Team Mgmt. Makeup of our team II - Strengths & deficiencies, player development

[boncer34]

Bad boncer. Go and sit in the corner and think about what you've done

What, specifically, do you take hatred with?

 

[jdstorm]

That article looks like it was written by Rosa/club PR.

This is what we’re doing and here’s why.

The parts where Ralph injects his thoughts are less intelligent. But overall a pretty good summary of what Essendon’s planning on doing and what they expect the list to look like going into next season.

Play the kids. Find out what we have. Balance the list and fill out the VFL squad with multiple players in the 30s/40s

go into the 2025 offseason with cap space and picks to chase elite talent

 

[eth-dog]

What, specifically, do you take hatred with?

It's a lot of words that add up to saying absolutely nothing at all. It's a "oh I don't have anything to say at all but I need to write something about them" article.

What does he actually put forward?

 

[boncer34]

It's a lot of words that add up to saying absolutely nothing at all. It's a "oh I don't have anything to say at all but I need to write something about them" article.

What does he actually put forward?

A summary of where Essendon is at.

1. Leadership and Accountability:
- Brad Scott's decision to trade Jake Stringer emphasizes a new hard-line approach, demanding commitment and fitness from players.

2. Recent Performance:
- Essendon finished poorly in both 2022 and 2023, missing finals despite promising mid-season standings.
- Key questions remain about player consistency and the overall reliability of the team.

3. Player Concerns:
- Uncertainty around key players like Peter Wright's form, Darcy Parish's impact, and Archie Perkins' potential.
- Issues with new recruits like Jade Gresham, who underperformed late in the season.
- Development challenges for players like Ben McKay and Mason Redman, who need to elevate their games.

4. Trade Period Review:
- Essendon had a modest trade period, securing Melbourne’s future first-rounder but not making aggressive moves for speculative players.
- The club opted to save cap space and focus on developing existing talent rather than filling gaps with mid-tier recruits.

5. List Composition and Holes:
- Despite depth across all lines, the team lacks elite A-grade talent beyond Zach Merrett.
- Forward line performance was lacking, with few players scoring over 20 goals.
- The midfield is deep, but rotation issues limit player impact and development.

6. Draft Strategy:
- Traded away pick 9 for future assets, planning to use the draft to gain points for NGA prospect Isaac Kako.
- Essendon aims to take four national draft picks and leave room for additional players via the SSP (Supplementary Selection Period).

7. Player Development Pressure:
- High expectations on 2020 draft picks like Zach Reid, Archie Perkins, and Nik Cox to step up.
- With retirements, there are openings in defense, potentially for younger players like Nik Cox.

8. Salary Cap and Future Planning:
- The club has ample cap space, bolstered by the departure of Jake Stringer.
- Focus remains on a strategic rebuild, balancing the immediate need for success with long-term planning.

9. Future Trade Targets:
- Potential interest in key forwards and elite midfield runners like Finn Maginness (Hawthorn), who could fill gaps in the current list.
- Emphasis on acquiring high-quality players rather than speculative trades.

10. Essendon's Premiership Window:
- The club believes in its current middle-tier players' potential but acknowledges the need for their younger prospects to deliver consistently for a genuine finals push.

11. Key Players to Watch:
- Sam Draper, a free agent in 2025, will be closely monitored by other clubs but has shown loyalty to Essendon in the past.
- Development of Nate Caddy and the performance of newly acquired players will be crucial for the team's success.

 

[eth-dog]

A summary of where Essendon is at.

1. Leadership and Accountability:
- Brad Scott's decision to trade Jake Stringer emphasizes a new hard-line approach, demanding commitment and fitness from players.

2. Recent Performance:
- Essendon finished poorly in both 2022 and 2023, missing finals despite promising mid-season standings.
- Key questions remain about player consistency and the overall reliability of the team.

3. Player Concerns:
- Uncertainty around key players like Peter Wright's form, Darcy Parish's impact, and Archie Perkins' potential.
- Issues with new recruits like Jade Gresham, who underperformed late in the season.
- Development challenges for players like Ben McKay and Mason Redman, who need to elevate their games.

4. Trade Period Review:
- Essendon had a modest trade period, securing Melbourne’s future first-rounder but not making aggressive moves for speculative players.
- The club opted to save cap space and focus on developing existing talent rather than filling gaps with mid-tier recruits.

5. List Composition and Holes:
- Despite depth across all lines, the team lacks elite A-grade talent beyond Zach Merrett.
- Forward line performance was lacking, with few players scoring over 20 goals.
- The midfield is deep, but rotation issues limit player impact and development.

6. Draft Strategy:
- Traded away pick 9 for future assets, planning to use the draft to gain points for NGA prospect Isaac Kako.
- Essendon aims to take four national draft picks and leave room for additional players via the SSP (Supplementary Selection Period).

7. Player Development Pressure:
- High expectations on 2020 draft picks like Zach Reid, Archie Perkins, and Nik Cox to step up.
- With retirements, there are openings in defense, potentially for younger players like Nik Cox.

8. Salary Cap and Future Planning:
- The club has ample cap space, bolstered by the departure of Jake Stringer.
- Focus remains on a strategic rebuild, balancing the immediate need for success with long-term planning.

9. Future Trade Targets:
- Potential interest in key forwards and elite midfield runners like Finn Maginness (Hawthorn), who could fill gaps in the current list.
- Emphasis on acquiring high-quality players rather than speculative trades.

10. Essendon's Premiership Window:
- The club believes in its current middle-tier players' potential but acknowledges the need for their younger prospects to deliver consistently for a genuine finals push.

11. Key Players to Watch:
- Sam Draper, a free agent in 2025, will be closely monitored by other clubs but has shown loyalty to Essendon in the past.
- Development of Nate Caddy and the performance of newly acquired players will be crucial for the team's success.

Not the way I read it. First point maybe but the rest just read nothing like your points.

It's a nothing article.

 

[boncer34]

Not the way I read it. First point maybe but the rest just read nothing like your points.

It's a nothing article.

He literally made all those points.

It's a chatgpt summary of his words.

 

[eth-dog]

He literally made all those points.

It's a chatgpt summary of his words.

I honestly didn't read it that way. It was a lot of words with little content.

 

[ant555]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/essendon/the-list-manager-jon-ralph-examines-essendons-current-list-its-future-and-everything-in-between/news-story/f53add771ff31994dbe1ff3062d3b98e

The List Manager: Jon Ralph examines Essendon’s current list, its future and everything in between​

Harsh judges say it’s Zach Merrett then daylight for quality at the Bombers, and who could blame them? Jon Ralph analyses who needs to step up to make Essendon a serious club once again.

Say what you want about the decision to trade Jake Stringer, but at least Brad Scott is following through on his word.
You can debate whether Stringer’s loss will hurt the Dons but you can’t say Scott didn’t follow up his pre-season warning in the Herald Sun.

“If you are not committed to the lifestyle that is required of an elite AFL player you won’t last here long. If I reflect over time, I have been potentially too supportive for too long,” he said.

“You can support, support and support, but if you don’t uphold your end of the bargain, we will move on really quickly.”

Brad Scott will be hunting his first finals berth as Essendon coach in 2025. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
So Stringer is gone and Scott will see it as a club-wide shot across the bows.

As in “If you want to play for Essendon you do so fully committed, fully fit and fully prepared to tackle and chase like your life depends upon it”.

But when he made the huge judgement call to move on those Roos veterans including Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie it backfired.

Now can he use this hard-line call to turn Essendon into a serious football club.

Essendon isn’t trustworthy. Not over 20 years, not over the past two seasons of Scott’s tenure.

In 2022, they finished 11-12 and lost five of their last seven games to fall from fifth after round 18 to finish 12th.

In 2023 they finished 11-11 with an Anzac Day draw, but lost six of the last seven to fall from third in round 16 to 11th.

Deja vu.

Jake Stringer is now at GWS. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
So now Essendon fans want answers to the questions that will define the 2025 season.

Is Peter Wright a flash in the pan or about to bounce back?

Does Darcy Parish do enough damage?

Is Archie Perkins just a good ordinary player or a game-changer?

What happened to Jade Gresham, who kicked only 10 goals in his final 15 games after a bright start to his career?

Why can’t Ben McKay handball?

Can Sam Draper be a top five AFL ruckman or is he just a cult hero who is good for headlines?

What happened to 2023 Mason Redman?

Until those questions are answered Essendon will remain untrustworthy.

TRADE PERIOD RATING: 6/10​

Essendon held its nerve, adamant that the club wasn’t handing Stringer a second season in a move that saw him traded for the lowly pick 53.

Then they secured Melbourne’s future first-rounder and a range of 2024 picks for NGA selection Isaac Kako but had to give up pick nine.

Fans will wonder why the club didn’t do more as it pondered some interest in GWS pick 15 Conor Stone but didn’t get it done.

The internal Dons view is that bringing in list cloggers would only have denied the existing talent on their list chances.

But Essendon is also adamant that stocking up on 2025 draft picks isn’t a message it is copping out and accepting it cannot compete in the near future.

It is still open to trades and free agency acquisitions next year, it still has plenty of cap space.

It just didn’t believe throwing away good picks on speculative players in this year’s trade period after going so hard bringing in Ben McKay, Xavier Duursma, Jade Gresham and Todd Goldstein was the right policy.

The Bombers were quiet in the trade period compared to previous years. Picture: Michael Klein

LIST HOLES​

Essendon has plenty of everything on every line.

How many are the type of A-graders that will eventually take the Dons to a flag?

Case in point?

Only the brilliant Merrett made the AFL’s 44-man All Australian squad.

The club’s own analysis is that premiership teams have at least five elite players.

Right now harsh judges would say it’s Merrett and then daylight, with Durham and Martin at least possessing elite qualities.

What of that depth?

The midfield is overflowing, so much so that Elijah Tsatas, Ben Hobbs, Will Setterfield (when fit) and Dylan Shiel all struggled to get midfield time.

The forward line has enough talls and smalls to cobble together a winning score.

The backline has quality names – Ben McKay, Zach Reid, Jordan Ridley, Mason Redman, third tall Jayden Laverde.

Peter Wright found himself out the outer in 2024. Picture: Michael Klein
And yet ….

Apart from Kyle Langford (and the departed Stringer) no other Don reached 20 goals, as a collection of Gresham, Matt Guelfi, Caddy (nine goals), Archie Perkins, Jye Menzie played some time forward.

No Essendon small forward since the 2000 premiership has really been able to dominate games regularly as the likes of Alwyn Davey Sr, Orazio Fantasia, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Angus Monfries have been handy types without turning contests single-handedly.

For Essendon to finish top four next year Jordan Ridley must be a James Sicily-type presence, Mason Redman must beat Dan Houston for an All Australian spot and one of Peter Wright or Langford needs to kick 50 goals.

It is too much to ask that Kako will come in and be a Nick Watson-style presence, or that Nate Caddy will take games by the scruff of his neck, or that even Reid can be a defensive weapon after nine games in four seasons given his injury run.

With Heppell and Kelly gone, who are the half backs?

Archie Roberts will again get his chance after four impressive debut season games, as will Nik Cox and mid-season pick Saad El-Hawli.

DRAFT STRATEGY​

Essendon believed Melbourne’s offer for its No. 9 draft pick was too good to pass up, securing the Dees future first-rounder plus this year’s 28, 40, 46, 54, 65 (also handing over its future third-rounder).

It will give the club the points to match a bid for Kako and then if one of eight or nine players on the club’s draft board are available it could use that Dees first-rounder to get back into the draft.

But everyone wants those mid-teens picks so the price might be too high.

Ideally the Dons will take four national draft picks and leave two spots open for summer train-on players via the SSP.

Kako will be a Bomber after the draft. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos

WHO’S UNDER THE PUMP?​

Not for the first time the top 10 draft trio of Zach Reid, Archie Perkins and Nik Cox are under pressure. Perkins played 18 games and Cox 20 but neither finished top ten in the best and fairest. Perkins will get more time as a forward while the retirements of Kelly and Heppell give Cox a full-time position at half back in 2025.

Essendon tried to play Perkins as more of a mid-forward this year but he got lost so the Dons will back him in as a forward who can get more looks with Stringer GWS-bound.

Can Essendon’s 2020 draft class finally deliver? Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

AFL PLAYER RANKINGS​

Zach Merrett (26th), Nic Martin (57th), Sam Durham (59th), Sam Draper (93rd), Jye Caldwell (100th). In 2025 Martin can be a top 30 player if he fixes up kicking that was rated by Champion Data as poor.

PREMIERSHIP WINDOW​

Can we pass on this question? Only joking.

Essendon secured four senior players last year then went back to the draft this year.

Dons fans might be confused but Essendon believes it has a huge middle tier capable of much more and a band of kids who will get chances. So while Brad Scott says every decision has a long-term strategy in mind, this list is good enough.

SALARY CAP ROOM​

Essendon still has ample cap space despite front-ending Ben McKay’s fat contract in its early years and extending players like Andy McGrath, Jordan Ridley and Mason Redman.

Jake Stringer’s trade saves the club around $500,000 so there is money for free agents and trades next year. But given the long-term strategy, is there the will to give up draft capital?

TRADE TARGETS FOR 2025​

What would Essendon give for an Oscar Allen-style key forward who would straighten them up and allow Nate Caddy and Kyle Langford inferior match-ups to shine.

The club was also interested in the elite run of Hawthorn’s Finn Maginness in the trade period and while the Hawks shut down a trade he is out of contract in 2025.

Conor Stone, who they also considered, is contracted to 2026 at GWS.

Nate Caddy showed plenty of promise in his first season. Picture: Mark Stewart

TRADE BAIT​

Sam Draper is a free agent who wants to stay at Essendon.

But as clubs like Adelaide circle he is expected to want to prove his worth to the Dons but first having an exceptional pre-season and then hitting the ground running early in the year.

Still, having already knocked back St Kilda as a young Don he has shown his loyalty before and will likely do so again.

Rivals will watch the progress and midfield opportunities of Ben Hobbs and Elijah Tsatas but the Dons are keen to play them early and often.

The issues are there and it is not way off the mark as far as that goes but it is just another article written based on the presumption that we should be playing finals and pushing too 4 when we really are not that side.

 

[P Money]

Genuine question but why would anybody care what John Ralph thinks? I don't quite understand why the line is so blurred between 'journalist' and 'football commentator'. With definite air quotes around the word, Ralph is a 'journalist' - his job is surely to have his ear to the ground and use his contacts to 'break stories' etc. Why would he be confused with someone who knows anything about football to the extent that you would actually read and put any consideration into his opinion pieces about clubs and where they're at and what they should do etc?

Same thing for all the footy journos (Damian Barrett, Craig Hutchison, Caro Wilson and the rest) - do your gutter journalism job, write click-bait outrage-inducing articles and post/make up rumours with varying degrees of authenticity or veracity, sure. If people are looking football analysis surely someone who has a background in and knows something about football is the right person to be publishing opinion pieces - ex players, coaches, administrators etc.

 

[thebigboy]

Genuine question but why would anybody care what John Ralph thinks? I don't quite understand why the line is so blurred between 'journalist' and 'football commentator'. With definite air quotes around the word, Ralph is a 'journalist' - his job is surely to have his ear to the ground and use his contacts to 'break stories' etc. Why would he be confused with someone who knows anything about football to the extent that you would actually read and put any consideration into his opinion pieces about clubs and where they're at and what they should do etc?

Same thing for all the footy journos (Damian Barrett, Craig Hutchison, Caro Wilson and the rest) - do your gutter journalism job, write click-bait outrage-inducing articles and post/make up rumours with varying degrees of authenticity or veracity, sure. If people are looking football analysis surely someone who has a background in and knows something about football is the right person to be publishing opinion pieces - ex players, coaches, administrators etc.

Logically, that makes complete sense. Fact is, footy fandom brings out the most irrational & illogical side in all of us

 

[Old Campaigner]

Strengths: not many
Deficiencies: lots
Player development: what dis?

 

[Lore]

Genuine question but why would anybody care what John Ralph thinks? I don't quite understand why the line is so blurred between 'journalist' and 'football commentator'. With definite air quotes around the word, Ralph is a 'journalist' - his job is surely to have his ear to the ground and use his contacts to 'break stories' etc. Why would he be confused with someone who knows anything about football to the extent that you would actually read and put any consideration into his opinion pieces about clubs and where they're at and what they should do etc?

Same thing for all the footy journos (Damian Barrett, Craig Hutchison, Caro Wilson and the rest) - do your gutter journalism job, write click-bait outrage-inducing articles and post/make up rumours with varying degrees of authenticity or veracity, sure. If people are looking football analysis surely someone who has a background in and knows something about football is the right person to be publishing opinion pieces - ex players, coaches, administrators etc.

No one cares what he thinks. What he reports is journalism though, and that’s not the same thing.

Journalism is governed by three bodies;

1. The MEAA, which is their union, also in charge of the Walkley Awards and has a code of ethics for their members. The majority of AFL Media employees are members, which we know because the MEAA was allowed to represent AFL Media employees in enterprise bargaining.
2. The Press Council which has standards for member publications, including NewsCorp and Ninefax and almost anything else you can think of, which means The Herald Sun and The Age for a start.
3. The ACMA is the government regulatory body for television and radio broadcasters, but it’s not specifically about journalism ethics. It does has industry standards and practices which it upholds. So that’s SEN, MMM, 7, FoxFooty, etc.

For the most part footy journalism is actually pretty fine, with the key exception of headlines and visibility of particular articles (Essendon on the back page vs GC buried on page 56). Other topics like political journalism and such are a different kettle of fish that I don’t want to dive into in this thread.

What isn’t fine is the entertainment and commentary sector, particularly on TV and radio, which is where you find Matthew Lloyd, Kane Cornes, Adam Cooney, The List Manager, etc. giving opinions, and occasionally you get Caro on footy classified being asked for her opinion rather than a report of the facts, which is the nature of the thing when she’s the only journo on the panel that isn’t hosting. It sometimes masquerades as journalism, but it isn’t.

 

[Keystone agony]

Anyone else find it weird how our players are somehow smaller than other teams. Like Archie Roberts, Jye Caldwell, Matt Guelfi and Ben Hobbs are all roughly the same height as players like Zach Guthrie and Lawson Humphries. Yet I'd rarely expect our guys to be as aerially competitive as the Geelong guys are consistently.

What is that? Limb length? Running capability so they're are closing the distance more and jumping from closer in? Pressure on the ball carrier so they can read the drop zone better?

Zach Guthrie is 188cm

Caldwell, Hobbs are pure pure inside mids. Caldwells actually not bad overhead, hes just 5 cm shorter than Zuthrie

 

[Keystone agony]

Bit of talk about defensive running patterns from midfielders etc.

We were 'ok' with getting our hands on the ball, I thought our biggest weakness was allowing teams to transition the ball from one end of the ground to the other? Locking the ball in our half essentially.

Im not discounting having a fit Guelfi and young Kako coming in and changing the dynamic of our forward group almost immediately. Stringer for all his short comings is a very good pressure layer. The lack there of lies with the walls. Wright, Caddy and Draper/Bryan moving forward.



Adding the dynamic smalls changes a lot imho

Weve actually significantly improved in that area since Scott

 

[Keystone agony]

I feel for Rosa as his hands are tied by the mess Dodoro has left, but I think we should have been shopping some guys harder. We essentially have Setterfield, Shiel, Tsatas, Parish and Hobbs fighting for 1 spot in the side. Which is a little ridiculous considering none are modern footballers.

Thats just bollocks 3 of those 5 can easily play in the same side. 3 of them are in my current starting 22

Setterfield is literally the last player signed on the list. Shiel is in his last year unless he really finds form and the club does aswell

Weve gone down to 31 senior spots. I think only 2 clubs have gone to less. 1 being Richmond with 8 top 20 picks

 

[Keystone agony]

Hasn't the problem FOREVER been that we've been overpaying for B grade players? Isn't that exactly what other teams were doing? It's nice to actually focus on the future for once and get good value.

Our biggest list hole all year was small forwards. We're getting the best small forward in a superdraft for nothing and we have an excellent hand to try chase Harley Reid next year. If we kept our pick this year but couldn't pick Kako from the academy I'd still hope we would pick him. I'm very happy.

Weve been getting B grade players because weve been too scared as a club to bottom out with not winning a final for 7000 days. It wont sit well, but its likely the only way to the top

Melbourne clubs are battling

Everything is set up very nicely with free agency for the best sides in each of the non victoria state and Geelong

I dont think weve overpaid, the good thing about Dodoro is he never over paid

Dees had several top 4 picks (Brayshaw, Oliver, Trac, Watts, Hogan, Viney, Scully) to success and now the list looks deplorable

Carlton still struggling and had bottomed out with Walsh, Weitering, Dow as top 2 picks ect

Dogs rising based on father sons/ academies Jamarra, Libba, Darcy, Wallis

Weve not had father sons of any quality or academys of elite level or any level

Hawks are the only melbourne side as the outlier

Pies Daicos, Daicos, Quaynor, Moore

Stkilda Similar to us with nothing atleast some decent academies recentky in Owen and Windhaegar but nothing amazing

All the gun free agent/kids go to Geelong, some go to Collingwood as their the big melbourne side in successful window

Eagles arent letting Harley go for 3 mid 1st rounders imo under contract

 

[Keystone agony]

The problem with this is those other teams already had the stars. If Geelong adds Issac Smith and they don't have Cameron and Dangerfield, they ain't winning shit. Same with Oliver and Petracca. These runners can be added cheaply, like Roberts. These superstars cannot, so you don't use your high end draft picks on them when you are devoid of the superstar prospects. So keep adding runners, but the advocation from the majority of this board has been take Wilson over Caddy, take Tsatas over Humphrey. The runner isn't always the right answer to maximize your draft talent.

Jezza and Danger were top 3 players in the comp that chose to go to Geelong

Oliver and Petracca were top 3 picks

Weve had neither. The only one we can get is probably top 3 picks as we dont have the advantages and location of geelong. The only way that happens is a severe bottom out

 

[Keystone agony]

We need to remember the Perkins, Cox, Ambrose, Snelling recruitments all had strong running ability aswell

 

[Keystone agony]

Have time to do this with all list changes finalised:

Pick trades:

1. Pick 31 and F2 to GC for Pies F1 and 51
2. Pick 28 for Hawthorne F2 and F3 from WC
3. Trade Col F1 live to GWS for pick ~18 post bids.

Draft:

Pick 9: Isaac Kako: (Calder Cannons, 175 cm, Small Forward). Match 1175.2 points with 39 (446), 43 (378), 48 (302) and 50 (273) becomes 54.
Pick 18: Jobe Shanahan (Bendigo Pioneers, 194 cm, Key Forward).
Pick 50: Archer Day-Wicks (Bendigo Pioneers, 185 cm, Half Forward).
Pick 53: Sam Davidson (Richmond VFL, 190 cm, Outside Midfielder).

DFA: Jaxon Prior, Jai Culley

Rookie Draft:

Pick 9: Ned Bowman (Norwood, 185 cm, Half Forward).

SSP: Kaine Baldwin
Cat B: Jayden Nguyen (Calder Cannons, 177 cm, Half Back), Davey Colbert (Ireland, 190 cm, Medium Defender)

Which leaves our balance as such (my opinion on a couple who've moved around a bit):

Defenders:

Key Defenders: Lewis Hayes, Kaine Baldwin, Zach Reid, Ben McKay
Medium Defenders: Nik Cox, Jordan Ridley, Jayden Laverde, Davey Colbert, Jaxon Prior
Small Defenders: Andrew McGrath, Mason Redman, Luamon Lual (SF), Archie Roberts (OM), Jayden Nguyen

Midfield:

Inside Midfielders: Darcy Parish, Elijah Tsatas, Jye Caldwell (fwd), Zach Merrett, Ben Hobbs, Dylan Shiel, Will Setterfield, Sam Durham, Jai Culley (HF)
Outside Midfielders: Harrison Jones (KF), Xavier Duursma, Nic Martin (MF), Saad El-Hawli (SD), Sam Davidson
Rucks: Sam Draper, Todd Goldstein, Nick Bryan

Forwards:

Key Forwards: Peter Wright (ruc), Nate Caddy, Vigo Visentini (ruc), Jobe Shanahan
Medium Forwards: Kyle Langford, Archie Perkins, Ned Bowman, Archer Day-Wicks
Small Forwards: Jade Gresham, Alwyn Davey jr, Matt Guelfi (OM), Jye Menzie, Isaac Kako

Seniors:

FB: Andrew McGrath - Ben McKay - Jordan Ridley
HB: Mason Redman - Zach Reid - Archie Roberts
MF: Xavier Duursma - Jye Caldwell - Nic Martin
HF: Jade Gresham - Nate Caddy - Matt Guelfi
FF: Isaac Kako - Peter Wright - Kyle Langford
OB: Sam Draper - Zach Merrett - Sam Durham
IC: Darcy Parish - Nik Cox - Harrison Jones - Ben Hobbs
TS: Archie Perkins

Reserves:

FB: Jayden Laverde - Kaine Baldwin- Jayden Nguyen
HB: Luamon Lual - Lewis Hayes - Jaxon Prior
MF: Saad El-Hawli - Dylan Shiel - Sam Davidson
HF: Ned Bowman - Jobe Shanahan - Alwyn Davey jr
FF: Archer Day-Wicks - Vigo Visentini - Jye Menzie
OB: Nick Bryan - Elijah Tsatas - Will Setterfield
IC: Davey Colbert - Jai Culley - Todd Goldstein

I see Cox, Laverde and Prior competing for one spot; Jones and SEH competing for one spot; Draper, Wright and Bryan competing for two spots; and Gresham, Guelfi, Kako, Davey and Menzie competing for three spots. So that's 7 spots up for grabs in pre-season between 13 players, should be very competitive.

Surely we are slightly in a dream thinking an F1 pies gets us pick 15

When a few weeks ago an F1 and F2 Blues was required for pick 14

Why would suns trade away an F1 for an F2. Pick 31 just gets eaten up, i dont think they have an issue for points

 

[Yoda_]

Genuine question but why would anybody care what John Ralph thinks? I don't quite understand why the line is so blurred between 'journalist' and 'football commentator'. With definite air quotes around the word, Ralph is a 'journalist' - his job is surely to have his ear to the ground and use his contacts to 'break stories' etc. Why would he be confused with someone who knows anything about football to the extent that you would actually read and put any consideration into his opinion pieces about clubs and where they're at and what they should do etc?

Same thing for all the footy journos (Damian Barrett, Craig Hutchison, Caro Wilson and the rest) - do your gutter journalism job, write click-bait outrage-inducing articles and post/make up rumours with varying degrees of authenticity or veracity, sure. If people are looking football analysis surely someone who has a background in and knows something about football is the right person to be publishing opinion pieces - ex players, coaches, administrators etc.

This is what shits me about (sports) football ‘journalism’ in this country.

Journalism is writing investigative pieces outside football. Leave the football analysis to the football ‘professionals’.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fairbump_playon]

This is what shits me about (sports) football ‘journalism’ in this country.

Journalism is writing investigative pieces outside football. Leave the football analysis to the football ‘professionals’.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Feel like people have a weirdly narrow idea of what journalism is

Have you not been reading newspapers for the last 40 years? The range of articles in the sports pages is truly massive. Now suddenly everyone belongs in a specific lane.

You can say you think Ralph is wrong but odd take to say a journalist can’t write this

 

[Old Campaigner]

A good journalist should include some analysis, either their own work or get a quote from someone who is an expert in that field

 

[P Money]

Feel like people have a weirdly narrow idea of what journalism is

Have you not been reading newspapers for the last 40 years? The range of articles in the sports pages is truly massive. Now suddenly everyone belongs in a specific lane.

You can say you think Ralph is wrong but odd take to say a journalist can’t write this

I don't think it's a question of whether Ralph is right or wrong (I didn't and wouldn't read the article in question for the reasons I'm talking about) - my main point here is what credibility does he have? What is there to suggest he has any idea at all about what he is talking about?

He is not a 'journalist' in the sense that many journalists go on fact-finding missions, interview experts and those in the know, build up a solid knowledge base and body of evidence then present that information with an element of his own educated analysis. He is a journalist in terms of someone who has contacts in the industry who are willing to tell/leak things to him which he then reports in the form of 'I think X player did/is going to do X thing' or 'this is what happened with this incident'.

I totally get what you're saying, journalism has a lot of different elements and forms, but the idea that the 'I was told this rumour so will now report it' guy is given a platform to write a sprawling opinion piece on what a football club should do to improve on and off the field is simply farcical.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Thats just bollocks 3 of those 5 can easily play in the same side. 3 of them are in my current starting 22

Setterfield is literally the last player signed on the list. Shiel is in his last year unless he really finds form and the club does aswell

Weve gone down to 31 senior spots. I think only 2 clubs have gone to less. 1 being Richmond with 8 top 20 picks

With that group in mind we are odds on to be bottom 4, according to the punters. Select whatever 3 you want, it doesn't make us a functional football team.

Our three best starting mids are Durham, Merrett and Caldwell. Problem is they are the only versatile ones out there. Throw in the others and we are immediately worse off in the middle of the ground.

Look at the players who fill those 4th-7th mid slots at Brisbane after Neale, Dunkley and McCluggage. Ashcroft, Bailey, Rayner, Berry. Ashcroft is the 4th pure mid, then the rest are hybrid types who can play genuine positions elsewhere.

 

[Keystone agony]

With that group in mind we are odds on to be bottom 4, according to the punters. Select whatever 3 you want, it doesn't make us a functional football team.

Our three best starting mids are Durham, Merrett and Caldwell. Problem is they are the only versatile ones out there. Throw in the others and we are immediately worse off in the middle of the ground.

Look at the players who fill those 4th-7th mid slots at Brisbane after Neale, Dunkley and McCluggage. Ashcroft, Bailey, Rayner, Berry. Ashcroft is the 4th pure mid, then the rest are hybrid types who can play genuine positions elsewhere.

You need alot to go right to be winning a flag, maybe even more so for a melbourne based club currently

We dont think we can win the flag in 2925

Weve already down played 2025 and looking to develop. Thus moving on senior experience

Zerrett, Durham, Caldwell may be the current best 3 mids, id argue Parish, but that doesnt necessarily mean theyre best in that position to 1) either win now or 2) win in 3 years time which has been a year mentioned by the club

Every team is different. Look at Sydney (yes they won the most games in 2024) they have 3 main mids with Gulden coming off a wing as the 4th. Plenty of ways to skin a cat

I just hope Scott has seen enough which he seems to have mentioned he has, without starting senior experience over kids in the hope of success for the first half of 2025 like last year. Because then i believe the message is being blurred a little

Now is the perfect time for 6-12 months of Zerrett across half back if we dont have severe injuries to mids, otherwise we risk losing one or both of Tsatas/Hobbs without ever knowing and will be for very little.

Fwiw im not sure i see Hobbs as ever being a 70% + CBA mid, dont think hes dynamic, agile or quick enough to be effective now with how its setup