Essendon have received a significant off-season boost with skipper Dyson Heppell extending his contract with the Bombers.
The new deal means the star midfielder extends his stay through to at least the end of 2022 at the club.
“I am incredibly proud to be able to wear the Essendon jumper and play for the side that I grew up supporting, but to go around again as captain of the club again is a true honour,” Heppell said.
“There is a really good feeling at the club and the boys are all really committed to continual improvement.
Heppell has been a major part of the Essendon side since 2011, and has captained the club since 2017.
“Dyson is an important part of the future of Essendon, not only through what he offers on-field but his leadership and drive in demanding the best from himself and his peers,” general manager of list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro said..
Aransan
Roar Rookie
An absolute gentleman, I even had a phone call from him wishing me a Merry Xmas.
Vercetti1986'
Roar Rookie
According to your logic, injuries do not matter at all and will not have any meaningful impact on a team… that is just categorically wrong. If a team loses a significant number of their best players to injury, you cannot seriously believe that it will not affect their ability to win games. Every team must manage injuries but some teams must manage more injuries and more importantly to their best and most essential players. Brisbane barely had to deal with injuries to their best players this year and that is the only reason they made the top 8 tbh. If the bulldogs lost bontempelli, macrae, naughton and English to injury for most of the season, they would be a bottom 4 side. A lot of sides depend on the continuity of their best players to perform obviously.
anon
Roar Pro
Essendon still two years away from being two years away.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
He is still a good leader and a very good player.
IAP
Guest
Blaming injuries is a cop-out - every team has injuries. Daniher is a good player when he's on, but he's not going to put on any forward pressure and he can't kick a drop punt from 20 metres out (has to kick around corners); Smith is another b-grader in a b-grade team (he's ok, but he won't win you matches); and Hurley is a good player.
Vercetti1986'
Roar Rookie
Essendon were rather fortuitous to make the finals this year but they did have a bad run with injuries and continuity with personnel is essential for success. Daniher, Smith and Hurley are all quality players and they barely played last season. Their prospects are much different with all those players in the team. I do think, however there is a problem with Essendon's culture and management. They seem to be accepting of failure now. It has now been 15 years since they won a final and the players do not seem to give a damn. Essendon used to be a very prideful club but now it is the norm to expect wasted seasons from them. That drug scandal really derailed the club's prospects this decade. They had a good list during those years but couldn't strike while the iron was hot because of that scandal. It will be interesting to see how they go in 2020 but it will be dependent upon injuries and continuity. The coach is another matter because Worsfold seems to not know what he is doing anymore. That woeful loss to the bulldogs in 2019 was a good example of this. Conceding 21 consecutive goals was abysmal and that was largely a consequence of coaching ability I thought. Essendon do seem to have too many flash in the pan players that are not about getting the job done. St Kilda will also be interesting to watch in 2020. This is a team that had one of the worst runs with injury in 2019 and I thought they had a decent year despite finishing 14th. I think now that Ratten is in charge, the skills of the players should be much better and there should be a concrete strategy now that did not really exist under Richardson. Nobody is expecting much of St Kilda but they should have a good year in 2020 if they can have a good run with injuries.
IAP
Guest
Essendon, like North and St Kilda, just reek of mediocrity. They're never going to hit the bottom with the lists they've got, but they're never going to get to the top either; all of them are 9-14 teams. Heppell is the perfect example of that - he's ok, but he's never going to tear a game apart.
David C
Roar Rookie
Taken with pick 8 in the 2010 draft he had a great first year. There was all this talk about him sliding because of injury risks and how Brisbane had made a mistake not taking him the pick 5 (they took Polec). He just hasn't improved over the years.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Top 50 in the competition is still top 3 in a club.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Heppell is not elite but worthy of his spot. Francis wouldn't have the endurance to be a midfielder, could Laverde do it? He has had awful luck with injuries. Given the coverage they have at half back I think they tried to develop Jordan Ridley as a midfielder, but I don't believe that worked out. Clubs have to be careful trying players in new positions, that is when problems and mental issues come to the fore.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Fair point with Heppell. Prior to the Essendon saga he was considered one of the better mids in the comp, now I think he'd struggle to make the top 50
Ditto
Roar Rookie
Dyson Heppell is the main reason why I mark Essendon down. He's just not good enough at the position he plays, unfortunately he doesn't suit any other position. I'd turf him and play Aaron Francis in his spot.