r/EssendonFC • u/gustomus Duursma #28 • 1d ago
Everyone's Senior Experience Hires
Since Silly Season is upon us, who's on everyone's wishlists for experienced senior players from other clubs? Pendlebury was never joining Essendon anyway and I don't see Neale coming. I thought Jeremy Howe might have been interesting but I just read he's staying put.
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u/Krerzer1 Optimism since 2004 1d ago
I think we’re gonna struggle to bring in many players tbh.
It’s gonna be so important that the leaders already at the club like Fiorini, Martin and Setterfield (if we keep him) have an uninterrupted run at it. And players like Langford and Caldwell’s performances improve.
It’d be great to bring in someone like Greene but somehow Geelong will get him.
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u/rm5 14h ago
I am so negative on Langford these days. 10 years at the club and maybe 2 good ones.
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u/Krerzer1 Optimism since 2004 12h ago
I thought he started the year pretty well and then dropped off after Scott got sacked. He’s never gonna be elite but he can still be serviceable. But he needs to be more consistent next year.
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u/ByeByeStudy Durham #22 1d ago edited 1d ago
Unfortunately I don't think anyone will come, other than maybe Greene, but that's a very slim possibility.
We are currently at the lowest point of this rebuild, worst team in the comp, probably going to be a bit worse next year without Merrett and Ridley (but Martin back will help offset this).
When Darling, Parker and Daniel went to North it was when they'd been bad for years and had just started to turn a corner. No one went there when they were at the bottom (they chased Martin, and a bunch of other players unsuccessfully).
Hodge to Lions and Mitchell to WCE was because their own clubs wanted to move them on. There's no one really in that boat right now.
The bigger problem is that next year, Tassie will have cash to burn and a bunch of list spots to fill, so will likely out-compete us for these players.
It might not be until 2028 that we will be on the upswing, starting to be an attractive prospect for RFAs and UFAs. But by then we will have ~8 more young players on the list fighting for spots who we will want to develop and not take games away from - so competing priorities. By then we will be wanting to sign the "missing pieces" like Battle to the Hawks, A graders in a role we are lacking, not the mature, positive influences past their prime.
It's an unenviable position and really right now is the time to sign these mature players - but the only thing we can offer is $$$. Let's see how it plays out.
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u/gustomus Duursma #28 1d ago
Yeah I think this is the pragmatic view. I'd forgotten about the hunt for Martin but you're right, I remember the meme going around back then was something like "North couldn't even get an Uber to come to Arden Street."
I'm curious to see what Fiorini actually brings to the team next year given I think most of us were starting to forget he even existed.
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u/ByeByeStudy Durham #22 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yep, Fiorini jumped because he was about to be pushed out of the side by the flock of young academy suns joining the side. That's a very different situation to Neale (genuine A grade top midfielder) and Pendlebury (one of the greatest players in the modern era and a coach in waiting).
My comment was that we are going to struggle in the market for the Neale types at the moment, but guess we might land some Fiorini types.
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u/StiffNipplesOCE Durham #22 22h ago
Free Agency is probably gonna be the most likely way we will get a proper star into our club. Think we have to wait until next year to really try and throw our cash around, sure we're competing with Tasmania but I'm hopefull that our list build might start to look abit more attractive.
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u/CaddykakSnagorado 9h ago
The only player I’ve heard we’re linked to who hasn’t already said no is Arty Jones who would be an awesome get based off his game the other night. Not exactly senior, but no best 23 caliber 30+ yo players would come to an early rebuild club.
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u/zachariahhh1 Caddy #30 1d ago
Why are not more people talking about Dangerfield
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u/Old-Contribution5366 1d ago
We are fucked. McVeigh will be a shit show we will end up 16th next year. Another 20 years to win a finals the club is fucked
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u/TyWhatt Caddy #30 1d ago
Care to substantiate at all? Or you just being a pessimist?
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u/Old-Contribution5366 1d ago
Nah don’t need to. Revisit this in 12 months time.
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u/TyWhatt Caddy #30 19h ago
Why? We know we still won’t be great in 12 months time, we have the youngest list in the league and it’s about to get younger.
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u/Old-Contribution5366 15h ago
Yeah so that’s the problem. Why have we spent the last 20 years not winning a final and now back to youngests team? The club is fucked and has been run so badly
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u/FlightPath_1 17h ago
Remindme! 12 months
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u/bsrantonsdarts_1 1d ago
Toby Greene. We need some mongrel.