Still a firm believer licha should play forward. Imo is the most natural forward on the list with his timing of leads, where to run etc.
Goals will come fromDanniher
Carlisle
Chapman
Jobe resting forward
Winderlich
Colyer
Zerrett
Zaharakis
Goddard
Cooney
Occasional Heppell brilliance.
And Myers and Demps long bombs… Always real team lifters that keeps the opposition accountable and on their toes.
You’re forgetting someone.
Who in all seriousness I still think should spend more time up forward. Handful as a third tall. Well and truly considered another swingman now if I was coaching.
pretty good summation.
this stood out though
Hopefully under Hird we will see an Essendon side that is prepared to take a few more risks with the ball,
Unless there is a significant change in personal on gameday, I’m not sure how this aspect will change. It’s not as if Bomber was all about taking 0 risks. All we heard from him was he wants the team to take more and more risks, and it came as a surprise to the coaching staff that they were playing the way they were in relation to keeps off.
Something I have thought for awhile that needs improvement is the micromanagement of both the players in the forwardline and the delivery in there.
You look at the top teams and they rarely have the same plan to score from possession to possession let alone goal to goal.
We still seem like a team that relies way to much on instinct to score, and expecting players in todays game to wing it on game day and try and pick the best options available under the defensive pressure dished up is just not going to work.
You need to have plans for pretty much every situation that you can possible think of
Sorry WD. Just takin the p1ss ... but it really has been discussed to death.
Fair enough. I’ll see you in the ASAGA thread.
I agree for the most part, just along with Paul Peos I reckon inexperience is just as much a factor. Chappy has experience but Im not sure if he’s calling the plays, Winderlich would be and Jobe/Goddard when they get down there.
Last year Carlisle/Daniher/Ambrose had less than 20 games up forward between them, so we’d be crazy if we assumed they wouldn’t get better.
And we were one of the best teams defensively, so we have to be very careful when taking more risks. It’s all good and well to ask Hurley/Fletch/Daniher/Hibberd to run up the field and kick some goals,or to ask the mids to take more risks with their passing or kicks deep inside 50, but get too adventurous and it will hurt us going the other way.
And it’s not like we can’t score quickly, we had some tremendous bursts at times.
I think we’ll be a bit more unpredictable this year, more changes on match day and more variation from our big forwards as they learn some new tricks.
Stanton is our best goal kicking Mid, We need a few more to step up around him, Myers has such a weapon on him we need to see him use it for goal more, Heppell really the only thing he needs to add to his game if he does he would become top 5-10 in the comp.
Would love to see Hurley grab 15-20 with stints up forward and long bombs off half back.
I’d say Jobe is our best goal kicking midfielder by some margin, he has just gotten injuries throughout 2013-14 that has reduced his output. If he stays fit this season he will prove he still is our best goal kicking mid by some margin.
I’d probably have Zaharakis next and then Stanton/Goddard to be perfectly honest but I believe Zach Merrett will overtake Stanton or both in the coming years.
He will become a real star next to Heppell and tear apart games by himself, he just has that look about him.
Pretty good summary.This, times a lot. Our top 10 goalscorers in 2013 were Crameri (30) Bellcho (28) Hurley (24) Davey (19) Goddard (18) Winders (17) Melks (16) Watson (16) Stanton (14) Howlett (14)It was also an almost completely new bunch of guys in our forward line last year, and a bit if cohesion will certainly help through this year.
How much Joe progresses is key, but if Carlisle can find consistency then it could all turn around pretty quick.We are still desperately short of any decent crumbing forwards (with pace) but we’ve been working around that for years.
2014 it was
Daniher (28)
Carlisle (27)
Chapman (22)
Ryder (20)
Goddard (17)
Stanton (17)
Winders (15)
Zaha (14)
Ambrose (13)
Howlett (12)
( - and Zerrett next in line)
Basically our stay at home forward set up was Daniher/Carlisle, Chappie, Ambrose, Zerrett. Entirely new group - 2013 it was Hurley/Crameri, Bellcho, Davey, Winderlich.
The supporting players floating through there were largely unchanged, but not, then, surprising that the actual forward group wasn’t clicking for the first half or two thirds of the year. I thought there were plenty of good signs in the second half, culminating in not just big games for the two bigs, but other games where we only had a couple each from the main targets, but a spread of 10 different goalkickers.
That spread is probably one of our strengths in a way, and something we should be wary of maintaining & improving on. Guys like Watson / Stants / Colyer / Goddard / Zaha are regular goalkickers from midfield, we need particularly Hepp, but also Myers, Hocking, and if he’s in Melksham to continue to push that, and contribute goals as well.
Like most, I’m worried that as soon as Zerrett shows consistency there he’ll get pinched for the midfield. As Cooney winds down I think he’ll end up a little closer to goal than he’s played for the bulk of his career, inheriting that smart, midfielder-ey type forward role from Chap. Roving forward line rucks and directing play - he’s a nice fit. Still think we need a goalsneak. Fanta, maybe. Hasn’t done much, but hasn’t looked out of place either.
But the key thing is, if we get 40 goals each out of Daniher & Carlisle (and IMHO each of them are even money) the forward line’s in better shape than we’ve been for 8 years or so.
Occasional Heppell brilliance.
Far too occasional for mine - not just kicking them, but also taking the final kick into 50.
The one ■■■■■ in his armour. Needs to hone his skills just a fraction (can tend to loop / wobble his kicks a bit), needs to believe he’s a threat, and needs to back himself.
I think Stants enjoys a goal and chases them to some extent. He has always taken a fair few shots but before the last couple of years, he usually only missed. We always seem to have one like that… Paul Barnard I remember used to sit on the wing by himself, get the ball and run like the wind (albeit a slow breeze) to try and nab a shot a goal. He became pretty good at it too. Keiran Sporn was the same, although he usually missed and sprayed them.
I prefer Goddard, Jobe, Zerrett and Zaka being the goalscoring mids as I feel they’re more reliable in front of goal, expecially under pressure.
Melk was pretty good in 2013 at snagging a few on the run, also kicking the winning set shot under pressure against Fark Carlton.
I personally want to see more HOOFS from Myers, Hocking and even Hibbo. And if its his final year, I’d love some parting torps from Fletch.
Lid off on Edwards. Just got home from training he kicked 5 and looked a million bucks.
Let it be known that those 5 goals were in match simulation and not goal kicking practice.
Pretty good summary.2014 it was
Daniher (28) +
Carlisle (27) +
Chapman (22) =/-
Ryder (20)
Goddard (17) =
Stanton (17) =
Winders (15) =/+
Zaha (14) +
Ambrose (13) +
Howlett (12) =
( - and Zerrett next in line)I think the only bloke we would be missing from that list is Ryder and Bellchambers or Giles should make up for him.
Daniher & Carlisle should improve exponentially.
Chappy would be happy with same output, but preferably he stays close to goal and kicks a few more, there will be less reliance of him in the midfield due to Cooneys addition and Merretts progression.
Rest of the mids you hope they contribute, or dont get injured see watson.
Ambrose should improve goals tally too, if he plays most games
I think Stants enjoys a goal and chases them to some extent. He has always taken a fair few shots but before the last couple of years, he usually only missed. We always seem to have one like that...
Not sure who you’ve been watching but Stanton’s good from a set shot and pretty much always has been - kicked more goals than points every year since 2007.
Of our mids he’s probably the one I’d want lining up. Zaha used to be really good, since he’s moved out of the forward line that’s slipped away a little. Goddard is not bad, much better field kick or in general play than from the set shot. Jobe’s pretty reliable.
Melk was pretty good in 2013 at snagging a few on the run, also kicking the winning set shot under pressure against Fark Carlton.I personally want to see more HOOFS from Myers, Hocking and even Hibbo. And if its his final year, I’d love some parting torps from Fletch.
No shrinking violet, Melks. We missed his “screw you I’m doing this whether you like it or not” attitude last year IMHO. Sometimes you need someone who just does not care.
I think the only bloke we would be missing from that list is Ryder and Bellchambers or Giles should make up for him. Daniher & Carlisle should improve exponentially. Chappy would be happy with same output, but preferably he stays close to goal and kicks a few more, there will be less reliance of him in the midfield due to Cooneys addition and Merretts progression. Rest of the mids you hope they contribute, or dont get injured see watson. Ambrose should improve goals tally too, if he plays most gamesI see it as effectively Ambrose vs Giles for a spot in the 22. I think our best balanced line-up is Ambrose, 2 x tall forwards, and Bellcho. Giles instead of Ambrose makes us pretty big & slow, particularly with Chappie there and guys like Watto & Goddard floating through.
And we were one of the best teams defensively, so we have to be very careful when taking more risks. It's all good and well to ask Hurley/Fletch/Daniher/Hibberd to run up the field and kick some goals,or to ask the mids to take more risks with their passing or kicks deep inside 50, but get too adventurous and it will hurt us going the other way.And it’s not like we can’t score quickly, we had some tremendous bursts at times.
I think we’ll be a bit more unpredictable this year, more changes on match day and more variation from our big forwards as they learn some new tricks.
- We went short with our kicks more than anyone
- We had the lowest contested possession rate of anyone
- Last season was the lowest scoring effort by an Essendon team since 1971
- We had the second highest kick to handball ratio in the comp
- Bulldogs and Saints outscored us
… that’s a pretty good indication that we could have shown a bit more dare. And I’m not talking about defenders running off their opponent to score goals as you’ve suggested. I’m talking about taking a few more risks with our ball use, playing on from marks, and moving the ball quickly. It was easy for the opposition to get numbers behind the ball because our ball movement was sluggish. It would have been a nightmare for our forwards. The one saving grace for Essendon forwards was that we tend to use the corridor, but there was clearly too much emphasis on “keepings off” rather than quick transition.
Quoted PostAnd we were one of the best teams defensively, so we have to be very careful when taking more risks. It's all good and well to ask Hurley/Fletch/Daniher/Hibberd to run up the field and kick some goals,or to ask the mids to take more risks with their passing or kicks deep inside 50, but get too adventurous and it will hurt us going the other way.And it’s not like we can’t score quickly, we had some tremendous bursts at times.
I think we’ll be a bit more unpredictable this year, more changes on match day and more variation from our big forwards as they learn some new tricks.
- We went short with our kicks more than anyone
- We had the lowest contested possession rate of anyone
- Last season was the lowest scoring effort by an Essendon team since 1971
- We had the second highest kick to handball ratio in the comp
- Bulldogs and Saints outscored us
… that’s a pretty good indication that we could have shown a bit more dare. And I’m not talking about defenders running off their opponent to score goals as you’ve suggested. I’m talking about taking a few more risks with our ball use, playing on from marks, and moving the ball quickly. It was easy for the opposition to get numbers behind the ball because our ball movement was sluggish. It would have been a nightmare for our forwards. The one saving grace for Essendon forwards was that we tend to use the corridor, but there was clearly too much emphasis on “keepings off” rather than quick transition.
Bomber seemed to be implying he battled with bringing the boys out of their shells all year. Started to show patches towards the end.
The two coaches are largely working off the same hymn sheet, but with a few variations. Hird’s always tended to be a bit more kick-happy and a bit less into flicking it around short. I think the number of kids we played last year (we had almost the least debutantes in 2013 & almost the most in 2014) also plays a part, bit tricky to expect kids to come in & have confidence while they’re just making their way. Again, should improve almost as a matter of course. Zerrett and Gleeson in particular have a hell of a lot of ability.