Good to hear Custy, I guess a couple of recent signings and finishing off the year with some competitive performances,promotion of youth and a colts flag etc can buoy ones enthusiasm. Believe the recruiting isn't finished yet from what I have heard, obviously enticing a Palmer or Swallow to the club would be beneficial in terms of quality and experience, time will tell if these boys are even interested.
Looking over EF list, there definitely looks a healthy injection of height, with Loersch, Griffin and Bristow boosting EF height coffers.....up back still think EF lack that defender to out muscle the likes of Shaw, Maister, Lee, Keitel etc from opposition clubs.....though Winton, Jupp and more exposure of league footy for Bailey, EF have a number of those 192/93 cm defenders.....obviously Lester-Smith won't be available till mid 2018 I presume.....will miss Stephen's experience, though Schofield will no doubt undertake a leadership role up back in facilitating the development of Creasey, Franklin, Cuneo, Pearton and colts premiership boys in Scott(may get rookied), Nevill, Rajanayagam, Stone and Jackson.
The likes of Marsh, Eardley and Jansen will provide the nucleus of EF midfield department, obviously getting more footy out of Hampson, Macca and LA will be crucial to also help the development of young mids in Bennett, Marshall, Harding, Holmes, Burton, Kalazjic, Dion Anthony and Harrold, but there is also the likes of colts mids in Baskerville, Alone, Quill, Campbell and D'Antoine searching for opportunities. Add a Palmer or Swallow to that mix and EF midfield options do look healthy.
Up front obviously Watson going will hurt, honestly with Griffen, Bristow, Symonds and Cronan on board, Watson could of been used as that key forward or defender which he didn't really get an opportunity to perform due to his required minutes of rucking, pity that. Loersch, Griffen and Symonds provide EF with some serious tall targets up front, with also the likes of Bristow, O'Reilly, Ellis(if fit) Howson, Mirco and to a lesser degree Perham floating in and out from time to time.....all those boys would get opposition 3rd defenders, where as this year they probably all got(bar Bristow) opposition 1st and 2nd defenders.....so hopefully getting these guys in the game more. Smaller forwards in Kommer, Ryan, Green, Perry , BOB (if fit), Montauban, Fahey and perhaps a Palmer would definitely reap the benefits with some bigger bodies providing a contest up front....young premiership colts in Ritchie, Blurton, Collard and Lewis also if hanging around provide some depth and zip in this area too.
Ruck wise, disappointing to see Jack Fletcher at Subi, but hey with EF ruck queue of Griffen, Bristow, Cronan, Symonds, Loersch and Borgogno, can't blame Fletcher moving on seeking opportunities elsewhere and TBH despite Subi's playing riches, the ruck is one area they do lack options in.
Obviously players will come and go and some of those names mentioned might not even be at the club in 2018, hopefully they will be at the club tho. Plenty to look forward to, couple more signings and EF might be in a position like SD were this year to put some quality performances together and get themselves up the ladder into finals contention.....time will tell.....the draft is next week, so most clubs will have a better idea whose available and whose not.
