the elder statesman, not his deputies the whole time?

2017:

Our Leadership Group

Here are the seven players named in the Essendon Leadership Group.

www.essendonfc.com.au

C: Heppell
VC: Hooker & Merrett
LG: Watson, Goddard, Hurley, Daniher


2018:

2018 Leadership Group

Essendon Football Club has unveiled a new look leadership group to its members and supporters at today’s intra-club match at The Hangar.

www.essendonfc.com.au

C: Heppell
VC: Hooker & Merrett
LG: Hurley, Daniher, Myers, Fantasia

Out: Watson, Goddard
In: Myers, Fantasia

2019:

Leadership group unveiled

The Bombers have finalised a five-man leadership group for 2019.

www.essendonfc.com.au

C: Heppell
VC: Merrett
LG: Daniher, Myers, Fantasia

Out: Hooker, Hurley
In: nil

2020:

2020 leadership group named

The Bombers name an experienced five-man leadership group.

www.essendonfc.com.au

C: Heppell
VC: nil
LG: Hurley, Zaharakis, Shiel, Smith

Out: Merrett, Daniher, Myers, Fantasia
In: Hurley, Zaharakis, Shiel, Smith

2021:

2021 leadership group announced

The Bombers have welcomed two new additions to their 2021 leadership group.

www.essendonfc.com.au

C: Heppell
VC: Hurley, Merrett, McGrath
LG: nil

In: Merrett, McGrath
Out: Zaharakis, Shiel, Smith

2022:

Bombers lock in leaders in streamlined three-man group

Essendon has confirmed its three-man leadership group for 2022

www.afl.com.au

C: Heppell
VC: Merrett
Deputy VC: McGrath
LG: nil

Out: Hurley
In: nil


Hooker retired at the end of 2021, I think he was pretty clearly slowing down before that but I don't remember the timeline, if it was obvious towards the end of 2019 or not. Certainly he was 30 when he dropped out of the leadership group.

Hurley had his hip injury during 2021 and dropped out of the leadership team because of that, but he probably shouldn't have been dropped in 2019.

Overall I don't think that was the issue.

2019 was just genuinely a pretty stupid/uninspiring combination for a leadership group, apparently a push from board level to embrace the youth (which they then ****ed up even more by going too far the other way in 2020 and dropping Merrett altogether).

 

[yodellinhank]

You've mentioned the cobbled together groups. As I see it the biggest problem with this was not complimenting Heppel with the characters that he needed.

He was give introverts and pissant sunshine bombers like Daniher and Fantasia.

How were Hooker, a much more aggressive, confrontational personality, and Hurley, the elder statesman, not his deputies the whole time?

McGrath is the guy for me. Merrett has only even been shunted into potential candidacy by virtue of being one of our best players.

Merrett is not a natural leader by words or actions.I think back to McGrath in 2018, the remarkable interview he gave to SEN prior to the Geelong match, confronting Shiel for his selfishness. He was captain of Brighton, that's basically being a politician for a year.

But it feels a year too early for McGrath. He really needs to get back to what he does best for a year.

A firmer hand is required.

Hurley I don't see as complimentary the way you describe. Too much like Dyson in his love for the group. It'd be good cop-good cop.

 

[BrunoV]

Hurley I don't see as complimentary the way you describe. Too much like Dyson in his love for the group. It'd be good cop-good cop.

I think he was listened to.

You going to listen to Shiel, Merrett, Daniher and Fantasia?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Jobe took off to watch The Ashes. Saying he was a better leader than Sellwood is absolutely laughable.

Christ.

The bloke was one of the most harassed and under-pressure people in the country for about 4 years.

He shouldn't take a holiday in that time?

**** me.

 

[yodellinhank]

Christ.

The bloke was one of the most harassed and under-pressure people in the country for about 4 years.

He shouldn't take a holiday in that time?

* me.

Sellwood never even had time for holidays, with his season always running deep into September.

 

[Vander18]

You think of we had Selwood as Captain we'd have miraculously seen improvement across a poor playing group?

I think we’d have had a better captain and that would have had an impact on our club. I didn’t say anything about “miraculous improvements.”

If you think leadership doesn’t impact team performance….well, we don’t have much to discuss.

If you think Hep (who I love as a bloke and rate as a player) wasn’t part of our organisational leadership deficiency……again, we are obviously poles apart.

Are you seriously arguing he was a high quality captain?

BTW - spare me the LOL’s mate. I have never understood why you choose to engage that way. It’s an unpleasant way to interact.

 

[Vander18]

This is fantasy land stuff.

Was it not enough for him to sacrifice a year of his career then front up to press conference after press conference after press conference for 5 years copping s**t for stuff that was completely beyond his control?

The fact that we can say ‘he saved the club’ and it’s not ridiculous hyperbole is an achievement in its own right.

Nobody saying he didn’t get handed a shit sandwich.

 

[ghostdog]

Thanks, Hepp. You've been awesome in the face of adversity but you've made the right decision.

Give him the award for Best Club Man now.

 

[Zach Package]

Nobody saying he didn’t get handed a s**t sandwich.

I'm still not quite sure what you are saying though.

Are we assigning blame because he didn't get drafted to a club with legends on every line, complete organisational alignment in every way and he didn't bleed as much as Selwood did? The Cats had a better record without him in the side than they did with him in it.

There are plenty of things that can be said of Dyson's tenure but that's not really one of them.

 

[yodellinhank]

Thanks, Hepp. You've been awesome in the face of adversity but you've made the right decision.

Give him the award for Best Club Man now.

He's in the running for most improved by my vote.

 

[bennyg12]

Classy man

 

[Vander18]

I'm still not quite sure what you are saying though.

Are we assigning blame because he didn't get drafted to a club with legends on every line, complete organisational alignment in every way and he didn't bleed as much as Selwood did? The Cats had a better record without him in the side than they did with him in it.

There are plenty of things that can be said of Dyson's tenure but that's not really one of them.

Not about assigning blame at all - he 100% copped a shit sandwich in terms of saga and the pathetic leadership of our Board and Executive through his tenure.

All that aside, in different circumstances I still think he would have been an average captain at best.

I probably raised it at the wrong time - just thank him for his efforts today and assess his captaincy another time. As I said, love him as a bloke and rate him as a player.

 

[windyhill]

Why I loved Hepp so much is that he reminded me so much of TD. Many have a go at Hepps “ow ya goin mate” persona which I find pathetic. TD was as laid back as you could find, when he was coaching the ressies after a particularly good win he’d have the boot studder bring out a slab. TD was surrounded by champions, let’s face it, Hepp was surrounded with hacks , there is the difference.
We pinched him off South Melbourne, he’d tackle his own players to get the ball, he sucked back piss like a German pr0n star, he led us to two flags breaking a 19 year drought. Love TD, love Hepp, blokes bloke, or aren’t you allowed to say that anymore ?

 

[naraku]

I think this the right time.

We know Dyson is no certainty to be in our best side. If that's the case, he will be able to offer a lot to the VFL boys.


Thanks Hepp!

 

[doug85]

I don’t know how anyone can give a definitive view of someone’s leadership from the outside looking in (unless they have a cataclysmic **** up ie carey/stevens). Same with coaching. It’s results and perception.

 

[DERO]

I don’t know how anyone can give a definitive view of someone’s leadership from the outside looking in (unless they have a cataclysmic * up ie carey/stevens). Same with coaching. It’s results and perception.

Premierships make everyone look good.

 

[andleanback]

You've gotta be kidding. Selwood didn't build Geelong or even strongly influence it - he inherited an outfit that was elite at everything from top to bottom. Sure he maintained it, but he couldn't have walked into a more settled or professional setting.

With a few exceptions, footy captains don't achieve much on their own. They're your classic middle manager. They largely keep things running smoothly if they're good, but they don't turn a place around.

The lionisation of the likes of Voss and Selwood is always overdone... they owe the vast majority of what they achieve to their teammates, club and coach.

I maintain that no AFL captain I've seen has shown anything like the leadership that Jobe did during the saga. He stood in front of the whole thing, 24 hours, every day for years on end, and was the face of it. No other footy captain has had to do anything like that.

I don't think Heppell was an outstanding captain but in terms of achievements, he never had the slightest opportunity to be. He wasn't terrible either.

To be fair selwood was one of the blokes who was driving standards early in his first year in 2007. And was even calling out older team mates for poor efforts early in the season when they weren’t going so well, they then turned into a dynasty. Selwood arriving was one of the key reasons for this.

 

[andleanback]

I don’t know how anyone can give a definitive view of someone’s leadership from the outside looking in (unless they have a cataclysmic * up ie carey/stevens). Same with coaching. It’s results and perception.

Well you can give a definitive view when you’ve been told from playing group members what he’s like as a skipper, everyone loved and respected him but he wasn’t a follow me type leader who was ever going to help drag and drive the club to the next premiership.

 

[Lore]

To be fair selwood was one of the blokes who was driving standards early in his first year in 2007. And was even calling out older team mates for poor efforts early in the season when they weren’t going so well, they then turned into a dynasty. Selwood arriving was one of the key reasons for this.

Tangential but isn't Hobbs supposed to be Selwood-like in that respect?