It is, but it also screws up their chances of big trades next year. To put it simply, they wanted their cake and eat it.
1 Like
As Zach Merrett (pick 26) shows, picks outside the top 3 are worthless.
5 Likes
Yes, our clearly best young player Archie Roberts (pick 54) further demonstrates this too.
4 Likes
Martin and Durham too.
Although we did finish bottom 4, so there’s that.
4 Likes
I think the point is there is no point making the perfect (getting only top 5-10 picks) the enemy of the good (getting multiple shots in the top 25-30).
We need a combination of both. We shouldn’t be dismissing one because it isn’t the other.
8 Likes
Yep.
And a lot - a real lot - to play out before 2026 draft.
And Angus Clarke at 39 looks terrific at this early stage.
Hmm, I’m still a bit iffy on Clarke. Love his intensity, though.
His kicking when not just a yeet up the line is absolutely horrible. Worse than Roberts. He needs to fix that or else it’ll be what stops his career progressing.
2 Likes
From what I’ve seen he looks pretty good. I think when he puts on size and gets a tank he will add further dimensions to his game. He looks pretty good to me. He got tired and sore late season but he played a really good game late against Carlton (??) where he showed some great attributes like power running, movement through traffic and aggression. When he gets some size he will be a beast I reckon.
Oh, his kicking isn’t unfixable. He’s got plenty of good attributes.
But it really needs to be fixed. He’s a liability by foot and plays positions (wing and flank) where you just cannot afford to be. He has time on his side, though.
Whereas Archie Roberts kicking confuses me because he’s just as prone to hitting an excellent pass as he is an awful one. I don’t know if that is harder or easier to fix.
1 Like
To be fair, I only watched the first quarter or half of most games this year so my knowledge is somewhat lacking..
Maybe you should wake up to the fact that people under 70, 50 even in this case, know when to pass off footy decisions to those that can make them.
Has he done the usual thing and cut a swathe through the operational side of things? Nup. Everything’s still the way Barham left it.
You come off as jaded. And I get that. I’m jaded just being on this site for 5 minutes.
But I’m far more comfortable someone that made half a billion money of whatever daddy (from Broadmeadows no less) left him, rather than bankrupted himself, is in charge. And choses to listen to good advice.
He sounds ideal. Or as good as it gets, which for Essendon is pretty standard.
Not many presidents, chairman, whatever the frig he is, have massive input into premierships. They work on bended ears and broken promises, not necessarily of their own doing. Mouthpieces in tailored flaksuits. There’s a good argument that it’s the ones that have no idea what happens in a football department are far more effective than those like what we tend we attract.
Maybe he’s made his one big decision.
Barham was the agent of change.
Welsh probably doesn’t need to do much other than let the it all unfold organically and stare down what ever that brings.
3 Likes
You must have surveilled the website to get a handle on the exact minute Welsh’s role was changed. Be interesting to know why that was important to you.
Not sure whether that’s impressive or weird.
Reckon you underestimate Welsh and don’t get the role of a good President.
President is the spokesperson for the Club, just like a PM is for our country. They don’t make decisions, that is up to the Board based on all information available. I reckon Welsh has his views and vision, but his success on the footy field and in business happened because of the team around him. He put it all together and led the way. So give him a chance.
3 Likes
I’m not sure that’s what happened here.
Barham was talking rebuild, seemed open to trading Zerrett, suddenly he got knifed decided to step down. Welsh in, Merrett staying & the rebuild is off the table a day or so later.
Perhaps you’re right and the club made a sudden about-face for an unrelated reason within a day or so of the change of president. It’s a big coincidence, though.
And yes I am jaded.
3 Likes
Was Barham open to trading Merrett? He was the one who issued a letter to members saying that Merrett and Ridley were not for trade. It’s all a moot point, though. The board (in its entirety) drove that position. Both Barham and Welsh could only reflect it, as is their job as president.
The concern I would have is if Rosa et al considered the offer for Merrett reasonable and were willing to do the trade but the board vetoed it. But, there has been nothing to suggest that is the case.
2 Likes
I’m guessing the whole thing is BS.
4 Likes
I’d be happy for Pops Kelly to take Gia’s vacant coaching spot.
When Ken joins, that’s a great team.
6 Likes
I haven’t kept track, what’s Kelly been up to?