When You Think About It

[robbie67]

HIlle, McVeigh, Welsh, and Lucas were probably our 4 best players last year. Reimers was our most improved.

The contribution from this group in 2009 is negligable. To be in the top 4 after 9 round under these circumstances is astonishing. It's a fantastic performance from everyone involved at our club. Sure, we may drop off, but it really does set us up now for the future.

I was thinking after the Port game that we were going to be in for a very very long lean time at Essendon. Draft choices in the next few years would be hard to come by, but outside of Hawthorn, I think our list is probably the best going into the future.

[Mrs Mercuri]

Players who were on the fringe last year have stepped up. Dyson, Hocking, Hooker, Daniher and others have lifted their games to cover the loss of those above players.

Recruiting Zaharakis and Skipworth was also genius!!

[DC]

I was thinking the same thing robbie.

Fletcher has been missing for a few crucial games which we have either won or nearly won too.

Players Im expecting to come on strong and be in the 22 in the very near future are - Hurley, Gumbleton, Prismal, Reimers, McVeigh, Hille, Fletcher, Welsh. Thats 8 players. Sure, Hurley and gumbleton havent proven much at all. But I have liked the little ive seen. Knighta speaks very hughly of both and has seen them train alot more than any of us. And Fletcher is a oldie...but even he's talken about a couple more seasons. He definitely could now, just roaming about off a flank or as a 3rd tall. Easy for fletch...even play a lil up front maybe.

Can Prismall come back and still be the same we saw at Geelong? Time will tell. But Im thinking he will. seems to work very hard from all reports.

Not sure about scotty. He was struggling like ive never seen before...cant mark, cant kick straight, cant kick a goal. Was pretty much useless out there. Its going to take a mighty effort to still be on the list next year. With Hurely injured and NLM suspended now is his time. Its either now or never.

[BenDoolan]

The future (under 25's).....

Backmen:

Michael Hurley 19 (next week)
Darcy Daniher 19
David Myers 19
Tayte Pears 19
Cale Hooker 20
Courtenay Dempsey 21
Bachar Houli 21
Henry Slattery 23
Jay Nash 23

Midfielders:

David Zaharakis 19
Kyle Reimers 20
Heath Hocking 21
Sam Lonergan 22
Brent Prismall 22
Brent Stanton 23
Ricky Dyson 23
Jobe Watson 24
Jason Winderlich 24

Forwards:

Michael Still 18
Leroy Jetta 20
Scott Gumbleton 20
Jay Neagle 21
Angus Monfries 22

Followers:

Tom Bellchambers 19
Christian Bock 19 (rookie)
Paddy Ryder 21

I think we have a terrific midfield group coming through. Add 3 years experience to this mob and they'll be a very strong unit. IMO, they already are an impressive outfit. Add Paddy Ryder amongst them (couple with Hille) and it is a potent mix.

The defenders are very promising also. Again, add 3 years experience to the group and we will have a strong defence in cohesion with a strong midfield.

The only question marks remain over the forwards in my book. Neagle and Gumbleton simply have to mature in the next 3 years to cover the losses of Lloyd and Lucas. Michael Still is an unknown quality, and our small forwards in Monfries and Jetta need to become consistent contributors.

Overall, I believe we have a great core of kids/young men on our list.

[Sismis]

The think i am most pleased about is our quality talls. A lot of people have compared to the bulldogs of a couple of years ago, we have the pace the class BUT we also have the tall timber they lack. Carlton, Adelaide you'd have to say are in the same boat.

I'm not too worried about the forward situation. I think it is easier to turn someone from a defender to a forward than vice versa.

[j-mac31]

Wasn't Lucas injured in round 1 last year and came back shit? Surely Lloyd was in our top 4 last year.

I agree with Mr Doolan: we are developing a great midfield group and the backline looks like it should be very good too.

Perhaps question marks over the forward line, but we are winning games now with little/no impact from Neagle, particularly after quarter time and Lloyd the other tall. Zaharakis is doing well up there for the smalls and Skipworth was too. In terms of talls, once Hille is back, he and Ryder will rotate through there too.
We are developing a great team.

[j-mac31]

Plus I don't think Geelong's team is great up forward, at least in terms of tall forwards and it doesn't seem to be hurting them much.

[Madden]

Fantastic post BD.

However, its very clear that this area is of concern:

Forwards:

Michael Still 18
Leroy Jetta 20
Scott Gumbleton 20
Jay Neagle 21
Angus Monfries 22

From that list I would say the following:

Still - drafted late (so not rated super highly) and unproven.
Jetta - at the crossroads.
Gumbleton - cronically injured, and unproven (at this stage)
Neagle - talented but lacks fitness and application
Monfries - talented but is slow and inconsistant.

Add to that list John Williams (who is unproven as well) and its clear that we could potentally have a problem in this area - particularly if Gumbleton doesn't make it and Neagle doesn't come on (which are both, at the very least, possible).

[Windy_Hill]

Fantastic post BD.

However, its very clear that this area is of concern:

Forwards:

Michael Still 18
Leroy Jetta 20
Scott Gumbleton 20
Jay Neagle 21
Angus Monfries 22

From that list I would say the following:

Still - drafted late (so not rated super highly) and unproven.
Jetta - at the crossroads.
Gumbleton - cronically injured, and unproven (at this stage)
Neagle - talented but lacks fitness and application
Monfries - talented but is slow and inconsistant.

Add to that list John Williams (who is unproven as well) and its clear that we could potentally have a problem in this area - particularly if Gumbleton doesn't make it and Neagle doesn't come on (which are both, at the very least, possible).

In Gumby and Jay you have the makings of a combo that could be as good as Dunstall and Brereton - be patient with Gumby - he is by all accounts pure gold. Jetta at the crossroads is tough - c'mon, he is a kid just learning the game. Zaharakis gets all the credit for the Anzac Day win with his last minute goal but in fact it was Jetta that got us the points with some amazing heroics in those last crazy minutes. Monfries was arguably our best in the Hawthorn game - again, he is young and maturing but starting to deliver more regularly

[juff]

Fantastic post BD.

However, its very clear that this area is of concern:

Forwards:

Michael Still 18
Leroy Jetta 20
Scott Gumbleton 20
Jay Neagle 21
Angus Monfries 22

From that list I would say the following:

Still - drafted late (so not rated super highly) and unproven.
Jetta - at the crossroads.
Gumbleton - cronically injured, and unproven (at this stage)
Neagle - talented but lacks fitness and application
Monfries - talented but is slow and inconsistant.

Add to that list John Williams (who is unproven as well) and its clear that we could potentally have a problem in this area - particularly if Gumbleton doesn't make it and Neagle doesn't come on (which are both, at the very least, possible).

Given that, it's looking more and more likely that Hurley will be moved in to the forward line, especially if we anticipate a need for depth to cover the perennially injured Gumby and Neagle. Knighta has already hinted at this.

[j-mac31]

Why would you put an awesome prospect for FB/CHB into the forward line?

If someone goes from back to forward it should be Daniher (who played forward before AFL) or Hooker (probably 3rd/4th option after Hurley, Pears, maybe Daniher).

[jimmyc1985]

Improvement has come from a combination of a few players finally getting their body right and contributing very well (Winderlich, Dempsey, Davey), a few young guys stepping up (Pears, Hooker, Hocking, Zaharakis), and a few more experienced guys finally pulling their fingers out (Lovett in particular, Dyson as well, occasionally Monfries). It's pleasing that the improvement has come from a variety of sources, as it shows a number of crucial aspects of our club that have been ordinary for a while (drafting, player development, injury management) are all improving. When you think about it, it's not all that surprising that everything is improving as major changes have been made in all areas: Allan Richardson put in charge of player development, Dodoro getting more autonomy in his drafting in Sheedy's absence, and basically the entire fitness team has changed over the last two years.