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

 

[jmoo wan]

Gold jmoo wan

don’t ever tag me again

 

[Highly Evolved]

Was more than serviceable in his role (depth). He'll make way for Guelf.

 

[Vander18]

Struggled to impact.

Hard to see how he stays in as all of Guelfi, Hobbs and Snelling press for selection.

 

[Zach Package]

I hate to say it because I love the bloke to absolute bits but this reeks of a mid year hang up the boots to free up an MSD pick.

Looked capable enough in the time he spent as the winger/high half forward but they are very tired legs.

 

[Lore]

Scott is known for playing favourites, and it's quite clear Heppell is one. So I fully expect he'll have to drop himself for anything like that to happen.

 

[IggypopsTshirt]

Scott is known for playing favourites, and it's quite clear Heppell is one. So I fully expect he'll have to drop himself for anything like that to happen.

Scott regularly references creating “an elite environment”. Part of that elite approach is making the tough calls at selection, so let’s hope he is true to his word.
Clarkson dropping Roughead back in the day and more recently Goldstein is the gold standard approach. Past achievements and standing in the game/club should not justify automatic selection. Unfortunately for Essendon this has not been the case in recent years. Take the likes of Gleeson and Zaka for example. When given the long overdue tap on the shoulder those boys were spruiking that they’d seek opportunity at other clubs, only to go on and discover that other AFL clubs would’ve discarded them several years earlier and they were best shopping themselves around the bush leagues. David Myers was another one who damned near had to chew his arm of to extract himself not only from the club but the giant suckhole that was the leadership group at the time.

 

[Vander18]

Scott regularly references creating “an elite environment”. Part of that elite approach is making the tough calls at selection, so let’s hope he is true to his word.
Clarkson dropping Roughead back in the day and more recently Goldstein is the gold standard approach. Past achievements and standing in the game/club should not justify automatic selection. Unfortunately for Essendon this has not been the case in recent years. Take the likes of Gleeson and Zaka for example. When given the long overdue tap on the shoulder those boys were spruiking that they’d seek opportunity at other clubs, only to go on and discover that other AFL clubs would’ve discarded them several years earlier and they were best shopping themselves around the bush leagues. David Myers was another one who damned near had to chew his arm of to extract himself not only from the club but the giant suckhole that was the leadership group at the time.

Baguley was another that had to drop himself.

 

[andleanback]

For me it’s not heppell being in the side, it’s the extra position for another young player that misses out when a few senior boys come back in the next couple of weeks. Massimo should be playing games, we need to get 15-20 games into him this year, hobbs is going to be ready to go soon, as is guelfi and stringer. With most of those boys being forward half players, it’s likely that Davey or menzie get dropped. If they’re playing their role I want them in the side over heppell.

 

[IggypopsTshirt]

Baguley was another that had to drop himself.

It remains an indictment on the club that so many glaring fundamental flaws have been perpetuated for so long as we have a cultural dedication to being one massive circle jerk as an organisation. Even in the face of entrenched long term failure and ridicule from the entire football landscape we cling to our has beens and more recently in the absence of anything resembling success we’re clinging to spuds that never were.

 

[yodellinhank]

 

[ant555]

For me it’s not heppell being in the side, it’s the extra position for another young player that misses out when a few senior boys come back in the next couple of weeks. Massimo should be playing games, we need to get 15-20 games into him this year, hobbs is going to be ready to go soon, as is guelfi and stringer. With most of those boys being forward half players, it’s likely that Davey or menzie get dropped. If they’re playing their role I want them in the side over heppell.

Mass is on the fringe because they want him to improve his actual one on one defending. They know he can run and create off half back. They know is second efforts are good. He just has to be better at actual defending. Not that Heppell is taking his spot. Langford took the extra half back spot for most of the game and McGrath and Redman provided the run with Kelly playing deep back.

 

[andleanback]

Mass is on the fringe because they want him to improve his actual one on one defending. They know he can run and create off half back. They know is second efforts are good. He just has to be better at actual defending. Not that Heppell is taking his spot. Langford took the extra half back spot for most of the game and McGrath and Redman provided the run with Kelly playing deep back.

Yeah not that heppell is taking his spot necessarily, but he could definitely slot into the team if he wasn’t there. We’ve got langford, Martin, durham in the team that can move around multiple positions on the field. Not sure why they need to focus on massimo one on one defending, as Scott said focus on what they do well. He gets in the team because of his elite ball use off half back that sets up the field so well. Imagine if collingwood were like Daicos needs to improve his ability to defend,which is actually pretty terrible. I know Daicos is on a vastly different level but it’s the same reasoning. I don’t think north Melbourne care much for how sheezel defends either when he’s playing behind the ball.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Seems like a handy player to have around given he can play a number of positions to an ok-ish standard and brings a heap of experience.

I guess ideally a number of blokes go past him and he's filling in for injuries later in the season rather than holding down a spot on his own.

 

[Lore]

Yeah not that heppell is taking his spot necessarily, but he could definitely slot into the team if he wasn’t there. We’ve got langford, Martin, durham in the team that can move around multiple positions on the field. Not sure why they need to focus on massimo one on one defending, as Scott said focus on what they do well. He gets in the team because of his elite ball use off half back that sets up the field so well. Imagine if collingwood were like Daicos needs to improve his ability to defend,which is actually pretty terrible. I know Daicos is on a vastly different level but it’s the same reasoning. I don’t think north Melbourne care much for how sheezel defends either when he’s playing behind the ball.

Focusing on what they do well and playing them in their best position doesn’t mean everyone gets to be one dimensional or that you don’t set high expectations of growth and development on the kids before putting them in the team…

 

[andleanback]

Focusing on what they do well and playing them in their best position doesn’t mean everyone gets to be one dimensional or that you don’t set high expectations of growth and development on the kids before putting them in the team…

Who says he’s one dimensional. He can play half back, wing or half forward. He may not be that good one on one defensively but he’s still tough in the contest and a competitor and was chosen in the 22 against st Kilda and was one of our best I thought. I just think you can challenge him to get better at it while playing afl, if doesn’t met the standard required in some plays, then you can always drop him back. Just think his positives far outweigh his negatives currently.

 

[Lore]

Who says he’s one dimensional. He can play half back, wing or half forward.

Didn’t say he was one dimensional. Said that have a philosophy of playing the best 23 in their best position doesn’t mean no one ever has to work on their weaknesses.

And he isn’t in the best 23 in any of those positions… so if he’s been told to work on his weaknesses in the VFL then it sounds like good coaching.

He may not be that good one on one defensively but he’s still tough in the contest and a competitor and was chosen in the 22 against st Kilda and was one of our best I thought. I just think you can challenge him to get better at it while playing afl, if doesn’t met the standard required in some plays, then you can always drop him back. Just think his positives far outweigh his negatives currently.

I guess that’s why we have coaches on match committee (and not coteries or list managers ), since the coach knows what the standards are and whether they’ve been met at training.

D’Ambrosio knows what he has to do even if we don’t.

 

[andleanback]

Didn’t say he was one dimensional. Said that have a philosophy of playing the best 23 in their best position doesn’t mean no one ever has to work on their weaknesses.

And he isn’t in the best 23 in any of those positions… so if he’s been told to work on his weaknesses in the VFL then it sounds like good coaching.

I guess that’s why we have coaches on match committee (and not coteries or list managers ), since the coach knows what the standards are and whether they’ve been met at training.

D’Ambrosio knows what he has to do even if we don’t.

Correct but if he was so far off the standards and needed to be refining them in the vfl, he would be playing in the vfl and not being the afl emergency and a chance to play in the seniors.

 

[citizen-erased]

Mass is on the fringe because they want him to improve his actual one on one defending. They know he can run and create off half back. They know is second efforts are good. He just has to be better at actual defending. Not that Heppell is taking his spot. Langford took the extra half back spot for most of the game and McGrath and Redman provided the run with Kelly playing deep back.

More that heppell is taking langfords spot, so langford goes back.

 

[ant555]

More that heppell is taking langfords spot, so langford goes back.

No. Langford played back in some of the pre season as well.

 

[ant555]

Yeah not that heppell is taking his spot necessarily, but he could definitely slot into the team if he wasn’t there. We’ve got langford, Martin, durham in the team that can move around multiple positions on the field. Not sure why they need to focus on massimo one on one defending, as Scott said focus on what they do well. He gets in the team because of his elite ball use off half back that sets up the field so well. Imagine if collingwood were like Daicos needs to improve his ability to defend,which is actually pretty terrible. I know Daicos is on a vastly different level but it’s the same reasoning. I don’t think north Melbourne care much for how sheezel defends either when he’s playing behind the ball.

The main focus is on defense. Mass has to be better at his one on one defense and general positioning. The knock on him has been he is a bit of a ball watcher all the way through.

 

[yodellinhank]

The knock on him has been he is a bit of a ball watcher all the way through.

Get Langford to mentor him.

 

[ant555]

Have to say it is very sad that Hep has become the whipping boy. I know output is everything but it is not good that a loyal servant has fallen so far that he is almost despised. It makes me even sadder that one of the thoughts I had on Sunday was thank god he is not captain.

 

[Vander18]

Have to say it is very sad that Hep has become the whipping boy. I know output is everything but it is not good that a loyal servant has fallen so far that he is almost despised. It makes me even sadder that one of the thoughts I had on Sunday was thank god he is not captain.

Yep - he’s in massive trouble but deserves maximum respect as it plays out.

 

[Ambrosia]

Feels like moving Langford to HBF and Martin to half forward are more about creating a spot for Heppell to play then fielding our best 22.

Would much rather bring in a Guelfi, Hind or D’Ambrosio who have a point of difference at this level

 

[frodos gardener]

Have to say it is very sad that Hep has become the whipping boy. I know output is everything but it is not good that a loyal servant has fallen so far that he is almost despised. It makes me even sadder that one of the thoughts I had on Sunday was thank god he is not captain.

I agree it’s sad. While I don’t think the decline of a loyal servant should mean he is immune to criticism, there’s a point where it feels like sinking the boots in. I’ve tried to pull back myself from flogging a dead horse and I think Dyson relinquishing the captaincy has helped ease the tension a bit. The noise will come back quickly from the fan base if he has more than 1 or 2 howlers. It would be great if his exit as a player, whenever that is, happens gracefully and positively.