Barring injury Kelly should finish the season 290 odd career games so joining the 300 club might be a lure for 2017 because he’s proven this year he’s still a top level player
I understand that James Kelly was employed by the AFL and has been given time off to play this year. He has said he will return to his position.
Not an exodus but we have lost some good players lately:Monfries
Crameri
Ryder
Carlisle
MelkshamAre all pretty handy.
Yeah but nah. Every team loses players each year as a natural progression. To make a comparative point you would have to look at what starting 22 talent other teams have lost in the same period. 5 guys over 4 years is probably a good rate of retention irrespective of the saga.
I also think you can’t include Monfries because he was gone before the saga started and it was for more coin/stability/return home so unrelated.
That makes it 4 departures in 3 years of saga… which is phenomenal under any circumstances. Then you throw in that we got players like Zerrett, Langford and Parish in return and it doesn’t feel so bad.
I feel it’s the right time to send this message to the other 17 clubs: the time for nibbling on our list is OVER.
You tried your best, got a couple to break away from the pack, but even there, Jackets extracted a trade, and your shiny new vehicles are currently sitting in the garage…
Now, it’s our turn - any VIC boys that want to come home, anyone playing in a hopeless team, or under a miserable coach - we are once again open for business.
PS. Priority will be given to anyone that can kick goals, because that will get you straight into the senior team.
Cloke will be cheap. 
Cloke will be cheap. :Dwhy isn't there a dislike icon?
Cloke will be cheap. :D
Yeah, nah
He said to kick goals^
Since this is all the rage at the moment:
B: Bags Hartley Gwilt/Francis
HB: Pig Hurls BJ
C: Tippa! Zaka Colyer
Foll: LBerg Heppell Zerrett
HF: Lang Joe Raz
F: Jobe Hooksy Budda
Int: Lav/Myers Parish Stants Brown/Smack
TBell comes in to give Loony a break here and there. Also, hope we pick up one or two of the top ups depending on how they travel through the season. Dea and Crowley looking good so far. Couldn’t find room for Bird or Howlett but they could potentially take one of the forward mid rotation spots. I really wanted to fit Myers in because I rate him big time. Just impossible to find the right mix of outside and inside. Maybe BJ might retire and he can fit. I dunno. Brown can be used at either end depending whether we want to swing with the Hooker. Probably not room for both him and Smack though. Smack preferable for the ruck chop out though. Depending on the progress of Francis I think most agree that we’d be starting him back on the third tall and hopefully developing him into a utility. That’s 30 players that I can see all pushing for a spot and by then we hopefully have some of Morgan, Redman, Eades, Long, McKenna and whoever we pick up in the first draft round also pushing.
That’s potentially a very healthy list. Enough veterans, players getting close to their peak and exciting up and comers. Tall depth is there. Wouldn’t hurt to have a young developing tall in next year too. Getting close to that magic list of 40 who can mostly come straight in or are developing super talents.
Edit: Forgot Dempsey! Depending on how he goes this season could be right in the mix too. Jeez, Woosha must be salivating at the idea of next season!
Since this is all the rage at the moment:B: Bags Hartley Gwilt/Francis
HB: Pig Hurls BJ
C: Tippa! Zaka Colyer
Foll: LBerg Heppell Zerrett
HF: Lang Joe Raz
F: Jobe Hooksy Budda
Int: Lav/Myers Parish Stants Brown/Smack
Not sure about this…
If you’re going to start a theoretically positive topic, why would you include the likes of Ashby and Edwards in there.
Completely unnecessary.
If you're going to start a theoretically positive topic, why would you include the likes of Ashby and Edwards in there.Completely unnecessary.
Because as soon as any player puts on the red and black they earn my respect. Kelly and Stokes are no lesser Essendon players than Ashby and Edwards in my opinion.
There will be an exodus at the end of the year. There has to be. That exodus will be made up of our list of fantastic top ups who have enriched us with their spirit and leadership as well as others who didn’t make the cut but will always have my respect.
David ■■■■ will be screaming from the rafters about how unfair it is that we get to replace our 10 top-up players with 12 listed players. His head won’t quite understand it and he’ll be all, “why should they get an unfair advantage!!!”
There is only one answer you ever need to know when it comes to the EFC David.
A: Because we are better than you.
If you're going to start a theoretically positive topic, why would you include the likes of Ashby and Edwards in there.Completely unnecessary.
Because as soon as any player puts on the red and black they earn my respect. Kelly and Stokes are no lesser Essendon players than Ashby and Edwards in my opinion.
There will be an exodus at the end of the year. There has to be. That exodus will be made up of our list of fantastic top ups who have enriched us with their spirit and leadership as well as others who didn’t make the cut but will always have my respect.
All respect to the top ups. But they have to leave (we may draft a couple back), so that’s the “exodus”. Ashby and Edwards have 5 months to make a case that they won’t be leaving. Completely different situation.
Reckon 3 out of the 10 will be drafted by the club. The best performing 3.
Anyone not drafted will either retire…or bob up on a VFL/SANFL/WAFL list.
You’d imagine we’d be at least interested in the first two rounds of the draft in new picks. If we go after 2 or 3 of the top ups there’s 5 changes and then we’re probably going to want to elevate one or two rookies as well. Potentially 7 changes. I can perhaps imagine 3 or 4 retirees/delistings but it gets difficult after that.
And forever after, you can hear the laughter, bad predictions by an evil ■■■■■■■, sign ons coming faster, devastating haters predicting disaster
Now you can see what this all means to me when the bombers keep signing on
(ok so maybe not everyone will be familiar with this but I’ve re-worded an Exodus song…)
Reckon 3 out of the 10 will be drafted by the club. The best performing 3. Anyone not drafted will either retire..or bob up on a VFL/SANFL/WAFL list.
Not a chance in the world that we draft 3 of these guys. 1 at most, but I’d be surprised if there are any
Not a chance beyond 2. Grimley and !!! Maybe Dea
Not a chance beyond 2. Grimley and !!! Maybe Dea
I think by the end of this year Sam Michael may surprise a few.