Why thank you, Ms Sbaitso!
Though I’d like to point out that Smith is not considered ‘another big-bodied midfielder’.
Also - regards to your father - how’s he doing?
Anyone across whether training is on today? The website says Friday but surely there’s a session before then? Got some time today, hopefully it’s on.
Call the club, they’ll tell you if it’s today and what time it starts.
They refer to the website. Zero help there unfortunately
I heard they were out of town at a community camp. Bendigo?
Maybe not, The announced camps are mostly in March it would seem
Champion Data may have finally gt something right for a change 
Essendon will head into the new campaign intent on remaining one of the league’s highest-scoring sides in a bid to claim their first finals win in 14 years.
The Bombers’ new campaign officially begins on Saturday, when they head to Wangaratta to face a strong Richmond side.
The introduction of AFLX has contributed to a condensed JLT Community series this year, meaning clubs have only two matches to prepare for the season proper.
This is likely to see clubs field their close to their best teams, although the Bombers on Tuesday said a decision on whether prized recruits Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad would not be made until after a major training session on Wednesday.
Stringer and Smith, who will spend time in the midfield and up forward, and Saad, who will provide dash and creativity from half-back, took part in last week’s intra-club clash.
Their style of play will help the Bombers remains a potent threat inside attacking 50, having leapt from 18th for points scored in 2016 (65.3) when their list was decimated by anti-doping suspensions, to third last year (97). Only Adelaide and Port Adelaide scored more.
The Bombers became more proficient in attack, having been 18th in 2015 and 2016 in converting an inside 50 into a goal, to third last year.
Coach John Worsfold said the Bombers wanted to remain a major threat in front of goal.
“We are really looking to get our best improvement really across the team by maintaining our ability to score. I think everyone has been excited by our attacking brand of football but we do need to defend better as a team and we do need to be better around the contested situations in games as well,” Worsfold said.
“They have been the big focuses for us through the pre-season and that’s where our biggest improvement will come from.”
The Bombers will have Joe Daniher, Cale Hooker and James Stewart as their tall marking options, with Orazio Fantasia, Josh Green and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti among the medium-small forwards who can score and also provide pressure.
Daniher’s development is set to continue this season, coming off a season when he booted 65 goals and was one of the league’s most valuable targets inside 50, with the Bombers’ scoring 53 per cent of the time the high-leaping forward was the target.
Champion Data has rated five of the forwards, apart from Hooker, as either elite or above average, the equal most of any side. That the five are under the age of 25 is also important in terms of growth, with Champion Data declaring the Bombers’ overall group of players aged under 25 No. 1 for quality, even edging Greater Western Sydney.
Worsfold has told Bombers TV that the developing Tipungwuti, ranked elite for forward-half pressure acts, could also spend time in the midfield.
"This year we are hoping to have players like Devon Smith, Jake Stringer go through the midfield.
"We have also got David Myers, Kyle Langford, who has obviously been developing as a midfielder in the VFL for a couple of years now. We have some good depth there for those players to go through.
"We have also seen Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Orazio Fantasia slowly starting to experiment with some time through the midfield as well.
“Devon Smith [is] … a real talent we think can impact the game, definitely through the midfield and also at half-forward, so I would guess, looking at the way we have started to structure up, that he would spend the balance of his time in the midfield.”
The Bombers will hold their season launch at South Wharf on Wednesday, when chief executive Xavier Campbell is expected to provide an update on Worsfold’s contract status. Worsfold is off contract this year and the two parties have been working towards what shapes as a two-year extension, although neither has felt the need to rush a new deal.
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Our oldies must really suck.
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Our ladder finishes for ten years suggest that is correct.
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So Essendon have better youth than Richmond? lols
Champion data probably have Richmond as the 15th best side.
It’s no surprise to me that they don’t like to share their stats with the general public.
Don’t think it would stand up to scrutiny.
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Planning on a road trip over for Anzac Day this year
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Well, that’s pleasing. Hope all this super positivity surrounding the club amounts to something substantial this year
I think top four is reasonable
No Changes.
No new rule changes for 2018
THE BIGGEST change to the way games are umpired this season is that there will be no change at all.
The AFL has introduced nine rule tweaks or interpretation changes – such as stricter approaches to deliberate rushed behinds and deliberate out of bounds – over the past three years.
But the League has resisted the urge to tinker with the game ahead of the 2018 season.
“The beauty about this year is that there have been (no changes), which is great for the players and great for the umpires,” AFL umpires coach Hayden Kennedy said on Wednesday.
“Last year we spent a hell of a lot of time in the pre-season coaching new rules and we haven’t done that this year, so we’ve been able to spend time on other things.”
Kennedy has toured the country with his annual presentation to AFL clubs over the past month.
In the absence of new interpretations, he has focused on educating players and coaches on the contentious areas of deliberate rushed behinds, designated rucks, encroaching on the protected area and the holding the ball rule.
Umpiring representatives had lobbied for the bounce to be scrapped last year, citing injury concerns and recalled bounces that slow the play down.
But new head of football Steve Hocking ruled in favour of keeping the traditional bounce.
“It’s a skill that needs to stay in the game and we expect our umpires to be bouncing it at the level that is required in AFL football,” Kennedy said.
"I imagine it will be just the same as it has been in years past - if we get injuries then we’ll deal with it.
"(But) it’s a very low percentage of bounces that are actually recalled.
“They actually bounce at around 96 per cent where the two ruckmen can get to the ball, which is a phenomenal effort when you think about it.”
The AFL will hire a strength and conditioning coach to help avoid shoulder injuries that can occur when bouncing the ball.
WIll the season launch be streamed tonight?
I hope he spent some quality time expanding on the ‘flail wildly at the ball convincingly enough so umpire feels justified in not pinging you for holding’ rule.
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No changes for mine.
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So what they’re saying is that the new interpretations are 1) not decided yet and 2) will not be announced until or after the last moment.
Pity da fools that play the first game of any round.
They won’t announce anything until some umpire stuffs up completely. Gill will then come out and state that’s what they intended all along because (insert @theDJR’s meme here)
Computer says …
10th with 11 wins and as many scores for as against.