Well thats that, shut the forum down.
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I suppose that’s the thing. If we lose Jobe and there’s no one to fill the breach then we’ve gone backwards. That’s why Myers is important. Otherwise a trade becomes critical.
The coaches appear to think Myers can perform very soon, whereas Langford will take longer. If the coaches think we are a genuine chance in September, then Myers would be at a higher level in that time than Langford. Myers just needs to tune up his game, whereas Langford needs to learn it. Investing time in Myers now gives us an immediate chance at finals.
Langford’s VFL form needs to show that a 6 game stint as a senior inside mid will a) not weaken the team so we lose games and b) provide a better player than 6 games into Myers. If Langford can give confidence that he’d be superior to Myers in that time, then he’ll come in.
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Yikes.
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Myers is a soon to be 28 year old guy who has had precisely 2 good to average seasons. One in which played 20 games and averaged 18 touches and one in which he played 18 and averaged 20.9.
I can understand keeping him up our sleeve as depth with the retirement of jobe imminent but if you think he is about to magically transform himself into a durable a grade talent if we just give him a few more opportunities you are kidding yourself.
Langford, on the other hand, has in my eyes already proved himself more durable, quicker, more agile, better in the air, cleaner and better skilled than Myers. He is also of course 8 years younger.
I know where the future lies and who id be prioritising opportunities to.
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Hocking or Bird?
I’m pretty sure he was saying the balance is wrong and we need one more outside runner instead.
Stanton it is
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We need to improve our clearances. Myers at pre-injury form made the rest of the team better in this area. He won the best defensive player award in 2014 largely for his work around the contest. This is what he’s being played for. This is critical if we reach finals. If he can’t regain it, play Langford.
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I reiterate, yikes.
In 2017 David myers is a not-quite back flank who’s a yard slower than amlost everyone, and he’s stopped trusting his footskills.
But yeah, 2014.
Similar was said about TBell. I’m happy for Langford to come in, but if Myers stays, that’s the reason.
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I think the fact he’s been in our best 22 says more about our list state in those years from 2008 until today then it does about him or anything that the coaches think about him. Hennemen was on the list for 7 years, Bolton for over 10, Slattery played almost a 100 games and the list goes on. The team has been rubbish, the fact he gets a game when he managed to be fit doesn’t overly impress me. You could argue 3 different coaches thought Slattery was a gun player by your logic.
The guy has never finished in the top 10 for our best and fairest, never played a full season and has 2 Brownlow votes in his career. His career games per season include: 8, 6, 8, 14, 9, 2 & 0 and missed the first 6 games this year. If he was to play every game for the rest of the year and every game next year (big if) he’ll just have passed the total games that Mark Bolton played. His best career average for disposals and arguably best year was 2014 when he averaged just over 20 and even that was probably just above average. His second best year in 2013 I counted 4-5 good games, 4-6 poor games and the rest “OK” (ie. middling possession count, minimal impact).
The facts are he’s never given us much more than a few nice hoof goals, an above average season one time in his career and has looked poor in every game this year. He’s going to be 28 in a few weeks, the training wheels need to come off and he needs to start delivering.
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That’s a fair point
People were calling for Hurley to be dropped.
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And TBell came in, then got dropped to VFL, and the world did not end.
In fact he found form down there, pushed for and won a spot and (touch wood) hasn’t looked back.
Would love to see Myers do the same.
Would love to see an Essendon side where 22 blokes had to play well to deserve a spot every week.
Currently it’s about 17-18 and a few who fall over the line.
I’ve tried to work it out but I haven’t been able to.
Is he playing back flank or mid predominantly?
Hurley improved as season progressed and is back to AA form.
TBell under performed in his early season game, went back and continued to build form and fitness in 2’s and now playing very good footy.
Myers has stayed in team and performances actually seemingly getting worse. And the below doesn’t indicate his poor disposal efficiency by foot either. In the Giants game he was running at 52% DE with 4 clangers, versus Port he hardly kicked it.
In the Port game where we belted opposition and you’d have expected all the mids to do well. We had Zerrett, Hep, Watson & Goddard all 30+ possession. And Zaka had 26 + 11 tackles!
Badly out of form is Myers. Needs a spell and Langford to come in.
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I am reading all this toing and froing and my concern outside whether Myers stays or Langford comes in or doesn’t is that Langford is also missing valuable AFL development opportunity. For all intensives purposes last year Langford was better than reasonable playing midfield in a poor overall midfield. I think he needs to be in this year period.
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There is also Howlett. I’d be dropping both and bringing in Langford and one of the kids. I’d potentially add Ridley and play McGrath as a midfielder.