Team Mgmt. Talk about the makeup of our list - midfield balance, height profile, endurance runners

[Duckworth]

IN Goldstein UFA, McKay FA, James Jordon FA, Gresham FA, NDPick(from Port)

OUT Zerk-Thatcher, Snelling (delist)

B McGrath McKay Ridley
HB Redman Laverde Merrett
C Martin Setterfield Durham
HF Gresham Langford D'Ambrosio(R)
F Menzie(R) Wright Stringer
R Draper Hobbs Parish
INT Goldstein Caldwell Shiel Cox
SUB Heppell

B Kelly Weideman Reid
HB Hind Hayes NDPick
C NDPick Perkins Wanganeen(R)
HF A Davey Jones Voss(R)
F Guelfi Hunter(R) NDPick
R Bryan Jordon Tsatas
INT J Davey Baldwin

38 main list
5 rookie list

Leaves room for a SSP pick which id use on a project ruck

38 main means 4 rookies... Delist Voss?

Also Baldwin a bit stiff.

 

[Bjchan13]

38 main means 4 rookies... Delist Voss?

Also Baldwin a bit stiff.

Baldwin just placed there as he can play forward or back and is probably pushing hard for an AFL spot. Maybe Voss, thought it was 44 senior list and rookie combined but can see thats only if you have 2 cat bs.

 

[BrunoV]

Did we have to re-sign Baldwin before McKay made his decision?

 

[Duckworth]

Did we have to re-sign Baldwin before McKay made his decision?

No, but Baldwin did enough to be upgraded to the main list.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Did we have to re-sign Baldwin before McKay made his decision?

Depth is important.

 

[Bjchan13]

Did we have to re-sign Baldwin before McKay made his decision?

Think we keep Voss as a rookie still.

 

[Bombers36]

If we land Greshem then our best 22 will look something like;-

Ridley McKay McGrath
Redman Lav Hind
Martin Hobbs Durham
Perkins Langford Menzie
Stringer 2MP Gresham

Draper Parish Merrett

Bench: Setterfield Caldwell Tsatas Bryan

 

[Vindicater]

Think we keep Voss as a rookie still.

Nah. Voss and Snelling I reckon are gone.

 

[jdstorm]

Assuming all the rumoured trades go through let’s look at it by line

Best 22 forwards
Wright, Langford, Perkins, Gresham, Menzie

That’s a pretty decent forward line. 1 tall that can get you 50 goals, a medium AA forward that can get you 50 goals. another top 10 pick medium forward who has done pretty well. . + 2x AFL standard SFs + 40 goals.

The other forward spots will be taken by resting mids and rucks.

Rucks: Draper, Bryan, Goldy.

Decent depth. Have 2 developing rucks about to hit a really productive age + old reliable Goldy replacing Phillips as depth.

Mids: Merrett, parish, Sheil, Hobbs, Caldwell, Stringer, Setterfield, Tsatas

Could use an extra mid or 2 on the list but mostly when you consider the need for depth/ a decent vfl setup. Have 5 small mids expecting to play.

Wings: Martin, Durham,

Huge need. Davey/Tex have been solid at VFL level so might get a chance. Need to draft someone who can play here.

Defence
Talls: McKay, Ridley, Laverde, Baldwin, Cox, Reid, Hayes, Weid

Really well balanced mix of young and old with 2 top end players (McKay/Ridley)

Smalls Redman, McGrath, hind, Kelly, Heppell, mass.

Only 1 good AFL standard player in this group. Huge need in one of the AFLs most important positions.

Draft: biggest needs are 2x defensive minded Flankers (HB or wing) that can move the ball well and a decent sized midfielder.

If Essendon can get 3-4 top 30 picks and draft these types of players you’d feel pretty good about the list going forward

 

[Bjchan13]

Nah. Voss and Snelling I reckon are gone.

After a VFL bnf?

 

[bomberlegend2007]

So I did a mockup of what the team should look like in two/three years. Thought I would update it.

B: McGrath, McKay, Baldwin
HB: Ridley, Reid, Redman
C: Martin, Merrett, Caldwell
HF: Langford, ___________, Perkins
F: Davey Jnr, Wright, Gresham
FOLL: Draper, Setterfield, Parish

I/C: Bryan, Tsatas, Hobbs, Cox

Just on this, we are not looking far off. While the end of the season was extremely poor, I look at this team and believe it can compete. Adding McKay is a massive get, not because he will win games off his own boot, but it allows us to secure the backline while letting Reid develop.

We just need that next player as a CHF. Getting Shiel off the books to target a Key Forward would be massive

 

[Vindicater]

After a VFL bnf?

Yep. Means little in the scheme of things.

 

[eth-dog]

What I expect the team to be round 1:

FB: McGrath - McKay - Kelly
HB: Redman - Laverde - Ridley
MF: Durham - Parish - Martin
HF: Gresham - Langford - Perkins
FF: Stringer - Wright - Menzie
OB: Draper - Hobbs - Merrett
IC: Heppell - Caldwell - Setterfield - Bryan
TS: Guelfi

What I hope it will be by the bye:

FB: McGrath - McKay - Cox
HB: Redman - Baldwin - Ridley
MF: Durham - Parish - Martin
HF: Gresham - Langford - Perkins
FF: Jones - Wright - Menzie
OB: Draper - Hobbs - Merrett
IC: Laverde - Caldwell - Tsatas - Bryan
TS: Guelfi

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

What I expect the team to be round 1:

FB: McGrath - McKay - Kelly
HB: Redman - Laverde - Ridley
MF: Durham - Parish - Martin
HF: Gresham - Langford - Perkins
FF: Stringer - Wright - Menzie
OB: Draper - Hobbs - Merrett
IC: Heppell - Caldwell - Setterfield - Bryan
TS: Guelfi

What I hope it will be by the bye:

FB: McGrath - McKay - Cox
HB: Redman - Baldwin - Ridley
MF: Durham - Parish - Martin
HF: Gresham - Langford - Perkins
FF: Jones - Wright - Menzie
OB: Draper - Hobbs - Merrett
IC: Laverde - Caldwell - Tsatas - Bryan
TS: Guelfi

Looks very top heavy down back. Think I’d prefer Hind in there for a bit of run and carry personally.

 

[Zach Package]

So in pretty typical Essendon fashion Zerk and McKay cross over like ships in the night despite Zerk being a very nice compliment to what McKay brings to the table, would have been a nice combo.

In the last 2 years McKay has been outright first and equal first for intercept marks, so we’re getting a genuine gorilla who can win the footy back in the air and no one will be too big for him. Won’t be the best player but probably the most important structurally, everything will revolve around him.

Can imagine there will be a lot of handball receives to runners going past next year given he’s pretty limited with ball in hand.

 

[MiguelM]

So in pretty typical Essendon fashion Zerk and McKay cross over like ships in the night despite Zerk being a very nice compliment to what McKay brings to the table, would have been a nice combo.

In the last 2 years McKay has been outright first and equal first for intercept marks, so we’re getting a genuine gorilla who can win the footy back in the air and no one will be too big for him. Won’t be the best player but probably the most important structurally, everything will revolve around him.

Can imagine there will be a lot of handball receives to runners going past next year given he’s pretty limited with ball in hand.

Hopefully McKay limits opposition players like Hawkins kicking a bag. Absolutely kills us.

Reid is the interesting one. If he can come good and eventually hold down full back, we have the makings of a very good defence.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

McGrath Laverde Kelly
Ridley McKay Redman

Thank Christ for McKay

Baldwin can certainly push himself in

Weidemann… there’s a key defence post there if he can grab it

Wildcards are Reid, Hayes and potentially Cox if they decide on defence

 

[Call Me Cake]

McGrath Laverde Kelly
Ridley McKay Redman

Thank Christ for McKay

Baldwin can certainly push himself in

Weidemann… there’s a key defence post there if he can grab it

Wildcards are Reid, Hayes and potentially Cox if they decide on defence

Ideally...

McGrath Reid Kelly
Ridley McKay Redman

 

[BrunoV]

Depth is important.

I'd make a call on depth after everything is done not before I know what else is out there and how many list spots I need.

Reid, Hayes and Cox are not immediate best 22.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Ideally...

McGrath Reid Kelly
Ridley McKay Redman

Well yep… but forget Reid. It’s better for your mental health!

 

[BrunoV]

I tend to think this helps us be more adventurous all round next season.

McKay doesn't just stand the big boys he has an intercept game while doing it, and it's pack and contested intercept marks.

He can play $800k pa footy. For the money he is now being paid He must stay interested/engaged. If he does that we're looking at a guy who will match and possibly surpass peak Hooker/Carlisle.

What he did against Wright / us second time this season is a very reliable benchmark for his performances. He torched Wright.

With a controlling presence at half back, and opponents #1s engaged we can maybe have more of a look at Reid and Hayes.

I'm dreaming but maybe it means we can free ourselves of Heppell.

It's a really good addition.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

I'd make a call on depth after everything is done not before I know what else is out there and how many list spots I need.

Reid, Hayes and Cox are not immediate best 22.

I'm more concerned about match winning top end talent. The bulk of our list are at a similar level however the best teams have players who can take the game away from you. Do we have anyone of that ilk?

 

[BrunoV]

I'm more concerned about match winning top end talent

Which doesn't do anything unless it has a reliable support cast around it which, at Essendon, it won't if we keep restricting our ability to aggressively turn the list over by overcommitting. Remember that we have paid out deals for Smith and Stewart in the last 2 years. ****ing Matt Guelfi has a 2 year deal.

Hawks need a gorilla in defence, for example, what if you could swap Baldwin for Ned Long. There may be a variation of this appeals to you.

KPDs are at a premium. We don't need 9 guys on the list who can play the role.

 

[Yoda_]

It is an unpopular opinion but I do think we need more bigger, marking and kicking flankers. We don't really have anything between a small and a tall bar a very select few.

Get me a kicking back flanker, get me another marking half forward, id be stoked to start with that

 

[eth-dog]

It is an unpopular opinion but I do think we need more bigger, marking and kicking flankers. We don't really have anything between a small and a tall bar a very select few.

Get me a kicking back flanker, get me another marking half forward, id be stoked to start with that

In defence we have Ridley, Cox (ignore the fact that he's 200cm, he's a flanker), Laverde, Heppell, Redman (kinda medium/small) and Kelly (back pocket but still a medium)
Up forward we have Langford, Perkins, Stringer (plays deeper but he's a marking forward) and Voss (pending contract).

We have a glut, especially in defence.