As in if he had gone to FC.
You know what we could really use??
A Daniher, a Draper, and a Smith.
No prizes for guessing where we will go in the off-season to find one of each of them.
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Have they chosen us yet?
The scrap yard?
Shiel: Why we’ve improved
Star Essendon onballer Dylan Shiel says the Bombers are beginning to show signs of the high-level football the club always knew they were capable of.
The former Giant received offers from a number of clubs in the off-season, but he ultimately chose to settle at The Hangar with the chance to join the emerging Essendon squad known for its exciting brand of football.
That scintillating style and impressive grit has been at the forefront of the side’s sensational recent form, seeing the Bombers claim seven wins from its last nine outings including four on the trot.
“We’re certainly starting to show and play that type of footy the club knows it is capable of,” Shiel said on RSN on Thursday.
“In terms of what the club had told me and what I’d seen and made a judgment of, it’s good that we’ve been playing a lot of that type of footy of late.”
Shiel credited an improved structure and ongoing efforts to better execute new team defence tactics with the purple patch of form.
“I think the difference between the way we’re playing now and the way we were playing at the start of the year is not much different in terms of that exciting, running brand of footy, because we were doing that at the start of the year.
“What the public don’t see is we’re working on our team defence and we’re able to play that exciting brand of footy as well as set ourselves up really well behind the footy.
“That’s something that we’ve been working on all year and will continue to work on. It’s not going to be linear in terms of the progress, we’re still going to have our games where we’ve got things to work on.”
Shiel bursts away from his opponents against the Crows last Friday. (Image: AFL Photos)
Essendon’s thrilling comeback victory over Adelaide last week sent the side rising to seventh on the ladder with five rounds to come.
Shiel wouldn’t be drawn into any discussions of a potential finals berth and said it is crucial for the club to remain focused, but he did admit his confidence that the team’s game play can continue to hold up in big games.
“You never know until you get there, but what I can say is it seems like we’re making really good progress throughout the year.
“We can see and analyse our game and know it’s heading in the right direction. We’re confident that with what the coaches are bringing to us we can handle it in those tight games, and we’ve proven we can do it when we travel now.
“We’ve still got a lot of footy to play, so it’s important that we don’t take it easy and drop off for the rest of the year, we’re not a team that can do that, we need to hold our spot in the eight and then see where it takes us.”
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Yep agree. And i can’t be farked looking it up but my guess is that Bont and Fyfe line up at the stoppages more often than Shiel because of our heavy rotation system.
This is music to my ears!
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We spent pick 4 on Mark Bolton in 1997… so we’ve definitely picked up worse…
A top 4 draft pick, picked now is not going to bring the best out of his teammates now.
Dylan is doing just that.
Worth it. 110 percent.
Look at how Zack Merrett is travelling. Parish, Mcgrath
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You got your wish!
That was ■■■■■■■ awesome.
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I know right, who would’ve thought the captain could lay a shepherd?
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How was his handball over his left shoulder to Saad at 1.21 remaining, who immediately gives it to Tippa ?
Crucial play that started that whole chain !
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To be fair, Parish gave Shiel the ball, and then spread hard to be running alongside Tippa for a HB receive.
Pass mark on the season? I’d say yes, He can improve as well I think.
I think a bull inside mid would make he and Zachy even more dangerous.
His 2019 numbers are pretty much identical to his 2017 numbers, and he was All-Australian that season.
And just like Stringer and Saad, he’ll be better next year when he has more chemistry with the team.
Glad we have this guy. were gonna need him
Someone in the post game thread (I think), seemed to be in the know and said Shiel amongst others is carrying something too
Any ideas??
The midfield?
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Only thing Shiel would be carrying is regret over the decision that he made…
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