Essendon mid-season report card: will Bombers’ 2018 be a wasted season?

ESSENDON entered 2018 as a premiership dark-horse after a stellar trade period and impressive pre-season but expectations have been light years away from reality. BOMBERS MID-SEASON REPORT CARD

Devon Smith has been a crucial acquisition for Essendon.

ESSENDON entered 2018 as a premiership dark-horse after a stellar trade period and impressive pre-season.

However, those expectations have been light years away from reality.

Despite some impressive wins the Bombers sit in 13th two games behind Hawthorn in ninth and are now staring down the barrel of a wasted season.

THREATS: THE GUNS KEY TO PREMIERSHIP HOPES

REPORT: LIONS STAND TALL, BOMBERS STAND TALLER

BAROMETER: BOMBER RELIEF AS STAR DUO CLEARED

Grade: C-

Ladder position: 13th

Predicted finish: 13th

Jake Stringer and Joe Daniher after an Essendon loss.

RALPHY SAYS

Their best is clearly good enough given scalps of both Adelaide sides and Geelong. But their worst is awful, with losses to Carlton and the Dogs likely to ruin a finals run. Have lacked a star inside mid, have been hurt by Joe Daniher’s groin issues and at 5-7 the season has been mediocre. But after three wins in the past four games and with Jake Stringer and Adam Saad heating up alongside revelation Devon Smith, don’t write them off just yet.

GOOD STAT

Rank third for tackle differential and have applied the third most pressure of any side. Rank No.1 for pressure applied since Round 8

BAD STAT

Rank 13th for time in forward half and inside 50 differential, and have generated the second fewest points from forward half chains.

TRADE WINDS

The Bombers will have the salary cap space and inclination to go after an inside mid in October. Mitch Wallis has been deprived of opportunity at Whitten Oval and could fit the bill, but the club sees Rory Sloane as too old for their age demographic. Inside midfield grunt is at the top of their wish list. Meanwhile, Aaron Francis is happy at The Hangar despite last year’s aborted trade home to South Australia.

DEBUTANTS

Matt Guelfi has averaged 17 disposals in his impressive first seven games of footy. Jordan Ridley and Kobe Mutch are yet to find their feet but have both played three games, while Dylan Clarke has also debuted.

BEST-AND-FAIREST

Devon Smith leads the league in tackles and has been one of the recruits of the year for the Bombers. He could be leading David Zaharakis for the Crichton Medal, who is averaging a touch under 27 disposals per game, but will miss the next 6-7 weeks. Skipper Dyson Heppell has enjoyed some stellar form so he will be around the mark, and Michael Hurley could be circling the leaders despite missing two games.

Matt Guelfi has been impressive. Picture: Michael Klein

Devon Smith could be leading the Bombers’ B&F.

THE RUN HOME

West Coast A

North Melbourne H

Collingwood H

Gold Coast A

Fremantle H

Sydney H

Hawthorn A

St Kilda H

Richmond A

Port Adelaide A

Draw difficulty for remainder of the year – 4th (4th hardest)

GAME STYLE

The game isn’t getting played in their front half so they’re heavily reliant on transition which isn’t sustainable.

BROWNLOW LEADER PREDICTION

Dyson Heppell: 8 votes

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