Baguley in a back pocket - FMD
B: Saad, Hooker, Francis
HB: Gleeson, Hurley, McKenna
C: Merrett, Heppell, Zaharakis
HF: Stringer, Daniher, Fantasia
F: Baguley, McKernan, Tippa
R: Bellchambers, Shiel, Smith
I: Myers, Langford, Parish McGrath
EMG: Laverde, Guelfi, Redman, Ridley, Brown
Pick up another Tippa in the draft.
Wouldnt be surprised if Daniher/Fantasia/Shiel/Hooker/Hurley/Merrett/Saad are in contention for AA Honours
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That’s the side I expect to take the park round 1 if the list is fully fit. Well done.
I personally would like to see us play kids in place of Baguley and Myers early in the season to see if they can hold their spot. But that’s just a remnant of the Sheedy years. Worsfold plays the best, most experienced, side at all times.
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Fun moving the magnets around but next year is all about, no more farkups, winning games they’re expected to win and pushing / beating the contending teams. Sick of forever losing to Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood (Anzac Day). Good that Essendon finally beat Sydney and have had 2 wins on the trot against Geelong but they can’t let the gains of the last 14 games amount to nothing. I expect the club to be pi55ed / focused so much so that they hit the ground running next year. Essendon’s time is now.
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Yeh Baguley and Myers spots up for grabs, plus injuries. Plus others if form poor.
Our forwardline is actually quite intimidating - class of Fantasia and Daniher, but aggression of Stringer, Tippa, Baguley and McKernan.
That said would need to be a drafted quality small forward afl ready to replace Baguley. Unless we go back to playing midfiellders in that spot.
Imagine Laverde turns into a inside beast then Myers can play final year in the VFL/cover injuries.
Can See Stringer/Langford/Myer/Langford all spending time being the inside bull.
Fully expect VFL side to be pretty successful again.
Really In Shiel Out Goddard, pretty good improvement.
I think if bagueley is to be replaced in the forward line then it needs to be like for like as his pressure was a big reason for our turnaround this year i think…
There is a bigger hole to fill there than people think…
Everyone has a role
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Good conversation.
Forwardline weakness is its ability to get on the park. Touching all sorts of wood that isn’t an issue going forward.
Definitely need to be looking for a small pressure forward. I really really don’t want to see Devon Smith pigeon-holed into a forward role like they did to him at GWS.
I don’t think it’s Laverde that would push Myers out of the inside spot. Last year they played Langford everywhere as Myers was going so well. But if he can hold down an inside mid spot, then Langford becomes an all sorts of awesome level of footballer.
With the greatest of respect to Goddard, Shiel in is a massive improvement. Mainly because Shiel fills our area of greatest need, and also helps us maintain defensive pressure.
Like it.
But as per many people’s teams forgetting the 7th defender (Goddard was it) who gets in the rotations in particular with our running defenders.
It’s likely to be Guelfi or Redman
For that reason I can see Bags not playing and any of Smith/ McGrath / Zerrett/ Zaka / Parish etc roling through fwd line accordingly when not in midfield.
McGrath and Heppell can go back in Defensive rotations
Even Baguley and Tippa if required for small stints.
I dont expect the ball to spend that much time in defence next year anyway 
McGrath is your 7th defender. In that side, he fills that role.
If you want to play another defender and drop a mid so that McGrath can play mid, then so be it.
I think Heppell is overkill if you are already running with Francis, Hooker and Gleeson. You need run rather than intercept marking.
Agree 100%, hoping Begley can play that role next year but Baguely certainly played himself into another contract.
B: Francis Hooker Saad
HB: McKenna Hurley Gleeson
MID: Zaharakis Heppell McGrath
RCK: Bellchambers Shiel Merrett
HF: Smith Daniher Fantasia
Fwd: Stringer McKernan Tippa
Int: Langford Parish Begley Redman
Begley playing the baguley role and Redman playing Goddards. Shiel pushes out Myers and Langers keeps his spot - although could go the other way (back in the youth).
McGrath’s progression has been into midfield and he was playing as a fwd/mid later in season also.
I doubt we play him in defensive group unless we get hit up with injuries.
Redman & Gleeson definitely & hopefully Francis will provide run, on top of Saad/McKenna
B: Francis Hurley Saad
HB: McKenna Hooker Gleeson
C: Zaharakis Heppell McGrath
HF: Smith McKernan Fantasia
F: Tippa Daniher Stringer
R: Bellchambers Shiel Merrett
I/C: Parish Langford Myers Baguley
Emg: Laverde Guelfi Brown
Plus some solid, ready-made depth in Stewart, Ambrose, Dea, Hartley & Leuenberger, along with young gun talent on the rise in Begley, Redman, Ridley, Mutch & Clarke.
I also have high hopes for Draper, Mynott and Zerk-Thatcher, who I think have shown plenty in the VFL.
I think our small forward depth looks a bit thin (especially seeing as we’ve moved on Green & Colyer), so hopefully we can rectify that in that draft.
I’d also look at another mature-aged midfielder - would be ace if we could find another Guelfi type with a late pick.
2 Likes
FB: Francis Hurley Saad
HB: McKenna Hooker Gleeson
C: Zaharakis Heppell McGrath
HF: Smith McKernan Fantasia
FF: Tippa Daniher Stringer
R: Bellchambers Shiel Merrett
I/C: Parish Langford Myers Baguley
EMG: Laverde Guelfi Ambrose
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I saw this and thought “naaaah” but, yeah, nah, you’re right.
No 200 gamers
4 x 150 gamers.
8 x 100 gamers
That’s changed a lot from 2 years ago.
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50 gamers important too!
50-100
Parish
Gleeson
Fantasia
Saad
Tippa
McKenna
McKernan
Brown
Ambrose
Dea
40+
McGrath
Langford
Stewart
Hartley
30 Laverde
Our uncontracted players especially must have been known to other clubs, but it seems there was insufficient interest to get a trade done. Neither do we have many draft selections. Quite a few of those players will be feeling a bit more positive today.
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There was more than one mention of us being in the “now”.
If so, we may have worked pretty hard to get them to stick fat with us.
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Considering at various stages they all were called upon to play a role we may see them kept.
I think Matt Dea maybe most at risk of the group if we want to take one more at draft. We’ve got plenty of coverage in the mid sized defender area.
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Barring injuries, our bottom 6 looks pretty good. I’d say in most people’s best 22 the bottom 6 would look like :
- Baugley
- Guelfi
- McKernan
- Lav
- Parish
- Lang/ Begs
2 Likes