What is our team missing?

[The Donners]

Position changes or slight team changes aside (I added an extra emergency) what is our team missing that will take us to the top 4 in 2010 as stated by Ray Horsburgh:

B: Hurley Fletcher Pears
HB: Reimers Ryder Myers
C: Dempsey Watson Lovett
HF: Lloyd Gumbleton Monfries
F: Davey Neagle Lucas
Foll: Hille McVeigh Prismall
Int: Stanton Bellchambers Welsh Houli
Emerg: Winderlich Lonergan Jetta Mcphee

 

[bomber-crow]

Our team is not really that bad but we need more depth and a good full back soon, im not sure if Hurley can fill that role yet and Ryder makes some costly mistakes.

To make the 4 or 8 at least we need
-Less injuries (of course)
-a star, consistent midfielder
-a good backline

Otherwise we have no hope of the 4 or 8, srry for being pessimistic but its very true, i think we might struggle a bit when fletch leaves but only for a while...

 

[Jesse Custer]

Our skill levels need to improve dramatically, we have to get our clean and fast footy up to scratch and that will only improve with skill. Players need to be a little more defensive in their mindset. I think our backline is good potentially, just need the current new crop to build experience. Our forward line needs Gumbleton and Neagle to step up and get their bodies right. Add Leroy and Alwyn and its a dangerous forward line. Gumby and Neagle will be an exciting duo in the future once this happens. Then the midfield, we need an a grade midfielder in this draft coming up. If we can pick up a couple of top rated midfielders then we are set. After a couple of years, our team should be pretty strong. At the end of the day, it comes down to how much our players want it.

 

[BringBackCransberg]

A certain Irishman in the 22.

ZOOOOSH!

What was that?
The White Flash.

Why was that?
Because it just wouldn't be a 2010 Essendon premiership without it.


Pretty optimistic about that boy. Perhaps a tad too much.

 

[dave_27]

From that team its not necessarily about what is missing, its whether guys like Hurley, Myers, Dempsey, Ryder etc all develop into the players we hope they will.

Actually from that line up we are missing a gun small/medium forward (Medhurst, S Johnson, N Brown etc) I dont see anyone on our list coming through with that quality who can play that role.

 

[Smyth94]

Our skill levels need to improve dramatically, we have to get our clean and fast footy up to scratch and that will only improve with skill. Players need to be a little more defensive in their mindset. I think our backline is good potentially, just need the current new crop to build experience. Our forward line needs Gumbleton and Neagle to step up and get their bodies right. Add Leroy and Alwyn and its a dangerous forward line. Gumby and Neagle will be an exciting duo in the future once this happens. Then the midfield, we need an a grade midfielder in this draft coming up. If we can pick up a couple of top rated midfielders then we are set. After a couple of years, our team should be pretty strong. At the end of the day, it comes down to how much our players want it.

Pretty much agree here...

We need to improve on our non possession time - a lot.

It might be controversial but I put down our crappy skill level to a lack of movement up forward - From what I noticed last year, when our forward set up works our skills are generally pretty good because we like to work it from defense which requires moving targets through the corridors or the wings.

Stationary targets coming out of defense kills us IMO - the players move the ball, look up - no one and proceed to hand ball to each other because a) lack of confidence in kicking or b) nothing is on offer.

This is where Gumbleton, Lloyd and McPhee and Gus are pretty important - they are the hit up targets coming out of defense. The spot up to these guys has to be precise because if it isn't we get burnt on the turnover ball. We run a risky game plan its either a) deliver precisely to hit up target, move ball quickly to a runner (Windas, Stants, Lovett, Davey) and go long to Neagle/Lucas (quickly) which is when we're at our most dangerous or b) crap delivery, misses target, half-backs have already ran forward to space, turnover - goal.

It's the nature of our game-plan...if we can execute it for most of the match we can be a very dangerous team but we can also be very easy to score against too.

 

[DonMania#5]

We don't have an elite midfielder, that might change this year though..

 

[Colin D'Cops]

We're missing a good 2nd ruck & an 'A Grade' midfielder IMO. If we can get them two things fixed up, I think we'll be a strong premiership contender in no-time.

 

[The Donners]

Actually from that line up we are missing a gun small/medium forward (Medhurst, S Johnson, N Brown etc) I dont see anyone on our list coming through with that quality who can play that role.

You don't believe Monfries can get to Medhurst's standard?

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

You don't believe Monfries can get to Medhurst's standard?

No chance. Medhurst has always had tricks up his sleeve - pace, strength and skills. Consistency is what alluded him.

As for what we are missing:

- An genuine elite player in the mould of Hird, Judd, Ablett, Voss
- More pace and mobility forward.. ie third tall option
- Classy mid in rotations.. I think Lovett might be the one this year though
- One lock down type defender eg. Cambell Brown, Harry O, Dale Morris

 

[Colin D'Cops]

- One lock down type defender eg. Cambell Brown, Harry O, Dale Morris

Don't have much confidence in Hurley and/or Pears kelvin?

 

[Burzum]

1. Elite midfield
2. Classy (or elite) small forward
3. Elite small defender
4. Reliable back-up ruckman

 

[dirtywhitepacker]

Anyone answering "An A-Grade Midfielder" etc. is not entirely accurate. It's not personnel that we're missing, it's attitude.

We're missing:

-Toughness, mongrel, competitive spirit.
-Elite skill level & decision making.

Improve in those areas, mix that in with a good run with injuries which would allow the team to better gel together, and we have all we need...

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Don't have much confidence in Hurley and/or Pears kelvin?

I'm thinking more along the lines of a smaller guy. Maybe a Solomon type or a Hardwick/MJ.

I haven't seen enough of Hurley to make any real judgement but I do like what I've seen of Pears - basic composure, smarts and size.

Hurley's pace is a concern though but we'll see after a few games as I have a feeling that he might be playing sooner than later.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

Anyone answering "An A-Grade Midfielder" etc. is not entirely accurate.

In my books it is.

Someone that has elite disposal, elite composure, elite awareness plus above average speed is considered an 'A Grade' midfielder in my books. We do not have one player that falls under all of the criteria mentioned above. That is a concern.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

I'm thinking more along the lines of a smaller guy. Maybe a Solomon type or a Hardwick/MJ.

Fair enough. Can't disagree with that. Not a huge fan of H.Slattery who's trying to fill that role for us at present.

 

[yaco55]

We're missing a good 2nd ruck & an 'A Grade' midfielder IMO. If we can get them two things fixed up, I think we'll be a strong premiership contender in no-time.

I wouldn't stress about a good 2nd ruckman !

It isn't a necessity.

Look at the current lists of AFL clubs and look at recent Grand Finals.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

We are missing Respect.

 

[table tennis]

We need the following:

- 2 Gun Midfielders
- 2 Gun Defenders
- 2 Reliable & Accountable Defenders
- 2 Gun Forwards (I dont think that Llyod & Lucas will cut it in 2010 in wheelchairs)

Until we get these things to add to our current list, then we cannot expect to be a premiership contender.

Im not saying that some of our kids wont step into these posiiton, before people start throwning names at my argument.

We may play finals with current squad, but to me that would be a very good achievement.

But the above list, is what were lacking behind Geelong & Hawthorn.

 

[Kaiser Powser]

We need at least 50 games into most of our kids, which based on their injury rates may take another 10 years.

We also need an A grade midfielder.

Hard to see that happening by next year, but heres hoping.

 

[Smyth94]

We need at least 50 games into most of our kids

That's pretty much it IMO...We just need to get game time into our talented young'uns

 

[daffo]

I think we are missing some A grade talent, a defensive stopper and a back up ruckman.

 

[Phat Toni]

Common thread is we need an elite midfield but I don’t think it is really what we can expect, bearing in mind what we have drafted(hope I’m wrong). We have being topping up on elite talls. My view of what to expect out of our up and coming midfield is a pure blue collar workforce rotating through. I'm sorry I don’t see anybody with a young Chris Judd look about him, what I do see and it's nothing to be ashamed of is a bunch of young men who could work together to become a bash and crash Sydney style of midfield. So with that in mind, what do we need to do to get to the finals?


* Lift all players defensive skills(it’s not just the 6 players in defense’s responsibility to keep the score line down)

* Lift our overall skill sets(in this high possession age of footy turn over’s and wrong options receive capital punishment)

And most of all work better for each other, ATM I see too many plays were there is one guy trying to beat multiple opponents, and this is not due to him trying to be a hero it's due to nobody helping with the 1%ers like pushing hard just to lay a sheppard/bump to free somebody up to have time to deliver the footy unobstructed.

How is all this going to happen?

* Get more experience into about 60% of our list

 

[Smyth94]

I think we are missing some A grade talent, a defensive stopper and a back up ruckman.

I think Reimers, Ryder, Myers, Gumbleton, Neagle and Hurley are "A grade" talents

We just haven't been able to expose them to AFL level enough (except for Ryder).

In saying that, just because you're an A grade talent doesn't necessarily mean you will become an A grade player.

 

[essendon]

Out team is missing 22 fit players consistently on a weekly basis ........ hasnt happened since 2000.

Until then we can fully judge what our teams misses

Without this we are always going to be guessing

Thats my opinion anyway