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

 

[Andronicus]

FWIW, your call on H2B in the main board GameDay thread was f*cking brilliant

Got a link or a copy of said brilliance?

 

[VelvetSledge]

Got a link or a copy of said brilliance?

 

[Ozzie93]

I was reading that thread last night and came upon those 3 posts. brilliant

 

[Zach Package]

See this is the downside of blocking that ****, I miss out on all these brilliant calls

 

[Runk]

yeah there's quite a few good North fans. Dan, Twinkletoes, Tas, and a few others who I'm sure I'm forgetting. They just have a massive ******* chip on their shoulder about Essendon. That "Sympathy for Essendon" thread is embarrassing. I don't see that kind of thread on any other board. Doesn't help their case that they have two of the biggest trolls on the site supporting them, one of whom happens to be the most outrageous **** wit you could encounter.

You better have included Sooz in that!

 

[The Prosecutor]

What Teffy thinks and reality seem to be mutually exclusive.

 

[raskolnikov]

What Teffy thinks and reality seem to be mutually exclusive.

Teffy doesn't think. That's the problem.

 

[blitzer]

I honestly believe that Heppell can get to that Pendlebury type of level. He's just got such great hands, always gathers cleanly and has that great vision. He will just be one of those quality mids that gets 25 to 30 possessions a game and uses it well. If he can round out the package with a goal or two a game then he will be an absolute star. He's already pretty prolific though, If he plays full mid, I could see him averaging around 25 possessions this year. When I watch him play I always feel like he sums up the situation that split second faster than other players. Not sure about the captain thing though, I kind of feel like his age will count against him compared to Hurley/Zaharakis but time will tell.

 

[m7jebus]

Heppell is a very good footballer, and he played well on the whole on Friday. But I can't believe how many people on this board seem to ignore the fact that he does have a worrying tendency to shirk contests - he did it a couple of times, very noticeably, on Friday night. It's strange because he seems so comfortable standing under a high ball, but when it's on the deck and he can see a hit coming... sometimes he takes the easy option.

 

[Beerfish]

he did it a couple of times, very noticeably, on Friday night.

Could be the red and black glasses but I didn't see it.. either time.

 

[m7jebus]

Could be the red and black glasses but I didn't see it.. either time.

It's a strange one, because nobody else on here seems to see it with Dyson - I'm not sure if I'm seeing things or if others have the tinted lenses on, as you say. It pains me to say it, but when the North flogs come on here with footage of certain incidents where Heppell appears to pull up, I remember watching each one of those games - whether live or on TV - and seeing the same thing the trolls are talking about.

I hope I'm imagining things, but at the moment I don't think Heppell will become the midfield superstar we all expect him to be unless he has a good look at this aspect of his game.

 

[Phone]

But I can't believe how many people on this board seem to ignore the fact that he does have a worrying tendency to shirk contests

i can

 

[fishardansin]

Heppell is a very good footballer, and he played well on the whole on Friday. But I can't believe how many people on this board seem to ignore the fact that he does have a worrying tendency to shirk contests - he did it a couple of times, very noticeably, on Friday night. It's strange because he seems so comfortable standing under a high ball, but when it's on the deck and he can see a hit coming... sometimes he takes the easy option.

He always tries to keep his feet. He runs hard to provide options, plug gaps and get to as many contests as possible. I was struck by the energy he attacked contests with and saw him as happy to take a hit or lay a tackle when necessary. He will never be a kamikaze though.

 

[B-Bomber]

I noticed it once. In the center, had a moment where he could have dived in for a hard ball and took and backward step as an opposition dove head first in for the ball.

 

[m7jebus]

He always tries to keep his feet. He runs hard to provide options, plug gaps and get to as many contests as possible. I was struck by the energy he attacked contests with and saw him as happy to take a hit or lay a tackle when necessary. He will never be a kamikaze though.

I'm not saying I expect Heppell to attack every play like Luke Ball or Joel Selwood - he's not that type of player. But when it's your turn to go, you go - no arguments, no excuses - and Dyson's pulled up short on occasion, in my view.

 

[astrowizzle]

It's a strange one, because nobody else on here seems to see it with Dyson - I'm not sure if I'm seeing things or if others have the tinted lenses on, as you say. It pains me to say it, but when the North flogs come on here with footage of certain incidents where Heppell appears to pull up, I remember watching each one of those games - whether live or on TV - and seeing the same thing the trolls are talking about.

I hope I'm imagining things, but at the moment I don't think Heppell will become the midfield superstar we all expect him to be unless he has a good look at this aspect of his game.

i think if u watch the incident against Nth again you will find i think it was McVeigh called him out of the contest. Give him 2 more years to pack on some beef and he wont shirk anything. At the moment i would prefer some self preservation rather than be like Hirdy who friggin always ended up injured

 

[m7jebus]

i think if u watch the incident against Nth again you will find i think it was McVeigh called him out of the contest. Give him 2 more years to pack on some beef and he wont shirk anything. At the moment i would prefer some self preservation rather than be like Hirdy who friggin always ended up injured

I saw that footage and read all those explanations like everyone else - that's one (very bad-looking) incident. I'm talking about a pattern in his play; one that most Essendon fans either don't see, or that they forgive because of his obvious quality. Since when did self-preservation become a valid excuse? I'd rather have a team of broken hardnuts than one made up of talented wimps.

 

[Ambrosia]

I saw that footage and read all those explanations like everyone else - that's one (very bad-looking) incident. I'm talking about a pattern in his play; one that most Essendon fans either don't see, or that they forgive because of his obvious quality. Since when did self-preservation become a valid excuse? I'd rather have a team of broken hardnuts than one made up of talented wimps.

I've noticed that he isn't the type of player who regularly dives kamikaze style on a loose ball but I would hardly call electing to stay on your feet as shirking the contest.

 

[m7jebus]

I've noticed that he isn't the type of player who regularly dives kamikaze style on a loose ball but I would hardly call electing to stay on your feet as shirking the contest.

Obviously. I'm talking specifically about situations where Heppell's decision to, ahem, 'keep his feet' has taken him out of the action altogether, as happened clearly in one instance against Collingwood the other night. I'm convinced a less-gifted player would be under much more scrutiny for it on here, in the same way Paddy Ryder would cop more flak for those few occasions he's flinched under an uncontested mark.

 

[Ambrosia]

Obviously. I'm talking specifically about situations where Heppell's decision to, ahem, 'keep his feet' has taken him out of the action altogether, as happened clearly in one instance against Collingwood the other night. I'm convinced a less-gifted player would be under much more scrutiny for it on here, in the same way Paddy Ryder would cop more flak for those few occasions he's flinched under an uncontested mark.

How can you be out of thw contest if you keep your feet?

I'm not a fan of questioning any ones hardness in the Mickey mouse competition that is the NAB cup.

 

[lamaros]

His disposal still needs a little work at times. Kicking, that is.

 

[Keystone agony]

Surprisingly Hardingahm seemed like he took it upon himself to talk to the players at one point i saw before the game aswell from memory.

 

[Mercurial89]

Not going hard in a NAB cup game is fine, especially for the player that dyson is. He keeps his feet all the time. The problem is no one would notice if anyone else takes a backward step but because Heppel has had it well publicized ppl are looking for it.

 

[gO_bOmBeRz]

How often would a player like Pendlebury get his hands dirty in a contest ?

 

[bombermick]

He's never going to charge in without thinking like Hird did, but he does have to go harder. Put on size and he won't hesitate.