With the likes of Stewart, Daniher, Hooker, McKernan, and Begley able to play KPF did we need him?
Stewart couldnât get a game at GWS because people such as Patton were ahead of him, McKernan is a mediocre journeyman, who outside of blitz fantasies is pretty damn average, Begley is not a KPF. A player like Patton would have allowed Hooker to stay in defence. He would have been a brilliant get, but we didnât get him. End of story. But ffs sake, keep its real.
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I think with patton weâre a better team than without him.
means hooker stays back
Joe can push up the ground more into his better position.
Improves the fwd line and retains the gun defence we had.
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Except heâd cost a lot, so youâre sacrificing someone somewhere. I personally donât think weâll need Hooker back, and heâll do brilliantly forward.
weâre sacrificing a lottery ticket in the form of a draft pick and getting a known quantity.
everyone overrates the draft.
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Or donât rate Patton. Or really rate a Hooker forward.
Donât know how you canât rate patton. Really came on strong the 2nd half of last year. And was their main bomb it forward target.
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Patton is and will be a better forward than any of those listed bar Daniher. BEGLEY, Stewart, mckernan? Lol. Come onâŚ
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Improving form?
Wow he came on strongâŚnow I really do rate him highly. Glad he stayed at GWS.
he was a key part of a team that was a kick away from a flag? where the â â â â are we at?
Not sure but Patton hasnât done enough yet to warrant being a good player nor particularly viable Forward prospect.
And nope they havenât won a flag yet.
Or a few dodgy decisions against them. If his knee holds up he will be really important to them. He is a long way from being at his best yet.
I donât know if others did, but I certainly didnât mention Stewart or Mckernan. I said Hooker. And heâd have cost us at least McGrath (IMO).
Patton has potential, but he hasnât really done that much yet. The fact GWS is a good side could be actually used against him. Frankly, if I had the choice of him, Lobb, Cameron or McCarthy, heâd be so far behind the others it isnât funny.
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When Patton rips us a new 1 cos Baguley and Kelly canât spoil youâll be singing his praises on Saturday.
On reflection, heâs goal kicking accuracy wouldnât suit our game style anyway.
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Anyone read Goddardâs article today?
Surely we wouldnât be looking at him. Would we?
Trade HQ: St Kilda interest in rookie ruckman Sam Draper opens door for Paddy Ryderâs Essendon return
Brendon Goddard and Jon Ralph , Herald Sun
July 2, 2019 6:00am
Itâs time to launch operation âfree Jake Stringerâ. Because if Essendon can pull it off, they have what it takes to compete with the top sides in the competition for years to come.
I like the nucleus of this group. And despite some struggles this year, I think the best way for them to get the maximum results is by adding another key forward who is going to command a little more respect from the opposition
Shaun McKernan and Mitch Brown are great role players but dropping someone like Jon Patton into the Bombersâ forward line would change the entire dynamic.
That would allow Stringer to take the third best defender, making him an absolutely brutal match-up for the opposition.
With his agility and ability to pinch hit in the midfield, he can be Essendonâs version of Dustin Martin.
Essendon rookie ruckman Sam Draper has attracted interest from St Kilda. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman.
With attention focused elsewhere, that would make the clubâs elite small forwards in Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Orazio Fantasia even more dangerous.
The other area that needs to be addressed is finding someone to play that inside midfielder role. The Bombers have been searching for this since Jobe Watson retired.
Dylan Shiel is a solid clearance player but what they really need is a bull who is going to extract the footy from the tightest contests.
The current list has a great mix of youth and experience but is lacking a little in the 22-24 age bracket. Ideally, their inside midfielder targets would fall in this age range.
Adding Jon Patton would allow Essendon to free up Jake Stringer. Picture: AAP Image/David Moir.
There is speculation [my old teammate Sam Draper has a monster offer on the table], to go to St Kilda.
He is a ripper kid who works extremely hard and the Bombers would be disappointed to lose him.
But if a rival is going to offer that sort of money, there isnât much they can do. It would leave a big hole in the clubâs long-term ruck plans though.
Could a rival tempt Aaron Francis with the promise of a regular position? Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.
JON RALPH BREAKS DOWN ESSENDONâS BIGGEST TRADE QUESTIONS
THREE BOMBERS RIVAL RECRUITERS ARE WATCHING:
Sam Draper
Why is St Kilda chasing Sam Draper so hard? Consider two of his four VFL games before an ACL rupture â 22 possessions and 39 hit-outs in Round 1 against Frankston (194 ranking points) and 20 touches and 47 hit-outs against Collingwood (182 ranking points). At only 20. No wonder St Kilda is throwing a bundle of cash at him.
Aaron Francis
Francis has come a long way since his aborted trade, [said to be happy at Essendon ]and loving Victoria. But he is out of contract and yet to nail down a concrete position. He has only two goals as a forward and often squeezed out of the backline in nine games this year.
Darcy Parish
Geelong was one of his early suitors after falling out of the side but he has played 13 games and put together five excellent weeks, [declaring he wants to stay] If his contract drifts rivals will still come hard but the Dons would be confident they can keep him.
Our of favour at Port Adelaide, would Paddy Ryder be tempted to finish his career back at Essendon? Picture: Wayne Ludbey.
THREE PLAYERS BOMBERS RECRUITERS ARE WATCHING
Patrick Ryder
If not Patrick Ryder, [who do the Dons target to strengthen their ruck deficiencies, Zak Clarke not the answer and Sam Draper possibly heading to the Saints? Tom Bellchambers is excellent but injury-prone so they must target cover, whether its ex-Don Ryder, Sam Jacobs or one of the younger brigade like Darcy Cameron or Wylie Buzza.
Ryan Abbott
Is a player like Abbott, a mature-aged ready-to-go ruckman, attractive to clubs looking for backup? Six of his nine VFL games this year have been over 100 ranking points, but he has played only one AFL game. Might even get an AFL recall this week. How do the Dons get another ruck without giving up much?
Jack Martin
To be honest the Dons wonât be big trade players. On this list[ because the Dons were so keen on him last year] but told Martin they couldnât get the deal done because of other balls in the air. Donât have a first-rounder so would need to use a future pick. Seems less likely.
Jack Martinâs attacking prowess would be a good fit at Essendon. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/Getty Images.
RATE THE 2018 TRADE PERIOD
7/10
You can say what you like about whether Dylan Shiel has won enough matches yet but Essendon went out and got their man when everyone else wanted him. Right now the price for that is 2018âs pick 9 (Jye Caldwell) as well as their first-rounder this year (currently pick 9), with the GWS second-rounder this year back (currently 33). So itâs plenty to give, but at his best heâs exactly what they need in the midfield. Then the Dons let Travis Colyer go for a future fourth-round pick that in an ideal world might be used if someone like father-son Mason Fletcher deserved recruiting further down the draft. As a collective two years of trading, they have nailed Devon Smith, Adam Saad, Jake Stringer and Shiel, proving that they have got rid of perceptions they are hard to trade with. Also picked up Irving Mosquito with pick 38 and Noah Gown with a late pick in the draft plus Brayden Ham, who has already debuted.
WHY CHAMPION DATA LIKES THE BOMBERS:
The Bombers have so much talent under the age of 25, with 8 players in this age group rating elite or above average â the equal second most of any side
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We â â â â â â well should be
Wylie Buzza please. On name alone!
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