Young Bombers can withstand off-field turmoil in coming seasons

TALK of the Essendon's on-field demise and the possibility of facing years in the football wilderness has been greatly exaggerated.

TALK of the Essendon Football Club's on-field demise and the possibility of facing years in the football wilderness has been greatly exaggerated.

While no one should underestimate the severity of the penalties the Bombers have this week copped from the AFL Commission for the supplements scandal - the greatest dished out in VFL-AFL history - the playing list is in good shape.

Comparisons with the dramatic fall of fellow power Victorian club Carlton when it was stripped of key draft picks in 2001 and 2002 for salary cap breaches are off the mark.

At that point, the Blues were at their lowest ebb.

Their playing list was old and their young talent questionable.

Carlton, which finished bottom in 2002 with just three wins and was eligible for a priority pick, missed out on Brendon Goddard and Daniel Wells with the first two selections at the national draft.

It takes years to recover from a savage blow like that.

The Blues missed the finals from 2002 to 2008.

But Essendon - which has lost its first and second round picks this year and second-round selection next year - has a squad on the rise.

It also is not forgoing the top two picks in the draft. Its loss of picks would have been in the low-teens and at about No. 30.

Champion Data - the AFL's statistical king - says there is no comparison between the state of the two lists.

"The Bombers have a rising list, Carlton's was at the lowest point,'' it notes.

While Essendon won't play finals this year as part of its sanctions, it has won 14 games heading into the final home-and-away round.

Last year's father-son pick Joe Daniher, a teenager, looms as a star forward for a decade.

Key position bookends Michael Hurley and Jake Carlisle are in their early 20s, fellow tall Cale Hooker is 24 and ruckmen Paddy Ryder and Tom Bellchambers - who is out of contract and sought by other clubs - are aged under 25.

While veterans, skipper Jobe Watson and former Saint Goddard, are the team's best midfielders, the Dons have a handful of young midfielders emerging around them, including the excellent Dyson Heppell, David Zaharakis and Jake Melksham.

Michael Hibberd, 23, and Courtenay Dempsey, just turned 26, are the standout running defenders.

Crows star Patrick Dangerfield rates the Essendon list highly, forecasting the Bombers and high-flying Fremantle are two top-eight sides who are still on the rise.

"Their sanctions will hurt them at some stage but in the short term they will have a good side,'' Dangerfield said.

"Essendon will be good next year. Daniher will come on and if they can keep Bellchambers they will have two very good ruckmen in him and Ryder.

"I rate their list and if they can keep it together and get things right off the field I think they will be a very good side.''

The list has holes. The midfield needs more class and depth and a goalkicking small forward would be an asset.

But the Bombers, despite being robbed of their first and second round draft picks - have the chance to be creative.

Forward Stewart Crameri has admirers and could be traded for a player or key draft selection.

Bellchambers, as much as Essendon would like to keep him, could attract a blue-chip draft pick.

Key forward Scott Gumbleton and key defender Tayte Pears are other trade prospects who have currency.

It depends how creative the Dons want to get. And how smart they are.

One year after signing key free agent Goddard. the Bombers also could dip back into that pool.

There is plenty of work to do for list manager Adrian Dodoro, who faces his biggest challenge.

But, unlike Carlton of a decade ago, he has a strong squad to build around.

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