I cannot recall an entire Essendon draft crop coping so well with their first year out of juniors for some time, and the fact that they are all different in positioning and player-types adds immeasurably to both the balance of the list, and the optimism of fans.
Never one to shirk a contest, Tyson Slattery would emerge battered and sore, but generally undaunted in most games even though often pitted against bigger forwards. He had a very good year and by playing roles that on paper looked beyond him ensured a level of competitiveness was reached every single week.
Such unconditional commitment to the cause is a fantastic characteristic, and he remains a favourite player of this scribe.
Josh Jenkins started very promisingly as a versatile ruckman with better than average ground skills. A mid-season flat spot appeared to follow a leg injury sustained at Sandringham and in truth he looked sore at times for the rest of the season.
Not that it stopped him leading the way to victory with a five goal haul against Geelong in round 17 playing as a key forward. That game merely emphasised his versatile potential with some excellent strong marking and an agile snap in general play.
Taite Silverlock played largely as a defensive runner, even finding himself at full-back on one notable occasion at Port Melbourne.
It was a frustrating season for Taite in many ways, not quite able to get fully into gear but providing tantalising glimpses of the midfield force that he could go on to be.
He is a very good kick of the ball, and a natural rover in style, but decision making hamstrung him at times during the year, both with and without the ball.
Likewise, Michael Quinn produced a somewhat contrary year, very solid in effort but not always in effect. Disposal is generally neat and efficient, but some games saw him prominently good and others largely anonymous. His best is generally found with a specific defensive role and he did produce some good results in this area.
James Webster formed another part of the youthful 1st-year midfielders and had some good outings playing generally on a wing.
Often patchy from quarter to quarter, he can get a lot of the ball and use it well for a period, then drift out of games again. Only consistent enough to make the best players list a few times, he nonetheless showed enough to suggest an improved output could follow a full-strength preseason.
Jay Neagle fluctuated from key forward, to defender, to mobile ruckman. Surprisingly, it was in the latter role that he enjoyed his best moments, competing hard at both ball-ups and in general play. Always a good user of the ball by foot, and undoubtedly with increased workrate and fitness, he unfortunately just didn’t get enough of it to take full toll and impact the game as much as he would like.
Naturally, as Essendon players became fewer and further between, and the young kids became the impressive feature, a natural reliance on new Bendigo players had to occur.
And here too the results were pleasingly at odds with last season.
Matt Little and Tory Dickson were the regular, more mature faces, and both were outstanding in the forward half.
In particular Dickson, who remained consistently dangerous from start to finish, despite appearing to carry some late-season injury concerns.
His first VFL season was an unqualified success, mixing strength over the footy with excellent marking skills and lovely goal sense.
The emerging trend of AFL clubs looking at more mature state-level players may lead the 23 year old into bigger and better things.
The two co-captains, Shinners and Duscher, battled mid-season injury absences but either side of these periods both were highly valuable.
Duscher’s versatility and ball-winning ability makes him a force to be reckoned with at VFL level, and he now has consecutive impressive seasons on his résumé.
But in many ways, the truly pleasing aspect was that the young Essendon boys were joined by similarly-placed Bendigo listed players.
Tom Campbell proved to be a highly effective and talented young ruckman, having a positive impact in almost every game he played, including a sensational first half in the final.
Josh Freezer inherited a key defensive post and went well all year, by seasons end adding kicking-out duties to his role.
By round 16, for the clash against league superpower Port Melbourne, Ross, Browne and Webster were joined in the midfield rotations by unheralded names like Shane Biggs, Matthew Ladson and Sam Vale.
For more than three quarters, the group stood up to far more seasoned campaigners, including quite a few former AFL players.
The following week, Biggs further underlined his potential with a hard-running and free-ranging role on a wing against Geelong.
In the same game, another lightly-framed debutant caught the eye as Sam Dunell emerged from the Amateurs league to add some spark and verve across half forward.
Pierce Liddle, having made an appearance late in 2010, spent the season using himself as a wrecking ball against far bigger foes. For commitment and fanatical attack on the ball, none set the bar higher than the light-weight 20 year old.
And so, it was this overwhelming preponderance of youthfulness that proved the defining issue for me, the viewer.
The result became less important than the manner in which it was achieved.
The positive, of course, is accompanied by related negatives.
There is – and here’s another common saying- no such thing as a free lunch, certainly not in football at any rate.
On field, the play tended to go against Bendigo in second halves. It was no surprise that the team was at its best when the likes of Reimers, Prismall, Myers and Colyer were available for midfield duties, with resultant strengthening of positions on the periphery.
As numbers dropped away, the side became younger and lighter, and the midfield in particular was often overrun late in games.
This inexperience also manifested itself in a game-plan that demanded technical and disciplined understanding of zones and “presses”.
Several matches across the entire season were notable for large numbers of conceded goals as the opposition dominated the clearances and were able to use the ball well in getting behind the zone. The entire notion of defending space often looked misplaced in terms of winning the games, but the desire to make players fluent in the Essendon style understandably took precedence.
Mention should be made here of the contribution made this year by Ricky Dyson.
In terms of organising and demanding adherence to structure, Ricky led the way. His leadership amidst a shifting and evolving player group was immense. That he was also able to play some excellent footy in his own right – rebounding hard out of defence and setting up play week after week- should be born out come Best and Fairest night, where he surely will be prominent.
Much credit is due him for the way he went about the entire year.
Whilst we’re on the compromises inherent to an aligned team, it should be noted that some weeks saw a distinctly unbalanced team take the field.
A midfield and defence that may have already been compromised by injury was often compounded by a forward line that appeared too tall.
The need to get games into specific AFL-listed players will always dominate team selection, and it didn’t always feel like the side was necessarily set-up with a win as the pure focus.
Taken as a whole, then, it’s difficult to view the season as anything other than an unqualified success.
Several factors made it an admirable effort, but it’s the reliance on youth – both Essendon’s and otherwise – that elevates it in my mind above all previous Bendigo seasons.
For an entire crop of such young draftees to stand up for a full year, and clearly develop as they went along, speaks volumes of the direction the club is heading in.
In large measure, it was this that made it such an enjoyable year to view.
Each and every new draftee showed very good glimpses of their raw talents, the rookies all made solid contributions.
As a bonus, a core of Bendigo kids jumped out of obscurity to stake real claims for a future as VFL footballers, something that hasn’t tended to happen until now.
So, no, things most assuredly did not stay the same.
The demographics changed markedly, and - assuming the alignment continues - it should pay dividends next year and beyond.
A modicum of luck with Essendon’s injury list should minimise the midfield problems, as should the natural strengthening of young players.
Possibly Bendigo should target a hardened VFL mid as insurance, but the regional list looks good if it can be kept together.
Outside of this it only remains to be seen what list changes Essendon makes to evaluate any obvious deficiencies. And then do everything possible to increase the fitness levels of both lists to minimum VFL standard.
If it pans out this way, then 2011 will pale largely into obscurity as 2012 will be better again.
But it won’t change the fact that where 2010 was a stabilising season and important after some terrible years, it’s 2011 that has all the hallmarks of setting some real foundations to build upon.
Jason Hannigan - Bendigo Bomber fan-in-the-outer
