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

 

[P Money]

Whilst I doubt it'll be an issue as I don't expect us to make a final this year, I have no doubt he'd be playing if we did.

100%

 

[srobbo]

If he comes back in for Durrs this week I’ll blow up. Time to call his career now that it’s retirement season & be given a farewell game in Brissy, only if we don’t win our next two.

 

[P Money]

Scott's presser today doesn't fill me with confidence about the Hepp decision. Rolled out the old 'we owe him a debt of gratitude' line and said that his future is a decision for him to make. Can only hope that's a position taken in public to protect Heppell's pride and dignity but he's actually been tapped on the shoulder behind closed doors and they're allowing him to 'retire on his own terms' in the public eye.

I don't expect Scott to say 'He's cooked and we're not going to offer him a contract' but something diplomatic like 'we'll sit down at the end of season and see where things sit' would give me much more comfort.

 

[Shanghaistu]

Scott's presser today doesn't fill me with confidence about the Hepp decision. Rolled out the old 'we owe him a debt of gratitude' line and said that his future is a decision for him to make. Can only hope that's a position taken in public to protect Heppell's pride and dignity but he's actually been tapped on the shoulder behind closed doors and they're allowing him to 'retire on his own terms' in the public eye.

I don't expect Scott to say 'He's cooked and we're not going to offer him a contract' but something diplomatic like 'we'll sit down at the end of season and see where things sit' would give me much more comfort.

Bomberland is such a nice workplace - everyone gets to decide when they call time and what roles they want to accept or decline. Obviously the bedrock style of any successful corporation or organization

 

[Beerfish]

Bomberland is such a nice workplace - everyone gets to decide when they call time and what roles they want to accept or decline. Obviously the bedrock style of any successful corporation or organization

I don't think you'll see that again after all the saga players are gone.

 

[ant555]

Scott's presser today doesn't fill me with confidence about the Hepp decision. Rolled out the old 'we owe him a debt of gratitude' line and said that his future is a decision for him to make. Can only hope that's a position taken in public to protect Heppell's pride and dignity but he's actually been tapped on the shoulder behind closed doors and they're allowing him to 'retire on his own terms' in the public eye.

I don't expect Scott to say 'He's cooked and we're not going to offer him a contract' but something diplomatic like 'we'll sit down at the end of season and see where things sit' would give me much more comfort.

Was thinking the same thing . The only ray of hope is that he will be told he could play a lot of VFL. Otherwise. Dumb call from Brad.

 

[srobbo]

Scott's presser today doesn't fill me with confidence about the Hepp decision. Rolled out the old 'we owe him a debt of gratitude' line and said that his future is a decision for him to make. Can only hope that's a position taken in public to protect Heppell's pride and dignity but he's actually been tapped on the shoulder behind closed doors and they're allowing him to 'retire on his own terms' in the public eye.

I don't expect Scott to say 'He's cooked and we're not going to offer him a contract' but something diplomatic like 'we'll sit down at the end of season and see where things sit' would give me much more comfort.

Yeah I saw that & it makes me think I’ll just resign from my job & apply for anything at Essendon where I can earn Mckay type $$$, consistently underperform & come & go on my own terms.

I want in!

 

[andleanback]

I don’t want to hear how much of a good club man he is anymore. If he was such a good clubman he was end his delusional and realise his time is up and to call it a day. Absolute figjam of him to want another year

 

[P Money]

Had to lol at Brad Scott saying 'the club wouldn't be what it is today without Hepp'. Like, yeah. Exactly.

 

[carloss]

Feel like he's been on a farewell tour last couple of seasons.

 

[Milanista28]

Had to lol at Brad Scott saying 'the club wouldn't be what it is today without Hepp'. Like, yeah. Exactly.

I think the fans have played a big part, the fans deserve the best possible list. We might complain and get angry and emotional but a lot keep turning up and buying memberships, debt of gratitude to the fans seems fair.

 

[Kong]

Feel like he's been on a farewell tour last couple of seasons.

Yep, 2020 should have been his last season. It was obvious then, again in 2021, again in 2022, again in 2023..

To be fair he was pretty solid in the first half of this year. I maintain he shouldn't have had the opportunity to get there, and that the team could have found someone else to play the loose defender role, and that 12 solid games doesn't justify 3.5 poor seasons.. but he was solid for a while.

Now, once again, it's obvious that his time should be up.

 

[Shanghaistu]

Yep, 2020 should have been his last season. It was obvious then, again in 2021, again in 2022, again in 2023..

To be fair he was pretty solid in the first half of this year. I maintain he shouldn't have had the opportunity to get there, and that the team could have found someone else to play the loose defender role, and that 12 solid games doesn't justify 3.5 poor seasons.. but he was solid for a while.

Now, once again, it's obvious that his time should be up.

I would have thought that 10 years of penance for the saga stuff might be enough already, but that’s just me ….

 

[Snake Charmer]

I think he announced he was playing on after the gws game last season.. so the club probably waiting for Sydney or brissy to smoke us then be will sign a 1 year deal to cheer us all up

 

[faible]

I think he announced he was playing on after the gws game last season.. so the club probably waiting for Sydney or brissy to smoke us then be will sign a 1 year deal to cheer us all up

A Heppell re-signing would cheer us up about as much as a Hinkley re-signing cheers up Port members.

 

[ant555]

Will start this by saying I think we have given him his bonus by getting him to 250 games. I am in no way in favour of him going on. He should retire and if he is keen to stay around to help the leaders and the young blokes then take on VFL captain or something like that.

As annoying as it is I know where Scott is coming from when he says we owe him a debt of gratitude. When you speak to people around the club they will tell you the club lost a lot of its soul between 2014 and 2020 . There where divisions in the playing group due to those getting rubbed out feeling betrayed and robbed of a chance to contend in their prime and the younger brigade coming through who had some feelings they where not on a level playing field with those who had ben suspended as they thought some where getting a bit of a free ride. You can talk to any number of people that will tell you that Heppell took over when there was great pressure and did well to just hold it all together with limited support .
Throw in Covid and the club lost a lot of good part time people and volunteers.
Good people are often hard to find around footy clubs and plenty within Essendon will tell you Dyson went above and beyond as far as trying to hold everyone together when Jobe left because he fell out of love with footy and new guys coming in where getting the feeling that some sections of the paying list where too distant and where not interested. Throw in a coach who basically checked out in May 2018 as well.

He is done. He should retire but he does deserve the respect . He has carried a big load with little help.
Brad needs to be telling him if he plays on it could be 15+ VFL games.

 

[mmmifff]

Yep, 2020 should have been his last season. It was obvious then, again in 2021, again in 2022, again in 2023..

To be fair he was pretty solid in the first half of this year. I maintain he shouldn't have had the opportunity to get there, and that the team could have found someone else to play the loose defender role, and that 12 solid games doesn't justify 3.5 poor seasons.. but he was solid for a while.

Now, once again, it's obvious that his time should be up.

The rest of the team coming on and the ball spending more time in our forward line is what helped create this impression of him being solid. Plus he was getting his effective-possession stats up by kicking 14.9m sideways to Cox or Laverde.

Time for the MCG lap in the convertible on GF day - even if we are in the granny!

 

[Zach Package]

Had to lol at Brad Scott saying 'the club wouldn't be what it is today without Hepp'. Like, yeah. Exactly.

We would have also provably won somewhere between 3 and 5 wooden spoons on the trot between 2016 and 2022.

Does anyone else remember the last time he played ressies?

It actually would have been cool to see him suit up with Aaron at least once but I don’t recall it happening.

 

[Bjchan13]

As Ant has said above, he deserves respect for his dedication to the club, which Brad has given him publicly. He is respectfully ending his career and giving Dyson the opportunity to call it himself and make it look like his own decision to retire. The conversation between the 2 of them behind closed doors would be a lot more blunt id guess. Does Dyson swallow his pride and put his hand up for VFL this week?

 

[Shanghaistu]

As Ant has said above, he deserves respect for his dedication to the club, which Brad has given him publicly. He is respectfully ending his career and giving Dyson the opportunity to call it himself and make it look like his own decision to retire. The conversation between the 2 of them behind closed doors would be a lot more blunt id guess. Does Dyson swallow his pride and put his hand up for VFL this week?

Can we make question this a voting poll thread?

 

[Beerfish]

Can we make question this a voting poll thread?

 

[Bjchan13]

It me perfect sense makes to

 

[Beerfish]

provably

 

[NAB777]

I'd be surprised if a conversation hasn't happened this week.

 

[Godzke]

If we lose our next two games and can't make finals going into the last game then I am in favour of a farewell game.