ESSENDON
2007 in brief
Played: 22
Won: 10
Lost: 12
Finished: 12th
Played every game (22 matches)
Adam McPhee
Scott Lucas
Malcolm Michael
AFL debuts (8)
R1, No.29: Alwyn Davey (14)
R17, No.3: Scott Gumbleton (5)
R14, No 35: Tom Hislop (3)
R20, No. 39: Heath Hocking (1)
R1, No. 7: Leroy Jetta (4)
R22, No. 1: Jay Neagle (1)
R19, No. 37: Kyle Reimers (3)
Best and Fairest Award
1 James Hird 251
2 Dustin Fletcher 249
3 Mark McVeigh 223
Scott Lucas 223
5 Adam McPhee 220
Leading goalkickers
Matthew Lloyd 62
Scott Lucas 61
Mark McVeigh 20
Andrew Lovett 16
Angus Monfries 16
All-Australians
Dustin Fletcher
Departures
Retired: James Hird, Mark Bolton, Chris Heffernan
Traded: None
Delisted: Kepler Bradley, Richard Cole, Mark Johnson
2008 in brief
Chairman: Ray Horsburgh
Chief Executive: Peter Jackson
Coach: Matthew Knights
Captain: Matthew Lloyd
Coaching staff: Gary O’Donnell, Scott Camporeale (senior assistants), Ashley Prescott (development/match-day bench), Adrian Hickmott (development/Bendigo Bombers), Joel Hocking (fitness)
Arrivals
Father-Son selection: Darcy Danihe
Trade: None
Rookie elevation: Adam Ramanauskas, Heath Hocking
Scholarship elevation: None
NAB AFL Draft: David Myers (6 –
International rookie selection: –
Non-registered for three years selection: –
NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft: John Williams (5 – Morningside), Tom Bellchambers (8 – Tassie Mariners)
NAB AFL Rookie Draft: Rhys Magin (5 – Zillmere), Jarrod Atkinson (21 –
The Year Ahead
For a club that prides itself on a “success is everything” mantra’, a year of developing youngsters sounds a bit empty. But there is a plan and it will bear fruit in time.
New coach Matthew Knights will require some settling in, even though he’s already stamped his mark all over the line-up. Speed, pace and acceleration are obvious hallmarks of what Knights wants to see. So far so good during the NAB Cup, with the Bombers arguably the most impressive of the 16 teams by virtue of their swift ball movement.
A fit and fighting Matthew Lloyd is a huge bonus, but the loss of James Hird and Mark Johnson has taken some soul away from the club – if the departure of Kevin Sheedy hadn’t changed things enough already. The talent is definitely there, but they look similar to the Hawthorn team of a few years ago: loaded with potential but lacking the meat on the bones to make a challenge.
Watch for the likes of Leroy Jetta, Jay Neagle, Bachar Houli, Courtenay Dempsey and Alwyn Davey to go close to making the transition from bit-part contributors to senior players.
Premiership readiness
How high can Essendon go? Well, the supporters have recognised it’s an exciting time to be a Bomber. Despite some indifferent recent years, the club has accumulated some genuine talent set to bloom over the next decade, and the relative hype surrounding the next generation has seen the club sign up another huge batch of members.
With time on their side, expect the youngsters to propel the Bombers to some eye-catching wins in 2008, but it’s hard to see that translating into September action given the immediate improvement expected elsewhere. A flag challenge is at least three years away; finals will be on the agenda next year.
Who to watch
Alwyn Davey – the signs were there for Davey during the NAB Cup that he has the ability to not only offer a bit of spark for the Bombers, but to lift the team as a whole. That’s a rare quality in a second-year player, but Davey has already shown he’s no ordinary player. With increased endurance, he’s also capable of spending more time in the midfield, too.
Predicted ladder finish
9-12th. If everything goes its way, Essendon is certainly capable of pushing for a finals berth. That’s unlikely to happen, however, and with other teams expected to force their way into the eight, another early finish is on the cards.
Betting: TAB Sportsbet: $31
From the club:
“I think what’s been noticeable is we’ve unearthed some young talent that a lot of pundits and supporters and members haven’t seen.” – Matthew Knights.
The final word
Another year of development for the Bombers means some short-term pain as the kids get plenty of game time in the hope of a premiership run in the years ahead.
