Last 24 months rising star nominations:
Essendon - 5
Richmond - 2
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Just for context now with Farrow winning a rising star nom.
The trade with the dees in hindsight after further pic swaps was Xavier Lindsay and Harry Sharp for Isaac Kako, Jacob Farrow, Kayle Gerryn, Angus Clarke and Zak Johnson.
That’s a huge win
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Trac nearly died; but only in one season.
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Reckon Melbourne would trade Gawn if he asked out this year?
Yes, I think they would
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Sam Mitchell is out of contract at end of 2027 which is when Scott’s contract ends.
WSPHU!
It was a (likely IMO) huge win, but that calculation is all wrong. You’ve left out our 2024 second rounder, Stringer, plus other picks used by Melbourne and Brisbane in the Sharp trade. Johnson was also our original 5th round pick; not anything we got from a trade. Unwin was from the Melbourne trade.
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I’m firmly in the we should have taken Hawks deal camp. I think it was quite reasonable, despite them behaving like pure ■■■■■ in the way they went about their business.
But, the bolded is an extremely odd thing to say. “What is sufficiently high enough” is 100% subjective, has no definition and is entirely the thing up for debate. You can’t redefine something that never had a definition to begin with, and never will.
Building an Essendon list ‘not just for a premiership, but for multiple premierships’
Jay Clark, Chief football writer
Andrew Welsh knows the next two years could be hard – but he’s adamant Essendon is on the right path. The Dons president opens up on the club’s strategy in building a list that can win ‘multiple premierships’.
Andrew Welsh is adamant about one thing above all else.
He isn’t deviating from the club’s list strategy no matter how bumpy these next two years get.
When the Essendon chairman took over last year and led the big call to keep Zach Merrett, he knew some results this year and potentially in 2027 would be “uncomfortable”.
But when the Bombers took Nate Caddy two-and-a-half years ago, he said it marked the start of a clear plan to hit the draft hard between 2023-2027 before Tasmania’s rise.
For all the angst over the club’s lack of success over the past two decades, Welsh, 43, said he and the club were fully committed to a reset he was adamant had to happen.
“I started on the board at pretty much the same time that Brad (Scott) joined the club and we identified areas particularly around list management and recruiting that were significantly under resourced,” Welsh said.
“That was personnel and that was technology-wise, too.
“So we have invested heavily in that area and we looked at what we needed to do to build a list that will last.
“Not just for a premiership, but for multiple premierships.
“To do that we needed to categorise the kind players we needed to bring into the club and the kind of players we needed to move out of the club.
“We believe we are in year three of that alignment, and that every player on our list has the possibility to play in our next premiership.
“We believe the path we have taken is the hard path, but it is the right path.”
The quality character component is a key cog in the Bombers’ recruiting checklist, and while the club has not advertised it, Welsh attended the past two draft combines to sit in on player interviews.
Competitiveness is key.
While the Bombers have desperately avoided the word rebuild (Scott doesn’t want to send his players the wrong message), it is clear that is exactly what the Bombers think they are about half-way through.
In a nutshell, Essendon wants to target more top-end talents over the next two drafts (including father son jet Koby Bewick in 2027), then concentrate more on mature-age stars when Tasmania enters the league from 2028 as the age profile matures.
That won’t stop the Bombers from having a crack at the free agency market, and Zak Butters and Zac Bailey at season’s end, but strictly not at the expense of their early picks this year and next.
Any top-10 picks have to be taken to the draft.
But by the time Tasmania enters the league in 2028, Essendon wants to be on the rise.
It means these next two years will be among the steepest hills any club climbs due to a series of player losses and draft misses which has left the club with only two elite players.
One was superstar onballer Zach Merrett, who tried to leave, and the other is Nic Martin, who is out with a knee.
Martin is a massive loss for the Bombers because his strengths are well suited to the modern running and transition game.
He has the foot skills and evasiveness to shift and pick through opposition defences on the rebound.
Ruckman Sam Draper would be around the elite player mark, but he left as an unrestricted free agent last year because he saw a brighter future and happier lifestyle at Brisbane Lions.
But Welsh is adamant Essendon can re-stock the cupboard by the time the Devils enter, having already brought in key building blocks Caddy, Isaac Kako, Archie Roberts, Archer May, Jacob Farrow, Sullivan Robey and Dyson Sharp, among others.
He said the news about the new team at the end of 2022 coincided with a significant sliding doors moment for the red and black.
“Tassie was absolutely at the forefront of our thinking because you could look at it and say ‘Well Tassie is coming in, so let’s just go hard and push the list through by topping up and topping up and topping up,” he said.
“Or we go hard at the draft, move quick and attempt to build a list that is going to last knowing it is going to be bumpy at times.
“The first two weeks of this season were very bumpy.
“But I have got to be at the forefront of protecting the club and people at the club to make sure we see this through.
“Alongside that is our salary cap management. In the last few years we could have brought in some players on big money who are experienced.
“That is the temptation we have to push back on.
“We have built cap space to allow us to be a really compelling offering, and can target multiple players to come in, but at the right time to come through in that Tassie time frame (from 2028).”
Gold Coast’s Brayden Fiorini might be the exception to some degree after Essendon missed out on ex-St Kilda captain Jack Steele, in part, for his leadership and cultural importance.
Essendon not only has one of the youngest and least experienced lists in the competition, its leadership group, led by new skipper Andrew McGrath, is also as green as grass.
Steele opted for Melbourne over Essendon because he saw the Demons as a more stable club which is saying something considering Melbourne sacked its coach, traded Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca and put Steven May up for grabs last year.
But the reality is Essendon has not been a destination club. Far from it. When Merrett tried to leave after meeting Hawthorn, it became a circus.
It makes Welsh arguably the most important figure at any club trying to lead the Bombers out of one of the most tumultuous decades in any AFL club’s history.
The highly successful property developer and 162-game Bomber was adamant the tide can turn on Essendon as a destination club, saying that process began last year with an overhaul of its high performance department, securing highly-rated fitness boss, Mathew Inness.
Welsh said the club’s disastrous run of injuries was a huge factor in the club’s troubles, but that needle has shifted this year amid a considerable training overhaul.
“We haven’t been a destination club,” he said.
“I am absolutely not satisfied with that.
“But a sole reason for that is because players want to come to and play football.
“We had 15 debutants last year because our list was decimated through injury.
“We went to the mid-season draft and the next week we were playing players we had only just met a couple of days before.
“We made a big investment in that area of our football club last year and we have seen a big shift and the benefits of that.
“We have large numbers on the track every session, and our high performance numbers, particularly in the high intensity (markers) have increased.
“And now we are having selection pressure because we ae having our players available.
“That is the first step to making sure we are an attractive club.
“Once we get that right, it gets embedded, players start looking at well what else can you offer me at the club?
“What are your facilities like? What is the opportunity to play in a premiership? What other off-field opportunities through your networks you have at football club can help educate me and help set me up for life?
“We haven’t been able to do that because we haven’t been able to get the players playing football and that is not attractive to potential recruits.”
But Saturday’s win over Melbourne was a nourishing baby step forward after terrible losses to Port Adelaide and Hawthorn in the first fortnight magnified the blowtorch early on Essendon.
Welsh said the reaction internally through the first two losses of the season was enlightening and reassuring, heading into much better performances over the past three weeks against North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and the win over Melbourne.
“I was really pleased for the fans and the players that they could get some reward for the work they have been putting in from a development perspective,” he said.
“That is the younger guys but also the more experienced players, too.
“The performances in the first two weeks was just not what we had been building or working towards.
“It was about growth opportunities and action.
“That is what we need to instill to make sure we are on a path towards building a list that will last.
“In a strange way, the challenges of the last six to eight months have galvanised us.
“It ensures that when those bumpy times come that I am leading from the front to make sure we are united for anyone who thinks they can cause disruption for the path we are on.”
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always love a 22 under 22 side
b: Nguyen Hayes Clarke
hb: Farrow Kondo Roberts
c: Johnson Sharp Day-Wicks
hf: Kako Caddy Unwin
f: El-Achkar May Gerryn
r: Vissentini Robey Tsatas
int: Justice, Bewick, Rodan, Darwish,
had to add Academy boys to get the numbers
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More textbook gaslighting by the club.
lol. So they made a new strategy right after signing 4 senior players in the trade and free agency period?
Oh no. The plan actually the plan started in 2022…
Oh don’t worry about the “plan”. There can be exceptions anyway.
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Eat ■■■■ Jack Steele
He has to sell the dream
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No where did we state that trading later picks for some mature players was not part of the plan. Just Jay Clarke being an idiot and not understanding what we are trying to explain to him.
He also talks about Sam Draper being an elite player. 
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That part should have been a critical part of the process tbh. Just cause Fiorini has barely played yet…doesnt mean it’s not a good pick up or he wont add great value. He clearly has as the players have spoken about it and is already a leader.
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I’m just surprised that Welsh is still alive
Sign of a true leader, pops his head up when things are going well. Really supporting the club.
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You have done a full 180 shift lately and defend the club on everything.
I am worried for you C Johns.
I fear they have gotten to you.
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Eehhh.
He’s a B or B+ grader.
He’s OK, he’s clearly best 22 this year and probably next, but he’s on 3 years and we gave away a pick for him. I don’t see what he really adds on field that we don’t already have in others (unlike McKay where at least yep, there was a clear gap for a big clunker backman).
Just seemed a very odd direction for the club at the time and that hasn’t changed. Reeks of “well we have to get someone”.
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Sorry Jay, Draper was not elite. He is barely average.
Edit: don’t mind to rest of the article. At least there is some insight as to what they are trying to do
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No i hated the way the senior players started the year. I think we need a full review of development team and assistants. That is still very relevant to me. The drafting strategy club has put forth and building a team is right on the money. I have noted I am not convinced on Scott as yet but still think its short sided to sack him this year.
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