Heppell’s a unique one for me because I feel like he NEEDS to play inside mid as that is where he is most value to us but his body composition has always meant that he gets battered and does it tougher than most inside mids. He absolutely cops it and you can often see the accumulative effects of it on his body as the season wears on. He’s a warrior but I reckon his body belies the work he wants to do and it’s compounded by the fact he doesn’t have the burst speed to get from in to out of congestion to avoid said batterings. His only saving grace is his little sidestep to gain him an extra half second but teams are more and more onto this.
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I see it another way. Essendon premiership sides have always had a good amount of mongrel. You don’t necessarily have to pay a lot for mongrel. Top end picks should look for pure talent.
I’m quite excited with what we’ve added over the summer, coaching wise and player wise considering the picks we had available.
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I don’t mind this strategy of using the rookie list for depth players. Throwing a bone to your coaches. As long as they keep bringing in a reasonable number of kids via the national draft.
Any player who makes our midfield better and more competitive is welcome in my book.
We need to get better.
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Disco said we wanted talls first so got two of the best in the draft, Jones they had as a 1st rounder, Bryan could be a star of comp given his athletic profile.
That left us pick 60+ players to choose
We aren’t getting gun inside mid kids there.
IMO a 23yr old Hibberd who made VFL team of year and was best on for Williamstown in their GF as an inside mid + Townsend who was a Liston Trophy winner as an inside mid are going to impact far more significantly for us onfield than any late pick kids (or majority of early ones TBH).
Also need to look at them against outgoing, better than Myers, and those currently on list, better than many. So we’ve improved our squad and have two physically mature players who can impact strongly immediately.
I don’t think Townsend will be best 22, but he will be hardened experienced depth to call upon.
My only concern is we haven’t addressed lack of small defender cover yet, maybe we still will.
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Yet you call yourself “reincarnated”?
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I don’t really consider Hep a Jobe replacement. He’s around 3-5 clearances a game over his career. 3.7 last season. Cripps was 8.4.
But let’s chalk this down as another win for HAP. We drafted a tall midfielder with an early selection 9 years ago. I feel like such an idiot now.
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Its going to be a long , very well discussed off season. Who knows what happen with the newbies but excited all the same to see some new faces and what, if anything, they can bring. Big plus for me is Devon Smith back and the like of Hooker, Hurley and Heppell well rested. Hopefully the injury gods are kind next year.
The “Essendon way” has been the most unsuccessful way, Gold Coast aside, of any team over the last 15 years. And GC hasn’t had the luxury of being in the comp that long.
Simpla fact is we have recruited Shiel, Saad, Stringer, Smith for now.
No use investing in ‘big bodied mids’ with draft picks as they won’t be ready. We needed immediate impact and this is what Townsend/Hibberd/Cutler bring.
These aren’t papering over cracks, this is mature recruiting for specific roles just like Hawthorn, Geelong and Richmond have done.
Disco said next year we are back in the draft for elite young mid talent.
What we need to ask ourselves is, does the addition of Townsend/Hibberd/Cutler and Devon Smith returning from injury, plus Joe at some point lift us from 8th to 4th-6th and a position to potentially win a final.
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people talking Townsend down but talking Myers up, just wow
Spot on. Fact is we did not line up with a very experienced side (by league standards) most weeks in 2019.
We had the second most inexperienced side in the 8 (and the dogs got flogged as well).
It’s a long season and experienced players help you get through it.
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Heppel’s style is perfectly suited to inside mid. But he needs to put on a lot more size to be able to do that role full time
■■■■■■■ hell man, he’s gone, get over it.
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You realise he’s about the same size as Townsend
Welcome to Blitz Jacob Townsend.
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Adds AFL finals experience and finals winning experience to our list…
Alongside
- Stringer (Dogs 2016 premiership)
- Shiel (won finals at GWS)
- Smith (won a final with GWS
- Townsend (Tigers 2017 Premiership)
The divisive Jacob Townsend
