AFL Player #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

 

[Call Me Cake]

Have to admit despite a few clangers he stepped up when the time called for it most.

 

[naraku]

Hepp is definitely making me look a fool, but I did wonder the past few season's if he'd just be better and more free without the captaincy- which wasn't a knock on him.

 

[eth-dog]

Huge tonight. Great work Doise.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Physically thats the best hes moved in 6 years. Looked strong in the contest and was running on top of the ground.

 

[ant555]

Physically thats the best hes moved in 6 years. Looked strong in the contest and was running on top of the ground.

I agree that was the difference for me. He played a good physical game.

 

[Maxabillions]

I think we saw some evidence of his continued leadership value after McGraths error with the handball that lead the goal and Heppell was straight over to him and keep him from dropping his head

 

[Snake Charmer]

**** I was cheering hard when he took that mark in the final 30 seconds.. I’ve knocked Hep I’ll happily eat humble pie today

 

[DapperDon]

I jump on him when he does poor things so only right to jump off him when he makes plays like that last 30sec. Literally won us the game.

 

[madrigal]

* I was cheering hard when he took that mark in the final 30 seconds.. I’ve knocked Hep I’ll happily eat humble pie today

I can't imagine getting an insult as hurtful as setting the bar so low that taking a chest mark after dropping multiple earlier is applauded.

 

[Snake Charmer]

I can't imagine getting an insult as hurtful as setting the bar so low that taking a chest mark after dropping multiple earlier is applauded.

We won jog on

 

[DERO]

He is was good but he still slowed it up when he needed to go and turned it over a bit unfortunately. That said, he stood up when we needed him and rightly led the boys off alongside Junior.

 

[madrigal]

We won jog on

Yeah we won, should be celebrated, no need to humiliate a guy with humble pie nonsense because a guy took a mark.

 

[Lore]

Interviewed on 3AW today

 

[Snake Charmer]

Yeah we won, should be celebrated, no need to humiliate a guy with humble pie nonsense because a guy took a mark.

Calm down. The mark was one of a few things in the dying moments that won us the game. I am celebrating. I’m not humiliating him at all. Don’t be so sensitive

Edit.. maybe I should of added the reason I was cheering is because he dropped a sitter with 12 seconds to go in the 3rd that could of been costly.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Yeah we won, should be celebrated, no need to humiliate a guy with humble pie nonsense because a guy took a mark.

As if all marks don’t have a difficulty rating that depends on the circumstances? Clutch is clutch

 

[yodellinhank]

Proving a lot of people wrong.
Form is temporary, class is permanent.

As if all marks don’t have a difficulty rating that depends on the circumstances? Clutch is clutch

Mods can we please change my boy's tagline to "Clutch is clutch"?

 

[Old man fletch]

Great game from Heppell tonight. A few errors last week were really glaring at the ground so I didn't rate his game as highly as others here, but he was really solid tonight. Nice to see him move the ball on quickly and not hold it up.

Hope Scott gives him rests through the season as needed so he can play to this standard

 

[bennyg12]

Solid game

 

[Gabe251]

Infuriating at times this year but I am so glad he is finding form. The man bleeds black and red.

 

[naraku]

Welp, I was wrong about him.

 

[Howard Moon]

Anyone have West Australian paywall access to the article about hepps words of wisdom to Oscar Allen

12

Oscar Allen

Age

25

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

re: leadership post match? I noticed them talking for ages and wondered what it was about

 

[Don Won]

Howard Moon

No but I saw this on twitter

 

[P Money]

Looks like he's been given instruction from the coaches to take the first and easiest option, and it has changed his game. The last couple of matches has consistently kicked short 20m sideways in the back half to a safe option, and quickly without holding up the play. As a result his turnovers have drastically reduced which have seen him labelled (and probably fairly) as a bit of a liability for us.

Can imagine it would have been a difficult conversation for coaches to have with our most senior and experienced player and former captain. 'Dys, we need you to stop being creative and taking risky (or just regular) kicks around the field, your kicking is just not up to it. From now on take the safe and easy option every time like a limited role player.'

Huge respect for him though, obviously has the humility to accept that he has lost a step (or three) and willing to play within his capabilities and play a role for the team. I dare say that is also translating to him playing better across the field. Even for old knackers 'she'll be right mate' it would no doubt have been incredibly deflating to consistently turn the ball over with every second kick after all the hard work of his teammates to win the ball. He looks like he's regained confidence and is contributing in physical contests to a much greater level than he has over the past few years. Good on him, genuinely a best 22 player at the moment.

 

[Keystone agony]

Hes either too nice with having that chat to oscar a gun young player

Or hes very smart about the future and how that looks to not only Essendon but all clubs. It sounds like he has a deal at Essendon youd imagine in coaching/development ranks though

 

[bombadeer]

Hes either too nice with having that chat to oscar a gun young player

Or hes very smart about the future and how that looks to not only Essendon but all clubs. It sounds like he has a deal at Essendon youd imagine in coaching/development ranks though

Not sure what you mean - the game had finished, it’s pretty normal for players to exchange a few words after the siren.

The way Hep is playing, he could probably go on another year - he’s playing better than he has in the last 3. I thought it was a bit of a cringe for Oscar to start the conversation with an inference that this was Dysons last year.

A piece of advice I’d freely give to Oscar - try not to telegraph your belief that a player will/should retire…