You think we need a Scott Stevens/Quinten Lynch/Adam Tomlinson type?
I don’t mind that style of player, but it seems a long way from the side we’re building.
Unfortunately with the arrival of Stringer…Stewart is not in my best 22 unless he can fix up his 1-on-1 contested marking/ability to bring the ball to ground for our smalls. Hooker cannot go back until this happens.
Stewart, Daniher, Hooker and Stringer is just way too tall.
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The conumdrum is if teams play a smaller forward line is their a role for Hooker in defence.
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Good question!
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ermagerd, stop saying Stringer is a forward. We recruited him as a mid, he wants to be a mid. Stewart and Daniher both roam around very well; we only have 2 deep forwards, Hooker and Green.
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Still has a lot to do to prove he can play mid for even 50% of game time.
If he can’t, there’s going to be a lot of time when he’s forward. Then if Stewart, Hooker and Joe are also there, we’re too tall.
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No, I think it’s more a rotational sort of thing.
Last year, especially when Joe was rucking, we seemed to have no one there to at least buy time for the backs.
A mid who’s good overhead seems to be the choice of a lot of top teams, not just a big guy.
However none of Colyer, Zaka, Parish, Myers, Tippa, or our resting on ballers are particularly strong in this area.
Something to stop the cleared ball slingshotting back in.
Every AFL club’s burning question ahead of the Christmas period
ESSENDON
Q: How deep can the Bombers go in September next season?
Foxfooty.com.au just picked and published the Bombers’ best 22 for 2018 — and, on paper, it’s clearly the best we’ve put together to date. While they essentially took themselves out of this year’s draft, they’re right in deep finals mix for next year. Add Devon Smith, Adam Saad and Jake Stringer — all bargain trades during the exchange period — to an already exciting list and you can see why the Bombers could be on the verge of something special.
Agree that having too many tall marking options just wouldn’t work. But while Stringer might be tallish, he’s not a marking forward. He’s a rover. I guess he’d be in the fwd/mid rotation mix with Fanta, Walla, and Lang.
Stewart, while tall, is more of a marker/rover hybrid too, similar to Westhoff.
With the right game plan, I could easily see a forward line of Daniher, Hooker, Stewart, Stringer, Walla and Fantasia being extremely effective.
Stringer has never been renowned as a pressure forward. Offensively that forward line would be fantastic. Defensive would be their concern.
But if Stringer is fitter it helps. Plus it would be interesting to see Stewart play a role on the wing as I think @Ivan has suggested
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Me thinks Laverde on exposed form is ahead of Francis in terms of cracking our best 22.
But in saying that these are two talented kids. If they are 23 and 24 on the list we are starting to do something right.
I can’t understand people still thinking Stringer won’t play significant midfield time.
- When we recruited him that was what with a view to him doing so given our lack of big bodied inside mids.
- Stringer himself indicated that’s what he wants to do and was looking fwd to working with Skippy (midfield coach)
- Woosh has indicated he plans to play Stringer 50% midfield time pending his preseason.
- Woosh has already said he is impressing in the stoppage work
You only need to watch his highlights to see he has the skill set to be able to do so, the only limiting factor or should I say unknown is whether he is going to be able to be fit enough to transition.
I can’t see how he wont. A cooked Jobe was able to contribute very effectively in a lot of games this year. We are talking about a 23yr old who has hardly been just plonked in a goal square his career, as a mid sized player he has still had to run plenty.
Bring on Stringer midfield dominance.
Start him in the guts. Move him fwd when 1 of our kpf’s is out of fwd line on bench / ruck.
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How about Stinger spend first 15 minutes of the quarter on the ball Hooker spends last ten minutes down back loose. Keep 3 talls in forwardline
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I hope you’re right. It will solve a lot of problems if Stringer can do what they’re hoping
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Speedy who should i get on for the Brownlow
Hepp
Zerrett
or Stringer
Best 22
B: Mark Baguley, Michael Hurley, Adam Saad
HB: Brendon Goddard, Michael Hartley, Conor McKenna
C: Andrew McGrath, Zach Merrett, David Zaharakis
HF: Devon Smith, Cale Hooker, Jake Stringer
F: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Joe Daniher, Orazio Fantasia
Foll: Tom Bellchambers, Darcy Parish, Dyson Heppell
I/C: Kyle Langford, James Stewart, David Myers, Travis Colyer
Depth: Martin Gleeson, Aaron Francis, Jordan Ridley, Josh Green, Josh Begley, Kobe Mutch, Jackson Merrett, Matthew Leuenberger, Jordan Houlahan, Mason Redman, Mitch Brown, Patrick Ambrose, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Jayden Laverde, Jake Long, Matt Guelfi, Dylan Clarke, Matt Dea, Sam Draper, Trent Mynott, Luke Lavender, Ben McNiece, Shaun McKernan
Defence
The Bombers have multiple quality defensive options, which made the hardest backline to select so far.
2017 All-Australian Michael Hurley was a lock in my team, given what a great impact he makes when he’s in the team and the leadership that he provides. I decided that Michael Hartley then deserves to play his partner at centre half back over other defensive options such as Cale Hooker, Aaron Francis, Mitch Brown, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, and Matt Dea.
Hartley provides large strength to win the one-on-one contests, and had a career best year in 2017, which made him the preferred option. New recruit Adam Saad comes in immediately with a spot in the back pocket, and will provide plenty of speed and rebound from defensive 50 next year.
Mark Baguley has been an incredibly consistent player form-wise throughout his career, and I predict he will continue to play his role and provide leadership for the team next year. Irish rebounding defender Conor McKenna continues to provide what he needs to the team, and gives them speed, and alongside Adam Saad, they will be a dangerous rebounding pair.
I struggled to find a spot for Brendon Goddard given Andrew McGrath is likely to spend more time in the midfield next year, so I put Goddard on the half back flank to be able to provide leadership and experience to the backline.
Midfield
The number one ruck role was again one of the hardest positions to choose of the five teams I have done so far. Matthew Leuenberger played only seven games last year due to a mix of form and injury problems.
Tom Bellchambers had a better season than Leuenberger, however, both of their best form is similar, which made it hard. I decided to go with Bellchambers in the end, but the Bombers number one ruck is likely to change from week to week.
Darcy Parish has been an incredible young player over his first two seasons, and it seems likely that he’ll take up a role as an onballer following the retirements of Jobe Watson and Brent Stanton.
Essendon captain Dyson Heppell puts his body at every contest, and he will provide bucket loads of leadership and experience to the team. David Zaharakis is another experienced player who will bring x-factor, leadership, and strength to the Bombers team on the wing. 2016 number one pick Andrew McGrath played incredibly well in his first year as a defender going into the midfield when needed.
It has been known that McGrath and Essendon are wanting to have more time in the midfield, so I have placed him on the wing, effectively switching Goddard and McGrath’s roles. 2017 All-Australian Zach Merrett has been brilliant, especially since 2016, and may well be a future Brownlow Medallist so he has been put in the centre as an onballer.
Attack
The Bombers forward line is filled with plenty of x-factor, speed, and only two players with genuine height, which may be the key to a premiership tilt next year. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has shown brilliance since his first year, and there is no doubt he will be in attack based on the excellence and the ability to turn games that he can bring to table.
Joe Daniher is able to play as a back-up ruck as well as a tall forward, plus the fact that he had a career-best year last year giving him the full forward spot. Defender turned forward Cale Hooker is another tall forward who can partner with Daniher and give fantastic support. Being a former defender also gives him a better ability to know what defenders are likely to do in each situation to be able to get ahead of the play.
Orazio Fantasia and Jake Stringer both provide plenty of x-factor, with Stringer also able to play as an onballer. Both of them playing together is most definitely going to excite Channel Seven commentator Brian Taylor.
Devon Smith provide plenty of ‘wow’ moments at the Giants, so expect him to continue to do that at the Bombers.
Interchange
Kyle Langford didn’t play many games last year, but if he can get a big pre-season under his belt and do some regular gym work to develop his body, he’ll get regular games next year to address the need for big-bodied midfielders.
James Stewart played 16 games in his first year at the Bombers, and kicked 22 goals to add a tall forward to their mix, and will also be able to play as ruck depth depending on injuries.
David Myers played all but two games after he came in after round 6 last year, and with the Bombers needing big-bodied mids in the side, Myers will almost definitely take a bench spot. Travis Colyer had a career best year last year, so gets the final bench spot.
Aaron Francis Essendon tall
Aaron Francis of the Bombers (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
The unlucky players
Rebounding defender Martin Gleeson is unlucky not to be in the best 22, but I unfortunately struggled to find a spot for him given they already have Adam Saad and Conor McKenna in the team.
Aaron Francis is a very promising medium defender, and if a spot opens up, Francis may be able to earn it next year. Josh Green is in a similar situation to Gleeson, having played most of last season, but not being a spot available to him given they already have McDonald-Tipungwuti, Fantasia, Smith, and Stringer in the team as small forwards.
Josh Begley played the final three games of the year in 2017, however, despite having plenty of potential, does not get a spot in the best team week in week out. Depending on Bellchambers form next year, Matthew Leuenberger may find himself in and out of the best 22 constantly.
What do you think, Roarers? Do you agree with Essendon’s best 22 for 2018?
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In terms of match winner and standing out have to be Stringer. But also I expect he most likely to be suspended from errant bump / aggro tackle and probably also would mouth off at umps.
As such Zerrett would be our best chance.
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Trav had a career best year??? Really? My opinion is a bit different on that one. I’m hoping he returns to form in 2018.
Myers getting a bench spot will be one of the very interesting selection decisions. I’d say a lot of blitzers don’t have him in the side. I just wonder what the coaches reckon.
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He also said that Hartley had a career best year.
Hartley was much better in 2016.
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