Harley Balic Retires

[SFebes 4,859]

3 minutes ago, President Dee Trump said:

Did Balic get any games at Casey? Was he any good?

He booted 6 in his first game from memory and was a bit of a goal sneak with a couple of 3's? Then had some time off, came back and didn't hit form now retired.

[drysdale demon 4,673]

3 minutes ago, President Dee Trump said:

Did Balic get any games at Casey? Was he any good?

You follow the teams closely.

[Coq au vin 755]

Didn’t notice Balic being mentioned in any Casey reports. I don’t go to any Casey games myself. I support MFC, not Casey. 

[Willmoy1947 3,955]

15 hours ago, Wrecker45 said:

Was told by a family member of Balic's that he never had the mental health issues implied by the speculators.

Constantly on the injury list at Freo and never bonded with the players because he was in rehab during the week at training and outside football the others liked to bond over a drink and Balic does not drink.

Wish him well but never trust anyone who doesn't drink. 

The truth serum of the poor and infamous........

[1 red eye 1 blue eye 771]

As with any squad member I've been looking forward to see him debut, disappointed that isn't going to happen but happy for him going forward.

I have moved on from unhappy or just not right employment a few times in my life and the feeling has been euphoric and long lasting.

Hopefully this is where Harley is at. Good luck.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

The suggestion that Balic isn't a drinker is laughable. Have a look at his Instagram. He certainly enjoys a good time. The rumours out of Freo are that he enjoyed too much of a good time with a certain teammate who notoriously enjoys a 'good time'. 

Isn't this the same bloke whose Mum offered to pay his salary if he elected not to go to Perth and play football. I mean, what hope did the kid have of having the mental strength to succeed 

Edited August 3, 2018 by Leoncelli_36

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

 

Balic calls himself a “bit of mother’s boy’’. He’s particularly close to his mother and she was overwhelmed at the thought of him relocating to Perth.

After his selection he went off to do some media with Fremantle. When he returned he saw his dad on the phone in tears. He jokingly said he would pay him $70,000 to stay in Melbourne. Later, as the family gathered for a dinner with Dockers officials, his mother’s eyes were red as she arrived in the foyer. 

 

- The above is from his draft interview in the Herald Sun. 

[SFebes 4,859]

5 minutes ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

 

Balic calls himself a “bit of mother’s boy’’. He’s particularly close to his mother and she was overwhelmed at the thought of him relocating to Perth.

After his selection he went off to do some media with Fremantle. When he returned he saw his dad on the phone in tears. He jokingly said he would pay him $70,000 to stay in Melbourne. Later, as the family gathered for a dinner with Dockers officials, his mother’s eyes were red as she arrived in the foyer. 

 

- The above is from his draft interview in the Herald Sun. 

That's actually a weird situation.

[Ethan Tremblay 29,943]

Pretty sure my parents had a party when I moved to Perth at 18. 

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

12 minutes ago, MSFebey said:

That's actually a weird situation.

Yep. real odd. I heard from a player manager that he was no chance of making AFL as his mental toughness was that bad. They said they would not have touched him. Not really a blight on the kid, probably a lovely bloke and talented kid. However, it takes a lot of mental strength to play elite sport.  

[Ouch! 2,205]

2 minutes ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

Yep. real odd. I heard from a player manager that he was no chance of making AFL as his mental toughness was that bad. They said they would not have touched him. Not really a blight on the kid, probably a lovely bloke and talented kid. However, it takes a lot of mental strength to play elite sport.  

You would have to wonder at the Dockers chosing to take him more than anything else. He might have survived in Melb for a bit longer... who knows.
There are always players that people are astounded at why they never get drafted.....  or seen as a 'steal' when in fact the mental aspects of playing in an elite sport as you say, is becoming more and more focused upon and impacting their place int he draft.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

7 minutes ago, Ouch! said:

You would have to wonder at the Dockers chosing to take him more than anything else. He might have survived in Melb for a bit longer... who knows.
There are always players that people are astounded at why they never get drafted.....  or seen as a 'steal' when in fact the mental aspects of playing in an elite sport as you say, is becoming more and more focused upon and impacting their place int he draft.

There were expectations he would be chosen in the top 20 or 25.

But 25 had gone and he was still without a club.

When it got to 30, draft scribe Brett Anderson, commenting on radio, expressed surprise Balic had been overlooked and had become what the draft aficionados call a “slider’’. In his phantom order of selections Anderson had the Sandringham Dragon being taken by Gold Coast with its original pick 16.

Finally, the Mordialloc-Braeside Junior Football Club product’s name came: pick 38, to the Fremantle Dockers.

Balic, sitting with his girlfriend, Georgia Ward, his parents, Eddie and Nancy, and brothers Cooper and Jesse, felt a rush of emotions.

The first, he said, was relief. Then came the realisation of an interstate move. It daunted him and quickly reduced his mother to tears. 

 

 

- More from the article. Seems like a few clubs were aware of his issues and passed. 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,297]

30 minutes ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

TIn his phantom order of selections Anderson had the Sandringham Dragon being taken by Gold Coast with its original pick 16.

 

Heaven help us if he was originally drafted to that mob.

[poita 3,874]

Good luck to Harley for the future and I hope he finds what he is looking for, but I find the whole episode fairly puzzling.

We gave up nothing for him, and the opportunity cost was minimal, so we are not greatly disadvantaged other than using a list spot on someone who didn't want to be here.

But who at the club did due diligence on the guy when recruiting him? Clearly he had issues during his time at Freo, and similar issues have arisen at Melbourne. Different scenario obviously, but a year earlier we drafted McKenna who was always injured at GWS and has barely left the medical room at Melbourne. Before that we recruited Lumumba and all his baggage. Ditto Clark. Are we still so needy and grateful for attention that we draft anyone who comes our way? What makes us think that we can fix the issues that other clubs can't?

[Moonshadow 17,456]

There are some miserable sods on this thread. I wonder if they've had to deal with being under the public microscope while suffering from mental health issues. Lots of people lose the passion for their job, but AFL footy isn't a normal job, it has very particular pressures. I applaud Balic for being open enough to make his circumstances public. That takes more guts than venting anonymously online.

[Rogue 585]

10 minutes ago, poita said:

 Before that we recruited Lumumba and all his baggage. Ditto Clark. Are we still so needy and grateful for attention that we draft anyone who comes our way? What makes us think that we can fix the issues that other clubs can't?

Mitch Clark was recruited in 2011, and Lumumba in 2014.

That is a lifetime ago in terms of how much change there's been at this footy Club recently.

10 minutes ago, poita said:

Good luck to Harley for the future and I hope he finds what he is looking for, but I find the whole episode fairly puzzling.

We gave up nothing for him, and the opportunity cost was minimal, so we are not greatly disadvantaged other than using a list spot on someone who didn't want to be here.

But who at the club did due diligence on the guy when recruiting him? Clearly he had issues during his time at Freo, and similar issues have arisen at Melbourne. Different scenario obviously, but a year earlier we drafted McKenna who was always injured at GWS and has barely left the medical room at Melbourne.

It's important to emphasise that we used pick 65 to pick up Balic, and we nabbed McKenna and pick 51 for 57 and 59!

At those picks, you're always taking a punt. It could be because of queries over a player's mental suitability, injury prospects, physical capabilities, footy nous or whatever. Regardless, it's all speculative and I have no problem with either decision. Hopefully we get lucky with the next late pick.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Rogue

[Lucifers Hero 38,865]

It seems some KBW took to social media to condemn Balic's decision.  https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-stars-slam-comments-on-social-media-criticising-melbournes-harley-balic-for-early-retirement/news-story/d8e9ccaff4a01ce241de667601d62c26

Some younger AFL players twitted in support and it seems Harley took the 'clueless' tweets gracefully and made a classy twitter response:  "There’s a higher purpose for everyone, stay true and the negativity becomes nothing but foolishness and ignorance not heard but seen in the background ????

Good on him for being true to himself and having the courage to take another road. 

 

 

[Pates 9,623]

We took him on with very little risk on our end and gave him a crack in his home town. Some people have the drive and desire to be an AFL footballer, some people don't.

Good luck to the bloke.

[Cards13 9,117]

10 hours ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

 

Balic calls himself a “bit of mother’s boy’’. He’s particularly close to his mother and she was overwhelmed at the thought of him relocating to Perth.

After his selection he went off to do some media with Fremantle. When he returned he saw his dad on the phone in tears. He jokingly said he would pay him $70,000 to stay in Melbourne. Later, as the family gathered for a dinner with Dockers officials, his mother’s eyes were red as she arrived in the foyer. 

 

- The above is from his draft interview in the Herald Sun. 

What difference does any of what you posted make? His retirement means nothing to you and your life. Just enjoy the players we have rolling out for the Red and Blue each week instead of making yourself look like a squirrel.

[Pink Freud 357]

We took a punt with a player who impressed our scouts when he was in the Under 18 system but was lost in an alien environment for two years while recovering from his injuries. The hope obviously was that he would thrive back home and grow into the footballer he promised to become when he was a junior but it didn’t work out for him.

I trust that the experience steels him for a different future and that he comes out a happier, more well rounded person.

[BenJamin on Deesy St 805]

23 hours ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

Isn't this the same bloke whose Mum offered to pay his salary if he elected not to go to Perth and play football. I mean, what hope did the kid have of having the mental strength to succeed 

Mental strength has nothing to do with it if your heart’s not in it. Anyway, one could just as easily argue that he’s shown a great deal of mental strength in fronting up publicly and pulling the pin on his AFL career before season’s end - especially knowing full well that such a move would open himself up to the kind of ill-informed, mean-spirited commentary and ridicule that has come his way, yours included.

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,521]

On 8/3/2018 at 11:24 AM, Leoncelli_36 said:

The suggestion that Balic isn't a drinker is laughable. Have a look at his Instagram. He certainly enjoys a good time. The rumours out of Freo are that he enjoyed too much of a good time with a certain teammate who notoriously enjoys a 'good time'. 

Isn't this the same bloke whose Mum offered to pay his salary if he elected not to go to Perth and play football. I mean, what hope did the kid have of having the mental strength to succeed 

The amount naivety floating around on this topic just astounds me, clearly the boy was spoilt rotten and enjoyed the good life a tad too much.

The joys of social media, as they say a picture tells a thousand words.

At least the boys at peace with himself.

Case Closed.

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,521]

49 minutes ago, Ben E said:

Mental strength has nothing to do with it if your heart’s not in it. Anyway, one could just as easily argue that he’s shown a great deal of mental strength in fronting up publicly and pulling the pin on his AFL career before season’s end - especially knowing full well that such a move would open himself up to the kind of ill-informed, mean-spirited commentary and ridicule that has come his way, yours included.

Incredible.