Jye “Froggy” Caldwell.
He’s a classic candidate for old school Froggy, its the bug eyes.
Once you include the picks we got back with him it equals out to around pick 20. Once all the picks get pushed back by academy players it gets pushed back even further.
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Doesn’t Caldwell have a history of hamstring problems?
Should slot right in to the Essendon family then and be fit to play sometime in 2022 for a few games.
Talk of a shallow draft isn’t accurate. “Largely unknown” is an apt description, but not “shallow” (or “deep” for that matter.)
As for Caldwell, I don’t care one bit if he’s tall, short or average. It only matters whether he’s good. He has a solid build, which is a useful start. But Jobe Watson wasn’t a great player because he was six foot three.
From the highlights package, Caldwell can stand up in the contest and get the ball out under pressure. As if we don’t already need that.
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He is neither small or skinny.
Within 12 mths he will be our most physical midfielder.
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Very good overhead too. Something we lack a little in the midfield.
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His interview vid is up folks, get it in ya guts:
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Sounds like a hostage reading out a ransom message 
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His blinking eyes rapping out Morse Code “Help Me! I’m A Hostage HERE”.
Is that what you mean?
I did have to translate the Morse from Basque first though to make sense of it.
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Four things you may not know: Jye Caldwell
Get to know a little bit more about new Bomber Jye Caldwell.
Jye Caldwell pictured during his draft year in 2018. (Photo: AFL Photos)
Jye Caldwell’s wish to become a Bomber was granted in the dying stages of the trade period, with the young midfielder joining the club from Greater Western Sydney along with picks Nos. 44 and 74 in exchange for pick No.29 and a future second-round selection.
Here are some things you may know about the 20-year-old.
1. Natural talent rings true
He may have been a handy junior basketballer and cricketer, but it was in the ring where Caldwell did his best work to win Victoria’s state junior boxing title as a 13-year-old.
It’s no surprise Caldwell’s competitive nature has translated from the ring to the footy field.
“With boxing, you sort of learn to hate the other person,” he told AAP in 2019.
"Boxing is 100 per cent where the aggression comes from.
“I always wanted to become an AFL footballer, boxing was a side thing … I’ve always been pretty aggressive playing footy.”
Caldwell during his boxing days. (Photo: Bendigo Advertiser)
2. The Dylan Shiel link
The No.11 selection in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft from Bendigo Pioneers, Caldwell was taken with one of the picks Essendon gave GWS in exchange for Dylan Shiel.
He took over the Giants’ No.5 guernsey vacated by Shiel’s departure, and will now link up with the star midfielder in the Bombers’ engine room.
Caldwell is the only player to have been drafted at pick No.11 from Bendigo in history. Memorable Pioneers draftees include Dean Solomon (1997), Nick Dal Santo (2001), Joel Selwood (2006), Dustin Martin (2009) and Jake Stringer (2012).
Caldwell gets to work in the No.5 vacated by Shiel’s departure. (Photo: AFL Photos)
3. Seeking out the best
Despite barracking for St Kilda as a kid, Caldwell has modelled his game on Geelong champion Joel Selwood.
The pair shared similarities in their draft years, having to overcome injuries to be selected in the first round.
Caldwell couldn’t take a trick in 2018, suffering a serious hamstring tear in Vic Country’s first game of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and subsequently missing the rest of the carnival.
He returned for the Pioneers later in the year before suffering a minor strain to the other hamstring and being forced to miss the Draft Combine.
The setbacks led Caldwell to tee up lunch and a chat with fellow Pioneers graduate Selwood, who offered tips on resilience and belief after overcoming external doubts about his knees to flourish as the No.7 pick in the 2006 national draft.
Caldwell in action for Bendigo Pioneers in 2017. (Photo: AFL Photos)
4. An historic debut
Caldwell made his AFL debut in what’s believed to be the first League game played in snow.
A late inclusion for the injured Jacob Hopper, he tallied 13 disposals, six tackles and five marks in the Giants’ 56-point loss to the Hawks at Canberra’s Manuka Oval in round 21, 2019.
Snow falls during Caldwell’s debut game. (Photo: AFL Photos)
Caldwell’s parents Sam and Rod and sister Delaynie made the six-hour car trip from Bendigo to Canberra on game day to be there for the occasion.
Callan Ward did the honours of presenting Caldwell with his guernsey, sharing special words about his teammate.
“From the moment you walked into the footy club you’ve done absolutely everything right. I claim you as my favourite player; I love the way you go about it and the way you train and you show real leadership,” Ward said pre-game.
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Ward and Davis love this kid, he must be pretty special as they have seen some really talented player come through.
His toughness will be much loved by me.
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True…but you need a bit of C to win flags- think both bring them in spades.
Next year should be a write off (development) year for us.
We’ve planted the seed with Dunkley (who will be with us when it matters)
Think this kids a great pickup…listening to his interview- doesn’t seem to mind contact/ natural agression, which is a mindset that can’t be taught like kicking or handballing.
Keep the faith…we’ll be good soon - however being great is not easy. Time will tell!
Boxer… like
Hamstring injuries… sigh
Spot on- Dunkley is not far away given the inception has already happened
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Is it me or is he amazingly tanned in that first photo?
True…and the last time I checked couple of the past brownlow winners were pretty small (maybe not skinny) in Mitchell/ Priddis/ Neale & probably the GOAT gazza is not pretty big either.
Adopt a team first philosophy & take a leaf out of Richmond’s book & get some of the bigger guys like lav/ Stewart/ lang to throw their weight around legally. Am actually happy to have a coach who is a bit more expressive- especially for a potentially young impressionable team…I’ll open a nice red hoping to see some progress soon.
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I enjoyed the Caldwell interview…a couple of comments were real big-picture-thinker with a bit of a mongrel-streak…and I loved them:
- Glad the Bombers were able to keep 678 and not have to spend them on me.
- Maybe we can still get Dunkley in a year or two
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I like the boy.
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so that works out to pick 19 equivalent, which is where we thought he sat
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On the calculator I used it is 16th , but close enough
But the question is, what was stopping us from saving Pick 29 and Future 2nd and letting him go to PSD like what Adelaide are doing with Hately?
Were we concerned that North or Hawthorn would get him before us?
Otherwise surely we should have saved up those picks?