Gary Buckenara analyses the Essendon list after the 2021 season
It wasn’t long ago that Dylan Shiel was the recruit to take the Dons forward - amidst the rise to finals he has become a forgotten man, yet is poised to still fulfil that purpose.
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OK, it’s time to fess up. I was wrong.
I had been critical of Essendon’s list management decisions in the past but I have to admit Adrian Dodoro and his recruiters have excelled in this area.
Boasting 17 A and B-graders, some capable C-graders as depth and a very exciting group of developing players coming through, the Bombers have nailed their last few years on the list management front.
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When you consider the Covid situation, which has made it very tough for the recruiting staff at all clubs, I have to applaud the job Adrian and his team have done.
The group has had some great wins – and also some disappointing losses – but the signs are there that must be exciting Bombers fans.
We are virtually watching this group mature before our eyes.
Given the trauma the club has endured off-field, it has been a wonderful club effort to now be poised to become a definite contender over the next five years.
LIST NEEDS
The list is very well balanced and I would not think they will invest heavily in this draft with too many list changes.
But if there was a free agent available, I am sure they would look at bringing in the right type of players for their list.
It would be an added bonus if Dylan Shiel can get his body right after he played just eight games this year due to injury, which has not allowed him continuity in his performances.
The same can be said for skipper Dyson Heppell, who was again interrupted by injury at times this year.
The Bombers are definitely on the way up and the list is in a very good position to move forward and become a regular finals team.
TRADE TARGETS
The Bombers will certainly be looking at any free agent that will suit their list profile/model but I cannot see them being a major player.
I am sure the other clubs will be happy about that, as Dodoro has always been very hard to please when talking trades and draft picks.
UNTOUCHABLES
All A, B and future AB players. There are also some good depth players in Will Snelling, Alec Waterman, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, James Stewart and Martin Gleeson that can play roles for the Bombers.
I don’t expect too many changes would happen to the list in 2021.
TRADE BAIT
I doubt the Bombers will offer up any of their best 25 players for trade and I am sure players coming out of contract will want to stay at the club as it enters an exciting phase.
This is sometimes a dilemma for fringe players struggling to break into a team, do they accept a bigger offer and more opportunities at a club like Gold Coast? Or stay and back themselves in to win a regular spot in the 22?
MORE BUCKENARA ANALYSIS
Richmond: Every Tiger rated. Bucky names real A-graders
Hawthorn: Four trades which made Hawks suffer
Gold Coast: Who’s next in Suns’ feeding frenzy?
North Melbourne: How Kangas can become a destination club
Fremantle: Dockers must force rivals to pay up in Cerra trade
WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN
List management is one of the most important jobs at an AFL club.
Poor decisions can be catastrophic — and Collingwood proved that last year.
Far too many clubs can often hold an overly-optimistic view when ranking their own lists and this can lead to years of mediocrity and has Carlton done this recently?
When clubs are rating their lists, they should rank players as: A+, A, B+, B, C+, C and Development.
In this list analysis, I have just done A, B, C and two tiers of development (“future AB players” and “need more time”) because with the younger players it is important to see who is coming through and those that need more time.
The important area for clubs to look at is how many A and B ranked players they have as well as future consistent AB players.
These rankings are my opinions, but they should give supporters a reasonable snapshot as to where their playing list sits now — and how they might look in a few years’ time.
Players 22 and over
A-grade: Elite players on any AFL list
B: Top 10-18 player on most lists
C: An 19-30 player on a list
Developing: Aged 21 or under
Future AB players: These are players that will hopefully develop into an A or B ranked player once they turn 22. They might be playing to this level now, but it takes sustained years.
Need more time: These players would be a player recently drafted that is still developing and therefore will need more time to see if he is likely to develop into an A or B grade player.
RATING THE ESSENDON LIST
A-grade: Andrew McGrath, Darcy Parish, Zach Merrett, Jake Stringer.
B-grade: Sam Draper, Kyle Langford, Devon Smith, Dylan Shiel, Aaron Francis, Jordan Ridley, Jayden Laverde, Michael Hurley, Nick Hind, Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Mason Redman, Matt Guelfi, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
C-grade: Martin Gleeson, Tom Cutler, James Stewart, Peter Wright, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Andrew Phillips, Dylan Clarke, Ross McQuillan, Will Snelling, Alec Waterman.
DEVELOPING
Future AB: Jye Caldwell, Nik Cox, Archie Perkins, Harrison Jones, Nick Bryan, Brayden Ham, Tom Hird.
Need more time: Zach Reid, Josh Eyre, Cody Brand, Cian McBride, Sam Durham, Kaine Baldwin.
Retired/delisted: David Zaharakis (delisted), Cale Hooker (retired), Patrick Ambrose (retired), Irving Mosquito (delisted), Ned Cahill (delisted), Lachlan Johnson (delisted).
ESSENDON LIST BREAKDOWN
A-Grade = 4
B-Grade = 13
C-Grade = 11
Developing:
Future AB = 7
Need more time = 6
CRYSTAL BALL
The Bombers are on the verge of entering an era when they can challenge for a flag.
But, as we all know, winning one is a combination of hard work, excellence in all areas, togetherness and a bit of luck thrown in.
Essendon has faced a plethora of self-inflicted problems over a number of years but, to their credit, they now seem to be a fair more united club on and off the field, which speaks to that togetherness.
Their list is very well balanced with the right amount of developing players, depth players (C-grade) and a good spread of A and B-graders with exciting development players coming through. This is why I am bullish about their prospects over the next five years.
A lot of this credit must go to their long-time list manager Dodoro, who was under fire a few years ago. But I suspect many of those supporters – and to a degree myself – have been proven wrong.
Essendon is a great example of how quickly a club can turn things around with great list decisions and recruiting.
This gives coach Ben Rutten a real opportunity to consolidate this list and develop a game plan that will allow players to capitalise on the past great list and recruiting decisions.
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