Mitch Clark - did we dodge a bullet?

[daisycutter 30,027]

11 minutes ago, jackaub said:

Yep we took a hit alright

 

never seen someone make so much money for not playing footy

[Adam The God 30,768]

1 hour ago, Pipefitter said:

By a mile. I think we laughed off the Varcoe offer. He'd be pretty valuable for us.

Varcoe had a pretty injury-riddled season himself.

[worldwideweb_demon 90]

2 hours ago, A F said:

Collingwood won that trade, just.

The club that keeps on giving. Dawes, Lumumba and Kennedy. Surprised that they havent tried to trade Swan before he retired.

[hemingway 7,633]

Hindsight is easy for everyone, but you can't help think that Clark's demise at Geelong was fairly predicable, given his track record. Nice to see the cosy sanctimonious cats get it wrong. Second hand players are so often a liability and fail to produce anything more than their past records suggest. That's why I am always dubious about these guys particularly those that come with injury or behavioural problems. You can sometimes get lucky (Vince) but more often than not they do not bring much to a new club (Dawes/H).

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,137]

2 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Hindsight is easy for everyone, but you can't help think that Clark's demise at Geelong was fairly predicable, given his track record. Nice to see the cosy sanctimonious cats get it wrong. Second hand players are so often a liability and fail to produce anything more than their past records suggest. That's why I am always dubious about these guys particularly those that come with injury or behavioural problems. You can sometimes get lucky (Vince) but more often than not they do not bring much to a new club (Dawes/H).

There are examples both ways. I expect there have been plenty of players who have delivered for their second or third club. Gary Ablett (both of them), Paul Salmon (both times), Justin Madden, Roger Merrett, Chris Judd, Darren Jolley and David Cloke come to mind as players who had exceptional careers after they moved. In addition, there have been plenty of players who have contributed to their second or third clubs, even if they may not be considered to have reached "star" status. For example, we've done very well with players such as Anthony Ingerson, Jeff White and Dom Tyson.

Sure, some trades are a bust, but I don't think it's correct that the failures occur more often than the successes.

   

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,525]

10 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Hindsight is easy for everyone, but you can't help think that Clark's demise at Geelong was fairly predicable, given his track record. Nice to see the cosy sanctimonious cats get it wrong. Second hand players are so often a liability and fail to produce anything more than their past records suggest. That's why I am always dubious about these guys particularly those that come with injury or behavioural problems. You can sometimes get lucky (Vince) but more often than not they do not bring much to a new club (Dawes/H).

Agree and disagree. One of the most attractive qualities that H had before coming to the Dees was his durability. Some questioned his attitude, that seems to be great since joining us.  His ankle and concussion issues are new as far as I know...

[Older demon 2,830]

Not picked in their VFL side for this weeks elimination final!!

 

[poita 3,948]

13 minutes ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Agree and disagree. One of the most attractive qualities that H had before coming to the Dees was his durability. Some questioned his attitude, that seems to be great since joining us.  His ankle and concussion issues are new as far as I know...

How has his attitude been great? He started this year by disappearing in the middle of pre season when he should have been in rehab, and it has all been downhill from there. I've never seen a bloke less committed to a club. At least Clark gave us everything he had until he got injured.

[Moonshadow 17,678]

5 minutes ago, poita said:

How has his attitude been great? He started this year by disappearing in the middle of pre season when he should have been in rehab, and it has all been downhill from there. I've never seen a bloke less committed to a club. At least Clark gave us everything he had until he got injured.

Not to mention the WAGs

[worldwideweb_demon 90]

At the time, we were all excited about picking up Mitch Clark. Dean Bailey was sacked after we lost by about 200 points to the Cats.

We had room in our salary cap and it was the right move at the time to land a big name player who could make us a finals team.

Traded away pick 12 (we had 12 the previous year and drafted Lucas Cook!)

[Sir Why You Little 37,498]

I wonder if he will try to scrounge out one more contract. 

He could try Freo....??

[daisycutter 30,027]

4 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I wonder if he will try to scrounge out one more contract. 

He could try Freo....??

why not? there is still 14 clubs he hasn't burnt

[Sir Why You Little 37,498]

9 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

why not? there is still 14 clubs he hasn't burnt

Exactly. Lucrative markets still await our Mitch....

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

53 minutes ago, worldwideweb_demon said:

At the time, we were all excited about picking up Mitch Clark. Dean Bailey was sacked after we lost by about 200 points to the Cats.

We had room in our salary cap and it was the right move at the time to land a big name player who could make us a finals team.

Traded away pick 12 (we had 12 the previous year and drafted Lucas Cook!)

Yep, at the time it was great a move.

And he delivered on more than what we thought he was capable of when he actually did play.

I loved watching him play in the red and blue, even if it was only a handful of games. Really disappointing end to story though unfortunately.

[The Chazz 4,077]

Wanted to be treated like an AFL footballer, without actually playing AFL football.  Even back in his Brisbane days he loved the lifestyle of being a footballer, but didn't love being one. 

For much if the past 8 years, he got his wish, especially in his time with us and Geelong.  Looks like it has finally caught up with him.

Good.

[Jaded No More 68,976]

Pre injury he was an absolute gun. We forget how good he was for us before everything went to [censored]. 

Another one in a long list of epic list failures for us. 

[hemingway 7,633]

Clark was cruelled by injury and mental health issues. He did not use any club. Clubs bid on him like they do other footballers with apparent cache. They bid on him knowing his background, in particular, Geelong. He went to both MFC and Geeling hoping he would overcome his problems and play regular footy. The fact is that clubs took the risk and paid big bucks. Like venture capital it does not always provide a return on capital. Clark despite the moral judgements being made was just a chattel of the trading system established, encouraged and supported by the AFL and the clubs. Judgements about his character is another thing.

[What 18,810]

21 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Pre injury he was an absolute gun. We forget how good he was for us before everything went to [censored]. 

Another one in a long list of epic list failures for us. 

He was awesome for us before he hurt his foot.  It was a masterstroke to recruit him and play him as a key forward.

In fact he was the only reason to watch a Demons game in that dark period.

[JV7 2,375]

2 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

He was awesome for us before he hurt his foot.  It was a masterstroke to recruit him and play him as a key forward.

In fact he was the only reason to watch a Demons game in that dark period.

You'd have to wonder if he didn't injure his foot what a forward line of Clark/Hogan/Watts/Garlett would be like... Guess we wouldn't have drafted Weidemen if that was the case tho

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

8 minutes ago, JV7 said:

You'd have to wonder if he didn't injure his foot what a forward line of Clark/Hogan/Watts/Garlett would be like... Guess we wouldn't have drafted Weidemen if that was the case tho

Yep, would have been absolutely amazing.

Who do you send your best backman to? Clark, Watts or Hogan? There's no backline in the competition who has a '3rd best' backline player to cope with one of those 3. There's no way you could double team one of them without the other ripping you to shreds.

Clark cut up backlines on his own, pre-injury. He really was something to watch.

[John Crow Batty 8,895]

He looked amazing when he started for us but there was something fishy going on off field  at the time. In round 6, 2012 against Geelong he kicked an amazing goal at the start of the game after a Herculean solo attack on the ball and not one team mate came to congratulate him. Something  was NQR with his team mates.

[worldwideweb_demon 90]

19 minutes ago, JV7 said:

You'd have to wonder if he didn't injure his foot what a forward line of Clark/Hogan/Watts/Garlett would be like... Guess we wouldn't have drafted Weidemen if that was the case tho

Add in young gun Petracca tearing it up at half forward flank. We can only drool...

[Uncle Fester 2,848]

1 minute ago, worldwideweb_demon said:

Add in young gun Petracca tearing it up at half forward flank. We can only drool...

A 28 year old Liam Jurrah wouldn't hurt either...

[worldwideweb_demon 90]

2 minutes ago, Uncle Fester said:

A 28 year old Liam Jurrah wouldn't hurt either...

Forgot about that guy too! Might have kept Howe in the forward pocket so those two can compete for the highlight reel

[Wrecker45 3,381]

3 hours ago, worldwideweb_demon said:

The club that keeps on giving. Dawes, Lumumba and Kennedy. Surprised that they havent tried to trade Swan before he retired.

Don't forget the best assistant coach in the land Neeld.

In all seriousness i do think kennedy will be a good player.