A+ = Win the Flag
A = Make GF
B+ = Win a Final
B = Make the Finals
I’m giving this season a B based on this.
I would have to say a B based on expectations. Still can’t beat the top 8 sides which is concerning and needs to be addressed if we want to challenge. Big year from Parish and Merrett (and second half from Stringer) and we need them to continue this form into next year to be any chance. Good development of the youngsters and again need them to continue to improve (no second year blues).
We seemed to have a lot go right (for once) so hopefully that continues into next season and we can challenge or at least win a final (I think this should be our goal as a minimum). Would be extremely disappointing if we regress.
B. It became pretty clear half way through the season that we werent going to entirely suck ■■■. From there, the goalposts shifted and the metrics for grading changed. Once we make finals, the goal is to win one, and we failed again at that.
I think we ultimately did do a lot better than expected, and there were clear areas of growth, particularly in individuals and game plan. For that we get a B. If we had won, would have been an A. Not getting an A+ even if we did win as I still think there are clear deficiencies in our game, particularly the connection between mids and forwards.
I feel we are building though. Been saying that for the past 10 years but we have a new coach and a new team, as opposed to just the same old same old.
B. better than expected but we need to win big games and a final. Next year we have to accomplish at least one of those goals.
Was expecting an F. We busted our way up to B- which is a farking decent effort. Would have been a solid B but we got ahead of ourselves in the last 5 minutes of the exam and fluffed the last question.
We make up for this by becoming a 2 goal per game better side next year. Hit finals in 14-15 wins in 5th or 6th spot. Home final. More seasoned and drilled. Better forward structure. Better conditions and hopefully better officiating. Would be nice to take down a couple more of the best sides along the way.
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I didn’t think our list was terrible enough to finish bottom 4, was expecting us to finish 11-14 at the start of the year so making finals exceeded expectations. Rutten seems to have implemented a decent gameplan and turned around the team morale and spirit. For all that I would have given a B+.
But another elimination finals thrashing drops it down to a B-. It shows we are still just making up the numbers and a long way off bring a decent contender.
Maybe I’m being too lid off but this time it feels different, our improvement seems sustainable and on the right path. We were one of the highest scoring teams and our tackling pressure was good most of the season. Need to keep improving the forwardline and midfield.
We really need to win a final next year then 2023 is when we can seriously challenge for the flag. Go Bombers!
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You give an A to a team that won 50% of its H&A games, makes the finals with only 1 win against the eventual top 8 sides and then doesn’t put up a yelp when the game is there to be won in a final?
I’ll stick with my B.
A is what you get when you win a final, A+ is winning a premiership.
9/10 or A- coaches. This group will get us top 4 next year. Rutten great media performer. He is a great front man for the club and the players love him.
6/ 10 or C+ playing group and results.
First full year for Draper. Blooded many young kids. Parish now an A grader. Genuine 4 of the top 50 AFL players; Ridley, Merrett, Stringer and Merrett. Caldwell injured all yr. huge defence improvement. No Reid all year. Maybe 3 or 4 short of a top 4 list. And the best; a game plan that often works!!! Second half of final very bad but that doesn’t define our year.
9/10 or A- the club.
Good communication. Re-signed all key targets. Supporters starting to love the club again. Great sponsorship base, the best in the league.
You grade a team based on expectations and how they perform with what they have and what work they had to do. If it’s just an objective grade based on absolute output we should just assign grades across the ladder, give us our grade for 8th and close the thread.
If Gold Coast lost a prelim would they not get an A+?
Is that at all controversial? Otherwise why does this thread exist?
I get what you are saying, but I expected us to get an F, so to get a B is still a remarkable effort. A’s are still for teams that win a final.
I’d go with win the GF = A+
Make GF and put in a decent show as runner up = A
Make GF and get soundly beaten = A-
Win semi = B+
Win week 1 = B
Make finals = B-
Just miss finals C+
Etc, down to bottom two = F
A - if you say anything less you’re kidding.
New coach and consistent game plan.
Huge % increase in last few years
Lost key players and replaced them with kids who will be better.
Expected to be bottom 4. Made finals (and were very close until some dodgey decisions) with one of youngest lists in league (and by far youngest in finals)
Cox, Perkins,Draper, and Jones are going to be superstars, cannot wait until they have another preseason under belt.
Parish, Stringer and Zerrett are superstars
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Without context B- (finals good, but not where we want to be)
With context A
Good development. Good learnings (including yesterday for both the playing group and the coaching group). Found some players who can take us forward. Still work to do, but given where we were coming from we are well more advanced than anyone would have imagined.
Look forward to next year, where we will potentially have some significant changes from the team who played today.
Potential ins: Jones, Langford, Tippa, Cox, Hind, Reid. When compared to the bottom 6 from today that’s a whole different class if fit and in good form.
Put this team on Docklands in front of 59k Essendon fans and they’ll be hard to beat.
A C-
I’m giving it a B. I thought finals was a bonus, we played stacks of kids, we barely played a true home game , shipped all over the country and the style of play seemed more solid/honest.
8th next year wouldn’t earn a “B” , though.
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I had us hovering on B+ coming into the final, second half was a debacle so bad it drops us to firm B.
We were well and truly in the toilet last year and expectations were rock bottom. Finals and a home and away % of 110 is a great effort from our basement starting point. Especially with our horror fixturing.
A great development year. Still plenty to work on. Normally it takes us 2-3 years to build towards our elimination humiliation, Rutten got us there year 1.
Stay the course, keep developing next year and win a final.
A
Discovered some players who are already good enough to play and win finals:
Lav as a full back
Hind
Parish as a full time mid
Draper
Saw improvement in several players… the above, plus:
Stringer
Snelling
Cutler
Guelfi
Redman
Unearthed great youth:
Drafted a potential superstar in Cox
Unearthed Jones another potential gun and one who we really missed Sunday
Drafted a potential gun in Perkins
Who knows (but very positive vibes) on Reid
Durham looks like a very astute pick
Locked up key talent in Merrett and Parish
Got a full season (nearly) out of Hep
Negatives:
Shiel went dramatically backwards
McGrath went backwards
Midseason injury list
Hooker and Tippa late season form slumps after starting in AA form
Francis still not establishing himself in a position
Skeeter staying fitter than Mosquito
Things to fix:
Severely lacking in firepower up forward, particularly with Hooker retiring.
Need to find a gun small who can win 1:1s in the Heeney/Cameron/Rozee mould.
Need a focal point to our attack… this one is going to be really hard to find, but the other teams in the eight all have at least one and WC has three.
Stewart is not a long term solution at full back, need to get Reid into that role sooner rather than later.
…
I expect we go backwards next year and finish 10th ish with about the same number of wins before coming at 2023 with a head of steam
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Essendon showed a greatly improved attitude this year and very encouraging signs of improvement.
After an appalling absence record in 2020, Essendon has knuckled down and showed up for almost the entire year.
Can still sometimes get distracted, but Essendon’s willingness to work as a team and help new poorly performed students settle in is commendable.
If they keep this up I see no reason why they won’t be among the best in the class next year.
Well done.
B -
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We’ve never met but you know me well.
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