Post-draft Best 22

Yep, looking at that list we have lots of improvement to come.

As far as defensive improvement I think most would agree that the coaching panel has a big summer ahead of them. If we get that sorted then the sky is the limit.

Interesting that Matty Dea is on that list - Iā€™d sort of forgotten about him. Like him - good depth, but its hard to see him getting a game when everyoneā€™s fit.

Iā€™ve head this over and over and over the last couple of week. Iā€™m sick to death of it.

The cost of losing trade value in a player is nothing, compared to the value of a player who could be anything.

I honestly donā€™t give a sh*t about value of players at the trade table. The true value of a player is on the park. Francis has all the footballing ability to be a superstar. We should give him every opportunity to be an Essendon player, if that means he ends up getting delisted in 3-4 years time, so be it. But we need stick to our guns on a player we rated so highly.

Hurley Ambrose Bags

Saad Hooker Mckenna

Zaka Heppell MCG

Fanta JD Stringer

Tippa Stewart Smith

Tbell Zerrett Parish

Gleeson, Begley, Francis, Goddard

Colyer, Lav, Myers, Hartley, etc

Top End talent at each club.
Number of players rated in the top 100 allowing for retirements and trades.
Clearly the average would be a tad over 5. After getting Stringer in we are about average. ( this is not including Hurls, who must be in the top 100 but does not show up in the ratings )
Note all the clubs with above average numbers of top end talent who failed to win the flag.

  1. GWS, Adelaide
    7 Coll, PA, Mel
    6 Geelong
    5 Ess, Freo, GCS,Haw,Syd,WCE
    4 Rich, Carl , WBull,
    3 Norf, Bris
    2 StK

Bold = 2017 top 8

Not just that, it favours possessions closer to goal over those in defense.

Yeah, chess pieces are important but game style is everything. Heartened to hear defence will be the focus this preseason. Not sure what form this approach will take (positional, tackling) but sort out that method of play and top 4 is theirs for the taking

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Why didnā€™t you quote the whole thing? It seems you actually agree with Mozzy, who was just saying the club should give him the best opportunity to prove his worth. If it all goes well and he still wants to leave, at least we should then get an equitable trade. But if heā€™s not offered the opportunity, heā€™ll go for nothing.

What you seem to be arguing against (which Mozzy did not say in his/her post) is that even if given the opportunity, he may still fail, and then be worth nothing. But no-one was prepared to offer much for him anyway at this stage. So our only hope now of recouping, getting near, or even exceeding his original value of pick 6, is to give him every opportunity to prove himself.

Chris, how many times to people need to point out that the rolling 2 year afl rating thingy is rubbish, seeing that it is ā€¦ a TWO YEAR average?

Yep Deckham, in the context of the returning players in this case specifically Hepp, Hurls and Hooksy and for injured players it has serious defects, totally agree the ratings for that group are utter bs. .

What it does show for players who have had regular games over 2 years is some indication of the way players are tracking whether they have peaked or are still on the up, whether they are able to run out the season improving to the end.( few young players can ), it has some objectivity, and removes some of the bias and bandwagonism of Blitzers in assessing players.

I post it knowing the limitations of it and I assume others do also.

Wowā€¦ that was a long winded answer.

The correct response is 2 gazillion times.

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Overall player standings are the cumulative totals for up to 40 games within the previous two seasons. (with games 31 to 40 gradually weighted down to 5%).

The following Ess players rating are severely affected due to lack of games over that period (Name; games; total points):

Dea: 27; 253
McKenna: 31; 264
Hurley: 21; 227
Hooker: 20; 191
McGrath: 21; 169
Heppell: 23; 298
Smith: 30; 328
Green: 28; 243
Bellchambers: 14; 163
Leuenberger: 27; 223

So if we extrapolate the average per game to cover the 40 games, they would have achieved the following (games; adj. pts):

Heppell 23 477
Bellcham 14 428
Smith 30 402
Hurley 21 398
Hooker 20 351
Dea 27 345
Green 28 319
McKenna 31 313
Leuenber 27 304
McGrath 21 296

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Nice work. So, effectively we have 7 players in the top-100, then. Plus Stringer, Raz, Hurls not far off.

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Interesting Chester .
I want to substantiate the often heard opinion that we have a top 4 quality list.
I am most interested in your extrapolations for these players, because the official ratings for these players is totally wrong.

Heppell 23 477
Bellcham 14 428
Hurley 21 398
Hooker 20 351

Where does that put them in a more realistic assessment of their overall ranking: ?

Heppell 34th in the AFL, just above Nathan Jones
Bellcham 70th in the AFL around Joey.
Hurley 73rd in the AFL close to BJ
Hooker 160th inn the AFL around Josh Caddy

I feel TBell rating extrapolation is wrong, but I can believe Hurley, and Hepp is probably not around 34th, but he did finish 3rd in the Crichton, so maybe he is not far off that.

In any case, it seems like we can justifiably claim to have 7-8 players in the top 100 of the AFL which is above average and would support the contention our top end talent is good enough to get us to top 4.

Next question. How many times will Essington take the field in 2018 ?

Hopefully Essington will have improved too. Just a couple of close calls to make everyone nervous the following round.

Thatā€™s pretty much what I said, give him the opportunity to play for Essendon, if he still wants to leave having games under his belt as afl player will give him better trade value IF he still wants to leave

This is what I think the best 22 will be after the preseason games are completed.

B: Baguley Ambrose Gleeson
HB: Goddard Hurley Saad
C: Parish Zaharakis McGrath
HF: Stringer Daniher Smith
F: Fantasia Hooker Tippa
R: Bellchambers Heppell Z Merrett
IC: McKenna Stewart Begley Francis

Emerg: Colyer Laverde Langford

I would also expect Koby Mitch push for best 22 later in the year

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I would think we are still a real unknown.
Not putting us as a top four list.

Saad, Stringer and Smith you think are upgrades on Jobe Stants and Kelly, however itā€™s apples and oranges.

Some deficiencies in our top 22 for sure.

Thereā€™s three obvious weaknesses in our side for mine

1 - number one ruckman. Our blokes are injury prone, and never consistent enough. Bellyā€™s best is pretty good but we donā€™t see it enough for long enough periods

2 - inside ball winners. Itā€™s our biggest issue. We need to find more, and we need a dominate one. Hereā€™s hoping stringer turns into a beast

3 - key defenders. Hurley struggled 1v1 last year a fair bit, Ambrose was injured and Hartley is either really good or really bad.

Fix them areas, or at least improve in them areas, will see us being a better side that could reach top 4

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Definitely agree with those. Iā€™ve been harsh on Belly but he had quite a good season all things considered (year off, injury in pre season etc). Hereā€™s hoping he can put in a consistent season next year (I realise this is ambitious but itā€™s probably his best chance).

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