But, who took the photo?Goodwin… he must keep in contact with hibbert
Ffs. How do we expect Hibbered to come back if we keep spelling his name wrong!
Why do so many Blitzers misspell Hibbud’s name?
But, who took the photo?
Missing man Hurls?
But, who took the photo?Goodwin… he must keep in contact with hibbert
Excuse me the man on the television clearly says it’s HibbARd.
Hibberd pls.
Hello Sailor.
Bibbers
Hello Sailor.
You talkin to me?
Why Essendon don’t need all of their banned players back
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Emma Quayle July 21 2016 - 9:08AM
Emma Quayle
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Six months ago a “good” season for Essendon would have involved some if not all of the following:
The Bombers would have given their kids a good run, without over-cooking them, finding a few new members of their best 22 for season 2017.
They would have regained some spirit under their new coaches, played with some pride and perhaps snuck a few wins.
And they would have finished off by welcoming all of the suspended players they wanted and most needed back.
On many fronts Essendon have made almost all they possibly could out of a season that was always going to involve more losses than wins.
There’s no guarantee the promise they have shown in the last few weeks will automatically roll on, or that slotting six or more of the suspended 12 back into the line-up this year will lead to an immediate leap into the top half of the ladder.
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Integrating the suspended players back into the group after such a long time away will be a challenge for John Worsfold, if a very pleasant one. The team did finish third last in (a emotional, draining and difficult-for-other-seasons) 2015, and the forward line in particular needs work.
Still, Zach Merrett, Joe Daniher, Darcy Parish, Orazio Fantasia, the briefly-seen Mason Redman and the soon-to-be-seen Aaron Francis are reasons for supporters to feel optimistic about the future of their team for the first time in some time…
Kyle Langford has learnt a lot and looked good. Jayden Laverde has been held up by injury but done some exciting things in his first couple of games back.
Michael Hartley has been a good addition to the backline. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has – almost on his own – been a reason to watch the Bombers play.
Essendon should really be sitting on three wins ahead of this week’s game against Brisbane, having blown good chances against St Kilda and Richmond in the last two rounds, and have lasted longer in their last couple of games than they have for much of the year.
They have created some hope and promise, which is why the final thing on the Bombers’ to-do list could actually cause them a few headaches in the next month or two.
Six of the suspended players have recommitted to the club for next year and beyond: Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Travis Colyer, David Myers, Tom Bellchambers and Heath Hocking.
Heppell and Hooker are on big, long-term deals. The others have won some money and time they would not have got at other clubs.
The remaining six will all come back if they want to come back. They deserve that choice, which the club has rightly promised them.
But with the way things are shaping up, it might actually help Essendon if two or three of them want to go elsewhere or decide against playing on next year.
Michael Hurley is the key re-signing. The Bombers want and need him back badly. He’s worth much more than they would get in any trade.
He could come back, play out the last year of his contract and then make a decision on his future as a free agent. That won’t happen though: whether he stays or asks the club to let him start over somewhere new it will be on a very large, long-term contract.
The rest are interesting. Michael Hibberd’s best footy is very good: disciplined, dynamic and skilful. On age and ability he is certainly a player Essendon would want to keep, perhaps behind only Heppell, Hurley and Hooker.
It’s can be easy to forget what players can do when they’re not right in front of you.
That said, the Bombers have shovelled a lot of money towards Hooker and Heppell, and will do the same for their centre half-back should he come home from his holiday and tell them he wants to stay.
They are yet to sign Laverde and Gleeson (they should), and salary cap increase aside will have to keep some room clear for Merrett, Parish, Daniher and others’ future deals.
They also have a slight squeeze on for list spots, with six or more returning, at least three new draftees to make room for and a pre-season draft pick to potentially make more room for. McDonald-Tipungwuti needs to come up from the rookie list and top-up defender Matt Dea will be worth considering in the draft,draft, particularly should Hibberd choose to leave.
Jackson Merrett is contracted for another year but Jason Ashby and Shaun Edwards’ deals are up. James Gwilt, Shaun McKernan, Adam Cooney, Courtenay Dempsey and Nick Kommer are also out. Discussions with Brendon Goddard over a one- or two-year deal are still going.
To let Hibberd go wouldn’t be the worst thing. It would get Essendon a decent draft pick. It would save them some money. And as damaging a player as he has been and could still be, half-back flankers aren’t too tough to find.
The others won’t make the same difference. It’s impossible to see Brent Stanton playing anywhere but Essendon. Tayte Pears has a new career as a firefighter to get started in, and won’t be coming back.
Ben Howlett may get some low-level interest elsewhere, which could also suit the club, though it’s unlikely; he’s been a solid foot soldier and like Myers and Hocking, his best option is probably to be a Bomber again.
Then there is Jobe Watson, a special case. It wouldn’t seem right for him to finish up at another club. It wouldn’t feel right to anyone at Essendon if his career ends in a New York coffee shop.
Should Hurley stay, Essendon will have done extremely well, under enormous pressure, to keep the key members of the 12 together. They have also done well to bring Merrett, Fantasia, Langford and Laverde in while dealing with their draft bans.
The Bombers have also done well – in a one-win season splattered with some very heavy defeats – to start moving forward and give those players something encouraging to come back to.
Even if that creates complications in two, three or more years, when they are really ready to get moving.
I though Michael Still was delisted a few years back.
But this article is why we never bag women writers just because they’re women. Some, like Emma, write high-quality articles demonstrating a thorough knowledge about football and football matters. Some others are just ordinary.
I though Michael Still was delisted a few years back.But this article is why we never bag women writers just because they’re women. Some, like Emma, write high-quality articles demonstrating a thorough knowledge about football and football matters. Some others are just ordinary.
Probably because she actually writes about the footy/player/s and not what they had for breakfast, who they are rooting this week, wearing a cap to training etc.
Good for you Emma, very good article.
I though Michael Still was delisted a few years back.But this article is why we never bag women writers just because they’re women. Some, like Emma, write high-quality articles demonstrating a thorough knowledge about football and football matters. Some others are just ordinary.
Probably because she actually writes about the footy/player/s and not what they had for breakfast, who they are rooting this week, wearing a cap to training etc.
Good for you Emma, very good article.
Looks like she used the best of all sources to write that article… Bomberblitz!
From left to right, Brandon Lee, Myers, Hibberd, Colyer, Jobe, Belly, Heppell. Down low, Monfries, Hooker.
Also regarding the photo, the caption really intrigues me. For some reason the caption isn’t shown on this page. Now look, I may be clutching at straws here BUT in the caption, colyer used emoji’s (some of you older blokes may get lost here) to depict a little scenario I assume. In emoji’s he used a boat, a cricket bat, a finger supposedly to represent ‘out’ in cricket. But then the next two make me wonder. One emoji is of a pig and the one next to it is a pen. Like I said, pure speculation but, are those two emoji’s telling us pig has signed. It was followed by a few other emojis that have much less significance. Give me your thoughts. Yeh i’m crazy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIHiGuZjoFW/?taken-by=travcolyerFrom left to right, Brandon Lee, Myers, Hibberd, Colyer, Jobe, Belly, Heppell. Down low, Monfries, Hooker.
Doing it tough boys?
Pig looks more ripped that expected.
I think our biggest worry, is a few players coming back with severe cases of “shaggers back”
Can’t imagine how much “fun” a bunch of fit tall bronzed Aussies would be having in places like that.
Hooker looks a real beast.
Hooker looks a real beast.
WTAF!?
Is he wearing a pair of ‘daisy Dukes’?
Wow and I thought Hibbo would let himself go. Looks fitter than he did when he was with us last year!
Note how Belly hid his bottom half … I bet he’s wearing those fkn Capri pants again …