Aker has left the building

[Guest The Boss]

Thankfully, we don't have people like you making recruiting decisions for the club. I for one will gladly welcome Aker if he ends up in MFC colours.

[beelzebub 22,312]

There is no way in the world the club would recruit a 34 yo...wouldnt matter if its Aker or the devil himself in boots thats not the STATED ideal of the Club going forward.

We are not looking to play seriously in September ( October..lol ) for a year or two and in themeantime its all about games into legs of the kids who WILL be there.

Simple as that

[mauriesy 6,859]

Leigh Matthews gives examples in today's Hun of the sort of media-related stuff Akermanis did that put the Lions players off-side:

"Matthews said Akermanis appeared not to have learned how his outside behaviour influenced his teammates since his time in Brisbane.

"(In the) summer of 2001, he went on a speaking tour with Mark Jackson. He decided he had to come up with some jokes for his presentation. So he came up with the dumb jokes. So you have to have someone be the dumb bloke. So he used Justin Leppitsch .. (his) teammate! Pretty silly … you think you’d find someone outside your own nest ... that obviously gets back to Leppa and the players from that point on there were whole lots of bits and pieces along the way", he said.

Akermanis got into further hot water with the Lions when he revealed prior to the 2003 Grand Final that teammate Nigel Lappin had broken ribs.

"If we’d lost the 2003 Grand Final, Aker would never have played for the Lions again. That’s how savage the reaction would have been but we won it so you kind of move on".

Akermanis now has 'form' at two clubs, and has been sacked mid-season twice. I wouldn't want him, even if he was 26 years old and great. There is nothing worse than a loose cannon antagonising the rest of the playing group.

Edited July 23, 2010 by maurie

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Thankfully, we don't have people like you making recruiting decisions for the club. I for one will gladly welcome Aker if he ends up in MFC colours.

More gratefully neither are you. But I would gladly offer your nous and expertise to anyone of the other 15 clubs.

He wont be in MFC colours next year. No one is that stupid..

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

......

Akermanis now has 'form' at two clubs, and has been sacked mid-season twice. I wouldn't want him, even if he was 26 years old and great. There is nothing worse than a loose cannon antagonising the rest of the playing group.

His loose cannon behaviour is similar to ex Australian spinner and loud mouth Greg Matthews who without telling players on the 1991 Windies tour that a mate who he caught up with and invited to team functions was actually ghost writing a behind the scenes book on the tour. None of the 1991 tourists were at all enamored and within 2 years had his first class career finished and with a number of important relationships in the cricket world irreparably damaged.

[1858 237]

Methinks The Boss is just a big troll.

Yet he still gets bites.

[Guest The Boss]

There is no way in the world the club would recruit a 34 yo...wouldnt matter if its Aker or the devil himself in boots thats not the STATED ideal of the Club going forward.

We are not looking to play seriously in September ( October..lol ) for a year or two and in themeantime its all about games into legs of the kids who WILL be there.

Simple as that

He'd be a good teacher for the young players coming through. He'd set a good example with his work ethic and enthusiastic attitude towards training and developing into the best player he can possibly be.

[jacey 333]

Methinks The Boss is just a big troll.

he got 4-5 bites from Rhino. That's a little bit funny.

[Pates 9,537]

From the outside i don't know whether the WB have handled him or the situation well. It does appear as though the Bulldogs have systematically moved closer and closer to getting rid of him in the past 2 months, but i think it'd nieve of them to truly think that every single player is/was on board with sacking him.

Listening to Gary Lyon last night (and btw i thought he and JB did an excellent job) there was one question in particular that pricked my ears. I won't be able to properly quote it but it went along the lines of, "with the Bulldogs playing list employing a disciplinary tactic, that is getting you out in front of the playing list and having your teammates throw very honest words and suggestions at you, something that has been at the forefront of teams like Hawthorne, Geelong, and Sydney, is it possible that the problem is with you not been able to handle it properly?"

Obviously i'm paraphrasing and there may be someone out there that can clean it up for me, but his point was that this is something that has been done at some of the most successful clubs of the last 5 years and the bulldogs used it because they felt it was the right course of action. Aker's response actually included a dig at Melbourne saying that it's something we do and look where we are, well Aker don't forget about the carp list we've had over the last 3 years.

My point of all this is that the Bulldogs used this tactic, but did they actually stop to think if it was the RIGHT tactic to use on Aker? Everyone says he's an individual, we perhaps that what they should have done is say to everyone, "ok over the course of Akers suspension we want you all to individually go up to him and tell him if you have a problem with him, do it at training, in the parking lot or over a beer, whatever." Everyone talk how footy clubs have evolved into more of a teaching environment, well back at school if you had a problem you'd sit one on one with your teacher or your peers. I'm not saying that the above tactic is necessarily a bad one but i question whether it was the right one in this case.

FWIW, i can't believe the Aker didn't see this coming and it's clear he does live in his own little ego bubble, this was a bad situation and both parties made it worse until eventually they just had to say enough is enough.

Edited July 23, 2010 by Pates

[beelzebub 22,312]

He'd be a good teacher for the young players coming through. He'd set a good example with his work ethic and enthusiastic attitude towards training and developing into the best player he can possibly be.

:blink:

I think we have better teachers already in our midst!!

Aker will have work in his newly chosen field spuiking in his Akermanish !!

Edited July 23, 2010 by belzebub59

[jayceebee31 682]

I wouldn't.

Any track record is seven years old and Aker has struggled to make an impact at AFL and VFL. He is not a worthy replace for Johnson or Higgins.

I rather go into the finals without any idiots destroying club culture.

Your kidding calling Acker an idiot.. he has played people like you on a brake. A very smart man- Acker whom is laughing all the way to the bank. Will make an absolute fortune still out of football.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Your kidding calling Acker an idiot.. he has played people like you on a brake. A very smart man- Acker whom is laughing all the way to the bank. Will make an absolute fortune still out of football.

From a club culture perspective he is a sore and a problem. Got it.

[jayceebee31 682]

From a club culture perspective he is a sore and a problem. Got it.

Got it- however prefer to have Acker on Grand final day than Johnson, Higgins, Eagleton or Ward.

Have you Got it?

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Got it- however prefer to have Acker on Grand final day than Johnson, Higgins, Eagleton or Ward.

5-6 years ago I would have agreed. But not now. Aker's on field star has faded greatly and he is cashing in for all its worth in the media. And I doubt the Dogs will get that far anyway.

[jayceebee31 682]

5-6 years ago I would have agreed. But not now. Aker's on star has faded and he is cashing in for all its worth in the media. And I doubt the Dogs will get that far anyway.

Well how do you rate Johnson's form & fitness. I would sooner have the experience of a 3 time premiership player in the team than an also ran in Johnson or a break down merchant in Higgins.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Well how do you rate Johnson's form & fitness. I would sooner have the experience of a 3 time premiership player in the team than an also ran in Johnson or a break down merchant in Higgins.

That's why I dont think the Dogs will get to the GF.

Johnson is still more serviceable as a player than Aker. And he is their captain and a revered club great. And I dont think any perceived deterioration in those players you mentioned justifies retain a fringe has been that is clearly out for himself and is a destabilising influence at the Club.

Pickett played in the 99 and 2004 flags but by 2007 he was finished and a shadow of his former self and no on field value. Aker is in the same boat.

[gOLLy 401]

Love how my posts get deleted.

[jayceebee31 682]

That's why I dont think the Dogs will get to the GF.

Johnson is still more serviceable as a player than Aker. And he is their captain and a revered club great. And I dont think any perceived deterioration in those players you mentioned justifies retain a fringe has been that is clearly out for himself and is a destabilising influence at the Club.

Pickett played in the 99 and 2004 flags but by 2007 he was finished and a shadow of his former self and no on field value. Aker is in the same boat.

Must admit good points you raise and we will never know now.I hope Bulldogs play off and get belted now.

[Deestroy All 14,262]

Suffer bump.

[dee-luded 2,958]

he got 4-5 bites from Rhino. That's a little bit funny.

Hah, probably Yze Magic.