Season 2019: The Empire Strikes Back?

Yeah, that;s right, and is why I remember it so well because of the contention that surrounded the thing, because we did both, … the first Prem, … AND the First GF win.

1897 Essendon become one the eight clubs to join the new Victorian Football League in its first season. Essendon wins the first VFL premiership.

Edit: And this is the exact photo on the Mirror they have on the EFC site.

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You can see the David Myers moustache heritage quite clearly.
And sensible haircuts.

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For a second i panicked there, thinking someone other than chris posted a champion data backed article.

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A group of jolly bonza lads who also enjoyed a rollicking good time on the odd salubrious occasion.

The sash is dead straight and at varying angles.

I blame CD for spreading these rumours. Lets tone down this sort of hype.

Essendon has “fourth best list” in the AFL

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Champion Data has Essendon ranked as the fourth best list in the AFL.

The Bombers performed below expectations in 2018, finishing 11th on the ladder after many had them pegged for finals in pre-season predictions.

Asked if Champion Data were bullish about Essendon rising sharply in 2019, Daniel Hoyne said there were plenty of positives surrounding the Bombers.

“We’ve got them as the fourth best list in the comp,” he said on Sportsday .

“They are very young. They are the second least experienced team and the fifth youngest in the competition.

“When I was looking at Essendon last year, I could totally understand why Essendon supporters were getting frustrated and upset with what was actually happening in the first two months of the year.

“It was’t all about last year. It’s all about setting up sustained success.

“They get Dylan Shiel, another 25-year-old, adds to that age bracket. He’s going to be there for five, six, seven years.

“They’ve got each third of the ground covered at the moment.”

Listen to Hoyne on the Bombers below:

Last year they said we had the best under-25yo list, ahead of GWS?

Well you may be less irked to learn that the VFL was actually formed in 1897 and we won our first Premiership that year (though it wasn’t via a finals series).

Edit: too late to the party again…

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Fourth best list, best list under 25 means ■■■■ all when you don’t win a final for 15 years.

Just do get it done Essendon. We are sick of waiting.

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Pre-season in a nutshell

The Bombers have spent their first three weeks back at the club but will next week head off-site, going to Barwon Heads on Victoria’s surf coast for a couple of days of meetings and a session at Ocean Grove Oval. With the addition of Ben Rutten as an assistant coach whose brief is to oversee the Bombers’ team defence and key position players, it is clear Essendon will be working on that area over summer in a bid to tighten up and match it with the best teams. Of note, Bomber fans have been enjoying excellent training reports from the likes of nackers and Deckham.

Injury list

Josh Begley: Begley has reached the seven-month mark of his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction. The aim is for the powerful medium forward to transition into the main training group after the club’s Christmas break.

Tom Bellchambers: The ruckman was one of only a handful of players to undergo surgery, with the big man requiring a shoulder operation. He is expected to rejoin full contact drills after the break in January.

Joe Daniher: Daniher has looked a little proppy at training since the club resumed its pre-season campaign, with the key forward still recovering from the osteitis pubis that ruined his 2018 campaign. The Bombers hope he will be back training with the main group in January.

Orazio Fantasia: A training accident saw Fantasia hurt his little finger, keeping him away from drills for the next few weeks. He is still able to complete all the running sessions and will wear his finger splint in the lead-up to Christmas.

Martin Gleeson: The Bombers missed Gleeson all of last year after he underwent ankle surgery after a mishap in the JLT Community Series. They hoped he would miss only three months originally, but is still some weeks away from participating in full training.

Dyson Heppell: Essendon has given its skipper a lighter start to the summer program after he was sore at stages throughout last season. He has mainly been training on the Bombers’ smaller oval at its Tullamarine headquarters getting his work in.

Luke Lavender: The young developing key-position player had shoulder surgery in the off-season but is progressing well and is also likely for full contact training in January.

Mason Redman: Redman will need a follow-up scan on his fractured ankle in coming days after youngster suffered the setback last week at training. The club was waiting for the swelling to dissipate before assessing how many months he will be out of action but it will severely impact his pre-season.

Devon Smith: The Bombers have given Smith some time on the sidelines at the start of this pre-season after a taxing year in 2018 that saw him play every game. He had endured a tough run of knee injuries prior to this year.

More Stringer midfield time?

Last year Stringer spent patches in the midfield before being predominantly switched forward in the second half of the year, and he has trained almost exclusively with the midfield group so far this pre-season. - Callum Twomey

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I remember buying one of those at a Trash and Treasure market years ago. Gave it to my brother.

Must ask him if he has still got it.

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With Gleeson and Redman injured,I think if Ridley displays strong form in the intra club and JLT games, he will get a crack down back or on a wing.

You got me for a second, haha.

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According to this table Sydney are on the skids, GWS is out the window, Hawthorn are still in the premiership window and we will lose on Anzac Day.

Fake News.

Another fking champion data article. throw it in the bin

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OK @chris_64. I think it’s time we sat you down for an intervention.

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They have Lyons in the 30’s and he couldn’t even get a game at Gold Coast.
Reality vs stats.

Edit:
Doesn’t even have our best and fairest. 4 of our top 8 bnf’s just missed top 100… behind Lyons, heck even Boak and Roughead made it lol.

Sydney also have 4 in the top 50
WhiCh would put them 5th if you just looked at top 50.
Same as if u did top 110 we have more.

Wouldn’t read much into these stats tbh.

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Can we just start a champion data thread where Chris just talks to himself

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I think he led the Suns for contested possessions and clearances so he was going ok.