Essendon and Port Adelaide loaded up in the 2017 trade period — then both missed the finals. What went wrong?
ESSENDON and Port Adelaide went all-in during the 2017 trade period and fans expected immediate results. Ten months on, both are set to miss the finals. What happened?
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ESSENDON will look back on 2018 and wonder what might have been.
A wasted season or learning curve? Both options wouldn’t be far off the mark, truth be told.
The Bombers loaded up at the trade table last year in a bold and aggressive bid to contend for the premiership.
They were not alone.
Port Adelaide plotted a similar premiership path but experienced vastly different results.
THE TACKLE: ROBBO’S LIKES AND DISLIKES FROM ROUND 22
Essendon recruits Devon Smith, Adam Saad and Jake Stringer held up their end of the bargain.
Smith should win the club’s best-and-fairest by some margin.
Saad should be in the top 10 when the W. S Crichton Medal count begins next month.
Stringer booted 30 goals and counting after a slow start to the season.
The Power added Jack Watts, Tom Rockliff and Steven Motlop.
In contrast, Rockliff and Watts have recorded statistically their worst seasons since 2009 and 2010 respectively, while Motlop could only be described as serviceable despite slotting the matchwinner in the Showdown.
Essendon will be better for the experience. If only the same could be said of Port Adelaide.
Former Essendon champion Tim Watson says he isn’t disappointed with the season despite falling from eighth spot in 2017.
“You can actually go backwards from last year and have more optimism about the future than you did this time last year,” he said on SEN.
He was less positive about Port, going as far as to describe the Power as flaky.
“Port Adelaide are disappointing. You know what they don’t have, that spine that you need to actually be able to grind away and win games of football, and compete minute by minute, throughout the course of the game.”
Essendon is a very different case.
Wins over GWS, Geelong, Sydney, West Coast, North Melbourne and the gallant eight-point loss to Richmond last week shows the Bombers can roll up their sleeves and get on with it.
So it begs the question: Why are the Bombers busy planning end-of-season trips and not a September campaign?
Port's off-season recruitment drive has been a failure. Watts (worst season since 2010) and Rockliff (worst since 2009) based on ranking points. Motlop just so, so. #AFLPiesPower
— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) August 18, 2018
Injuries, maybe?
Joe Daniher was plagued by a debilitating groin complaint, while David Zaharakis missed a chunk of time with a broken collarbone.
Orazio Fantasia, arguably the club’s most damaging forward, was in and out with knee and hamstring complaints, while Stringer also battled minor knee soreness.
Seven Bombers played every game this season, including Dyson Heppell, Zach Merrett, Cale Hooker, Brendon Goddard and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
Arrogance, possibly?
You need some arrogance to be successful. Look at Richmond, the belief is through the roof. Same at Hawthorn during the three-peat.
Essendon’s off-season raid sparked finals talk way back in October and throughout the summer.
But six losses in the first eight rounds went a long way to silencing that discussion.
You wonder whether Essendon absorbed even a skerrick of the hype and expected finals to just happen for them.
So what went wrong?
Synergy, definitely. They broke down defensively — on every line. The forwards didn’t work hard enough to lock the ball in dangerous areas, prompting John Worsfold to deploy back pocket Mark Baguley in attack.
The midfield was bullied out of it in the first half of the season. Enter Smith, Stringer and David Myers to the rescue.
The combination of the two ultimately rendered the backline helpless against attacking waves.
It finally clicked, but by then, the damage was already done.
TALE OF THE 2017 TRADE TAPE
ESSENDON
Gained: Devon Smith, Adam Saad, Jake Stringer
Lost: —
What we said: “Adrian Dodoro should hit the Crown Casino poker tables because nobody played their cards better. The Bombers basically gave up pick 11 for Stringer, Saad and Smith … this club is through the mire and has wrenched open the premiership window”
HOW THEY PERFORMED
Smith: 21 games, 17 goals, SuperCoach av 98 (+18 from 2017)
Stringer: 19 games, 30 goals, SuperCoach av 72 (+7)
Saad: 21 games, SuperCoach av 75 (+2)
PORT ADELAIDE
Gained: Tom Rockliff, Steven Motlop, Jack Watts. The Power also picked up recycled recruits Jack Trengove, Lindsay Thomas and Trent McKenzie through the pre-season and rookie drafts.
Lost: Jackson Trengove, Jarman Impey, Brendon Ah Chee, Logan Austin, Aaron Young, Matthew Lobbe.
What we said: “The 2018 premiership is in Ken Hinkley’s sights. Depth took a hit but this mob is October premier.”
HOW THEY PERFORMED
Rockliff: 18 games, 7 goals, SuperCoach av 75 (-21)
Watts: 18 games, 18 goals, SuperCoach av 66 (-10)
Motlop: 20 games, 11 goals, SuperCoach av 72 (-1)
The other mature-aged recruits played a combined 11 games: Trengove (3), Thomas (7), McKenzie (1). Thomas also kicked four goals.
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