Poor Essendon, said no one ever.
The Bombers played the victim all the way through the arrogance and hubris of the ASADA drugs saga, and have been run over by the karma bus several times since.
Their last finals win was in 2004, they’ve been thumped in the odd final a few times since, and neither of those things are going to be happening this year.
The disappointment for Essendon fans right now is that this season’s meagre returns follow on from a fast finish to 2021 that promised much. They haven’t really fired a shot in most games they’ve played, or have popped off a few bullets but given up too easily.
Now, they’ve played a strong suite of opponents – Geelong, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs. These teams are either the best teams in the comp, vastly experienced, or improving amid great form.
As it turns out, the Bombers just aren’t as good as any of those sides. That’s fair. But why?
The main problem is their midfield is too small and too soft.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish, Andy McGrath, Dylan Shiel. They are all really nice players. Really nice players. Too nice. Lovely people. Well spoken. No hint of power. Easy to play against.
If you want blokes to run around and get you 30 or 35 touches, chip the ball sideways 20 metres, and run past for a cheap one-two, these are the guys for you.
And they’re small, especially in the age of the bigger gun midfielder.
Shiel is the tallest at 182 centimetres. Merrett, Parish and McGrath are all 179 or 180. Picture them on the field and the way they play. It’s a thousand cuts, but they don’t deliver death too often. They rely on quantity over game-breaking quality.
Now cast your mind to the likes of Clayton Oliver (187 centimetres), Christian Petracca (186), Patrick Cripps (195), Marcus Bontempelli (193), Nat Fyfe (192), Patrick Dangerfield (189), Dustin Martin (187), Jack Steele (187) and Ollie Wines (190).
Big men winning big clearances and creating big moments. They’re not even playing the same sport.
There are plenty of smaller guns too though – Lachie Neale, Luke Parker, Touk Miller and Luke Shuey are the pick of the crop here. Each one of them is completely uncompromising in the way they play. The Essendon four are anything but.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Perhaps it’s just that the Bombers have too much of the same thing. It’s why Jake Stringer was deployed as a centre-square starter to awesome effect in the second half of last season.
He averaged six clearances, ten contested possessions and two and a half goals a game post-bye last year, driving Essendon’s surge to the finals.
Stringer’s superiority only highlighted the inadequacies of his teammates. He’s had in an interrupted 2022 so far, and is still searching for his most explosive form. He’s now done a hamstring and is about to miss more football.
Essendon has a back line full of jobbers too.
Not many forward lines are having sleepless nights wondering how they’re going to get the best of Jayden Laverde, Jordan Ridley, Mason Redman, Jake Kelly and co. Again, they have an undersized feel to them.
Peter Wright is a footballer that does have some size about him, and in the last 12 months has worked out how to use it. He’s still not the finished product, but is proving to be someone a forward line can be built around.
It’s easy to surmise that the Bombers could have a significant blip this year, yet still be on track overall under Ben Rutten. Progress is rarely linear in the AFL.
But the heat can be fierce, and it can destabilise a club. Players out of contract start looking elsewhere. Everyone starts looking out for themselves, and this can never lead to improved performances.
Essendon need to start winning, and right quick. It’s the only thing that can quieten down the outside noise.
JamesH
Roar Guru
He's miiiiiiiiles off. Barely getting a touch in the VFL he's so unfit. I'd honestly consider it a nice bonus if he ever plays AFl again at this point. He's struggling mentally and physically and I just don't think his heart is in it. Hurst to say that, he's such a loved player.
Steele
Roar Rookie
A lot of fuss about a team that was just making up the numbers. I didn’t have them near the 8 pre season. Their draw was horrid and well they just aren’t that good. Shiel was known as a pretty tough clearance guy at GWS, it’s a fall from grace for him. Agree with Cam, size matter’s.
BeePee
Roar Rookie
The problems include their midfielders not only playing soft but playing like millionnaires - lots of backwards movement, lots of touches but hardly anything going forward. If that isn't bad enough they've shelled out large on Shiel for seven years who after four years can barely hold his place in the team. Lots of problems.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
True, Dunks is an "average kick" and below average kicking for goals. But he makes up for it in spades in other areas of his game. He's a good package.
1dawg
Roar Rookie
Essendon Swans?
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Based on that last sentence you would take him Knackaz his contract ends this year & l’m sure Dodoro will attempt to ask the question!
Knackaz
Roar Rookie
Would be happy for Sydney to trade Stephens out. Wasted a high pick there, when we could have drafted Serong. Kinnear Beatson rarely gets it wrong (he’s nailed awesome late picks like Luke Parker, Tom Papley, Justin McInerney, Chad Warner, Sam Wicks etc) but he did with Stephens, who is just too soft and not a great kick. Would be perfect for the Bumblers, and the Bloods could give the famous # 3 guernsey to a player who deserves it …
Knackaz
Roar Rookie
Dunkley is a very average kick, especially for a midfielder, which is why Sydney never took him as a Father - Son pick when they had first dibs. He has done well at the Dogs and did play in their premiership side against the Bloods in 2016, but I'm glad we didn't take him, and only recruit guys who are elite kicks. He would improve the Bumblers weak midfield though, winning hardballs and handpassing to Merrett on the outside ...
Knackaz
Roar Rookie
The article was about Essendon, NOT Carlton. Save your Carlton talk for articles about Carlton, ffs ...
Opps74
Roar Rookie
Parish had 45 possessions on Anzac Day, some were effective and most were cheap meaningless handballs...if he had 30 by half time and were hurting the pies they should have been 6 goals up...Smith and Shiel have not lived up to Dodoro's worth on them...Dodoro can be as a hard a negotiater as he likes, in 12 years in the role what has his club achieved? I think Rutten is doing the best he can with an average list...will he survive? If he goes Dodoro should go with him because he is the one forming the list!
Seano
Roar Rookie
Could be worse, imagine winning a flag, being undefeated and still not beating able to get 40,000 people to a game.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Or else because of their slow hands they get shut down in the the second or third tackle and turnovers result. West Coast have ,mostly, the same problem. They just make mistakes in their defence as well...
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Honestly don’t get why we didn’t sign him instead we selected Garrett McDonagh. Mcdonagh is fine but he isn’t what the bombers need right now
Macca
Roar Rookie
Your stats actually help my case. De Goey attends centre bounces, goes forward. De Goey gets the ball kicks long, Cripps gets the ball handballs off. Also you need to adjust your Cripps stats for the fact he only played 1/4 against the Suns. PS adjusted metres gained for Cripps is 418m and adjusted centre clearances is 4 with Cripps averaging19.4 handballs adj compared to De Goey 9.7
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
I think you'll find Stringer worth is a Melbourne thing. I dont think he is rated all that highly by most oppositions
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Round 5, 2019 against the Bulldogs and Bolton’s last win. Got 35 disposals playing in the midfield. Pretty sure some of his kicks even exceeded 30 metres. After that Teague got to him and his career went spiralling backwards before it even really got started.
1dawg
Roar Rookie
I always hoped he would take it to the next level at the Blues but he never did. Kicking more than 15 metres is something I can't recall either.
1dawg
Roar Rookie
Buckley should have been a playing coach. He could play far better than coach.
1dawg
Roar Rookie
"Buckley says"...
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Very sad for SPS. Showed a lot and was looking the goods in 2019. Teague sapped all the enthusiasm out of him though and he’s a shadow of what he could of been. Needs a coach who will reinvigorate him but I cant see that happening currently at the Eagles.