AFL news: Dylan Shiel’s future at Essendon analysed, trade value

Dylan Shiel is no longer indispensable at the Bombers, so could another club try and pounce on the midfielder? One club could present a win-win scenario to get him out of Essendon.

Dylan Shiel and Dyson Heppell.

Dylan Shiel is no longer an indispensable commodity in the Essendon midfield.

Just as coach Brad Scott would have hoped when he took the job last year, Essendon’s bunch of young midfield guns have begun to leapfrog him.

And the man who was ruled out of Saturday night’s clash against Geelong with a niggling foot injury can’t be considered a guaranteed starter in the middle anymore.

It is putting the cart a long way before the horse, but if a club in the premiership window dangled a carrot in front of Shiel in the trade period then Essendon should think about a deal.

Scott has set his sights on building a team which can genuinely compete for a top-four spot, putting an encouraging end to a tough decade.

Dylan Shiel has been on the outer of Essendon’s best midfield. Picture: Michael Klein.

And amid the incredible growth in red and black this year, ballwinners Ben Hobbs, Jye Caldwell, Archie Perkins and Sam Durham have improved sharply, showing they clearly belong at the level.

Hobbs, in particular, had the best game of his career to lead the commanding win over Adelaide last week, racking up 20 possessions and one goal heading into the Geelong showdown.

Ben Hobbs is enjoying a breakout season.

Win that, and every Essendon fan will need to keep at least the first week of September free to help fill the MCG for the chance to witness the club’s first finals win in 18 years.

Project forward to next season and Essendon will soon have Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish (who wants to stay), Hobbs, Perkins, Caldwell, Will Setterfield, plus No. 5 pick Elijah Tsatas (who is tearing it up in the VFL) and All-Australian contender Nic Martin powering through the middle.

Tsatas looks a special talent on the wing, but is being made to earn his spot after an early-season knee injury, and Nik Cox is headed to defence.

Jake Stringer still goes through there, a bit like a wrecking ball.

But where does Shiel, 30, fit?

If a rival such as Geelong, which was this week linked to a shock move on Western Bulldog Bailey Smith to beef-up its midfield, came to the party with a second or third-round pick as part of swap, it could be win-win.

A bit like Jaeger O’Meara from Hawthorn to Fremantle, or Tom Mitchell from Hawthorn to Collingwood.

Shiel played strong football in the first nine rounds of the season before a lower leg injury struck, and was ranked the 23rd best midfielder in the game by Champion Data, averaging 23 possessions.

He has a burst of speed, and bounced back strongly from an embarrassing incident last season where Sydney Swans’ great Luke Parker mocked him in the middle of the SCG, to finish equal-ninth in the best and fairest.

Could Dylan Shiel’s future be away from Essendon?

But over his last three appearances, Shiel has had only one clearance.

Now he is out injured.

Shiel perhaps came back too early from injury and was subbed out in Round 12, and then gathered a total of eight touches in two games over the past fortnight as the sub.

Shiel didn’t look comfortable against the Crows and had two disposals and is facing significant selection pressure from the young tyros around him.

The on-baller has only one more season left on a lucrative deal, after knocking back even more money to join St Kilda to land at Tullamarine in 2018.

He is elite in his preparation and a role model for the youngsters.

But is there another twist in his career as he chases an elusive premiership?