#21 Dyson "Go jam it” Heppell - 200th game this week (Part 1)

From the Age today;

A year on, Heppell to be a more rounded leader
By Jon Pierik17 March 2018 — 12:43pm

Having negotiated a challenging maiden season of captaincy, Dyson Heppell has declared he will be a more rounded leader in a year when expectations have risen at Essendon.
Heppell was handed the top role in a season when he was one of 10 players to return to the club from a year-long anti-doping ban. While he had been a vice-captain under Jobe Watson before the ban, taking on the top job would require a balancing act he took time to adjust to.
“I think it was a real growth year for me. I think probably in the early stages of the season my captaincy was focused too much on leadership and took away from my own performances,” he told r.

“It was really about finding that balance of leading a team and focusing on things off field as well trying to take care of your own backyard and see your performances as a priority. It took me time to find that balance but I learned a hell of a lot.”
While Heppell, 25, may not have felt he played as consistently well as he had hoped early in the campaign, he did begin with 34 disposals and three goals in a round one win over Hawthorn. He would average 26 disposals through the season and finish third in the best and fairest in a tight count that saw Joe Daniher claim his maiden Crichton Medal and Brendon Goddard runner-up. It was the fifth time in his six completed seasons that he had finished in the top three.

There is a different feeling, even look, around the Bombers now Watson has retired, for he became the face of the club, certainly the playing group, during the supplements saga. His return last year gave Heppell another senior player to lean on for advice.
“I think it was really important for me last year to still have Jobe around. Just to be able to bounce things off and help me with that transition. But … with him gone, I think I can put my spin on things now and go from there,” he said.
Heppell also turns to advice from others outside the club, including business types, giving him a different complexion on how to go about such things as “challenging conversations”.

“I have a few that I certainly lean on, guys that are directly involved in footy and a couple that have nothing to do with footy that can I bounce ideas off as well. That has been important to me,” he said.
“It’s great to have a bit of a sounding board. I do enjoy throwing things at mentors that literally have no perspective on footy. That’s not at all to take away from my own leadership style, trying to keep it really authentic in the way I go about it, certainly pick up bits and advice from there.”
That the Bombers made the finals last year was a strong result in a season when there had been so many variables, not the least being how a group of players returning from a year off would physically handle returning to the on-field furnace. An off-season recruiting splurge had further buoyed hopes but a shock 87-point loss to Richmond in the opening JLT Community Series rocked the club.
“The first performance was really surprising to me. I think we have had a really strong pre-season and certainly didn’t put that on show in Wangaratta,” Heppell said.
“I think getting the chemistry together with the group in that second game flowed quite well and that will continue to build through the early stages of the season.”

That second clash was a four-point win over Geelong in Colac, with former Bulldog Jake Stringer contributing two goals and lifting after half-time. Stringer, known for his play inside 50, has spent time in the middle through the pre-season, giving the Bombers another mature body at stoppages.
“He will definitely be spending a fair bit of time there. Obviously, he is damaging up forward. We will be looking to find that balance about how much time he spends in the middle but am looking forward to seeing how he goes,” Heppell said.
Along with former Giant Devon Smith and former Sun Adam Saad, Stringer is set to play a key role in a team where expectations are that it will win at least one final, having failed to do so since 2004. Last year’s campaign ended in an 11-goal loss to the Swans.
“It was, obviously, a very disappointing end to the year – great to make finals but we don’t want to bow out like that,” Heppell said.

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If there was more scrutiny on Heppells performance and influence on games would he play better or worse?
He goes under the radar for a captain of one of biggest clubs.

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Take this guy as my captain any day of the week. When the Team needed to lift without Merrett in the midfield and down a rotation this guy stood up. Legend.

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Can’t believe there is not more talk of him here after tonights game. He got my 3 votes, was outstanding. Partially his marking around the ground.

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Was indeed outstanding.

Played the midfield role behind the ball, and excelled at it.

He isn’t the perfect footballer. But he gave his ■■■■■■■ all tonight and was an exceptional captain.

Great game.

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Destroyed the media’s darling Sloane

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Was in everything. Busted his gut in the middle, cleaned up around HB and was great as the link man around the ground. Great captains game.

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BOG

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Great game. Great captain. His off year last year will be a distant memory within weeks…

Clear BOG for me. He was amazing, didn’t seem to lose a contest.

How good is he overhead?

I kind of forgot how good he is. Could be a top 10 player in the league come years end.

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Adelaide were nowhere near him, and got destroyed because of that. Even did some old-school playing off half-back late in the game.

CLUNK.

WOW!! Most influential game I’ve seen him play.

Round 1
Essendon vs Adelaide
3 votes D Heppell

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He played a game that used both his midfield skills and his intercept marking skills.

I’d say that is a big tick for the coaches. They’ve put him in a position that best suits his strengths.

Whether the other sides let him play that way all year I don’t know. But for now, that was a great win for us.

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I was vocal in my general disappointment in him last year. I thought he needed to lift.

Was immense. That was all Australian B&F form.

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This guy was consistently amazing all game long.

What a performance from him.

Play a whole year like that and he wins the Charlie.

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35 disposals (11 contested)… 13 marks… 3 clearances… 5 tackles.

Really big effort from the captain.

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Same here!

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F*cking sensational.

I couldn’t believe the amount of people on this forum who ‘believed’ he was never a very good player, after last season.

He played through an injury all year in 2017, plus had 12 months out of the game… plus had the responsibility of captaincy for the first time.

This is how good he is! Expect to see this each week. He’s a f*cking gun. Always has been.

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Last two Round 1s

2 x bog

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