Essendon's Tough Players

[retroparty]

I've been thinking about this one. I don't know if we lack tough players or lack players who can and have shown that they are tough players but won't do it all the time. We do have a coupla genuinely tough players (Welsh, Lonergan) then we have players who have shown potential but won't commit to the cause 100% of the time (NLM, McPhee).

Its probably not worth persisting with guys like NLM and McPhee and waiting for them to add consistency in to their game, so we would be better off trying to find younger, harder and tougher players. I'm not saying that we should get rid of NLM and McPhee because they can play different roles in the team. Luckily we do have young players coming through the ranks who are willing to put their bodies on the line and we need to hold onto these blokes and really try our best to develop them into tough, hard running players with plenty of bulldog.

These are the sorts of players which you need if you want to go all the way. Hawthorn and Geelong have bothed showed it in the last 2 years. We have lots of development to do and I hope we can do it properly.

 

[Slattery_20]

Intimidating might be the word you are looking for Donners

That's what I've taken it as as well

 

[one eyed pirate]

where's Billy Duckworth when you need him ?

 

[Bomber57]

atm we have quite a few courageous players, but not one tough player, not like the good old days, Llyod maybe! anyway football today is not that way inclined, is it?

 

[wazzabp]

Sam Lonergan.

Agree.
You could add Mark McVeigh and Henry Slattery as well.

 

[Bomberlicious]

Brent Guerra was recruited for his
a) Pace
b) Athleticism
c) Overhead marking
d) Because he's a dirty little unit who does what it takes

Can I have a lifeline please Ed...? I would have said e) hair product knowledge

I think McVeigh, Reimers, Lloyd at times, as well as Welsh and McPhee all possess a little "unsociabilty", but with the way the game is played and reviewed (think MRP), we would be kidding ourselves to try to get back to the Glory Days of 2000, when the likes of Wally, Solly, MJ, JJ, Hardwick, Morecroft, Barney & Longy (how did Simmonds survive that??!!) rode roughshod over all & sundry.

It's just a glorious memory now (I'm getting all teary just thinking about it...)

 

[bomberz08]

mcveigh, hislop, hocking and lonergan and all pretty tough

 

[rusman]

Stanton!!!!



Wait donners i was only joking please dont kill me with stanton hate

 

[BigBomber09]

McVeigh and Welsh are tough as nails. Slattery, Reimers and Hille are all courageous and and go hard for the ball. id classify them in the tough group aswell. NLM can be at times. mongrel at others. but he has courage. Which Lloyd sometimes shows aswell.

 

[Burzum]

NLM may be 'tough' because he hits players but he still squibs contests occasionally.

 

[SydneyBomber]

where's Billy Duckworth when you need him ?

I raise you a rotten ronnie?


we need more complete lunatic mongrels playing for us, pure and simple.

 

[The Dustbin]

Love that pic.

Don't forget Slatts.

 

[BigBomber09]

lonergan and reimers are our only really tough guys at the moment - maybe will become as tough as solomon
to a lesser extend mcveigh, lovett-murray

Are You Kidding? Sure Reimers is tough. Rustles guys around ex. Richo, Thomas, Judd etc. And Lonergan, not so much tough just courageous. Same with Slats. McVeigh and Welsh are the two toughest, always head down going hard for the ball. and can take it well too.

 

[hateitorlovett13]

lonergan and reimers are our only really tough guys at the moment - maybe will become as tough as solomon
to a lesser extend mcveigh, lovett-murray

You can't be serious. McVeigh is clearly the toughest at Essendon, he might not be the antagonistic little prick (I love him being an antagonistic little prick) that Reimers is but he puts in absolutely everything on the field, is invariably aggressive, and uses his strength and power every time he plays. Although those guys are indubitably tough, McVeigh just seems a step above them in all round "toughness" (power, strength, aggression, competitiveness, mental strength and never say die attitude).

 

[howiehowie]

You can't be serious. McVeigh is clearly the toughest at Essendon, he might not be the antagonistic little prick (I love him being an antagonistic little prick) that Reimers is but he puts in absolutely everything on the field, is invariably aggressive, and uses his strength and power every time he plays. Although those guys are indubitably tough, McVeigh just seems a step above them in all round "toughness" (power, strength, aggression, competitiveness, mental strength and never say die attitude).

McVeigh would definitely top the list in the toughness stakes at EFC. Never takes a backwards step. Easily my favourite player.

 

[mercs]

lonergan and reimers are our only really tough guys at the moment - maybe will become as tough as solomon
to a lesser extend mcveigh, lovett-murray

yeh and we might as well pick up Solly with last pick to add to that

 

[loopy_cam]

McVeigh
Welsh
Hille
Lonergan
Reimers

 

[BigBomber09]

2000. Glory Days.

So many tough players. that team was complete. It was brilliant.

Just wait a sec and remember.

Justin Blumfield, Adam Ramanauskas, Dean Solomon, Matthew Lloyd, Sean Wellman, Scott Lucas, Steve Alessio, Dustin Fletcher, John Barnes, Dean Wallis, Blake Caracella, Joe Misiti, Mark Mercuri, Gary Moorcroft, Darren Bewick, Damien Hardwick, Mark Johnson, James Hird, Michael Long, Chris Heffernan, Jason Johnson, Paul Barnard.

 

[bomba4eva]

Personally I think it's ignorant enough to not have listed McVeigh and Lonergan. Despite all the bullsh*t also Lloyd is a tough player also. Hille throws his weight around when needed. Monfries goes in hard and is willing to have a fight. Slattery is a tough footballer though not the most supremely talented.

Those are a few I can think of off the top of my head. Riemers also naturally.

 

[bomba4eva]

At the moment Longergan stands out as one of the tougher, more courageous players on our list but we lack any real tough/aggressive types. Monfries has plenty of courage no doubt, though lacks the size and perhaps aggression to really hurt the opposition physically. The one player that does generally throw his weight around and use it to his advantage is Lloydy (aka the Velvet Sledgehammer), and despite what many people may think can physically punish an opposition player if they get in his way.

Yep, spot on mate

 

[bomba4eva]

You can't be serious. McVeigh is clearly the toughest at Essendon, he might not be the antagonistic little prick (I love him being an antagonistic little prick) that Reimers is but he puts in absolutely everything on the field, is invariably aggressive, and uses his strength and power every time he plays. Although those guys are indubitably tough, McVeigh just seems a step above them in all round "toughness" (power, strength, aggression, competitiveness, mental strength and never say die attitude).

Yep. Brilliant Post

Agree with all of that. Pathetic that The Donners didn't name McVeigh in his initial post.