AFL Player #21: Dyson Heppell aka Farnsy

[Lore]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 27, Highly Evolved

 

[outersanctum]

He started badly but was hugely important to the win.

Still think he is not in the best 23 when all available. Can play a part role but his best is gone and he is too slow on transition.

We will know that the squad has improved and is ready for the next step.. when we can move on from Heppell as a HB option.

 

[bommer16]

Hepp was very solid yday. I respect supp views he’s past his prime. Sure he has and the time will come when he doesn’t play anymore but he has good overhead marking ability. Body on the line stuff. Hes got a little left in the tank still. His efforts helped us a lot in ydays game.

 

[ghostdog]

Zone is about keeping the ball in front of you. If they kick through it and get overlap, no one is beating the ball back to goal, so that’s irrelevant. Heppell pretty good at positioning and not letting the ball over his head. People need to remember elite kicking beats any defensive zone.

Of course elite kicking beats any zone but the fact remains, Hepp isn't going to make ground chasing back where a quick small defender would have a chance if the chance were there.

 

[FootyGuru]

Of course elite kicking beats any zone but the fact remains, Hepp isn't going to make ground chasing back where a quick small defender would have a chance if the chance were there.

No player is going to make up ground with elite kicking in a zone. Ball moves faster than any man on earth. Zones are a structure, if it gets beat there is never a structure created for a broken structure. It’s scramble and try and pressure. Heppell lacks pace on a lead or when get taken up to stoppage and turned around, but no one has enough speed to save a broken zone.

 

[Foxx]

Heppells lack of foot speed compared to smaller halfbacks is irrelevant. Unlike McGrath, Hind, Martin, his role is a taller intercept halfback.

Even though we are playing an aggressive forward press, where we need 2 way power running to defend transition. No player is going to be fast enough to defend turnovers.
So we still need players staying in the back half.

 

[ghostdog]

No player is going to make up ground with elite kicking in a zone. Ball moves faster than any man on earth. Zones are a structure, if it gets beat there is never a structure created for a broken structure. It’s scramble and try and pressure. Heppell lacks pace on a lead or when get taken up to stoppage and turned around, but no one has enough speed to save a broken zone.

Correct, and when the elite kicking lapses as it can, Heppell has no ability to do this.

 

[Highly Evolved]

 

[ghostdog]

Heppells lack of foot speed compared to smaller halfbacks is irrelevant. Unlike McGrath, Hind, Martin, his role is a taller intercept halfback.

Even though we are playing an aggressive forward press, where we need 2 way power running to defend transition. No player is going to be fast enough to defend turnovers.
So we still need players staying in the back half.

His role is to defend. If he has to go and scrap it out he has to go, as he did last night.

 

[Foxx]

His role is to defend. If he has to go and scrap it out he has to go, as he did last night.

Yes in the defensive half as a taller halfback.
I was stating his lack of footspeed is irrelevant to his role.

 

[Darealrath]

Yes in the defensive half as a taller halfback.
I was stating his lack of footspeed is irrelevant to his role.

Hmm not sure. When a team is pressing high there are times when the defenders are going to have to track back half the field at speed. In those situations Heppell is no help unless he sags back, but that can weaken the press and make it more likely it is pierced to begin with.

He was great yesterday, particularly with his decisiveness attacking the footy when the team was struggling, but it remains a legitimate concern.

 

[FootyGuru]

Correct, and when the elite kicking lapses as it can, Heppell has no ability to do this.

No coach creates a structure for a broken structure. They aren’t going to blame Heppell for not covering a broken structure because of foot speed.

They will blame him if he slow to get to position, or lets the ball over his head. Those things he is very good at.

Blame Heppell for not having leg speed on a lead or getting turned around going to stoppage. Not for being unable to catch a footy in a broken zone

 

[Vander18]

No coach creates a structure for a broken structure. They aren’t going to blame Heppell for not covering a broken structure because of foot speed.

They will blame him if he slow to get to position, or lets the ball over his head. Those things he is very good at.

Blame Heppell for not having leg speed on a lead or getting turned around going to stoppage. Not for being unable to catch a footy in a broken zone

You are right. But that’s when everything works perfectly….which isn’t always. Where the kick is off there are opportunities to react and close down. Have seen McGrath and Redman do it many times.

But even within the zone his speed is an issue. At the game yesterday it was clear to me how agressive our defensive positioning is and he and Lav both struggled at times to close space given the latitude they provided the opposition.

 

[fishardansin]

Heppell was good and has a definite role in our team right now. He's EXCELLENT depth for Ridley who is battling injuries for his 2nd successive season. Perhaps there is no role in the side when Ridley is back.

My best 22 defence is:

Ridley McKay McGrath
Redman Reid ......

The club wants Martin in that other role, however, it could be one of the young half-back guns we drafted or Heppell, or even Cox if we want extra height. I think Heppell plays if either of Redman or Ridley are missing. Also, if we're in the fortunate position of having a full suite of defenders to choose from then a VFL backline including Laverde and Heppell brings a lot to support the development of Cox, Baldwin, Lual and Roberts.

I've heard some bomber supporters say that Heppell signing up again was selfish. Completely ridiculous. He loves playing football, loves the club and obviously feels like he still has something to offer. Why shouldn't he keep going until the club says otherwise?

 

[ghostdog]

You are right. But that’s when everything works perfectly….which isn’t always. Where the kick is off there are opportunities to react and close down. Have seen McGrath and Redman do it many times.

But even within the zone his speed is an issue. At the game yesterday it was clear to me how agressive our defensive positioning is and he and Lav both struggled at times to close space given the latitude they provided the opposition.

Exactly. Thank you.

 

[ghostdog]

There is this for Hepp though;

 

[The Donners]

Ball moves faster than any man on earth.

Wayne Harmes disagrees.

 

[The Donners]

There is this for Hepp though;

View attachment 1945107

Last night was his best game this year by a long way and there were still a number of errors that don’t show up in the stats. I mentioned them last night, within the space of 10 minutes in the 2nd quarter he went back looking to mark instead of punching and it resulted in a goal (he did it later in the quarter and marked it and then finally punched in the 3rd quarter), he then kicked the ball inside 50m after a mark (nice mark too) and he kicked it 10-15 metres short of our talls and was to the Saints advantage.

 

[FootyGuru]

You are right. But that’s when everything works perfectly….which isn’t always. Where the kick is off there are opportunities to react and close down. Have seen McGrath and Redman do it many times.

But even within the zone his speed is an issue. At the game yesterday it was clear to me how agressive our defensive positioning is and he and Lav both struggled at times to close space given the latitude they provided the opposition.

on the lead, yes you can blame Heppell for his lack of leg speed. But when the ball gets out the back you can’t blame hep for not chasing it down. Positioning mostly gets effected by our players entry kick, more so than people getting beaten on leads. Shallow entries usually end up In the zone getting beaten the other way.

 

[Foxx]

Last night was his best game this year by a long way and there were still a number of errors that don’t show up in the stats. I mentioned them last night, within the space of 10 minutes in the 2nd quarter he went back looking to mark instead of punching and it resulted in a goal (he did it later in the quarter and marked it and then finally punched in the 3rd quarter), he then kicked the ball inside 50m after a mark (nice mark too) and he kicked it 10-15 metres short of our talls and was to the Saints advantage.

There seems to be an emphasis by a lot of Essendon people on Dysons mistakes, over just about every other player in our team - who make just as many or more.

 

[Nifft]

I didn't think he should've played on this year, but he's proven me wrong. Keep up the good work Dys.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

There is this for Hepp though;

View attachment 1945107

he’s been great but the inherent bias associated with disliking someone really makes it hard to see that he’s been great. i’m the same, everyone is

he does make costly mistakes, sometimes, though

 

[The Donners]

There seems to be an emphasis by a lot of Essendon people on Dysons mistakes, over just about every other player in our team - who make just as many or more.

Why is that you think? I think it’s because he’s the only guaranteed starter regardless of form. He’s treated differently.

 

[fairbump_playon]

No coach creates a structure for a broken structure. They aren’t going to blame Heppell for not covering a broken structure because of foot speed.

They will blame him if he slow to get to position, or lets the ball over his head. Those things he is very good at.

Blame Heppell for not having leg speed on a lead or getting turned around going to stoppage. Not for being unable to catch a footy in a broken zone

Hmmm I think it would be a wise coach who plans for Plan A to fall down every now and then

The zone is broken to some degree for most of every match. Skills are going to break down. You ideally pick players who can play to the plan and react and recover quickly when the plan falls apart

 

[Mercurial89]

Didn't go to ground as much which was better still a good judge of the ball in the air, disposal is just as poor as it has been for years, that's not age related. If he judges something wrong he has no ability to make up for it due to his physical limitations, so he's playing a very good mental game.

He still shouldn't have been offered a contract but that doesn't preclude him from having good games.

 

[Foxx]

Why is that you think? I think it’s because he’s the only guaranteed starter regardless of form. He’s treated differently.

He was dropped early last year.