Just looking through our list. I'm unsure of what we have really been trying to achieve the past few years with drafting an abundance of back flankers and an abundance of skinny players?
In the era where it's been proven you need a tonne of midfielders (and usually if a midfielder doesn't make it they end up being a good flanker or pocket) I just don;t understand our philosophy. Especially when our game plan is meant to mimick the cats team which is stacked full of strong bodied, good disposal midfield types, we seem to be going against the grain and against history in our drafting model and I can't see how it will ever work.
Can anyone sell me what they think Essendon's philosophy has been in the last 2 drafts and why they think it will work? i'm interested to know.
Looks like we picked up a raft of future midfielders? What did MAckie, Joel Corey, Enright and Kelly look like when they were 18? wait for it.... undersized skinny flankers!
Well of those you mentioned, Merrett, Kav, Gleeson and Hams are all midfielders. Ashby has potential as a mid, and we've also drafted Nick Kommer & Nick O'Brian who are both capable of playing a midfield role. The way I see it we always need to be further developing KPP to ensure we have 1/ back-up and depth in these positions down the track and 2/ players who are already developed and ready to take on these roles once senior listed players retire.
Looks like we picked up a raft of future midfielders? What did MAckie, Joel Corey, Enright and Kelly look like when they were 18? a. undersized skinny flankers.
1) we've drafted a bunch of back flankers or midfielder/defenders because for years we had a one-way-running, unaccountable midfield who would not (or were not able to) play as part of a zone or work within the sort of disciplined defensive structure that a club needs these days to win games against good opposition
2) Kav aside, the skinny kids you name are all 2nd round or later picks. Hell, even Kav was pick 20, which'll be a 2nd round pick this year. Much as I'd prefer otherwise, you generally don't pick up ready-made big-bodied ball magnets with good disposal with picks in the 40s-80s. Cos you know, someone else has already drafted them first. What we've done with these guys is identify other good qualities (disposal, workrate, decisionmaking, etc) in order to build them up physically over time. You don't really think the Cats guys came straight from the draft looking like they do now, do you? The Cats have a midfield full of 30yos, of cours ethey look bigger than we do.
3) I'll notice you didn't mention blokes like Howlett, Hibberd, Dell'Olio, O'Brien, Kommer, Van Unen, Hunter etc etc, who (while varying in output...), definitely did NOT come to the side as skinny waifs. It's hardly a 'strategy' if half of our draftees don't fit the mould at all, is it?
Well of those you mentioned, Merrett, Kav, Gleeson and Hams are all midfielders. Ashby has potential as a mid, and we've also drafted Nick Kommer & Nick O'Brian who are both capable of playing a midfield role. The way I see it we always need to be further developing KPP to ensure we have 1/ back-up and depth in these positions down the track and 2/ players who are already developed and ready to take on these roles once senior listed players retire.
Steinberg - Recruited as KPF, playing VFL as KPB. And quite capable, from what I've seen
Daniher - How many goals Joe kick?
Also, Nick O'Brien is definitely not a small body. Kids solid as a rock, for his age.
That's not even starting on the mature recruits.
Also, what Humble Minion said. Which is what I said but better/quicker/more comprehensive.
Well of those you mentioned, Merrett, Kav, Gleeson and Hams are all midfielders. Ashby has potential as a mid, and we've also drafted Nick Kommer & Nick O'Brian who are both capable of playing a midfield role. The way I see it we always need to be further developing KPP to ensure we have 1/ back-up and depth in these positions down the track and 2/ players who are already developed and ready to take on these roles once senior listed players retire.
Steinberg - Recruited as KPF, playing VFL as KPB. And quite capable, from what I've seen
Daniher - How many goals Joe kick?
Also, Nick O'Brien is definitely not a small body. Kids solid as a rock, for his age.
That's not even starting on the mature recruits.
Also, what Humble Minion said. Which is what I said but better/quicker/more comprehensive.
Yep, that's my point, I just didn't refer to those players that we've actually drafted to fill those roles. My point was that with regard to the OP, we've most definitely been drafting a multitude of kids with the ability to play midfield. This, in conjunction with drafting both forward and defensive talls leads me to believe the recruiting across the board has been rather good.
Well of those you mentioned, Merrett, Kav, Gleeson and Hams are all midfielders. Ashby has potential as a mid, and we've also drafted Nick Kommer & Nick O'Brian who are both capable of playing a midfield role. The way I see it we always need to be further developing KPP to ensure we have 1/ back-up and depth in these positions down the track and 2/ players who are already developed and ready to take on these roles once senior listed players retire.
Steinberg - Recruited as KPF, playing VFL as KPB. And quite capable, from what I've seen
Daniher - How many goals Joe kick?
Also, Nick O'Brien is definitely not a small body. Kids solid as a rock, for his age.
That's not even starting on the mature recruits.
Also, what Humble Minion said. Which is what I said but better/quicker/more comprehensive.
Yep, that's my point, I just didn't refer to those players that we've actually drafted to fill those roles. My point was that with regard to the OP, we've most definitely been drafting a multitude of kids with the ability to play midfield. This, in conjunction with drafting both forward and defensive talls leads me to believe the recruiting across the board has been rather good.
We do seem to have had a tendency over the last decade to go for "may develop into a midfield role" rather than midfielder who may go forward/back.
The only thing I think we've suffered from drafting more flankers that mids is clearance work. That said, it seems that generally speaking good U18 clearance players are either high draft picks, treacle slow, or so undraftably short that Clinton Jones would set them on fire.