From the Pocket: Essendon have all the hallmarks of a team deep in rebuild – just not the stomach to acknowledge it

Want to get this in your inbox every Wednesday afternoon? Sign up for the AFL newsletter here. When Andrew Welsh took over as Essendon president last September, he won rave reviews. He brought warring factions to heel. He interviewed potential recruits at the draft combine. He said things like “we’ve lost our mongrel” and “I want to get the swagger back”. He refused to acquiesce on the Zach Merrett trade. Welsh is one of the most successful property developers in Australia. He’s said to be worth close to half a billion dollars. Even as a builder, however, he’s been reluctant to utter footy’s most dreaded word. For many clubs, and for Essendon in particular, the concept of a rebuild is a protean one. From month to month, it’s either a rethink, a re-stump, a re-wiring or a total re-do. Welsh himself opted for reset. “We now have a high-talent young core in place, the heavy lifting of the reset is done, and we are ready to climb,” he said. “We will not stop working until we restore this club to its rightful place.” This is an extract from Guardian Australia’s free weekly AFL email, From the Pocket. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions Continue reading...

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