Aaron Heppell

Looked great all game yesterday, with little exposure to senior VFL (i recall hearing that he’s played 6 or 7 games?). How do people see his chances of getting onto an AFL list in any capacity? Was ferocious with his tackling yesterday, cool head under pressure and seemed to find a way to get his hands on the pill. Adding to that, his second and third efforts were great to watch. I’d like to think he has quite a bit more to offer given more exposure to VFL seniors.

Has improved massively from what I saw at Morewell preseason.

It’s actually very exciting

Does he have silly hair like that other Heppell?

Does he have silly hair like that other Heppell?

They share wigs

I think my grandmother runs faster than Aaron.

I think my grandmother runs faster than Aaron.

I must admit I did consider that perhaps pace is an issue. Too much of an issue?

For me yes.
But then I’m not the coach.

You’re not alone there.

It was always apparently the issue, yet yesterday he was running down bulldogs runners from behind regularly. Has he found a yard with training? Is it now a passable standard? I don’t know the answer, but he looked no slower than dyson or nob or Jobe…

Which says he probably needs to show a season of winning a heap of pill through the middle and at stoppages.

Then again his hands looked clean, so maybe that is in his future.

Full season of vfl and then reassess you’d think. But only the club would know…

Perhaps he is not quick, but I seem to recall that he had a very good beep test result last year.

EDIT: I did hope we used a speculative pick on him last season because of the man love I have for his brother.

Actually I thought he looked quicker than Dyson, Nob, Jobe. But it’s hard to tell give the speed difference between levels.

His improvement on last year (and pre-season this year) is stunning. He was just filling in before; in the past month he’s had many play-changing actions every game. If he can do that for two more weeks opinions might change.

tackling machine

Aaron Heppell… comfortably his best game. Photo: AFL Media/Getty Images

Heppell the younger eyes chance to make Bombers

September 12, 2015 - 7:05PM

Brent Diamond

Aaron Heppell says he is in the midst of a three-year plan to perhaps join his brother Dyson on Essendon’s AFL list.

Coming off what Bombers VFL coach Hayden Skipworth labelled as “comfortably his best game for the club” in a best-on-ground performance in the Bombers’ 66-point thrashing of Footscray in Saturday’s semi-final, Heppell maintains a realistic approach to his draft hopes given his constant contact with the Bombers recruiting staff.

The exciting defensive midfielder also had a stint with Essendon’s AFL team in a NAB Challenge match earlier this year as a top-up player.

“Coming through TAC Cup, I probably didn’t play quite as good a footy as I would have liked to really give myself a really good chance [in the 2013 AFL draft],” Heppell said.

“But I took it on the chin, found that I did need to work on my footy, and over the last two years I’ve really worked hard and spent a lot of time into my footy.”

“I’m only 20, I’ve still got a bit of work to do and a lot of things to develop on in my footy … this year I have been working on my defensive craft, just my one-on-one footy and what not,” he said.

Saturday’s final was only Heppell’s fifth VFL game of the season, after playing nine matches in his debut season last year. There has been renewed competition for spots given the mature age bodies of Jordan Schroder, James Polkinghorne and Daniel Coghlan, who has starred in the Bombers midfield.

Coghlan, who has averaged 20 touches four marks and almost four tackles a game, is considered to be a ready-made AFL recruit for now; Heppell, considered a late bloomer, is still at least another year away, according to recruiters.

“That [being drafted] would be unreal,” Heppell said. “I’ve still got a long way to go from here. I’ve only played the five games of VFL this year so I’m keeping a pretty level head at this stage, but it’s definitely the dream.”

“They [Essendon’s recruiting staff] have been really honest with me over the last couple of years,” he said.

Skipworth maintains Heppell’s competitiveness - in which his closing speed and desperation were key features at North Port Oval on Saturday - is an advantage.

“He’s certainly got the competitiveness, he’s still working on his skills and his kicking and stuff but his competitiveness is certainly at an AFL level,” Skipworth said.

“He just needs to keep working on his skills and refining them over the next year or two.”

Heppell, who works part-time at the Windy Hill Social Club “pouring beers behind the bar”, also plays with Leongatha in Gippsland League under coach Beau Vernon, who suffered a severe spinal injury during a match against Wonthaggi in June 2012.

With Leongatha also in the mix for a flag and the league’s grand final scheduled on the same weekend as the VFL grand final, Heppell said he may face a dilemma if both teams are to make it through to the last dance.

“Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to sneak in both but I’d be stoked to play in either,” he said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/heppell-the-younger-eyes-chance-to-make-bombers-20150912-gjl523.html#ixzz3lZWtClkQ

exciting defensive midfielder

It was always apparently the issue, yet yesterday he was running down bulldogs runners from behind regularly. Has he found a yard with training? Is it now a passable standard? I don't know the answer, but he looked no slower than dyson or nob or Jobe...

Which says he probably needs to show a season of winning a heap of pill through the middle and at stoppages.

Then again his hands looked clean, so maybe that is in his future.

Full season of vfl and then reassess you’d think. But only the club would know…

Get dank to visit him

Ive been told in The pAst he was a fair way off the pace ofafl level.
I wasnt impressed by his nab preseason game.
But its good he has worked on his game and impressed. bog in a vfl final is a pretty good effort. If he performs in the next couple of games then he is a shot for a rookie spot imo. As a late season bolter
Also helps its a weak draft.

But dodoro will have to choose who he likes best out of vfl to rookie.
TippA hardy coghlan heppell.

For me Tippa and Coghlan have both had consistent season’s at VFL level.

Hardy’s chance has passed.

Heppell has only played 7 VFL games, so I’d be surprised if they didn’t make him go around for a full season. In many ways he’s where Coghlan was at the end of 2013, when he’d played 6 VFL games (twice in best). He’s had to put 2 more good seasons in, and he’s still not guaranteed a spot.

Heppell probably has the advantage of his name, and perhaps that it’s a weak draft this year, but it’d be a pretty big risk for recruiters who tend to be a bit risk averse (although they took it on Isaac Smith after 6 VFL games in 2010, but then again he seemed to have elite AFL level athleticism)

I’m all in favour of a rookie spot on one condition, NO HAIRCUT!

But dodoro will have to choose who he likes best out of vfl to rookie.
TippA hardy coghlan heppell.

There's no way Coghlan lasts until the rookie draft