OK, crystal ball time for EFC.

[andrewb]

Here's the big question: When opposition coaches look at the selected Essendon side, who will they look at tagging now that Hird is gone? We haven't currently got anyone on our list who is damaging enough to justify it.

Jobe is a great extractor but he's not going to kill you around the ground. Stanton is a great link man but he's not going to kill you in the tight spaces. McVeigh has the foot skills but doesn't seem to have the speed,. stamina or extraction skills. Lovett probably has all the tools but goes missing too often.

Look at any of the top teams and you'll get match-up headaches through the middle - West Coast: Cox, Judd, Kerr, Cousins, Priddis; Geelong: Bartel, Ablett, Corey, Kelly; Port: Burgoyne, Burgoyne, Cornes, Cornes, Pearce. Look at Essendon and you only have to worry about Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher. Where is that superstar going to come from?

Jetta and Hislop might have it but they're at least a couple of seasons away. Dempsey has showed a couple of signs but he seems to be perpetually injured. Gus doesn't seem to have the pace or the stamina - maybe after another preseason?

I don't know the answer but I'm concerned that it doesn't lie within the club at the moment. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to look outside our current list to solve this problem and it's going to require tough decisions. It took Bomber five years to build that midfield at Geelong and I don't think we have that much time.

[j-mac31]

The most important thing: DO NOT LET THE COACH DO WHAT LYON DID AT ST KILDA!

Roos, Craig and Eade have their teams playing a style of game that suits their players. It gets the most out of the list.
Roos doesn't have quick midfielders, but they win the ball so cause stoppages, which they win. Their forward line isn't the best, but kick enough to win low scoring games.
Craig has a poor forward line and many average players, but a few very good midfielders and pushes the team back to help the defence, cause turnovers and scores on the rebound.
Eade had very few quality talls, so turned his team into a running team.

Lyon on the other hand, had a team and especially a forward line conducive to playing attacking footy - get in quickly to Gehrig, Reiwoldt and Kozzy with Milne at their feet and you will score big. The midfield is pretty good, but defence isn't up to it, meaning that you can't rely on keeping other teams from scoring. However he took Roos' game plan because it had worked for him, but the teams are very different.
Lyon might end up being a good coach, but failed this year.

(I'm in a rush to leave now so sorry if i haven't explained myself perfectly)

[hillchaser]

Some hard running big bodied midfielders that can apply some defensive pressure would be nice. Our midfielders are slow or downhill skiers.

We have no physical presence in the midfield.