The "Age" today  proposed a team that was the best Essendon could produce from the players  they've got left to choose from.

It didn't look too bad to me!

Experts are predicting no wins for Essendon this year.

Call me a pessimist, but I'm very worried about round 2!

Also, it suggests to me that Essendon's full list (for 2017) is pretty formidable , especially compared to ours.

How I hope I'm wrong!

Edited January 13, 20169 yr by Jumping Jack Clennett
wording

Round 2 scares me.

They're away to gold Coast or someone r1 so it's their first game in melbourne

We are notorious for losing games we should win

They'll be up and about trying to have a crack 

Their fans will come out in support because they are deluded 

Not ideal

IMO they'll do a lot better than most people think, particularly in the first half of the season. They haven't done to badly with a top up team in the past.

We will certainly need to take this game very very seriously.   Any supposition that they will be easy beats would lead to an absolute disaster.

 

IMO they'll start well and then drop off around halfway through. Wouldn't be surprised if they beat us round 2 and imo it won't be the end of the world. They'll have a lot of top-up players who will be trying to prove themselves and they'll be up and about. They'll knock off a few mid-range teams in the first half, bookmark it.

By round 10-11, though, we'll start seeing some beltings. They're probably still destined for the spoon. I predict 5 wins.

Edited January 13, 20169 yr by praha

We will win comfortably, I'm not concerned with the EFC and wouldn't be even if they were at full strength.

They'll have a lot of top up players that have done zero AFL pre season work. In this day and age especially where the game is going you need a good pre season fitness base behind you to really be able to compete every game all year. They will be very underdone even at round 2 and I expect at least to win by 40 plus points. They are going to be throwing the likes of Parish and Francis into the wolves.. Could you imagine Parish lining up in the centre circle against Jones Viney Vandenberg Brayshaw and heck even Oliver?

They will be competitive for the 1st two qtrs then die down in the 2nd half. Too many players and young kids will be underdone and out of tank.

Might have to bookmark that post Dazzle!

 

Can't wait for the AnZac Day match 

 

4 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

They'll have a lot of top up players that have done zero AFL pre season work. In this day and age especially where the game is going you need a good pre season fitness base behind you to really be able to compete every game all year. They will be very underdone even at round 2 and I expect at least to win by 40 plus points. They are going to be throwing the likes of Parish and Francis into the wolves.. Could you imagine Parish lining up in the centre circle against Jones Viney Vandenberg Brayshaw and heck even Oliver?

They will be competitive for the 1st two qtrs then die down in the 2nd half. Too many players and young kids will be underdone and out of tank.

I'd be wanting 80 points as a minimum Dazzle.

Stop Daniher kicking goals and keep Viney out of the backline and we should win.

5 minutes ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

I'd be wanting 80 points as a minimum Dazzle.

Don't think we are a side yet capable of winning games by that margin yet.

The top up players will be interesting

Jamar, Stokes, Lake, Kelly and guys like that could be handy replacements.

 

Just now, Peter Griffen said:

The top up players will be interesting

Jamar, Stokes, Lake, Kelly and guys like that could be handy replacements.

 

That's if they actually want to play for Essendon.  I'm sure there will be some untried VFL players or undrafted rookies who'll be keen but I don't see what those guys listed above will get out of it.

1 minute ago, Wiseblood said:

That's if they actually want to play for Essendon.  I'm sure there will be some untried VFL players or undrafted rookies who'll be keen but I don't see what those guys listed above will get out of it.

I only list those because at one time or another all 4 were said to be interested in playing on, having said that I agree that a year with the bombers getting beaten every week really isn't the same thing.

6 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

That's if they actually want to play for Essendon.  I'm sure there will be some untried VFL players or undrafted rookies who'll be keen but I don't see what those guys listed above will get out of it.

Money?

Just now, old dee said:

Money?

Would they be able to offer them much though with everything else going on?

2 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Would they be able to offer them much though with everything else going on?

Doubt it, I suspect they would be paid rookie or draftee wages and the biggest draw card would be playing at AFL level again, all be it in a [censored] side

2 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Would they be able to offer them much though with everything else going on?

Gil the pie man gave a wide sweeping comment like " we will increase the EFC's cap to allow for the replacement players.

No mention of any limit.

The AFL are determined to get them up ASAP so I expect the amount will be the amount the EFC needs to recruit the "right" players

3 minutes ago, Peter Griffen said:

Doubt it, I suspect they would be paid rookie or draftee wages and the biggest draw card would be playing at AFL level again, all be it in a [censored] side

If you were Mark Jamar and you were getting paid rookie wages or better in a lower league why would you go to essendrug?

He would  get a 2016 contract and then goodbye.

 

8 minutes ago, Peter Griffen said:

The top up players will be interesting

Jamar, Stokes, Lake, Kelly and guys like that could be handy replacements.

 

It is an absolute disgrace that Essendon are being gifted ten "top-up" players. The 32 eligible players remaining on their list plus the 5 rookies are enough to enable them to field a team each week, even allowing for injuries. The team suggested in this morning's Age for example had #5 draft pick Parish listed as an emergency for God's sake, hardly strong evidence of the Club being genuinely crippled. It seems that the AFL is doing cartwheels to ensure that EFC suffers a minimal penalty for the coming season whereas the VFL and other leagues from where the top up players are being sourced, potentially stand to lose their star players, let alone the four AFL Clubs who relinquished low draft picks to pick up ineligible players and the other leagues around the Nation who suddenly lose a player for the season (without compensation)!

The Age had Hurley at CHB in that list, but he's one of the players suspended.

4 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

They'll have a lot of top up players that have done zero AFL pre season work. In this day and age especially where the game is going you need a good pre season fitness base behind you to really be able to compete every game all year. They will be very underdone even at round 2 and I expect at least to win by 40 plus points. They are going to be throwing the likes of Parish and Francis into the wolves.. Could you imagine Parish lining up in the centre circle against Jones Viney Vandenberg Brayshaw and heck even Oliver?

They will be competitive for the 1st two qtrs then die down in the 2nd half. Too many players and young kids will be underdone and out of tank.

If they can get their hands on "the good stuff", who knows??

they are missing their 7 best players (based on champion data). midfield smashed and key positions in tatters.

if we can't win comfortably, we have not improved. 

 

lift the veil of negativity!!

They will put a team on the field and that team will be trying their heart out, they may not be quite as good as those they are replacing but they will push sides. We fell foul of their top up team last year so it is possible  that they will win a few, I just prey they don't beat us.