Retired #29: Jake Kelly - Announces Retirement. Thanks Bull! 2/9

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So I wonder what the forward half structure will be then? Not going to get a lot of forward pressure out of weight weid and stringer, then another tall if jones is in the lineup. You moreorless have to play 3 zippy small forwards if you want to play the forward half pressure game.
Minimum two quick small forwards. No playing an extra at the contest allowing an out number in the forward half. Wright and Stringer (if fit) are locks forward along with one of Jones / Weideman . After that it could be a few others. Guelfi or / and Snelling. Langford at times. Midfielders like Parish / Hobbs. Martin when he is not on the wing. We may not have the two fast small forwards in round 1. Midfielders will have to play a role rather than ball watching.
 
Minimum two quick small forwards. No playing an extra at the contest allowing an out number in the forward half. Wright and Stringer (if fit) are locks forward along with one of Jones / Weideman . After that it could be a few others. Guelfi or / and Snelling. Langford at times. Midfielders like Parish / Hobbs. Martin when he is not on the wing. We may not have the two fast small forwards in round 1. Midfielders will have to play a role rather than ball watching.
Well a few might get a wake up call, with the Scott mantra if you don’t play the role we need you to you won’t be playing.
 
Well a few might get a wake up call, with the Scott mantra if you don’t play the role we need you to you won’t be playing.

Kelly should be fine then - he is a role model role player!
Whilst I don’t particularly rate Kelly - and many people don’t even have him in their best 23 - it seems like he’s almost a lock for round 1.
Surprised by his pace, he certainly is durable and played every game last year and didn’t miss many games when he was at the Crows either. At 190cm he can play small, medium or even match up on a 3rd tall - Im starting to think I may have a man crush on him..🤩



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So I wonder what the forward half structure will be then? Not going to get a lot of forward pressure out of weight weid and stringer, then another tall if jones is in the lineup. You moreorless have to play 3 zippy small forwards if you want to play the forward half pressure game.
I reckon a lot of it fall to Hobbs/Perkins, Guelfi/Snelling and Walla, and Durham will probably be expected to be there too.
 
Had a good game on Sunday.

Totally agree, and I noticed he's moving the ball on far quicker than last season/previously which was one of his biggest negatives.
 

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I feel like Jake Kelly doesn’t get enough love. He puts in 110 percent every week. He is durable on who he can play on. He kept Rohan to one goal who is the type of big bodied medium size forward we have always struggled to defend in the past.
 
I feel like Jake Kelly doesn’t get enough love. He puts in 110 percent every week. He is durable on who he can play on. He kept Rohan to one goal who is the type of big bodied medium size forward we have always struggled to defend in the past.

Watch how hard he works to provide options constantly as well, regularly for no reward. No idea why people want him dropped every week, he’s the kind of guy we should all love.
 
Lingering concussion symptoms, ruled out in Round 10
The Bombers will also be without defender Jake Kelly for this week’s Dreamtime at the ‘G clash as he continues his recovery from delayed concussion.

“Jake's still experiencing some lingering symptoms,” McPherson said.

“We have to respect how he’s feeling, so his progression towards a return to play will obviously be guided by his symptoms.”
 
It’s disappointing that he won’t be available for the Richmond game. He would have most likely played on Dusty. Who gets Dusty now? Redman?
Ridley probably.
 
Very important player but the past week has shown we suddenly have a bit of depth with the form our backline is in.

If he needs an extra week, this would be the one to rest him
 
He's passed all his testing and is back training, but there are some questions about his long term health since he's had a few concussions over his career, so they're being a bit cautious.

Essendon is taking a conservative approach with Jake Kelly's concussion as the hardened defender deals with his latest head knock.

Kelly has missed the Bombers' past two games after being hit with delayed concussion in the club's loss to Port Adelaide in round eight.

The former Crow has had a number of concussions through his career, including a big clash in round one of 2021 with ex-teammate and Cats superstar Patrick Dangerfield that saw Dangerfield suspended for three games.

The Bombers backman had started this season in strong form in his second campaign with the club and has been back into some training, but the club won't rush Kelly.

"It's been a pretty slow process and fairly conservative approach and that's driven both by Jake and us. He's had a number of concussions now so he's asking quite a few questions and he's a highly intelligent young fella and he's looking at bigger picture and life after footy," Bombers head of high performance Daniel McPherson told AFL.com.au.

"Medically he's pretty good. The guys have done a lot of testing with him internally and he's also done some external neuro stuff as well and all of that testing is pretty good. Now it's about him being comfortable and us being comfortable that he's confident to get back out there and play.

"And that could happen very quickly. He's been back training, he was training today and he will do a bit tomorrow but it's just him being comfortable to go out there and rip in once he's satisfied with all the answers that he's getting back, which he's getting closer to."

The 28-year-old started to feel the effects of the knock in the days after the Bombers' five-point defeat to the Power, seeing Kelly take some more time to work through the concussion.

McPherson said the Bombers wouldn't hurry Kelly into returning to the field before he was ready.

"With concussion you need to be really careful and guided by the player. First and foremost the symptoms have to be gone and with Jake they pretty much are, but if he's not comfortable to go out there and play then we're certainly not going to be pushing him out there to go out and play," he said.

"Talking to the doctor again this morning he's pretty happy with the information that he gathered in the last week or two."

The Bombers could regain defender Jayden Laverde (shoulder) for this week's trip to face the bottom-placed West Coast at Optus Stadium, while Dylan Shiel (calf) and Matt Guelfi (who played his first game back from a hamstring injury in the VFL) could also be considered.

 

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Retired #29: Jake Kelly - Announces Retirement. Thanks Bull! 2/9

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