Definitely an untapped market for Essendon.
Ironic merch would at least provides amusement through all the misery.
Your only clogging a list if your preventing us adding to it.
We are adding plenty of players
1 Like
I really liked Salladins take! Especially playing Tsatas in the guts. Find out.
As to Srolls take maybe Saints have seen the trend and decided to break it bringing in plenty.
Gotta go out on a limb to find the fruit!!
The saints are striking whilst they have the hottest commodity in footy.
NAS is a genuine star. Heās the next generations Bont or Fyfe.
Has the ball on an absolute string. Who wouldnāt want to play around a guy like that as your prime mover?
2 Likes
yep no matter who the coach is, next year would be a shitshow for the same reasons listed prior.
however youād live in hope they would be setting up the first step and or foundation to improve beyond next year.
for me itās all about patterns and repeating cycles. one main pattern is passing on and entrenching of bad habits from the senior players of the period, and it being two fold, the failing/struggling coach relies on them, on the way down and out, and the new coach relies on them theoretically on the way in and up, and the just coast along and inevitably just exist while passing on bad habits.
It becomes harder to change, the longer scott is around. self reflection is pretty hard, change is harder, if one stops and thinks about how hard it is for the individual to make change in their life, due to patterns of behaviour, it is infinitely harder to undo and change poor and bad habits of a culture.
Like i said, i donāt see next year being much better, potentially the year after either, so what is the ultimate gain from it ? and then at worst when heās released form coaching in 2 years the new guy has to start again with an extra 2 years of bad patterns and habits.
people say the list is devoid of leadership, which is true, but itās more devoid of hungry players that have some pride in themselves and not allow themselves to be walked over, disrespected and simply willing to stand up for themselves, let alone fight against it.
the list lacks everything you mention in that post, but without guys who are up for the fight, and willing to stand up and work hard and not back down, then nothing really changes. and from the injuries, not many if any really address that, so when they all come back, what changes with such a soft underbelly to the club and list.
1 Like
I donāt believe the fans are the ones in charge with list management at Essendon.
We do need to get to the point, where our list management can identify players who are actually better than our incumbent.
But maybe they already can. Too early to tell on Rosa, but Iām sure it couldnāt be worse than what it was.
1 Like
It goes back further.
2013 - draft penalties, no first round picks (lucked into Merrett because of bomber)
2014 - draft penalties, no early first round picks. Got lav and Langford who have been solid citizens
2015 - Francis bust, parish 1 good year and cooked
2016 - overlooked clug
Read it and weep
8 Likes
Letās just prepare for 3-4 years of wilderness before we even start to look like it.
No decent coach is going to touch our list. We should be lucky we have brad Scott. Essendon will be the most irrelevant club in the comp next season.
We would be close favourites for the spoon
3 Likes
If we donāt luck out this year and next at the draft we are pretty much cooked for another 7-10 years because of tassie.
Remember, weāre never even going to out tank the eagles or tigers or even north according to the experts on this site.
The intro of a new expansion team was universally accepted (even here on blitz) as the absolute worst time to try to conduct a rebuild.
Classic Essendon.
Dat U, Nino?
1 Like
Realistic List Change Overview 2025
So many Football Manager ā25 players in the house that it reduces analysis of List Structure (Balance/Needs/Excess) to something resembling a game of Go Fish.
While it certainly appears black and white that a minimum of 8 players need to be released, (being the result of 4 mid year draftees and at least 4 draft picks), you get the sense that many of the names being thrown around are being done so more due to their āwhipping boyā pedigree than a sensible approach to list management.
Whether we like it or not, players like Redman, Parish, Setterfield, Langford, Wright and Laverde represent a core of experience, physical maturity and mentoring value. Most have been mentioned as being surplus to requirements. Thatās not to say that should a fantastic offer come along for one or more of these guys that we should not consider it. But to write the senior group off in one fell swoop would be catastrophic. In my opinion, this will be a three year process while the mid age players (Caldwell, Martin, Durham, Duursma etc) grow into leadership roles and mature 100+ game players.
We also need to assess balance. Look it like the 6 6 6 on field set up. Do we have the balance of primary players and depth/emerging players to adequately fulfill this fundamental requirement week in, week out despite injuries and form drop offs. Geelong seem able to do this, so do all the strong teams.
So letās look at a simple depth analysis based on this simple requirement. 6 Defenders, 6 Mids (incl Ruckman) and 6 Forwards
Defenders
Tall Defenders - Primary. McKay, Reid, Ridley
Tall Defenders - Depth. Hayes, Blakiston, Laverde
Small/Med Defenders - Primary. Redman, Roberts, McGrath
Small/Med Defenders - Depth. Nguyen, Prior, Johnson Z
Midfield
Rucks - Primary. Draper, Bryan
Rucks - Depth. Visentini, Goldstein
Wingers - Primary. Duursma, Clarke
Wingers - Depth. Jones, El Hawli
Mids - Primary. Merrett, Durham, Martin, Caldwell, Parish
Mids - Depth. Setterfield, Hobbs, Shiel, Tsatas,
Forwards
Tall Forward - Primary. Wright, Caddy, May
Tall Forward - Depth. Edwards, McMahon
Small/Med Forward - Primary. Kako, Perkins, Gresham, Guelfi
Small/Med Forward - Depth. Unwin, Day-Wicks, Menzie, Davey Jnr
Weaknesses
No midfield depth and lack of pace/disposal skills. No scoreboard impact (Martin aside). Depth players all questionable. Need best available mid with outside pace and killer disposal skills. Make play for Butters in 2026
Rucks - if Draper goes then pressure on Bryan, who has his own issues along with project player Visentini to hold the fort. Goldstein passed his use by date. Blackiston a reasonable depth option
Forwards - No real certainty on any of the tall forwards other than Caddy. May, Edwards, McMahon all experiments. Wright unreliable. Big problem and Cooper Duff Tyler could be the solution
Other than Kako, small brigade is serviceable only. Perkins, Gresham and Guelfi B and C graders. Unwin looks promising but Davey and Menzie not AFL standard - will assume El Achkar will be looked at closely to partner up with Kako
Our best 23 including gaps
FB Vacant Med/Def. McKay. Nguyen
HB. Redman. Reid. Ridley.
C. Dursmaa. Merrett. Roberts
HF. Vacant Med Fwd. Vacant Key Fwd. Martin
FF. Kako. Caddy. Vacant Small Fwd
Ruck Bryan Durham, Caldwell
I/c Clarke Vacant Gun Mid? McGrath, Langford Blackiston (assuming 5 bench spots open up next year)
Thatās 5 key players needed with A grade potential.
Perhaps some of the boys who debuted this year can step up. Either way our draft strategy and list build is clear
7 Likes
Genuine question - do they?
I could see this argument if they were out there, playing 20 games every year (I wouldnāt agree, but I could see your point). But as a group they played 70 between them this year (and not much better last year).
You canāt say theyāre providing physical maturity when theyāre out injured.
They are the leaders by default.
I agree that you canāt sack absolutely everyone, but I _would be floating each and every one on that list. Probably only a couple get the right deal - maybe get us another 2-3 picks in the top 40 (or future picks).
6 Likes
So refreshing to see such a positive take on this forum!
1 Like
we are years, perhaps decades behind the best sides in the competition.
we may as well be playing in a different competition.
1 Like
No team, is decades behind other teams. Ever.
I think McMahon and Edwards(in a very limited look mind you) seem like decent talents.
But we just lack that elite talent ahead of the ball to trouble the comps best defenders.
And likewise we need better distributors coming off half back.
Some elite kicking and line breaking to give those forwards a bit of a break.
i dunno. They arenāt Smith and Holmes feeding Cameron the footy for 80 goals a year like clockwork.
Thereās holes everywhere at Essendon.
we have solid young talent and solid role playing senior players . All very vanilla.
I hope to hell we find some future A graders at the next 3 drafts. Then itās going to take another 3 years to bring them along.
1 Like
The season is 2030. We are pushing for a tilt at the flag. Who on our current list is in that 23?
Should be the lens we look through to inform our list decisions this year and next. Because boy oh boy do we need to nail our off season this year and next.
Iāve labelled players in the side as bold who are a locks, and in italics as solid maybes (for various reasons).
And then the rest at the bottomā¦
Iām assuming Draper has left.
FB Roberts (24) Hayes (25) Clarke (23)
HB Merrett (34) Reid (27) Ridley (31)
R Bryan (28) Caldwell (29) *****
C Duursma (29) ***** Martin (28)
HF Kako (23) ***** Durham (28)
FF ***** Caddy (24) *****
INT Visentini (24) McGrath (31), Redman (32) Nguyen (23), *****
Looking at this, our greatest needs, by far, are top end midfielders (prioritising speed, ball use and competitiveness) and dynamic forwards. We are best set up in defence, by a mile.
Hopeful, but too early to call: Gerreyn (23), May (25), Unwin (23), Johnson (23), Day-Wicks (23), Edwards (29), McMahon (27).
Unlikely: Tsatas (25), Perkins (27), Prior (28), Lual (24), El-Hawli (28).
Gone: Draper (31), Parish (32), Langford (33), Hobbs (26), Shiel (36), Gresham (32), Setterfield (32), Cox (28), Laverde (33), Goldstein (41), Wright (33), Jones (29), Menzies (27), Mckay (32), Davey (26), Guelfi (32), Blackiston (31), Smartt (24).
Iād prioritise removing everyone in the last 2 groups this year or next. Though we have contracts for Jones, Wright and Langford to 2027, McKay and Parish 2029,
13 Likes
Precision kicks. Get the ball into the hands of these types of players who will then honour leads and hit them 80% of the time.
Forwards can then lead at full speed confident.
Same across the whole ground. Make opposition worry when several blokes get the ball in hand because they are great kicks. Also do everything to protect and clear the path for these blokes when they get the ball. Reminiscent of 2000.
I know.
3 Likes
If Scott is still coach in 2030, then why would you presume that Goldstein is gone?
3 Likes
Lol i didnāt presume Scott was still coach.
1 Like