Yep. Hirdmentality said it better than me. We had a spine but no midfield. We threw our draft and trade efforts at the midfield to complete the side. Now we’re at the stage we’re both should be at their peak, but it hasn’t come together as planned. Between injuries and team cohesion/game plan, we are at risk of losing our spine while the midfield becomes our strength.
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The clusterfark that is Essendon Foot Club since 2001 continues.
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The hype train doesn’t exist if you don’t board it early.
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LOL, well technically if he hadn’t of drafted them, they wouldn’t be on our injury list.
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track record of not wanting to spend on Talls lol
2 Gumby
5 Hurley
6 Bradley
7 Ryder
10 Daniher
25 Carlisle
perhaps it is better to go after better mids, and our list needed quality mids as well.
In McGraths draft - we would have been ■■■■■■ if he picked anyone but Taranto/Mccluggage or McGrath
Talls in parish/Francis Draft - could have got one of the McKay boys
Weideman next tall picked - hasnt been any better than francis - but taller.
harry McKay looks ok at the Blues - better than his brother at north
Charlie Curnow - hes done alright, but he isnt that tall either like 194cm
Then Himmelberg was a GWS academy player so couldnt get him anyway.
I guess if we got McKay could have had a tall forward to partner with JD in the future…but is he mobile enough? or too similar to JD?
Ah, I did give a timeframe for that ‘track record’ and said that it goes back to Daniher in 2012, (father/son) and 2008 for Hurley as the last first round tall picked. Didn’t say he’s never picked talls his entire career, just that it’s been a while.
Look, I just threw it out there for discussion. It’s not like it’s only the draft where Dods could have picked up another tall. Roughead, McGovern, Hogan, Lobb, Lynch, Preuss, Lycett, Hickey etc. etc. all got traded last year… just as many talls in previous years. Not necessarily saying any of those would have been the right fit.
The club ran with the talls we had and bolstered the midfield - i get it and the thinking behind it. It was a play for a flag in the next two to three years. If it pays off, great. If not, it was probably a mistake… but they’re the fine margins at this level.
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I suspect Fletchers x 2 has an influence over decision making. The fact we have shelved #31 is a good hint that we plan to take at least one Fletchling in the next year or two.
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Right.
Except for Gumby, Bradley, Laycock, Francis, Hurley, Daniher…
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We’ve had 3 early picks since Joe - which was 2012.
The argument doesn’t hold water.
… and Frang ain’t KPP
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So everyone jumps on board and shows that you haven’t really got this right and you just keep going trying to lay blame at Dodoro’s feet. Maybe give it a rest and find a different issue, you have beaten this one to death without much success.
I think you have an issue with Dodoro and are trying to find something to hang him with.
Do I think change is something that can be worthwhile? Yes
Do you do it just because? No
At this point in time the real focus is the coaching staff, recruiting has been adequate and seems to be producing decent fruit in the current setup. Coaching has been poor.
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Huh? I just think it has impacted recently, not as far back as 2012.
Fletch retired at the end of 2015. At this point we have 2 AA backmen in the side. No dramas here.
His number has been retired 2016-2019. His sons are draftable in 2019 and 2021(ish). We may take Mason in 2020, we may take his brother in a couple of years. There’s clearly enough confidence there to put his number aside for the moment.
So post 2016, if the club thinks they have 2 likely father son key defenders in the pipeline, why spend draft currency on key defenders? Spend that draft point wealth instead on half back flankers with leadership qualities and potential to move into the midfield.
But seriously, when you have the best KPDs in the league, F/S prospects on the way and major holes elsewhere due to Saga related shenanigans, it makes sense to recruit elsewhere.
Anyway, Zerk Thatcher is exciting, hope he kid is ok.
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I think Sheeds killed Bradley, Laycock WOULD have been good, but his body didn’t allow it.
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Laycock is up there as one of the softest footballers i have ever seen at Essendon.
Not surprising imo. Gun shy by all reports.
Fairly level-headed opinion of Dodoro I would’ve thought … Simply asking the question/starting a discussion about a football recruitment strategy on a football site, something that’s probably been done a thousand times before.
Stop playing the man Ice. You don’t like my post, argue the post… quit with your gaslighting.
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When you quit trolling every thread with the same tired “questions”. Your hatred of Dodoro is unnecessary.
I am also critical of Dodoro at times, especially in relation to his longevity at the club coinciding with our least successful period ever as a football club. However, I think you are selling him short on the argument that he has overlooked talls with early picks. The problem is his selections basically mirror all other clubs in the competition. Unless talls are abslolute top end talent they are more likely to be taken with later picks (much like a Hooker or Zerk-Thatcher) or even with a rookie pick (Ambrose or Draper).
Working back through recent draft these are the players taken in the first 40 picks of the draft since 2012 (Daniher’s draft year) who are 191cm or taller.
2018 Draft – only 7 players in this height range taken with the first 40 picks
2 Jack Lukosius - 195
4 Max King - 204
6 Ben King - 202
10 Nick Blakey - 195
29 William Kelly - 196
34 Kieran Briggs - 200
35 Bailey Williams - 198
2017 Draft – 11 key position players in first 40 picks
8 Nick Coffield – 191 (not a key position player)
9 Aaron Naughton - 194
12 Darcy Fogarty - 192
13 Jarrod Brander - 195
20 Callum Coleman-Jones - 201
21 Oscar Allen - 191
25 Noah Balta - 195
28 Sam Taylor - 196
30 Tom De Koning - 200
33 Tom McCartin - 193
35 Oscar Clavarino - 195
36 Charlie Constable – 191 (not a key position player)
37 Harrison Petty – 195
2016 Draft – only 7 key position players left on lists
7 Jack Scrimshaw - 193 (not a key position player)
8 Griffin Logue - 193
16 Todd Marshall - 198
17 Jarrod Berry – 192 (not a key position player)
19 Tim English - 205
22 Jordan Ridley – 192 (not a key position player)
30 Sam McLarty – 193 (no longer on an AFL list)
34 Declan Watson - 194
37 Josh Rotham - 192
38 Sean Darcy - 201
39 Josh Battle – 192
2015 Draft – 9 key position players
1 Jacob Weitering - 195
2 Josh Schache - 199
9 Sam Weideman - 196
10 Harry McKay - 200
12 Charlie Curnow – 191
14 Eric Hipwood - 200
16 Harrison Himmelberg - 194
19 Ryan Burton – 191 (not a key position player)
21 Ben McKay - 198
26 Kieran Collins – 193 (no longer on an AFL list)
35 Marcus Adams – 193
Note Francis was listed at 190cm and was taken at pick 6
2014 AFL Draft – 7 key position players left on lists
1 Paddy McCartin - 194
6 Caleb Marchbank - 193
8 Peter Wright - 203
9 Darcy Moore - 199
14 Jake Lever - 194
16 Sam Durdin - 198
17 Kyle Langford – 191 (not a key position player)
21 Hugh Goddard – 196 (delisted and drafted again via Rookie draft)
25 Dan Nielson – 194 (no longer on an AFL list)
31 Daniel Howe – 191 (not a key position player)
32 Tom Lamb – 193 (no longer on an AFL list)
2013 AFL Draft – only 7 key position players still playing AFL
1 Tom Boyd – 201 (retired)
4 Marcus Bontempelli – 194 (not a key position player)
6 Matthew Scharenberg – 191 (not a key position player)
13 Patrick Cripps – 193 (not a key position player)
14 Cameron McCarthy – 195
17 Michael Apeness – 201 (no longer on an AFL list)
19 Blake Acres – 191 (not a key position player)
20 Jack Leslie – 198
22 Darcy Gardiner - 194
25 Daniel McStay - 196
29 Rory Lobb - 206
33 Tom Cutler – 192 (not a key position player)
34 Nick Robertson – 192 (not a key position player)
35 Toby Nankervis - 199
36 Jarrad Jansen – 192 (no longer on an AFL list)
37 Alex Pearce - 200
39 Cameron Giles – 195 (no longer on an AFL list)
2012 AFL Draft – 7 key position players left on lists
3 Lachie Plowman - 192
5 Jake Stringer – 191 (not a key position player)
10 Joe Daniher - 201
12 Kristian Jaksch – 195 (no longer on an AFL list)
14 Aidan Corr - 194
18 Brodie Grundy - 202
23 Marco Paparone – 194 (no longer on an AFL list)
25 Spencer White – 196 (no longer on an AFL list)
27 James Stewart - 195
28 Tim O’Brien - 193
29 Tom Clurey - 193
30 Mason Shaw – 197 (no longer on an AFL list)
31 Kamdyn McIntosh – 192 (not a key position player)
32 Michael Close – 196 (no longer on an AFL list)
33 Liam McBean – 202 (no longer on an AFL list)
36 Tanner Smith – 196 (no longer on an AFL list)
So in summary:
-from the past 7 drafts there are 53 players on AFL lists who are classed as key position players or ruckman that were recruited in the first 40 picks.
-our list currently have 2 players on our list that fit that category (one drafted and one traded) – this ignores Francis who plays as a KPI player and both Langford and Stringer given they don’t play as genuine talls.
-for arguments sake lets assume Francis is 1cm taller. This means there are 54 players from 7 the past drafts currently on AFL lists, meaning each club has on average 3 players that were taken in the first 40 picks who are key position players or ruckman. We have 3 in Daniher, Stewart and Stringer.
Therefore, in conclusion our list is not dissimilar to the overall composition of any club.
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When do you think we will get news on Thatch?