You could be forgiven if you assumed it was all over for Essendon.
Well, considering that’s what has been the general media rhetoric during this off-season. From pre-season injuries and homesickness to leadership group changes, there has been a lot going on at Tullamarine.
Starting from the top, injuries. A string of key players have all have had interrupted pre-seasons. Not to mention Conor McKenna’s yearning for home, which has resulted in his surprise return to Ireland. It’s hard to try and formulate an argument as to how this all can be considered somewhat positive for the Bombers ahead of the 2020 season. But from what I can gather, the majority of these injuries are minor and should not be a huge hindrance to their Round 1 aspirations. Tick.
Unfortunately, this does exclude Joe Daniher and potentially Tom Bellchambers. Naturally, let’s focus our attention directly onto Daniher.
The Joe Daniher trade dilemma was a simple one for Essendon: either force Sydney’s hand into trading two first-round picks or one first-round pick plus a ready-made player, or hold Daniher to his contract, and hope that he stays healthy and re-discovers his love for the red and black, or reap compensation picks if he completes his contractual obligations for 2020 and walks out as a free agent. Essentially a win-win, right?
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)
Not exactly. I wager the Dons didn’t foresee Daniher’s groin injury to be as troublesome as it has been, thus giving the trade dilemma a hypothetical third option: Daniher’s groin being so damaged that he can never get back to playing continuous footy again.
In this situation, the Bombers lose Daniher in a footballing capacity for the year, and face the possibility of no other clubs claiming him as a free agent, in turn losing both Daniher’s trade value and/or the opportunity of compensation picks.
Luckily for Essendon, Daniher’s injury does not look irreversible and he should be returning to the field by the middle of the season. Reports have surfaced that Daniher has now been taking part in low-contact training drills and has eventually started running, meaning that the third option now seems unlikely, sending Essendon back into their win-win position mentioned earlier. Tick.
Essendon’s leadership team has been altered by 80 per cent since 2019. At first glance that does seem to be inherently damaging to the culture of the club. However, upon further inspection of who was added into the leadership group, you find experienced and loyal players personified by Dyson Heppell, David Zaharakis and Michael Hurley.
If you continue down the list, you will see newer players to the club who have had valuable exposure to finals footy in Devon Smith and Dylan Shiel. With Smith and Shiel, you will find not only said exposure, but also finals wins.
This is especially important to Essendon considering their dearth of finals wins among the players on their list. Jake Stringer and new recruit Jacob Townsend, alongside Smith and Shiel, are the few players on the list to have won a final. The finals toughness these players bring will help to support the team throughout the club’s potential finals campaign. Another tick.
Yes, the ousting of Zach Merrett, 24, from the leadership group rightly shocked the public. But real strength is shown in the face of adversity, or that is at least what we can reasonably assume given Merrett’s response to his demotion from the vice-captaincy.
Merrett explained that he will use the leadership setback as an opportunity to improve himself, and that his first stint in the leadership group gave him rich learnings that he could take forward. Although the news of Merrett not receiving enough votes to stay a part of the leadership group was jarring to grasp, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the end of the world for Merrett, and it looks as though it will fuel him to continue growing for the Bombers. Yep, tick.
This year looms as a do-or-die for Essendon. Their fans are owed a taste of success. The objective for this year is as simple as it has ever been: win a final.
This should be the year that it finally happens.
Top Four Next Year
Roar Rookie
Terrificly put Seb! And thanks for the compliment on the article.
Tony
Guest
Bombers made the 8 with a terrible run of injuries. Towards the end of the year was when it was worst, with Heppell, Fantasia, Hurley, Hooker and Bellchambers injured or obviously hampered, as well as Daniher and Smith. Wasn't surprising that we looked cooked towards the end of the season, and got belted by a few teams. With Draper injured too, it meant we had to play Zac Clarke for many games, and he was an absolute liability. I am not surprised people are so cold on the Bombers after we finished the year the way we did, but we were cooked at that point due to injuries. Essendon still made the 8 with worse injuries than sides like Port or Hawthorn. Those teams also have a lot more important older players that will probably be past their best in 2020. I doubt those teams have more upside than the Bombers, so I expect Essendon to make the top 8 again.
Seb
Roar Rookie
Game plan hasnt changed at all...
Seb
Roar Rookie
Smith, Bellchambers, Fantasia, Hurley, there is a lot of improvement coming this year. many players played under an injury cloud. They made finals last year with these injuries, after a pre season without injury you'd be stupid to think there isnt going to be any improvement.
Seb
Roar Rookie
Essendon finished 8th champ...
Seb
Roar Rookie
I don't think people are really understanding the current situation. Yes there have been injuries, but the media have added a much larger concern than what is needed. Last year many of the players played under injuries, most had little niggles of some sort. These surgeries have only done good in enabling them to play without pain. People say there is no talent in the list, it's one of the more dumber comments ive seen, look through a team sheet and their question will be solved. Some of the best midfielders, some of the best defenders and some of the best forwards in the league. Essednon finished 8th last year with a horrid start, injures and miltiple wins that were stripped off them (ANZAC day, rnd 23). I personally cant see any change in this years top 8 and last years top 8, order will change but no team is any real threat of pushing anyone out. The Daniher situation, he only contributed to 1 win last year, that was the North vs Essendon Round 5 match. The media have clearly placed worry on the team this year, as dumb as people are, they're actually buying into it. Whenever you hear someone talk about Hawthorn of Port making the eight, people should just disgrard the comment, it is obviously made by a clueless individual. This article is great, its opening people up to the facts, but people seem too idiotic to look past what the media has informed them of.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Just pointing to the substance behind the observation. Pretty canny unless you are given to gainsaying for its own sake.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
If you are hanging your hat on the results of a pre-season game you really have lost the plot
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Another one right today. Maybe not as 'weird' as you think.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Further proof that "...Brissy, are no better than about 4 or 5 others not mentioned (Freo, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Port and, maybe, Carlton). Port and Gold Coast have already dealt with a few of those 'obvious top 8 sides'. Sometimes there are twists in the plot you think I have lost. I'm just ahead of the game.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You "saw" a sample of it tonight.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Well, there's a little taste of how Geelong is "no better" than the Suns. It's amazing how clubs improve when injured players are finally able to take the field. One or two significant draftees too.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
No jest. I do, however, look at more than one line of longitude.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
We’ll see!
George Apps
Roar Rookie
You jest of course? I've haven't heard such a load of codswallop in a very long time!
George Apps
Roar Rookie
I can't honestly see them winning enough games to even make the 8. Like Carlton, they'll take a long time to come back from disgraceful conduct of the past few years. Maybe quicker, but not without hiccups. Something is wrong at Windy Hill.
Deegrunt
Guest
Essendon didnt make finals last year... Adelaide, Melbourne and Port FAILED to make finals lol - those teams get their stuff together Essendon dont come close.
Deegrunt
Guest
Its ironic isnt it that Essendon made the finals in big part to Melbournes terrible pre-season yet Essendon supporters cant see that their similar pre-season this year will hinder them... as will trading a forward to Melbourne at the same time an injury prone forward was trying to run away from the place.
Ro
Guest
Essendon had the chance to offload Daniher tried to play hardball and lost. See what Melbourne did with Hogan? Off loaded an injury prone player to a sucker club while he had currency? So yeah thats a cross. Again look to Melbourne (who i think you traded a forward too despite an injured one wanting to get out)... they had injuries last pre-season too. Those injuries are the main reason Essendon fluked a spot in the 8. Had the dees won the games they lost by under 2 goals they make the 8. Essendon dont. Those players who didnt do a proper pre-season cause they were injured didnt have the fitness. So thats a cross. 80% of the leadership team changed? Unless every player on the list was in the leadership group 80% is a freaking HUGE number. So another cross. Essendon are an average team who cheat once every 15 years or so. They might make the 8 this year but probably wont because there are 3 teams in Melbourne, Adelaide and Port who only have to make a half bummed attempt to improve and thats 10 teams better than Essendon. And their supporters dont deserve success any more than any team that hasnt won a flag in over 20 years does.
Eddie from Elwood
Roar Rookie
On Towner, loved him at the Tigs, he will be very serviceable stop gap, before something better comes along. He played heaps of midfield game time for Richmond VFL and was great at it, just doesn't have the speed at AFL level.