Caldwell and McGrath can play injured.
Langford and Menzie might be worth just getting the surgery.
From the amount of talk and the pointing he does l would say he is already playing the on field general of forwards role.
Going to be a big pre season of craft/learning to beat defenders for Kyle.
With Jake out he will probably get more attention from the better stoppers next year, which was something he said affected him this year.
If Reid is fit and healthy I wouldn’t be suprised if we see McKay spend some time trialled fwd next year to take some of the heat away from Langford and 2MP.
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Caddy, 2MP, Draper, Langford, Jones, Cox and hopefully a bunch of small forwards will be enough in the front half, there’s no need to switch McKay forward, especially as we’d then be stuck with Laverde at FB again
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You would want to see Reid fit and healthy for at least 2 full seasons before you started restructuring things around him.
If no matchup he could be swung forward sure, or Reid, but yeh, Reid just needs some continuity. Ridley, Reid and McKay need to learn how to play together, so likely keep it settled.
Unless Menzie carried the injury into the season, not sure the injury is the reason for his crap season.
His forward craft/football IQ is a strength of his. He’s playing as an undersized key forward, and when he lacks in size and strength against his direct opponent, he needs to beat them with his brain. Leading patterns, timing, etc. First half of the season he was excellent and on track to replicate or better his 50+ goal season in 2023. But injury clearly curtailed his output. Even with Stringer and Wright IMO he was our best forward. 2MP and Harry need to harden the ■■■■ up and play like men, not little boys, and do their share.
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Ben McKay has played three games forward in his 94 AFL games at the Kangas in 2022. He was hopeless and had no idea. Total of 7 kicks, 6 marks and handball, for one goal over three games. Not tried there again. Harry McKay has mobility issues but he knows how to play forward, Ben has the same mobility, and only knows how to play back. He is no Cale Hooker.
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Langford was clearly hampered by some kind of injury, he started coming better towards last couple of games this year, I’m hoping he has a big preseason gets his body right and comes out making a statement.
Will get plenty of delivery into him next year, our mids are building nicely
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Fully fit he will be good for 50 goals in 2025.
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Fit and healthy he is one of our best players, clearly doesn’t play well when he looses that power in his running - not that he is that quick.
Would like to see him more HF and FF line next year to use his F50 entry capability more.
Was brain dead from the fitness team and Scott to not given him a few weeks early to get over whatever it was than make him play injured and drop in form.
With Stringer no longer there to take a good defender guys like wright,jones,perkins etc need to stand up otherwise Kyle will cop a tag team or best defender every week
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Langford should always attract the opposition best defender because he is easily Essendon’s best forward.
No Club will waste its best defender on the likes of Jones, Perkins or Wright.
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Reckon by round one, Nate Caddy will have that spot.
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On potential yes, but realistically Caddy needs at least a full season’s game day AFL experience to reach that pinnacle.
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John Coleman kicked 100 in his first season, anad 120 in his second; so I expect Nate to kick 100 next year. If Scott had plaayed him all the games he was available then he would have kicked more than Jake.
I have been drinking today !!!
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Accurate off field as well.
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