2018 Pre Season Discussion

We’d hate joe if he played for another team. He loves a carry on

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How deluded are some of our fans?

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Hell yeh, just read the Francis thread!

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They all need to carry on like Langford.

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What the AFL ( Cal) says about our preseason, so far.

Pre-season so far: The Bombers will put energy over summer into being a bit more defensively minded next season. All eyes have been on recruits Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad at training, although Stringer is on an individual program to help him settle in and Smith is still working through a knee injury and should be back into full training by January. Michael Hurley (hip/wrist) is looking trimmer than before but is still on a restricted program after his pair of surgeries, while Matthew Leuenberger (shoulder) and Cale Hooker (leg) are in the same boat. A group of younger Bombers headed to America for an off-season training camp before returning to start their pre-season.

Time trial champ: Patrick Ambrose

Training return: January 5

Community camp: Essendon, Craigieburn, Camperdown, Cobden, Timboon – Victoria (March 12-13)

AFLX fixture: Friday, February 16, Etihad Stadium: Carlton, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, St Kilda

JLT fixture: v Richmond, Norm Minns Oval, Wangaratta, Saturday, February 24, 4.35pm AEDT; v Geelong, Central Reserve, Colac, Sunday, March 11, 1.05pm AEDT

Round one: v Adelaide, Etihad Stadium, Friday, March 23, 7.50pm AEDT

Last time: round four, 2017, Adelaide 24.9 (153) d Essendon 13.10 (88) at Adelaide Oval

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Seems like it’s us and Hawthorn who only start as early as the 5th January. Rest of the teams have another 4 days rest or so.

Rumour has it the boys consumed too many bushchooks at Christmas lunch, had a read of blitz and took to the notion of Devon being a ham too seriously.
Nothing serious, tis’ but a mere fleshwound.

AFL/Essendon draft improssed concessions 2014.

Back to back flags in 2018-19.

Window open.

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We all think we’re better than Collingwood.

Anyway, I reckon Parish has a fair bit of get outta my face self belief so I’m not sure I agree. Joe on the other hand strikes me as a big kid so I’ll guve you that.

Parish is definitely yappy. He would be very annoying to play on.

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Gif of parish mouthing off against Melbourne r3 2016

Joe is a bit polarizing, I have a filth mate who hates him but a bunch of mates who say he’s the most exciting player to watch especially his fun carry ons.

Either way everyone will need to get used to it because he’s going to be one of the biggest names in the game for the next decade. :smile:

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Daniher is just an average sized name.
McDonald-Tipungwuti on the other hand…

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I have been to games where other club supporters rave about joey and tippa. They are mostly not the supporters of the club we are playing on that day. I must admit I liked the run and evasiveness of Saad even when we played the GCS. I am stoked he plays for us now.

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I’ve never seen an Essendon player get more love from opposition supporters as what Walla gets.

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Love seeing Joe enjoy the game. If people think it’s a carry on, then that’s their issue. He only “carries on” when he’s done something great, so the more he carries on, the better for us.

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Here ya go:

Eight reasons why the Bombers can challenge for a premiership in 2018
Chris Cavanagh, Herald Sun
December 30, 2017 6:05pm
Subscriber only
ESSENDON went from wooden spoon winner in 2016 to finalist this year.
After a bumper trade period, the club is confident it can make further strides forward next year.
Here are eight reasons the Bombers can challenge for the premiership in 2018.
ACQUISITIONS
There was no bigger winner than Essendon over the trade period. Out: None. In: Jake Stringer, Devon Smith, Adam Saad. Smith, 24, is tough, quick and finished second in Greater Western Sydney’s best-and-fairest in 2014. Saad, 23, was the No. 1 run-and-bounce player in the competition off halfback for Gold Coast this year and his arrival is set to free up last year’s No. 1 draft pick Andy McGrath for a midfield move. Then there is Jake Stringer. Two years ago many thought the former Bulldog was going to be the next big thing in the game. Off-field issues have contributed to a substandard two seasons since but at 23 he is already an All-Australian and premiership player and is more than capable of kicking 40-plus goals at Essendon next year. Bombers list boss Adrian Dodoro believes all three recruits have the ability to be All-Australian players in coming years.

SPEED
Pace was not something the Bombers lacked this year, but they did have a couple of older players bringing down the average, namely Jobe Watson and James Kelly who have now sailed into retirement. Their replacements? The quick-footed Saad comes in and the likes of Kyle Langford and Jayden Laverde should get more opportunity, instantly making Essendon look even faster. Add to that players like Connor McKenna, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Orazio Fantasia, David Zaharakis, Travis Colyer and James Stewart and the Bombers have the ability to run a lot of sides off their feet.
BOOKENDS
A key to Richmond’s premiership this year was the combination of key defenders Alex Rance and David Astbury. In Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker, Essendon has a similarly rock-solid pair. Hooker spent significant time forward this year but looks likely to return to defence next season to join 2017 All-Australian Hurley. The other end of the ground is most interesting though. Joe Daniher returned a career-best goal tally of 65 from 23 games this year and, at 23 years old, is seemingly only getting better. With Stringer — who kicked 56 goals in his All-Australian year of 2015 — set to join him next year, the Bombers have some serious key-position talent at either end.
FIXTURE
Knocked out of the flag race at the elimination final stage this year, Essendon finished in the sweet-spot as far as fixturing for 2018 goes. The Bombers will only meet two fellow 2017 finalists twice next year in Richmond and Port Adelaide, with their other double-up matches against Hawthorn, Collingwood and Fremantle. Overall their fixture is ranked the 10th hardest by Champion Data which those at Tullamarine wouldn’t be complaining about.
FINALS EXPERIENCE
This year’s elimination final against Sydney was not pretty for the Bombers, bringing a 65-point loss at the SCG. But the fact is their young side had just 60 games of finals experience — 39 of which were shared by James Kelly and Brendon Goddard — as opposed to Sydney’s 224. Nine Essendon players who took to the field for that game had not played in a final before. Clearly they are going to be much better off for the experience next time around.
THE COACH
Talking of finals experience, Essendon coach John Worsfold has plenty of that. You have to give him a lot of credit for lifting the Bombers out of their darkest era to play finals this year, just his second in charge. In his 14 seasons of coaching, Worsfold has led teams to finals on nine occasions and was a premiership coach of West Coast in 2006. Essendon clearly believes he can deliver the goods again.
MENTALITY
Have a look at this year’s premier, Richmond. The Tigers seemed to have a point to prove after winning just two of their final nine games and falling in a deep, dark hole the previous year. Similarly, Essendon is hungry having endured years of pain over the supplements saga. After winning just three games in 2016, the Bombers were never going to be able to get their revenge this year, even with 10 players returning from suspension. But the recent history — and the added pain of a finals loss this year — will be in the back of their minds as they head into 2018.
DEVELOPMENT
There is a good mix of youth and experience among the Essendon list and a lot of the talent that has been blooded over the past two years should further flourish. The Bombers fielded 14 players with under 100 games of experience in their elimination final against Sydney, eight of whom had less than 50 games under their belts. Another pre-season for the likes of McGrath, Fantasia, Stewart, McKenna and Darcy Parish — who are all 22 and under — will do a world of good.

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Tldr: Hooker back

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& Stringer key position forward