May be it is time for a few changes, and introducing some more of the 2020 draft. As the VFL isn’t going anywhere this year, the best place for some of these young guys right now is to play in the AFL side. Here is my team for next Friday night. I also assume that Francis will not be available,
B. Laverde Stewart Reid
HB. Hind Ridley Heppell
C. Cox Merrett Langford
R. Draper Stringer Parish
HF Durham* Wright Snelling
F. Jones Hooker Tippa
IC. Redman Smith Perkins Bryan*
EMERG. Waterman Cutler Ham Guelfi
Three guys to be given a promotion to the AFL side.
We need a stay-at-home CHF. Against Geelong often the forward line was deserted. Most inside 50’s were lost and the Cats easily rebounded. Therefore Wright STAYS at CHF.
Time for Reid to come back in and Ridley to return to CHB (against Walker). Bryan and Draper share the ruck. Against the Cats Draper was worn down by their two ruckman alternating on him to diminish his dominance. Bryan has been performing well in the VFL, time for him to have a crack at AFL.
Big praises for Durham. Ham hasn’t come up to AFL standard, very poor last night. Durham just might just be the player to give the forward line a bit more life rather than relying on Tippa to do all the hard work.
As much as any supporter wants to see their team play finals. At this stage, Essendon isn’t ready. Get games into these young players now so that they gain experience and confidence at playing at AFL level. Essendon could still end up with ten wins for the season. That would be a very good result seeing many scribes said they would be lucky to win a game. Such nonsense.
This is pretty much what I’d be looking for - except I’d leave Cutler out and bring back Guelfi. Guelfi can be a bit costly — but he has attitude, as do Smith & Red Dog. The current Essendon squad has too many nice middle-class boys in it to live up to Truck’s blue collar ethos. Aggro is in short supply here. Stewart has proven he’s not a back; Chooker seriously needs a rest, so Stewart should be put at FF.
There are a lot of positives from last night, not least being we can start looking to next year.
In: Bryan (time to get some big boy experience); Durham (have a look); and Reid (a must for the future).
Out: Hooker (wonderful player and clubman; but, fathertime has knocked the door down); Cutler (surely blew his last chance); and Ham (panics, kicks the ball up and under and not as quick as people, seem, to think).
Out: Cutler (never again please, we have seen enough), Ham (needs to go back to VFL and develop his entire game because right now, he isn’t AFL standard). Hooker.