Have a think back about the past Essendon players, who for a variety of reasons, only teased us briefly with their prescence in the red & black.
It could be a player who was already recognised as a bona fide star, however their career was cut devastatingly short (Coleman, Neale Daniher). It might be a player who had buckets of talent, but whose attitude just didnt cut it (Cupido, A.Lovett).
Maybe it's a player who came to the club with a lot of hype, but their performance didnt live up to expectations through injury or poor form. Or maybe it was just a grafter who you felt didnt get the opportunity they deserved ?
Sometimes I think about "the angry Ant" - Tony Antrobus. He wore No 2, and came over from South Australia in the mid/late 80's. He was a fiesty little rover with a big reputation, with some in Adelaide considering him the equivalent of John Platten back in the SANFL.
After a handful of games in the red & black he developed chronic lower back problems (stress fractures?), enduring season ending operations and lengthy breaks. He was never the player he seemed destined to be, and a few seasons later he was traded to St Kilda (if my memory serves me well). I was upset his career never took off, as I used to have fierce arguments with my older brother (Hawthorn supporter) that "Essendon was going to have a better rover than John Platten"....
Nominate some players you think about from time to time, and the reasons you felt their time in the Essendon guernsey was too brief. What makes you remember them ?
Shane Harvey. I thought we had a traditional crumbling forward who could one day turn into a mid like his brother. Went to North and fell off the AFL scene.
I always thought Bradley Plain was one of the most talented footballers to pull on an Essendon jumper. He could make the ball talk. He just didn't have the work ethic.
I don't think we got the best out of Jason Laycock either.
I always thought Bradley Plain was one of the most talented footballers to pull on an Essendon jumper. He could make the ball talk. He just didn't have the work ethic.
I don't think we got the best out of Jason Laycock either.
Bradley Plain is a beauty! #14 with the long sleeves.... I remember we got him from Collingwood reserves - his senior debut with us was on hold as he was suspended for throwing his mouthguard at an umpire!! Very talented, but maybe it was all too easy for him as a junior.
I like everyone else thought Scott Cummings was going to be the answer to our forward prayers. He turned out to be a good forward... for West Coast that is.
Also, I remember at the same time Jordan Banister kicking bags of goals in the 2s and I thought - wow, we have Cummings and Banister who both kick huge numbers - awesome. Well Jordan never took off but was serviceable in the backline for the blues.
Another obvious one was Gavin Wanganeen. I was sure he'd play 300 plus games for us and become captain one day... still a champion.
I like everyone else thought Scott Cummings was going to be the answer to our forward prayers. He turned out to be a good forward... for West Coast that is.
Also, I remember at the same time Jordan Banister kicking bags of goals in the 2s and I thought - wow, we have Cummings and Banister who both kick huge numbers - awesome. Well Jordan never took off but was serviceable in the backline for the blues.
Another obvious one was Gavin Wanganeen. I was sure he'd play 300 plus games for us and become captain one day... still a champion.
Cummings and Julian Kirzner running around in the reserves looked like our key forwards were sorted for the next decade. (Which they eventually were, it just wasn't these two)
Some ridiculous bags of goals kicked by those two, back in the day when you could actually watch the reserves before the big game.
Guys like Judd llalich, Andrew Uckovic, mark alvey, Jay Nash guys like this I am sometimes wonder how life is for them since footy and if footy is even still a big part of their lives