2016 List

Football Discussion Trade week Duursma head in
1

All Essendon need to find for 2016 and beyond are the following:
1 x first AFL standard ruck
1 x developing second ruck
2 x speedy classy established midfielders (minimum 2)
1 x medium lead up forward with a proven track record
1 x classy established small forward
some young KPP - both forwards and defenders - to be developed as depth.

The above assumes that Bellchambers and Carlisle don’t depart. If they do add another ruckman and KPP to the list of needs.

Off the list - Fletch, Chapman and Winderlich to retire
Delist - Pears, Steinberg, O’Brien, Kavanagh, Hams (too small, too slow), Giles and probably Dalgleish. Browne too unless he performs at senior level over the next 9 games
Trade - Dempsey (or delist, whatever), Melksham (6 years is enough and some club may want him), Stanton
Strongly consider the futures of Cooney and Gwilt (who has done nothing wrong in his appearances).

Some will say you can’t purge that many, but let’s be honest, none of the above mentioned will ever play in a winning Essendon finals team (any final, not just the GF). So may as well do a thorough re-build.

Add to this abandonment of:

  1. the mega defensive game plan with extra numbers always at the ball and numbers short up forward
  2. playing one ruckman short each week
  3. ultra conservative team selection and refusal to change match day tactics.

Given a lot of drafting luck Essendon become a useful finals team just before the end of Hooker and Hurley’s careers.

2

Could EASILY dump 15 off our List before getting to Melksham.

3

How are we going to find all that for 2016?

And what stupid club would take the 3 you have mentioned as trade? Be lucky to get a 3rd rounder for any of them.

4

Geoff your plan has my 100% support. Most comfortable with a massive purge at the end of the year. Can we reserve a place for a developing ruckman as a priority?

5

I would also question Aylett, Fantasia and Howlett. If WADA gives a ban, Watson will probably retire also. Gwilt was poor today

6
How are we going to find all that for 2016?

And what stupid club would take the 3 you have mentioned as trade? Be lucky to get a 3rd rounder for any of them.

I was suggesting that that was all that Essendon need. I don’t seriously think that we’ll even get one of my list.

7
Trade - Dempsey (or delist, whatever), Melksham (6 years is enough and some club may want him), Stanton

stopped reading right there.

would be one of the best midfielders this year.

yes time to rebuild but having some old experience is still required.

you fucken tool, i dont even like stanton but does not need to be delisted.

He said to trade Stanton.


One shocker (along with 18 or 19 mates).
He’s been our only consistently worthwhile midfielder for the year. Zerrett’s dropped off, Heppell went AWOL for 2 months, Watson & Goddard are stuffed.

Whether he’s actually traded or cut makes little difference, other than ■■■■■■■■ on yet another club stalwart who’s done very little wrong for dubious gains. 30 year olds (he’ll be 30 by start of 2016) get traded for pick 70 or 90 if anything.

We’re going to be cutting Chap/Dempsey/Winders/Fletch regardless. I see no need to be cutting anyone who’s playing decent footy. Precious few of them.

8
All Essendon need to find for 2016 and beyond are the following: 1 x first AFL standard ruck 1 x developing second ruck 2 x speedy classy established midfielders (minimum 2) 1 x medium lead up forward with a proven track record 1 x classy established small forward some young KPP - both forwards and defenders - to be developed as depth.

Bellchambers
McKernan
Colyer, J. Merrett
Langford
McKenna
draft picks

seems OK to me.

Surely we’ve realised that “proven track record” means f**k all when they get put into a side that has turned it up. Goddard, Cooney, both have pretty good track records, but it means nothing if the rest of the team has collapsed.

What we need is the guys to believe in themselves again. If they can find that then all the rest will fall into place. If we don’t then we could recruit Goldstein, Blicavs, Dangerfield, S. Hill, Gunston, Betts and all the GWS KPs and it would make no difference.

9

Players who will need to be phased out soon:

2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 25, 27, 28, 31, 42

15 by my count. Cut 5 each year. Replace with draft picks. Prepare for pain.

10

Ricky Dyson and 3rd Round pick for Nat Fyfe

11
Ricky Dyson and 3rd Round pick for Nat Fyfe

But what will we get for the third rounder?

12

Reckon the youth is there in some positions. Landford could play the mid sized forward.

I wouldn’t draft a ruck either, chase an established one and follow the blueprint of other successful teams.
Hell Smack seems like a more than decent second ruck.

I’d chase a forward in the mould of Dixon or Lynch and send Carlisle back.

We need a small goal sneak with PACE so that needs to be addressed.

Midfielders who can run and split the congestion open with speed and deliver it well. Motlop would be nice but would cost the world. DANGER or Bennell the ultimate dream. Won’t get them so can we get a player that’s under the radar?

Forward line coach out.

13

*2015 ND;
2x 179cm, 72kg “midfielders” that spend the next three years developing at HBF.
1x 203cm “ruck” that we don’t see for another 4 years then chronic injuries ruin his career post a 25H/O, 10 marks, 2 goal debut. RIP.

*Slightly lid on after yesterday.

14
All Essendon need to find for 2016 and beyond are the following: 1 x first AFL standard ruck 1 x developing second ruck 2 x speedy classy established midfielders (minimum 2) 1 x medium lead up forward with a proven track record 1 x classy established small forward some young KPP - both forwards and defenders - to be developed as depth.

The above assumes that Bellchambers and Carlisle don’t depart. If they do add another ruckman and KPP to the list of needs.

Off the list - Fletch, Chapman and Winderlich to retire
Delist - Pears, Steinberg, O’Brien, Kavanagh, Hams (too small, too slow), Giles and probably Dalgleish. Browne too unless he performs at senior level over the next 9 games
Trade - Dempsey (or delist, whatever), Melksham (6 years is enough and some club may want him), Stanton
Strongly consider the futures of Cooney and Gwilt (who has done nothing wrong in his appearances).

Some will say you can’t purge that many, but let’s be honest, none of the above mentioned will ever play in a winning Essendon finals team (any final, not just the GF). So may as well do a thorough re-build.

Add to this abandonment of:

  1. the mega defensive game plan with extra numbers always at the ball and numbers short up forward
  2. playing one ruckman short each week
  3. ultra conservative team selection and refusal to change match day tactics.

Given a lot of drafting luck Essendon become a useful finals team just before the end of Hooker and Hurley’s careers.

Gwilt has done nothing wrong??? I must be a hard marker. I thought he was still playing for StKilda yesterday.

15

For me if we played the kids, the losses would be more palatable. And I suspect the (external) pressure on Hirdy would be significantly less.

I think if we declare that we are rebuilding, the supporters will get around this.

Charles Darwin - “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” - we need to change!

16

You cannot remove half your list, there’s 14 possible removals on that list.

Not to mention that a few are also on long contracts and some are depth players.

The premise of it started well but you have to understand the idea of finding a balance between it all and that is not the way.

17
Reckon the youth is there in some positions. Landford could play the mid sized forward.

I wouldn’t draft a ruck either, chase an established one and follow the blueprint of other successful teams.
Hell Smack seems like a more than decent second ruck.

I’d chase a forward in the mould of Dixon or Lynch and send Carlisle back.

We need a small goal sneak with PACE so that needs to be addressed.

Midfielders who can run and split the congestion open with speed and deliver it well. Motlop would be nice but would cost the world. DANGER or Bennell the ultimate dream. Won’t get them so can we get a player that’s under the radar?

Forward line coach out.

Bennell?? No thanks.

We need a bit of a clean out and I’ve seen some of his hoovering skills, but no.

18

I know a couple of players will leave and we will draft or trade for a couple of others but if we develop these players we could be a decent team in 2-3 years time.
B: Hibberd Hooker Baguley
HB: Ashby Hurley Gleeson
C: Long Myers Colyer
HF: Laverde Daniher Zaharakis
F: McKenna Carlisle Langford
Foll: Bellchambers, Heppell, Z.Merrett
Int from: McKernan, Dalgleish, Fantasia, Browne, J.Merrett, Melksham plus future draft picks.

19

Trade - Dempsey (or delist, whatever), Melksham (6 years is enough and some club may want him), Stanton

stopped reading right there.

would be one of the best midfielders this year.

yes time to rebuild but having some old experience is still required.

you fucken tool, i dont even like stanton but does not need to be delisted.

20
I know a couple of players will leave and we will draft or trade for a couple of others but if we develop these players we could be a decent team in 2-3 years time. B: Hibberd Hooker Baguley HB: Ashby Hurley Gleeson C: Long Myers Colyer HF: Laverde Daniher Zaharakis F: McKenna Carlisle Langford Foll: Bellchambers, Heppell, Z.Merrett Int from: McKernan, Dalgleish, Fantasia, Browne, J.Merrett, Melksham plus future draft picks.

Absolutely. And there is the evidence that we’ve been rebuilding for 5 years, and the calls for a rebuild based on yesterday are reactionary and blind to the bigger picture.