Sam Blease wants out

[jumbo returns 6,493]

Stop being so precious.

Does anyone actually disagree with what he said?

Yes.....you put your head down and go harder.

Show some leadership.

[pantaloons 2,019]

He can say what he likes. The more duds other clubs pick up, the better for Melbourne.

[daisycutter 28,589]

Stop being so precious.

Does anyone actually disagree with what he said?

not really. might argue about the relative importance between recruiting, development, environment and player input but that's all subjective

think a lot of posters agreed too, so who being so precious it upset you?

the other issue is whether it was a smart move of sammy to air his dirty linen just as he starts at a new club

ymmv

[Moneider96 1,045]

Dom Tyson had nothing but good things to say about GWS when he left them. I understand Melbourne's culture was probably far worse, but Blease could of AT LEAST said nothing at all instead of taking swipes at us....for example, 'Melbourne have finally got their [censored] together and I see them going places but I feel. like I need a fresh start'. Simple. No hard feelings though...can't see him turning things around.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

Now just another one to boo next year when we play them.
Well, all 50 of us that are allowed into Skilled Stadium.

[deejammin' 2,066]

Sounds like yet another player blaming everyone else for their own results. No one wanted Sam Blease to succeed more than the MFC and burning bridges and blaming everyone else on the way out is not very mature behaviour. No one has had more control over the performance of MFC than the players and yet every one when departing has spouted the same "I want success, I'd be a star if I wasn't at Melbourne" rubbish. The proof has been in the pudding with Gysberts, Sylvia, Moloney, Petterd, Morton, Bennell ect after they left. I'm usually sad to see players go but in this case I think young Sam has it a@& backwards. No one had more control over Sams two way running this year than Sam and yet he failed to perform under a coach famous for getting the best out of all his players. I wish him all the best but if he thinks that B Scott and the cats are going to tell him he's perfect and his football club is to blame he's in for a sudden shock!

[McQueen 17,864]

A couple of things come from that interview.

1) Blease reads forums

2) I'm sure the stifled development argument would be a popular one amongst the players.

Anyway, it was inappropriate but hardly untrue.

[rjay 23,925]

Now just another one to boo next year when we play them.

Well, all 50 of us that are allowed into Skilled Stadium.

Doubt it 'Song', he has to get a game first and if he does I would say the Cats would be struggling.

[jnrmac 19,059]

Stop being so precious.

Does anyone actually disagree with what he said?

Yep. Ooooh I had too many coaches. My head was confused with all the messages I was getting. I only just realised I had to play defensive football. I like running towards goal. Not defending..

He was a dud who was probably a great junior, never played defensive footy in his life and he sounds pretty dumb. Couldn't work out what you needed to succeed at AFL level despite repeatedly being told what he needed to do. Another Sylvia with less talent.

[DeeSpencer 23,189]

Changing coaches would be an excuse if you went from a good player to bad player then back to good or vice versa when used different roles.

But Blease came in under Dean Bailey. Broke his leg. There goes 2009 and really 2010.

I can't help but think the advise to him was do your rehab, get fit, go out and get a kick. 2011 he played a bit, moved around positions.

Then from 2012 under Neeld and continuing on I really can't help but think the advise to him has been the same the entire time. Play half forward. Defend first. Make better decisions than you currently do. Get fitter.

I hate it when anyone says 5 or 6 coaches. Blease had Bailey, Neeld and then Roos. The caretakers in Viney and Craig were unlikely to have asked for anything significant form Blease besides from him to get a kick. Craig clearly paired back the game plan last year and tried to retain some possession and besides that just play natural football. It got a bit of results in some of the games. There was no magic about it.

I'm not going to bad mouth him for having a crack at the club. It's nothing different to what Roos has said and we laud him for calling it how it is. But I will say I think it shows that he's just never got what AFL footy is about. It's probably the toughest sport in the world and no one can do anything for you when you are on the field. He might get some easy kicks down at Geelong but if he doesn't work for them they will dry up pretty quickly.

[LuvMyDees 18]

thanks sam. who was it who broke their leg in their first year? How serious were you about being at Melbourne. Don't blame us.

[OLC 6]

None of that stopped Nate Jones from becoming a star

Probably because Jones is a hard worker and has heart and courage

While Blease is a soft front running loser

A list of what 42 and we can pick one.

[Guest]

Probably an interview that could have been done had Sam established himself in the Geelong first 22.

I don't disagree with a lot of what Sam said. In fact, a lot of it was correct.
I do think he was too lenient on Barry Prendergast and I think that attitude was emblematic of what we were. Everyone was too keen to protect their little patch of Earth and cast blame on others. I think Barry P did balls up some picks (Lucas Cook, Jordan Gysberts) and tended to focus on speculative picks rather than ready made players.

[chookrat 3,776]

Are you on drugs or what? Would it not be better for him to have shut his mouth until he had some runs on the board at the Cats before he made any comment? However reasonable you consider it, he still had a whack at his old club as he left. Bad form IMO. He might speak well, but he's gone way too early on the "Melbourne couldn't develop me" line. It irks me that he works on his major deficiencies only when he knows he has to find a home elsewhere. When he is a flop at Geelong, this interview will look mighty stupid.

I think we are being a bit precious re Sam's comments. He's simply laid out some facts, 5 coaches in 6 years, when asked a question. The real issue is the instability out our club during the 7 years. Rather than blame Sam why can't we just focus on being a better club and destination for developing players.

[Demon trucker 1,776]

Poor development is a player excuse, all the high picks bp picked had a common thread, they all had poor work ethic, gysbets by all reports did not train had, Sammy never worked on his tank, how often would he kick a running goal, then not touch the ball for the rest of the game, he would be stuffed.

[Demon trucker 1,776]

Good players don't need development, there not much port could of developed wines in one preseason, sellwood at the cats would of been a star anywhere, a club can only tell you the things to work on, coach can't build Sammy's tank, only he can work on that by doing lots of running, if you can't run all day in the AFL you won't make it.

Edited November 3, 2014 by not angry anymore

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

Hi Sam,

Good luck at Geelong. Break a leg...

[Lucifers Hero 37,133]

We are forgetting that during the DB years reports were that the players called the shots particularly how/when to train. This was at a time when we had a mediocre player leadership group. So yes, very difficult for new, young players to get the development they needed and deserved.

Sam could have worded his comments better but they aren't much different than what we all think. Hope he really makes a go of it this time.

edit: it would be nice to change the title back to Sam being a Cat...

Edited November 3, 2014 by Lucifer's Hero

[Redleg 37,693]

If you talk to those in the know, you will hear that one of Sam's major problems is that he knows best. He appears to fit snugly in the " it is everyone else's fault " box.

I wish him good luck, we let him go and he stayed until that time.

[Deecisive 1,652]

I must say I love the comment

Blease said the defensive side of his game had been under the most scrutiny, and believed it was something he could address at Geelong.

"Most of the time Roosy's game plan was based more around defence and I guess I lean more on the side of offence … and defence is something that hasn’t come natural to me," he said.

So I guess it must have been one of his many new Geelong coaches that pointed out that he needs to work on his defence because it is certainly not something he learnt at Melbourne and as he put it, defence was a primary focus at the MFC and yet he still did not understand that is what he had to do at Melbourne, but now realizes he can turn this around at Geelong.

Sorry the guy is so far up his own backside blaming everyone for his poor effort and form that did not allow him to break into one of the worst teams in the league. A good player can still find and use the ball which is something Sam was really not that good at most of the time. Thanks for the salary cap relief Sam, enjoy sitting on the bench with Mitch.

[Moonshadow 16,239]

I think we are being a bit precious re Sam's comments. He's simply laid out some facts, 5 coaches in 6 years, when asked a question. The real issue is the instability out our club during the 7 years. Rather than blame Sam why can't we just focus on being a better club and destination for developing players.

I don't think I blamed Sam for the club's instability. I find it absurd that a guy who has done little at his former club and is yet to get a game at his new club is looking for reasons why it's not his fault he's a flop. Sure we haven't been a stable club, but it's a cop out to use that as an excuse for not getting a tank over 5 years and running both ways.

[rpfc 27,501]

He's not wrong but it is a massive deflection of responsibility for his own career.

His line about Prendergast is really interesting - he must have been hurt by being called a failed draft pick...

I am sorry to say this, Sam. But we didn't have a good history with picking the right player, and you were no exception.

[P-man 13,224]

It's a tough one, because there's little doubt that most of what he says is correct. However to hear it come directly from a player's mouth, whilst on the one hand is quite shocking, on the other it immediately sounds like excuse making.

He at least acknowledged that players have to take responsibility. They also have to be self-driven. If Sammy was thinking along these lines during his time at the club, it's little wonder he barely got off ground zero.

Anyhow, good luck to him. I can't see him reaching any lofty heights at the Cats, but I hope he gets a few opportunities.

[Whispering_Jack 28,004]

Hi Sam,

Good luck at Geelong. Break a leg...

Hey s-t-i-n-g-a I know you're being facetious but you're better than that. I think Sam was basically a good kid who went through hard times to get where he was and probably lacked the proper guidance to help him understand the hard work necessary to make it. I wonder how many true role models he had a club that had very few mature leaders such as he might have had elsewhere.

I wish him luck at Geelong. He'll need it and he'll need to take more responsibility on himself when he gets there because whatever he was doing over the past few seasons achieved very little for himself and his club.

[chookrat 3,776]

I don't think I blamed Sam for the club's instability. I find it absurd that a guy who has done little at his former club and is yet to get a game at his new club is looking for reasons why it's not his fault he's a flop. Sure we haven't been a stable club, but it's a cop out to use that as an excuse for not getting a tank over 5 years and running both ways.

I dont think he is using it as an excuse but instead a reason for wanting a fresh start.