Nah, even if they have a single list (and I agree with doing that) there is value in having a separate rookie draft. Makes a clear cut between players on two and players on 1 year contracts. I’d also make it so that players can nominate different terms for the two drafts, so that state players and delisted players can try and get a bit more value for their contracts.
I agree the PSD should be removed. And possibly go back to having a longer gap between the drafts to allow individual testing again.
Our list is in a really great place and outside of finals experience which doesn’t seem to the prerequisite it once was and ensuring our system is on par with the best clubs we are ready to go. There’s no doubt in my mind this group walking back in for day 1 of preseason will appreciate they have a significant opportunity now and over the next 5 years to impact the competition.
We have strong depth in most positions, plenty of flexibility in our first 28 and a great mix of exciting youth, mature players and legitimate top end talent. I’m confident we are going to see the Bombers compete and win in big finals over the next few years let’s just hope we can pinch one, it might just be the sweetest one of all.
Player mobility has changed the landscape incredibly and teams can improve their lists significantly in one off season. Hawthorn, Collingwood, Richmond all brought in elite mature talent and you wouldn’t be expecting Melbourne or West Coast to drop off so it’s going to be super competitive. But the next 5 years is going to be the most exciting since the glory days, can’t wait for it to begin.
The glory days?
My father spoke of the 11-year era from 1941 to 1951 when Essendon played in 9 Grand Finals, winning 4 of them. According to my old man, Essendon dominated for over a decade, had quality players and should have won at least 6 (2 more) of those finals. It was his opinion that R. Reynolds wasn’t much of a coach and didn’t get the best from his players, reckoning him as too soft.
Different time, different era, we now have different levels of professionalism, higher levels of coaching, training and application. However; I would like, nay love to see a period of time in the immediate future, that historians will one day look back upon as ‘The Great Essendon Dynasty’. Say perhaps, a 10-year period where Essendon plays in 9-Grand Finals, winning 8 of them. Nah, fark it. Winning all 9 of them… Let me know if I’ve gone too conservative.
I want us to be the most feared, the most ruthless, the most and best supported, the most despised and the most successful club ever. Once again, I know it’s a different era and different code, but St. George in the then NSWRFL is a good example. From 1956 to 1966 St George played in every Grand Final, winning all 11 of them. Now there’s the challenge.
So, with 4 ND selections and 1 RD selection, and picks #34, #66, #84 and #102, it may be time to get serious on types we want for our list. So my comments on a few positions which have been discussed for our list:
Small Forwards: We currently have only Raz, Walla, Bags (old) and Begley (injured) for a position where you can easily put 3, and sometimes 4 on the park. And in an ideal world you want Walla and Raz spending time rotating into the midfield. So IMO you could easily spend two of the slots above on one, and I’d be keen to have one of those be a mature state player.
Rucks: We currently have Belly, Draper, McKernan (limitations), JD (injured, pinch hitter) and Lavender (long shot). Maybe Stringer . In a pinch it could do, but many would have felt better with Leuy still there. The questions now are: “how much depth do you want?” and “can we find someone better than Draper anyway?”. I think the answer to the second is no. Therefore, I’m in the camp that if a good prospect (especially ruck/forward) was available at one of our picks, take them. Otherwise skip.
Inside Mids: In addition to the current best 22, we are adding Shiel, may have a fitter Stringer, and have Clarke, Mutch and Mynott in the wings. In my view, given our performances in this area, with Shiel in this is no longer a need. At all. 0 list spots on anymore (IMO)
Outside Mids: A little bit less fuzzy. The fact we’re keeping Long, gave a long stretch of games to Colyer, seems to me to argue we’re light here. Outside the best 22 there is nobody other than Long who is a pure winger. Some guys such as Redman, Ridley could potentially do it, but haven’t been tried there at VFL even. I think we should be spending a list spot on this position. Can be either in the Stanton/Gaff endurance running or Lovett/Hind burst speed styles. Good kicking would be a preference. My personal choice would be to get Marlon Pickett, who fits the above qualifications, and can also play inside or off the HBF.
Father Sons: We have two candidates, Neagle and Fletcher. Either or both could be taken as rookies, although technically neither necessarily add to positions we need (HBF and KP Defender respectively). Both potentially have injury concerns. I’d be happy to give them spots, depending on who else fell.
So in summary, I’ve said go 2 small forwards, 1 winger, and the 2 F/S options. Further, I’d quite like one of the small forwards (or both) to be state players, and Marlon Picket as the winger. Replace one with a ruck/forward if a decent prospect comes.
My dream draft (not really knowing too much)?
Bailey Williams falls to #34, who is a good ruck/forward prospect.
Get Parker and Pickett, who fill the small forward and winger requirements, play together in the WAFL and are family.
Get the two F/S options as rookies.
Dodoro probably won’t get a single one of them now!
Overall, I think the talent on the list is now good enough to compete. It is all up to the coaches and the fitness staff (and injury gods).
I’m going for the 39 / 5 list structure (which I know won’t work because why would they drop Baguley to the rookie list if they are going to run one short on the senior list anyway? So Bags stays on the senior list and then…)
ND#34 - Small forward
ND#66 - N Hind
RD #8 - Back-up Ruck
RD #26 - M Neagle
RD #44 - M Fletcher
Gets the small forward that I consider our most important best 22 current need. Gives Hind the reward for some good VFL years, and certainly has some exciting attributes.
Puts the back-up ruck on the 1 year contract, which may be all we need him for. Picks up the two father / sons which we seem to do whenever even remotely reasonable.
That’s a 38:6 senior/rookie list split, if Bags is actually demoted!
So Barrett has now said Bags won’t be delisted, possibly due to the Leuy news (my speculation). Which makes sense, means we have two rookie spots, so maybe two F/S selections?
Not sure if yous goys are across this, from the AFL site.
ESSENDON will be able to shop around its 2020 first-round draft pick in a bid to lure another star when the 2019 NAB AFL Trade Period begins.
There has been some confusion in the reporting of the rules around trading first-round picks, including an interpretation that teams could always trade their first selection from the current year and were only restricted in trading future ones.
But AFL.com.au can confirm this is not the case.
So, we can go after another prime target next year, if we want to go ALL OUT for a flag “in the now”
However, our first round pick might be late first round, if the results match our “lid offedness”
I’ve done a bit of analysis, and it seems Essendon have had the fewest list changes of any team. We have retired/delisted just the 6 players.
Gold Coast have had the most with an astonishing 16 players (this doesn’t factor the 3 or so they plan to re-rookie).
The league average sits at about 10.
Looking at the players up for contract renewal at the end of 2019, I can forsee another 5-7 changes.
Players in the gun and my prediction:
Ambrose - KEEP
Hartley - DELIST
Brown - KEEP
Baguley - RETIRE
Myers - RETIRE
Long - DELIST
Houlahan - DELIST
Clarke - 50/50
Realistically, Ambrose/Hartley/Brown are probably playing off for 1-2 positions. Bags/Long/Houlahan are the most likely to be let go. Myers has apparently said this is his last contract. Dylan Clarke will need to push his way into the side this year to be a chance.
I reckon Ambrose and Harts are a toss-up. Agree one probably goes and would actually be thinking Ambrose might be in the gun. Just think his strengths (1vs1 defending) don’t match the deficiencies in his game anymore with the quality of our squad. Think Harts has got more talent as a KPD.
Agree with most of the others.
Delist/Retire:
Myers
Baguley
Ambrose
Need a big year:
Long
Houlahan
Clarke needs to keep showing improvement with his kicking & decision making after having a much improved year in the VFL. Brown’s versatility should still have value.
Draper will also require senior list elevation next year. So ideally, delist 5 players next year. Bring in 3 from the draft, upgrade draper and secure Jack Martin.
So we are doing the 2019 delistings already? Really?
Impossible and completely unfair to the players on the list.
I want every player on the list to have their best offseason ever and their best season ever next year.
This time last year, who would have thought guys like Smack and Long would be contracted for 2019 and beyond (in Smack’s case).
Who would have thought Brown as well.
Hartley for example… i’m not a fan of and thought we should have delisted him. But it’s not completely fanciful to suggest Hooker could miss some footy with injury and Hartley plays well as fullback and ends up as a premiership player and does enough to earn another 2 or 3 year contract.
. In a pinch it could do, but many would have felt better with Leuy still there. The questions now are: “how much depth do you want?” and “can we find someone better than Draper anyway?”. I think the answer to the second is no. Therefore, I’m in the camp that if a good prospect (especially ruck/forward) was available at one of our picks, take them. Otherwise skip.