Essendon are capable of winning a final for the first time in 17 years – but that’s likely the ceiling for now.
That’s the verdict from Bombers great Tim Watson, with a finals spot Essendon’s to lose in the AFL’s final round.
The Bombers are running eighth ahead of a Round 23 clash against 16th-placed Collingwood. They are level on 40 points with West Coast and Fremantle but boast a superior percentage.
Either Brisbane or Western Bulldogs loom as a week one finals opponent. Essendon smashed Gold Coast by 68 points in the penultimate round on Sunday and have been boosted by the return from injury of Andrew McGrath, Dylan Shiel and Dyson Heppell.
“I think they can win a final, but I’m not sure how much further they can go after that,” Watson told SEN Breakfast on Monday.
“Getting Andrew McGrath back yesterday, that midfield mix is very good. You get Jake Stringer, Darcy Parish, Zach Merrett, Dylan Shiel, who they used for run more than anything yesterday, and then Sam Draper is such a good ruckman.
“They can compete with anyone in that part of the ground.”
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes said that Stringer had surpassed his expectations this season. He may well earn All Australian selection, having gotten his lone nod to date back in 2015.
“I haven’t given him enough credit so apologies to Jake, what you’ve done is phenomenal,” Cornes added.
“I’ve almost been waiting for the form to dip off, which it hasn’t.
“There’s one clip at the start of the second quarter, he starts in the centre bounce, gets a match-up that he likes and that’s Touk Miller and he just goes forward.
“He plays the exact Dustin Martin role, so I think he’s starting to get the smarts of what he’s capable of as well; ‘I’ve got a mismatch here, I’m just going to go forward and take a bit of a risk’.
“If you don’t have that type of player in your side, you’re at a massive disadvantage because they’re the most valuable type. Jordan De Goey, Marcus Bontempelli, Patrick Dangerfield … if you don’t have one of those, you’re starting from a fair way back.”
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