Spuds to Studs: New listed players

Who’s available and what do we need?

Really don’t understand the sense behind the speculation that we won’t use the final 2 top ups. Even with 10 we still only have 37 and several of the top ups have injury histories. As to the line that we’ll use the rookies instead, well we can pick 10 and still elevate 3, presumably Hams, Tippa and Irish. If one of the rucks is long term injured then we can decide whether to elevate Gach and I seriously doubt Wally jnr is ready just yet. And remember the idea that injuries won’t happen is pure fantasy.
Maybe it’s a cash call, I don’t know, but even with the 10 we’ll still have fewer player resources than the other clubs, so why take 2 less than we can?

Having said all that, if one of them isn’t Cogs, I’m not sure I give a poo.

Question without notice: We lost our midfield coalface but are any of the 8 taken so far, other than maybe Polky, actually genuine inside mids? Haven’t watched a lot of other teams in recent years but I thought Crowley was more of a stopper than a getter (I think I just coined that epithet) and Kelly used to be more of an outside mid I thought.

I don’t think there’s any need for panic, & I don’t recall anyone saying we weren’t going to use them.

Maybe we’ve kept the option open in case Jobe & Stants went for an injunction … or o/wise we’d likely take all the time we couild to assess players for the last 2 spots having listed all the instant choices.

Myers is fantastic when he has a run at it. Part of our success in 2013 was his presence.

It is also true that across his career he’s averaged about 12 games a season. Which is terrible. Whether we want him to stay or go probably depends on who else develops, and what we would get for him. The same logic applies to Belly, who unless it was a good deal I would definitely keep.

For mine, the guys who we want to keep no matter the deal are only three - Hurley, Heppell and Colyer. And with Colyer, it depends on what the team knows about his medical prognosis, because his games per year availability has been rubbish as well.

Myers?! Myers is a gun when available and fit.

Myers is a gun in the pocket of centre half bench.
Really c’mon now…

Myers is a contested ball beast and has been missed. That left foot is a dead set weapon.

Not when he’s injured and sitting on the pine for most the season, he’s no better than a dead set doughnut…oh wait he played 5 minutes of good footy sometimes last season?

That was an impact injury........just unlucky.

He played a total of 38 games in 2013 & 2014.
Pretty solid I would have thought.

With Watson no guarantee of playing again, Howlett on the fringe, Hocking suited more to run with duties, and our midfield youngsters still a few years away from gaining that Selwood type body strength, I’d suggest Myers could be a very important player in the next 2-3 years !

If we pick up Sam Michael as suggested, who will get the last spot.

The way I see things at the moment is:

Watson - Polkinghorn
Heppel - Kelly
Hurley - Michael
Hooker - Grimley
Colyer - Stokes
Hocking - Crowley
Stanton - Simpkin
Hibberd - Dea
Bellchambers - Jamar
Myers - Hams
Pears – ???
Howlett - Walla

Any thoughts?

makes me want to cry.

simply isnt an essendon team

If it’s in our jumper, it’s our team.

That’s the simplest and yet profound statement I’ve read on Blitz for weeks. That’s all the motivation any of us should need to get on board and barrack our arses off every game.

Well said Boot.

Not so sure I could’ve stomached it if we had signed Goodes. I think I would’ve had to seriously consider microwaving.

There was a guy who looked like Carlisle played really well in the practice game today up forward. I presume it was Sam Grimley.

yep watching his video on essendon website made me think he plays a bit like carlisle in the way he moves.

Ditto but talked like Joey D

My understanding was that we could upgrade all rookies and sign up to 10 (or 11) players.
But that was what Gil said at the press conference after the bans occurred.
Maybe it’s changed since as we would want Kochie to have another cry how disadvantaged his club is compared to ours.

Maybe the story is related to an injunction for Jobe & Stants..?

I wonder if they want to promote 4 rookies instead of 2

We can promote 3 rookies to take it to the maximum of 40.

If this season goes as badly as most of us are predicting, just how motivated will any of these guys be past the half way point of the season?

more than some of the guys who are missing were during the last part of last season.

you could throw in 06 for some of those players
and 08
and 2010
and 2012
and 2015

On the flipside, imagine how much confidence as a whole the group and esp the youngsters could get, if this seasons goes no where near as bad as some think ?

but who knows what will happen, that’s half the excitement for myself this year, there’s no predictable outcome as with previous years, even without the saga.
yes we could stink it up as much as ever, or in 8 odd months we may go, this year is the first step in the journey back to the top.

Get the youngsters to do what is required of them straight off the bat, get them into good habits, hopefully have them play well and really loss’s this year are inconsequential to a certain degree.

Tis essentially a gap yeah where you focus solely on practicing (as apposed to a school sense in studying) and hopefully setting up a strong foundation.

We dont need to promote rookies…arent they already promoted?

McKenna come on in budeeee

Maybe the story is related to an injunction for Jobe & Stants..?

I wonder if they want to promote 4 rookies instead of 2

Maybe the story is related to an injunction for Jobe & Stants…?

Myers?! Myers is a gun when available and fit.

Myers is a gun in the pocket of centre half bench.
Really c’mon now…

Myers is a contested ball beast and has been missed. That left foot is a dead set weapon.
people have short memories on how good a player Colyer has become.

Spot-fkn-on

Would not have beaten the Hawks had he not burnt his man off almost the length of the ground to kick the 2nd last goal.

Would not have beaten the Saints a few weeks later without him.

He almost got us the Dreamtime game win with important goals.

He’s been a slow burn, but we need to keep him now.
Arguably our most important outside player !

‘Scoop’ McClueless thinks no more top ups. We are going settle for 8.

Lol then we are guaranteed for additional two.

people have short memories on how good a player Colyer has become.

If we pick up Sam Michael as suggested, who will get the last spot.

The way I see things at the moment is:

Watson - Polkinghorn
Heppel - Kelly
Hurley - Michael
Hooker - Grimley
Colyer - Stokes
Hocking - Crowley
Stanton - Simpkin
Hibberd - Dea
Bellchambers - Jamar
Myers - Hams
Pears – ???
Howlett - Walla

Any thoughts?

Does it matter? If its meant to be like for like ??? Will be injured the entire time so wont matter

Not your finest post Alan.