That’s really good but should be the base standard for the last 20 years
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I’m listening James
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Better late then never 
Essendon is like Nintendo they are way behind the likes of Sony and Xbox
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McGrath is just a poor man’s Shiel in the midfield.
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He does kick well for goal
30 touches and a goal in the final vs West Coast. Has racked up 30+ disposals 18 times.
I think rarely looked very good is pretty harsh.
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Ed Bourke Herald Sun
Track Watch: Archie Roberts on leadership desire, new high performance team
Archie Roberts has revealed how Bombers players feels about the club’s new high-performance team, Zach Merrett’s return to the club, and his own leadership ambitions. See all the pictures from the track.
Essendon young gun Archie Roberts has revealed his long-term captaincy aspirations as he declared the Bombers have “full confidence” in the club’s revamped high performance department.
The third-year Bombers defender said he wanted to one day lead the club but would not be throwing his hat in the ring to replace Zach Merrett after his resignation last week.
Roberts said Merrett’s message to teammates following his decision to stand down had been “unbelievable” and well received by the group as they prepared to vote on a new leader early next year.
“Zach’s such a respected player and such a loved player of our group. What he said was unbelievable, and he’s been an unbelievable person and captain for this club for so many years,” he said.
“He’s handed it down, but he’s still an excellent person, we love him, and we can’t wait to see his game go to another level this year.”
The 20-year-old left-footer, who averaged 25 disposals per game across halfback in an impressive second year, agreed fellow defender Andrew McGrath was one of the lead contenders to replace Merrett.
“There’s obviously a few boys in the mix, Andy (McGrath) is a great one, but it’s a player vote, so we’ll see how it all unfolds,” Roberts said.
“There’s so many boys who can step up and be unbelievable leaders, and keeping growing and inspiring (other) leaders as well.”
Asked about his own leadership ambitions, Roberts did not shy away from his ambition to captain the Bombers.
“Yeah, I see myself as a leader of the younger crew, and aspiring to be a leader of the older crew as well,” Roberts said.
“Leadership is something I think is one of my strengths. I’m just going to be here to help guide and help support this next captain, whoever it is.
“Hopefully in a few years, we’ll see what happens, but for the moment I’m just going to try to support and lead this club, and do my part in supporting and protecting this culture.”
Roberts said the players had complete faith in the high performance department led by newcomers Mathew Inness and David Regan despite a “frustrating” spate of recent setbacks to players including luckless duo Jordan Ridley and Kyle Langford.
“Everything’s moving in the right direction,” he said.
“These injuries are annoying, but we’d rather let them happen now than in the season, and we know what they’re doing is getting us right for the season.
“We have full confidence in the new high performance department, and we know those boys are going to come back stronger, it’s not going to be a repeat of last year, for sure.”
‘SHATTERING’ MOMENT MARTIN WENT DOWN
Roberts said he and teammates had witnessed the moment Bombers star Nic Martin slipped and damaged his reconstructed knee in a season-ending training setback a fortnight ago.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for ‘Mart’, we saw the incident happen, and it’s pretty shattering,” Roberts said.
“Seeing an injury like that, particularly to a guy like Marto who went through it all four or five months ago, but we’ve wrapped around him, we’ve made sure he’s OK.
“I think he’s having some time off now … he’ll be back in and ready to go.
“He came in and was my locker buddy, sort of took me under his wing and gave me some brutal feedback at times when I needed it, some honest feedback, but also some words of encouragement when I did things (well).”
BOMBERS HONE IN ON ‘HARDEST SEVEN MINUTES’
Wednesday’s session at The Hangar was the Bombers’ middle session for the week and at a lighter intensity, but they still conducted some high-speed ball movement drills as Roberts said they were targeting the “hardest seven minutes of games”.
He explained it as preparation for a period in the game where play continues for an unusually long time without stoppages or scores, which the Bombers have identified as an area to improve in next season.
“It’s when the game is at its toughest, so being the fastest and the hardest-working stands out,” he said.
“That seven-minute period of running where you don’t get a break, don’t get water, that’s what we’re trying to target here and emulate that.”
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Thanks @Finding_Nino for the article. Just curious where is it from and who wrote it?
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Ed Bourke Herald Sun
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Is ‘ we’ll wrap our arms around him” footy’s new “we’ll take it one week at a time”!
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He was on track to win the B&F as a mid in 2020. Then Rutten kept moving him around. It wasn’t like he was on track to becoming an elite mid but he was a good mid, would have been better if Rutten didn’t keep moving him around. Brad Scott came in and settled him in one position. McGrath has always been a team man first and that’s why he hasn’t tore teams apart like he once did against Hawthron in Daniher’s return game.
FWIW I think he should stay at back pocket, and I hope he doesn’t take away any minutes from the younger mids.
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With Martin now on the LTI list Setters has been offered another year. It’s unlikely he will play much (if at all) but I suppose he is a decent break glass option big bodied mid, and can be a mentor for the likes of Tsatas, Robey & Sharp
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I think I get what you mean, but if Andy had the ability to tear teams apart I reckon even a club as dumb as ours would’ve looked to use that particular arrow in his quiver a bit more.
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No one ever doubted McGrath (or Shiel or Parish’s) ability to get the ball. The issue was always lack of impact with it
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Exactly this. Getting 30 doesn’t mean a thing.
Especially not when a large portion of these were blind snaps over his shoulder to absolutely no one. The other issue for me was how easily he is brushed off by big mids, or how they were still able to distribute with him clinging on.
Dodoro never did put much weight in to Kicking ability for some reason.
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Does Durham really have a tattoo that says “Dons” on his arm? If so, this really does say “future captain” to me.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRy-uZFEW-0/?img_index=19&igsh=aWc1czY3d3QyamE3
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And if he ever leaves…
Dons? Nope!
Looks like they are little Kiddie tatts.
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