Losing your favourite player/s

[jumbo returns 6,741]

I just feel disappointed about losing Rivers.

I'm quite ambivalent about him - i think we got the best years out of him.

[thaipantsman 180]

I think there are two constants of being a Melbourne supporter:

1. disappointment

2. losing good players to other clubs

I can't think of many good Demons over the past decade who have signed on with us without giving a second thought. Even the mainstays of the last decade - Yze, White, Green - regularly flirted with opposition clubs during trade week. Perhaps Neitz and Trengove are the main exceptions.

Without getting caught up too much in which players have stayed loyal, it's worth reflecting the calibre of players we have lost to other clubs over the past decade (I know the circumstances are different for every player and that we sometimes scored good deals, but let's ignore that for a moment): Jeff Farmer, Shane Woewodin, Scott Thompson, Darren Jolly, Travis Johnstone, Brock McLean, Cameron Bruce, Brad Miller, James McDonald, Tom Scully.

Now we can add Liam Jurrah, Brent Moloney, and Jared Rivers to that list. Stefan Martin may join them.

In light of this, I want to hear your stories about losing your favourite players to other clubs. How do you respond?

(Fwiw, my thoughts are here - I've had a particularly bad run of form)

Hi Dee Man

The latest one that comes to mind is LJ. A Big loss for me and Melbourne. Due to injury and other issues LJ still has not arrived at his best. Wish him well.

Robbie Flower was loyal to the core and reportedly courted by the Blues with big $ on offer. On the flip side was Greg Wells who chased that elusive Finals performance with Carlton. 1976 was a great year for Wells and Melbourne but sadly "mist it by that much". Rolled Pies easily at Victoria Park final round only to see Bulldogs not able to get over Carlton in the last round by the slightest of margin...or was it the other way around..ermmmm...

[wisedog 352]

When you're a bottom 3 side, you don't really mind losing a 28-30 year old player if they're not going to be around when it matters.

I would certainly be viewing the departures of Rivers, Moloney and Jurrah much differently if we were vying for a place in the finals.

Of the OP list, Thompson was the only player I was disappointed to lose. (I wasn't following the Dees much when we lost Farmer and Woey.)

[loges 6,767]

What was the story with Spalding , why did he leave ?

After the year we should have played off for the flag (1990) Northey brought in this dud Spencer from Essendon,, and kept playing him at CHF so Spalding left

[bjDee 1,249]

There have been players I was very disappointed to see leave, but Farmer going really stung. I hated seeing Woewodin in black and white as well. I never booed either of them though.

These are the two that stand out to me. My son was around 10-12 at the time and beginning to get into footy. He had Farmer's no. on the back of his jumper when Farmer left. Then he had 22 put on for Woey, who left about a year later (IIRC). I remember saying to him "for ****ks sake, don't put Neitz's number on that jumper of yours".

I find that losing a key player erodes a little bit of the loyalty I feel for the club, one tiny cut at at time, because we follow both the team/club, and its individual players. The individual cases are usually understandable, but just a sad reality in the era of professional athletes. I hope the AFL retains some kind of salary cap though - wouldn't want it to go open slather.

The T$ loss really [censored] me off, but probably actually strengthened my loyalty to the club, thanks to blokes like Trenners who made a stand.

Of the latest lot - I don't feel much impact. Sad to see Riv go, but it doesn't leave us too much in the lurch. He has served well and is getting on in years. Beamer's situation had to change anyway and he was coming off a poor year. Jurrah - just feel flat about that but he showed us he was not interested in staying.

Edited October 20, 2012 by bjDee

[3031 11]

RDB twelve months after the world losing JFK..both significant figures for me. The next 3 or so years after Barass left were especially tough years. I remember one day at Princes Park he plonked himself in the back pocket for the last quarter and continually rebuffed our attacks toward goal when we had a chance of winning.

RDB started it all. At the time I remember thinking it was the end of the world, and in a way it pretty much was (in terms of football success anyway).

[Arrow 1,257]

Took me a little while to get over Scott Thompson leaving as it was obvious how good he was going to be and the years since have just reinforced that. Now after 6 years of being an average or worse side I'm not so cut up about players going.

Clintosaurus, completely off topic but noticing your avatar The League is a seriously ******* ripper of a show. Such a pisser.

[darkhorse72 1,916]

If I remember correctly Spalding and Northey didn't hit it off. Spalding was (if my memory serves me correctly) supposed to be traded to Richmond but landed at Carlton and a premiership! I'm not sure of the intricacies of that deal.

Wayward kick but great mark and a bit of a cult figure around the club!

It was at the end of Northey's time so i don't think that was the reason considering how long it played under him. The trouble with Spalding was he always missed the goals we needed. To say he was a wayard kick is being nice. Think of richo on a bad day

Woey should have stayed but it was the salary cap pressure. If he was at the club today as he would be given a role..and given his professionalism would have done very well.

As for Geread Healy. A [censored] who left purely for money at a time when his skills would have been the icing on the cake as we rose up the ladder finally.

[Roger Mellie 4,013]

I was shattered when the wizard donned his purple suit

[jane02 3,748]

Woey for me. To rub salt into my wound, my husband has a signed Collingwood jumper from Woey that I have to look at everytime I go into the garage. Its still hurts even after all this time.....

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

a wee bit off topic - Robbie F retiring made me tear up big time - just thought he would go on forever.

I was about 10 when Robbie started with us. He was easily (and I mean easily) the best player we had for the next decade. In some ways I sort of barracked for Robbie and whatever rabble donned the Melbourne jumper as his team mates

It was a sad day when he retired

[Lifelong Demon 75]

Woey for me. To rub salt into my wound, my husband has a signed Collingwood jumper from Woey that I have to look at everytime I go into the garage. Its still hurts even after all this time.....

Just hang Dawes signed Demons Premiership guernsey next to it in a few years. Throw in a few ex Collingwood coaches too just for good measure.

[monoccular 17,426]

I am old enough to have been totally gutted by Barassi's move to the Cheaters......and I haven't really enjoyed watching the Dees as much as I did before that fateful summer. But then up until then we played in finals every year I remember, and GFs for most of them, and since then we have had so many cr@p years.

But ever the optimist, I reckon Mark Neeld is the next Norm Smith, and the collection of Jacks are our next RDBs.

[monoccular 17,426]

I'm quite ambivalent about him - i think we got the best years out of him.

I would agree about Riv; I feel no bitterness, he was a tireless servant and any success he has with the Cats I wont begrudge him. However if when we overtake the Cats in the next year or two, I may even feel a bit sorry for him.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

I would agree about Riv; I feel no bitterness, he was a tireless servant and any success he has with the Cats I wont begrudge him. However if when we overtake the Cats in the next year or two, I may even feel a bit sorry for him.

Remember when Buckley left the Bears so he could play in a grand Final and win a flag?

[old dee 23,788]

Remember when Buckley left the Bears so he could play in a grand Final and win a flag?

Unforgetable Robbie

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Unforgetable Robbie

Could have had three GF medals instead of; how many has he got?

That's right, none.

On topic, when we gave Woey the flick I rang the club and gave Hassa Mann the biggest serve ever; that along with yelling obscenities at Tiger at the merger meeting are two thing I have always regretted.

Both were just doing their job and Tiger thought he was doing his best for the club. Anyway enough of that.

[Gippsland Dee 367]

I know this guy won't be a popular favourite player, popular player at all for that matter, but before he was traded to Hawthorn, Paul Johnson was always my favourite player for the dees. don't ask me why because i can't really explain why it was that he was my fav player, There was just something about him i really liked, but i wasn't really surprised to see him go. Now this trade period my new favourite player, Martin, seems likely to leave!

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Jurrah and Rivers leaving have made me feel cut. I mean in one game this season I shouted from over the fence at Rivers and he gave me the thumbs up. And the way Jurrah has fallen apart and Port just want to pounce on what's left of him doesn't sit well with me

[jackaub 1,402]

So disappointed to lose Jurrah

I still dont understand how he can just walk over to Port Adelaide with all our good wishes

[loges 6,767]

It was at the end of Northey's time so i don't think that was the reason considering how long it played under him. The trouble with Spalding was he always missed the goals we needed. To say he was a wayard kick is being nice. Think of richo on a bad day

Woey should have stayed but it was the salary cap pressure. If he was at the club today as he would be given a role..and given his professionalism would have done very well.

As for Geread Healy. A [censored] who left purely for money at a time when his skills would have been the icing on the cake as we rose up the ladder finally.

Spalding was definitely to do with Northey not playing him

[loges 6,767]

So disappointed to lose Jurrah

I still dont understand how he can just walk over to Port Adelaide with all our good wishes

Can't agree more would have benefited greatly from having Clark & Dawes in the side

[Brian Wilson 331]

The Wiz was hard to take, but there was a clearance sale at K Mart on footy jumpers and the Freo jumpers were reduced to 4.99...Bargain!! Bought two.

There's a reason they were in the clearance bin. To use the phrase of the moment: you 'paid overs'.

[DEE fence 5,007]

Some good comments here, Healy hurt, Stinga was indeed a tragic loss post injury, cannot believe Jurrah is gone I keep hoping I will wake up. Junior and Woey leaving damaged the club.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Yes Jurrah just walking to Port Adelaide confuses me. Was he out of contract or what??