How will the Essendon Football Club go in 2008?
Lets talk some footy
Seeing as there is not much talk about the real football stuff at the moment, I thought I would start a few posts about the prospects of some of the teams for 2008. First cab off the rank is the Bombers.
What is in store for the new look Bombers ?
In what was the biggest change at the Essendon Football Club in its history, Kevin Sheedy was sacked and Matthew Knights instated as Senior Coach. Out goes Kepler Bradley, Richard Cole, Mark Johnson, Mark Bolton, Scott Camporeale, Chris Heffernan and James Hird and in comes a host of youngsters:
NAB National Draft
Cale Hooker (East Fremantle)
David Myers (Perth)
Tayte Pears (East Perth)
Darcy Daniher (Calder Cannons)
Pre Season Draft
John Williams (Morningside)
Tom Bellchambers (Tassie Mariners)
New Coach
Knights looks to be a hard task master, the delisting of Johnson and Bradley shows that he will not take mediocrity. In what is shaping to be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Bombers there is still a real chance they will feature in September. Their forward line looks the goods with Lloyd and Lucas spearheading the attack again, but from all reports Adam McPhee may play more forward of the centre this year, which if he is on song would be a huge bonus.
Adam McPhee
McPhee had an ordinary 2007 and some Bomber fans are ready to hang him out to dry. He is the main player in this side that needs to stand up if the Bombers are going to feature in September. His ability to play small and tall and his aerobic capacity makes him a very hard man to match up on for the opposition and he needs to have more of a free rein rather than a defensive role. You will probably see more of Scott Gumbleton up forward as well who looks a promising type. Add Jason Laycock as a resting ruckman (he looked quite comfortable there last year) and the forward line is looking in good shape.
Forwards can get the job done, Midfield ??
In 2007 the Bombers had 2184 points for, 5th highest in the league which show that their forward structure is quite capable of getting the job done, but it is the lack of defensive skills and pace through the middle of the ground which hurt the Bombers last year and maybe their Achilles heal this year. With the likes of Stanton, Watson, Peverill probably going to do the bulk of the on ball duties, this is where they need some improvement. Watson looms as a danger, a bit slow and his skill level was just not up to what it should have been last year, Stanton will be the key man here I think a quality player and leader and he needs to have a suburb year.
The emergence of Bachar Houli last year will help boost the Bombers midfield and inject some pace along with Winderlich and Lovett. But it is the skill level and speed of this group of players that will determine whether this team is up there, costly turnovers last year hurt them on numerous occasions resulting in easy scoring opportunities for the opposition.
Backhalf
In the back half, things look OK Fletcher and Michael had reasonable years and Ryder looks ready to take the next step and become a consistently good defender. But if the midfield can’t get their act together then I don’t think it will mater who is down there! The Bombers seem to generate a lot of run from the back half through the likes of Welsh, Lovett-Murray, Mc Veigh and maybe Winderlich.
So in what looks to be a rebuilding year for the Dons the signs are there that they should be aiming for a finals berth. The key factor for me will be the midfield; if Matthew Nights can improve the defensive side and the skill level of these players then they certainly have the forward line to cause some concern.
Ladder Prediction: 8th or 9th.
knights is a joke like the way he played…. how many finals did the team he played in make, how about doing the basics corrects defenders play in the backline and the forwards in the forwardline, you are killing our club your time is numbered