Robbo: Essendon going young to go forward is the right move under Brad Scott
In recent years players wanted out of Essendon. This year is different as the Bombers ship off players – and more big moves are coming, writes MARK ROBINSON.
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The seemingly annual question about where Essendon sees itself has been answered.
The Bombers are going younger in an attempt to go forward.
In what is a seismic strategic decision, the Bombers are embarking on a rebuild of sorts, having concluded there’s little point going into 2025 with the same list and probably getting the same result.
Their past five placings on the ladder have been 11th, 11th, 15th, eighth and 13th.
Football insanity is sticking with the same list and expecting a different result.
The decision to trade away pick No.9 for a future first, to go with their own future first, on top of nabbing Isaac Kako in this year’s draft, announces a narrative that will both please and disappoint Bombers fans.
The two years under coach Brad Scott were not so much wasted years, but the belief from Bombers fans upon his appointment at the end of 2022 was that the build towards a premiership was on in earnest. Clearly, results showed that wasn’t the case.
With the Bombers fully backing Scott – he is a “gun” coach, president David Barham said in September – the focus has turned to the list.
In 2024, Essendon was the seventh-youngest list (average age 24.3) and seventh for games experience (86 games).Those numbers will savagely reduce in 2025.
Departure this off-season are veteran Dyson Heppell (32 years old), reliable small-forward minder Jake Kelly (29) and speedster Nick Hind (30).
Heppell and Kelly retired and Hind, who played 15 games this year, was pushed. Hind is a depth player, and coincidence or not, you’d have to think that inviting a man who served jail time for manslaughter into the club was not a smart move.
The Bombers also moved on Kaine Baldwin, Jaiden Hunter and Tex Wanganeen.
More moves are coming.
Jake Stringer is 30 and Essendon wants him gone, and you get the impression the Bombers are not fussed if Jayden Laverde, 28, and contracted for one more year, is there or not.
Dylan Shiel is 31 and – who knows how much truth there is in it – but he has been linked to St Kilda and, more recently, to his first club, GWS Giants.
In years past, it’s been players who have wanted out of Essendon.
Through the drug saga period, Stewart Crameri, Paddy Ryder, Jake Melksham, Michael Hibberd and Jake Carlisle jumped ship, and Travis Colyer (2018) left for Fremantle.
In 2020, Joe Daniher, Adam Saad, Orazio Fantasia and Conor McKenna wanted out.
And last year, Massimo D’Ambrosio (Hawthorn) and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (Port Adelaide) headed for greener pastures.
But this year is different. This year, it’s the Bombers shipping off players.
It is a decisive and aggressive play.
“Our strategy has revolved around strengthening our draft hand and we’re really confident this trade will allow us to bring in at least three first-round talents into the club over the next 14 months,” AFL talent and operations manager Matt Rosa said on Monday.
So, where does it leave Essendon?
They lose experience, halfback depth, and pick up Kako, a talented small forward.
They have one superstar in captain Zach Merrett, and a good chunk of middle-age players like Martin, Ridley, McKay, Durham, Parish, Langford, Caldwell, McGrath, Redman, Draper, Duursma, Gresham, Guelfi, Jones and Caddy, while Hobbs, Tsatas and Roberts are kids.
And a bunch of players either not good enough at the moment, in a slump or notoriously injured, such as Setterfield, Wright, Cox, Perkins, Menzie, the Davey brothers, Bryan and Reid.
For all the joy around Monday’s pick swap with Melbourne, the result is the Bombers will add a kid to a forward-50 group that has struggled and looks like losing Stringer.
Clearly, the off-season purge will likely mean the Bombers face a battle to play finals in 2025, but two years after he started, Scott is making the necessary tough decisions.
Going young to go forward is the right move. It just has to be.
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Originally published as Robbo: Essendon going young to go forward is the right move under Brad Scott
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