On the 17th of March 2007 the Blues won the NAB cup grand final and on the 20th of March 1993 Essendon won the pre season premiership. The Blues winning the pre-season premiership this year with a young squad of players reminded this bluebagger of Essendon’s baby bombers of 1993. So naturally I had to check out the stats.

When they won the premiership in 1993 Essendon’s six youngest players were (in order from youngest to oldest), Dustin Fletcher, Joe Misiti, Mark Mercuri, David Calthorpe, Gavin Wanganeen and James Hird.

The six youngest players in the Blues NAB Cup win were, Bryce Gibbs, Josh Kennedy, Marc Murphy, Eddie Betts, Jordan Russell and Andrew Walker.

Now imagine yourself at a bar talking footy with some mates back just before the season started in 1993. If someone asked your opinion on these six Essendon players at the time and how their careers might pan out would you have said at the time they would collect between them:

1,346 Games12 All Australian Honours11 Premiership medallions6 Club Best and Fairest Awards2 Brownlow Medals1 Norm Smith Medal

I think even the most optimistic Essendon supporter at the time would have been struggling to predict those sorts of results.

So put on your Navy Blue glasses and make your predictions for the ‘Carlton Six’ listed above? I know I am being a wide-eyed optimist but I think the ‘Carlton Six’ have a good chance of stacking up well in the fullness of time against the ‘Essendon Six’. Let’s have a look at each player.

Marc Murphy is one of the most exciting players I have ever seen at his age; skill, composure, courage, and even leadership in spades. The odds on Murphy collecting a long list of medals over his career would be short indeed.

Josh Kennedy is still young, raw and willing. The big blokes take more time to mature, but with Josh you can already see all the pieces of the puzzle already there that will lead to a long and prestigious career. Time and experience will be the last piece of the puzzle.

Andrew Walker burst onto the scene only to consolidate in his first 50 games and through a series of tough assignments learning the important defensive aspects of footy. I can see AW blossoming in the next few seasons to become a Kouta-like dominating inside midfielder.

Eddie Betts is in many ways the odd one out on this list. He was ignored in the draft and rather picked up in a pre season draft instead which is usually the abode of other clubs rejects. Despite the humble beginnings Eddie has not put a foot wrong in Navy Blue, and while the game of footy is especially fragile for goalsneaks, the fact that Eddie adds such fantastic tackling and general pressure in the forward half of the ground should ensure a good chance of a long and productive career

Jordan Russell came into the club as a top ten draft pick and has begun to show the club his potential with some quality run-with roles over the pre-season. Who could forget that great roving goal in the grand final. The sky is the limit for Jordan.

Last but not least, Bryce Gibbs has Carlton fans across the country salivating with his silky smooth skills and plenty of footy smarts. Recruiting is becoming so refined these days that being a number one pick is almost a guarantee of a 200 plus game career.

It might seem like crazy talk, but I think the ‘Carlton Six’ will outdo the ‘Essendon Six’, more premierships, more Brownlows, more All Australians, more everything. With these six young men playing the next decade together in Navy Blue the times ahead are going to be very exciting. In the not too distant future the MCG is going to be jumping again with regular September visits from the Navy Blue Army!

May the Stats be With You.

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