Gary Buckenara analyses Essendon’s needs and potential players to target during off-season
ESSENDON has flagged interest in Dustin Martin but a young GWS midfielder would be a perfect fit. GARY BUCKENARA analyses the Bombers’ list. PLUS HE NAMES THE TRADE TARGETS
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THERE was always going to be question marks on how Essendon’s banned players would return to the AFL and for the majority of the year they have performed well and shown the list is in good shape.
In my list analysis column on the Bombers at the end of 2015 I wrote it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Bombers despite finishing in the bottom four — it was clear the supplements saga had finally taken its toll.
There is a lot to like about this list.
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Their form this season has proven this club has a very well-balanced group that is in the enviable position of having its spine locked in — Joe Daniher, Cale Hooker, Michael Hartley and Michael Hurley are all great players — and Tom Bellchambers and Matthew Leuenberger are capable rucks. Aaron Francis is also developing in the VFL while getting a taste of senior footy at various times.
When looking at the list Essendon actually has a lot of players that are B to C-grade players, and some who are better than B-graders but fall short of the A-grade category.
In contrast, a lot of clubs have mostly C-graders so there is plenty of talent available for coach John Worsfold to choose from but they do need more star power.
The area the Bombers require attention is in the midfield and across halfback where they could use more speed and good ball users to add that class and polish to this side.
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Travis Colyer are two players who really stand out at Essendon because they’ve got genuine leg speed and as we’ve seen Essendon plays its best footy when moving the ball quick and taking the game on.
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The club should be looking at recruiting more players to suit that game style.
The Bombers also need another star in the midfield in the form of a big-bodied player to take over from Jobe Watson when he retires, either at the end of this year or next.
WHO THE BOMBERS SHOULD TARGET
Essendon has already signalled its interest in Richmond star Dustin Martin and he is exactly the type of player they need. He’s a big body, is explosive, wins his own ball on the inside and hurts you on the outside and you can swing him forward where he is ultra dangerous as a goalkicker. A midfield of Martin, Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell, Darcy Parish and David Zaharakis with Colyer going through there and Brendon Goddard and Kyle Langford and Jayden Laverde eventually as well would be really damaging.
The only issue is do the Bombers have the capacity to throw the big dollars it would take to lure Martin away from Richmond and beat the other suitors to his signature? Did Essendon have to pay overs to get some of those banned players — like Hooker and Hurley — to return to the club?
All Victorian clubs will obviously be in the market for GWS gun Josh Kelly and the Bombers should be no different.
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Kelly’s teammate Devon Smith would also be ideal. He’s a strong body and an in and under type who has good leg speed and he uses the ball really well. He would obviously come at a cheaper cost — in terms of finances and trade value — as Martin (free agent) and Kelly.
Jacob Hopper is another GWS lad who should be of interest. He’s played a lot of footy in Victoria despite being an academy selection and is a highly-regarded youngster who already has the body for AFL footy. He is unsigned at the Giants.
Jasper Pittard should also be of interest to slot in across halfback. He’s from Melbourne originally and is a beautiful kick of the ball and would definitely add some polish as McGrath develops and Goddard nears the end of his career.
The other player the Bombers could have a look at is Anthony Miles from Richmond. He’s not that star midfielder I wrote about earlier but he is a proven capable AFL player who has finished fourth and sixth in Richmond’s best and fairest in the last two years but has now fallen behind Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy after they were recruited to the club. He’s a strong body who would help the likes of Heppell and Merrett enormously by doing the grunt work.
BUCKY’S UNTOUCHABLES
Dyson Heppell, Joe Daniher, Darcy Parish, Andy McGrath, Zach Merrett, Orazio Fantasia, Michael Hurley, Cale Hooker, David Zaharakis, Kyle Langford, Jayden Laverde, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Aaron Francis.
Please note: AFL clubs have a list of a number of players they are targeting at the end of the season and this is the list Gary Buckenara would have in the hope of luring at least one to the club.
Gary Buckenara was Hawthorn’s sole full-time recruiting staff member from 2004 before the Hawks brought in Chris Pelchen and then Graham Wright as recruiting and list manager and expanded the recruiting department.
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