As elite as Merritt is our most valuable player at the moment would have to be Nick Martin. I was lucky enough to witness an intra club match in February. To me he was best on ground and was simply everywhere. When the going gets tough Martin is often the one who gets us through. He is simply tireless.
Also looking at the Essendon list, where are the tough and strong players who would run through brick walls and crawl over hot coals for success? Where is the Roger Merrett, Dean Wallis, Billy Duckworth, Shane Heard, Dean Solomon and Johnson boys?
@@TimBawden-jb6lt Today I watched an old interview with Jason Winderlich. He talked about his first game in 2003 and how at the start an opposition player tried to rough him up, with the result being that Paul Barnard walked over and told the player ‘touch him again and I will bash you’. Jason said that he was left alone for the rest of the day. That Essendon team was feared, looked after its own and was successful.
@JohnBolton-z5f it was a great era for the club. I've thought for a long time the boys needed to get out there with some attitude. I think the execs have tried to push the nice guy image too much - nice guys finish last. I saw an interview with Pat Voss when he was drafted, he said he enjoyed hurting people in tackles! Need to find another Vossy or ten. Merry Christmas. Hope Santa drops some testicles at the Hangar 😉
Hobbs in for Shiel it’s just he’s getting old. And keep in mind Hobbs was a first round pick so he really should be getting game time week in week out at this stage. Plus I’ve always fancied him because when you look out our midfield and I see so many players even out of the midfield that can play shiels role for us and better. Whereas Hobbs has a point of difference being that he is very defensive minded and a fantastic tackle and provides some much needed grit. Because right now it just seems like it’s Merrett or bust. Other then that I think the teams pretty accurate and well structured.
I like Nick Martin on the wing. Would probably chuck Alhawli in the 23 maybe at the expense of Gresham. Even though the usual suspects have written us off for 2025, I'm still looking forward to seeing the new lads have a go and quietly optimistic about being thereabouts come the end of season. Up the Dons ✊️
Obviously we are all banking on a fit Reid to correct the Centre Half Back problem.Other than that, my issue with your best team is it is the same side that could not make the finals last year.And everyone is playing in the same positions.I believe if we are to have any success the selectors need to be creative.Make some positional changes and try a few new numbers in the line up.If we stay with the same, we can't expect the result to be any different
@@petermcculloch4933 I mentioned that quite a bit in the video. I’m very much a “horses for courses” person in regards to selection. For example I don’t think we should just pick Peter Wright automatically (especially in the wet), I think we need to be more flexible with Langford etc. And of course reward good form in the 2’s.
Redman's role diminished as a consequence of ball magnet Nick Martin's move to the half back. Martin should be back on the wing which would allow Redman to flourish again in my view.
On paper we have a good team if we can keep them on the field. Reid and Duursma are worries with previous injuries. On your selections Durham in 18 and Parish on bench. Guelfi in Gresham out. Tsatas 22 Shiel 23. Develop the youth. El Hawli has promise. Let's see who really wants to crack the 23 when the 2's play.
@@Prodigy97cast1 I think Wright will come out (I mention he shouldn’t be an automatic selection). Forward line needs to be a bit smaller and more unpredictable.
Yeah Durham will be there for sure. I clarified that in the video, where the starting 18 is really meaningless with the interchange rotations nowadays.
Andrew McGrath could be better than he is ! A champion Canadian schoolboy athlete, he has taken his kicking style from the NFL kickers: always high and slow. He was captain of my Alma Mater but could only manage to be vice-captain of the Aussie Rules team. His school teammates knew his shortcoming !
Interesting team! Harrison Jones, at least at this stage of his career, is a third forward and would be better off on a flank. In contrast, Nate Caddy is a more natural centre half forward, albeit still very raw. Kyle Langford is a lead up forward and should be played, alongside Peter Wright, out of the goal square. Isaac Kako is massively overrated! The recruitment of Jade Gresham was a mistake. Enough said! Nick Bryan is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. He dominates VFL games without really influencing the results. Nick seems to have the raw material and skill, but not the know-how. If he was mentored by, say, Simon Madden or Paul Salmon, he may in time come close to their level as-a forward / ruckman. If not, he seems destined to be yet another unfulfilled talent. Sam Durham has the hardness and ball winning skill to be played either in the centre or as a ruck rover. The sleeping giant of the club is Kaine Baldwin, who if he is able to actually get back on the list may well become a future captain of Essendon. Unfortunately, and sadly, whilst Brad Scott is coach, Essendon is destined to be unsuccessful and to waste the talent within the club. Also remember the destruction he wrought on the North Melbourne list on his way out.
Isaac kako is overrated without having played a single game? Goldstein is Nick Bryan’s ruck coach. Plain and simple, Bryan doesn’t need to be a ruck/forward he just needs to be a Ruck. Baldwin is our future captain after playing a total of about 10 games in 4 seasons? Brad Scott wrought destruction on North? The same Brad Scott that took North to prelims with a mediocre list?
@Manwithoutplans In respect of Kako, the draft fiasco underlines my point. A few years ago, the Davey twins were meant to solve Essendon’s small forward problem and now it is supposedly Kako. He will be lucky to debut next year. If Bryan remains only a ruck, he will continue to be in and out of the side. A team cannot play two rucks, with one sitting on the bench or wandering around the forward line doing little for half a game. At the moment, he is just an unfulfilled talent. Kaine Baldwin was the best sixteen year old in the country. Since then he has been injury riddled. Big men take longer to develop, especially when they have missed so much junior football. How about you judge my comment in another two years time? As for Brad Scott, after ten years with North, his best ladder position at the end of the regular season was six. He left North mid-way through 2019, having hollowed out their list, and in the following years North has finished 12, 17, 18, 18, 17 and 17. He now wants eight years to develop Essendon. The last Essendon coach not to take them to the finals in their first two years was Bill Stephen’s almost fifty years ago! He was sacked soon after.
At the end of James Hird’s first season with Essendon, having not played a game, the club voted 4 to 2 to de-list him. Kevin Sheedy refused to do so and the rest is history. Like James, Kaine is a natural leader.
With McGrath Essendon will never win finals next time they play just watch him and him alone and you might agree one thing he is good at is talking that doesn’t win games
As elite as Merritt is our most valuable player at the moment would have to be Nick Martin. I was lucky enough to witness an intra club match in February. To me he was best on ground and was simply everywhere. When the going gets tough Martin is often the one who gets us through. He is simply tireless.
Yep, if he’s not an A grader already he is on the cusp. We just need to play him wing or forward of Center permanently
Also looking at the Essendon list, where are the tough and strong players who would run through brick walls and crawl over hot coals for success? Where is the Roger Merrett, Dean Wallis, Billy Duckworth, Shane Heard, Dean Solomon and Johnson boys?
I agree. I think we've got them on our list, they just need to find their inner mongrel. Plenty of glimpses of it last year, just no consistency.
@@TimBawden-jb6lt Today I watched an old interview with Jason Winderlich. He talked about his first game in 2003 and how at the start an opposition player tried to rough him up, with the result being that Paul Barnard walked over and told the player ‘touch him again and I will bash you’. Jason said that he was left alone for the rest of the day. That Essendon team was feared, looked after its own and was successful.
@JohnBolton-z5f it was a great era for the club. I've thought for a long time the boys needed to get out there with some attitude. I think the execs have tried to push the nice guy image too much - nice guys finish last. I saw an interview with Pat Voss when he was drafted, he said he enjoyed hurting people in tackles! Need to find another Vossy or ten.
Merry Christmas.
Hope Santa drops some testicles at the Hangar 😉
The bonus with Draper is he can create chaos which will be more valuable with some of the recruits we have that will capitalise on it.
Hobbs in for Shiel it’s just he’s getting old. And keep in mind Hobbs was a first round pick so he really should be getting game time week in week out at this stage. Plus I’ve always fancied him because when you look out our midfield and I see so many players even out of the midfield that can play shiels role for us and better. Whereas Hobbs has a point of difference being that he is very defensive minded and a fantastic tackle and provides some much needed grit. Because right now it just seems like it’s Merrett or bust. Other then that I think the teams pretty accurate and well structured.
I like Nick Martin on the wing. Would probably chuck Alhawli in the 23 maybe at the expense of Gresham.
Even though the usual suspects have written us off for 2025, I'm still looking forward to seeing the new lads have a go and quietly optimistic about being thereabouts come the end of season.
Up the Dons ✊️
Obviously we are all banking on a fit Reid to correct the Centre Half Back problem.Other than that, my issue with your best team is it is the same side that could not make the finals last year.And everyone is playing in the same positions.I believe if we are to have any success the selectors need to be creative.Make some positional changes and try a few new numbers in the line up.If we stay with the same, we can't expect the result to be any different
@@petermcculloch4933 I mentioned that quite a bit in the video. I’m very much a “horses for courses” person in regards to selection. For example I don’t think we should just pick Peter Wright automatically (especially in the wet), I think we need to be more flexible with Langford etc. And of course reward good form in the 2’s.
Redman's role diminished as a consequence of ball magnet Nick Martin's move to the half back. Martin should be back on the wing which would allow Redman to flourish again in my view.
@@markwethereld8943 yeah I don’t want to see Martin in the backline at all next year.
On paper we have a good team if we can keep them on the field.
Reid and Duursma are worries with previous injuries.
On your selections Durham in 18 and Parish on bench. Guelfi in Gresham out.
Tsatas 22 Shiel 23.
Develop the youth.
El Hawli has promise.
Let's see who really wants to crack the 23 when the 2's play.
One of draper, wright or bryan will have to come out. Most likely Wright.
El Hawli and Prior will play.
@@Prodigy97cast1 I think Wright will come out (I mention he shouldn’t be an automatic selection). Forward line needs to be a bit smaller and more unpredictable.
Good content but that music has got to go.
merry Christmas no wonder we can’t win games when the higher ups can’t say merry Christmas . Say good by every one.
The only disagreement is Durham ! He must be around the 1st Bounce down of each game !
Yeah Durham will be there for sure. I clarified that in the video, where the starting 18 is really meaningless with the interchange rotations nowadays.
GOOD SIDE only player missing is GUELFI
Yes I think I erred not putting Guelfi in.
I'd put Guelfi ahead of Gresham any day. Shame he's injures and will miss most of the preseason.
Brad Scott gets the last spot. He should have been traded.
Geelong next 😁
Please lose the music. Too distracting and it's not good tbh.
Play more kids.
Andrew McGrath could be better than he is ! A champion Canadian schoolboy athlete, he has taken his kicking style from the NFL kickers: always high and slow. He was captain of my Alma Mater but could only manage to be vice-captain of the Aussie Rules team. His school teammates knew his shortcoming !
Interesting team! Harrison Jones, at least at this stage of his career, is a third forward and would be better off on a flank. In contrast, Nate Caddy is a more natural centre half forward, albeit still very raw. Kyle Langford is a lead up forward and should be played, alongside Peter Wright, out of the goal square. Isaac Kako is massively overrated! The recruitment of Jade Gresham was a mistake. Enough said! Nick Bryan is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. He dominates VFL games without really influencing the results. Nick seems to have the raw material and skill, but not the know-how. If he was mentored by, say, Simon Madden or Paul Salmon, he may in time come close to their level as-a forward / ruckman. If not, he seems destined to be yet another unfulfilled talent. Sam Durham has the hardness and ball winning skill to be played either in the centre or as a ruck rover. The sleeping giant of the club is Kaine Baldwin, who if he is able to actually get back on the list may well become a future captain of Essendon. Unfortunately, and sadly, whilst Brad Scott is coach, Essendon is destined to be unsuccessful and to waste the talent within the club. Also remember the destruction he wrought on the North Melbourne list on his way out.
You should put in a resume for the coaching job.
Isaac kako is overrated without having played a single game?
Goldstein is Nick Bryan’s ruck coach. Plain and simple, Bryan doesn’t need to be a ruck/forward he just needs to be a Ruck.
Baldwin is our future captain after playing a total of about 10 games in 4 seasons?
Brad Scott wrought destruction on North? The same Brad Scott that took North to prelims with a mediocre list?
@Manwithoutplans In respect of Kako, the draft fiasco underlines my point. A few years ago, the Davey twins were meant to solve Essendon’s small forward problem and now it is supposedly Kako. He will be lucky to debut next year. If Bryan remains only a ruck, he will continue to be in and out of the side. A team cannot play two rucks, with one sitting on the bench or wandering around the forward line doing little for half a game. At the moment, he is just an unfulfilled talent. Kaine Baldwin was the best sixteen year old in the country. Since then he has been injury riddled. Big men take longer to develop, especially when they have missed so much junior football. How about you judge my comment in another two years time? As for Brad Scott, after ten years with North, his best ladder position at the end of the regular season was six. He left North mid-way through 2019, having hollowed out their list, and in the following years North has finished 12, 17, 18, 18, 17 and 17. He now wants eight years to develop Essendon. The last Essendon coach not to take them to the finals in their first two years was Bill Stephen’s almost fifty years ago! He was sacked soon after.
@@JohnBolton-z5f seriously buddy put in a resume for the coaching job or shut it
At the end of James Hird’s first season with Essendon, having not played a game, the club voted 4 to 2 to de-list him. Kevin Sheedy refused to do so and the rest is history. Like James, Kaine is a natural leader.
Vfl side
Speak into the mic thanks
With McGrath Essendon will never win finals next time they play just watch him and him alone and you might agree one thing he is good at is talking that doesn’t win games