1 minute ago, Demon17 said:

And broke his Jaw

But I loved watching him play faults and all.  He set the club up as a destination by his recruitment to us. Exactly what the club needed at the time.

Really hope he stays .

4 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Lewis on Retirement

“I’m going to leave the game at the end of the year feeling really fulfilled in what I’ve achieved".

He seems happy to finish in the the VFL.  He will keep teaching the young guys.  He seems genuine in this: 

“We’re going through a bit of a tough period at the moment, so I need to be there support these young kids and hopefully prolong their careers and make sure they understand the learnings you can get through the bad times can obviously help during the good times as well.”

I'm very happy he came to the Dees.  He has taught our players a lot.  He kept them hungry after the first final last year.  They have a better understanding of how to be a professional player.  Gave us leadership when sorely needed.

He may get to play off against his best mate Roughy, in the VFL.  One to watch!

Spoken like a very useful Melbourne coach - the sooner the better.

3 hours ago, ErmieJones said:

Heard he's been magnificent internally, particularly with the younger players. 

Hope he stays on in a coaching capacity. 

I hope that he not only stays as a coach but puts in a few seasons with Casey, leading by example!

41 minutes ago, Stormy Dee said:

That’s a bit sad. Why bother posting this? The guy’s retiring after a great career in football. That’s all really.

because he lacks class and will go to his grave saying we got it wrong 

24 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

because he lacks class and will go to his grave saying we got it wrong 

It shows a lack of class that you post thus.

2 hours ago, Cards13 said:

Yyyaaaawwwnnnnn

Ditto.

The value of Lewis is shown by the fact that even in his third year which was always going to be a stretch he is being forced out of the team not by form but by the fact that because we cannot make the finals the sensible thing is to play the newcomers.

Unfortunately we probably need another Lewis like recruit to replace him given that we don't have a surfeit of experienced players.

Thanks Jordan... you delivered what was asked.

5 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Like most of the posters here I'm really happy he decided to come to our club and hope that he stays on in some capacity to pass on his wealth of knowledge to our younger brigade. On a very small side issue I do wish that current players would stop using americanisms like 'learnings' which isn't a word at all. Did he also pass on this 'thinkings' whilst he was at it? 

 

Edited June 5, 20196 yr by Rab D Nesbitt

2 hours ago, TGR said:

Very surprised he is willing to finish in the VFL.  I take my hat off there, as long as there aint the financial carrot in his contract to continue playing.  I can see him giving away a few more 50s and a few suspensions so he won't play that many if I had to guess/bet.

 

My head-shaking has been more at the club than him.  Those that think he got slower suddenly, or started dropping his to his knees in the past 8 months, haven't really looked at him between 2014 and 2016 at the hawks where he had an OK 10 games out of 65?  I watched him closely at Hawthorn, and couldn't believe then, that he was earning a cemented senior gig.  Like Cornes said, no other club was going to offer him anywhere near what we did.  Smell like paying over the odds to me.  If you have a 1994 Mercedes C 280 with a faulty wiring harness, leaking oil and 400,000 km on the clock, you pay market value for that at the most.

In the past 30 years, only the desperate or those wanting big bux have ever seen MFC as a destination club.  When Lewis, via Todd Viney, saw Melbourne as a destination club, we were seduced and didn't think he was really coming due to desperation or dollars.  The big error on our part was that we were a one-paced side to begin with.  If you want to insert leadership on field, you can't do it, and make a slow team slower.  Our only option at that time was Brent Harvey...that was all.

On field, did he make the difference between non-finals or finals; finals or GF?  No.  He wasn't an asset to us on field at all.

 

On leadership.  A true leader can keep his nerve on the field.  A true leader is completely selfless on field.  A true leader facilitates leadership in those around him, and makes the joint better on departing.

 

IMO, Lewis aint no true leader.

absolute rubbish. Our backline instantly improved when he came back in. he is very good at impacting a game. go back and look at the hawks final last year.

His first 2 years were invaluable to us as a team. he accelerated Olivers transition from an inside clearance player to a 30 possession star every week. He helped gel a backline that was average at best when he came in. and hes still the best kick in our backline.

2 years ago he was instrumental in helping us break those woeful hoodoos against the saints, north etc. no-one was standing up and he made a difference.

He was without doubt a bit tick in our recruitment to help us get to finals. He was the cool head under pressure in close games.

tell me else was going to help us break through those barriers ?

Edited June 5, 20196 yr by Bay Riffin

3 minutes ago, Bay Riffin said:

absolute rubbish. Our backline instantly improved when he came back in. he is very good at impacting a game. go back and look at the hawks final last year.

His first 2 years were invaluable to us as a team. he accelerated Olivers transition from an inside clearance player to a 30 possession star every week. He helped gel a backline that was average at best when he came in. and hes still the best kick in our backline.

2 years ago he was instrumental in helping us break those woeful hoodoos against the saints, north etc. no-one was standing up and he made a difference.

He was without doubt a bit tick in our recruitment to help us get to finals.

TGR has an agenda that won’t change. 

I/We knew Lewis was at the back end of his career when he came. A 3rd year on the field was always going to be a bonus, whether that is with the MFC or Casey. 

I think Jordan will make an excellent Coach that our list will listen to, so i hope we offer him further employment

14 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

The value of Lewis is shown by the fact that even in his third year which was always going to be a stretch he is being forced out of the team not by form but.......................................

No other player his age in the past 30 years has had poorer form in his last 10 games.  

When you look back and the hill is so far behind you, you only have 1 or 2 mulligans in your pocket.  Goody gave him a trailer-load.  If Goody can't work out when the writing is on the wall, and keep gifting spots on reputation only, then he aint going to last long at all.  Clarko is smarter than most including Goody, and infinitely smarter than the average Melbourne supporter.

11 minutes ago, Bay Riffin said:

absolute rubbish. Our backline instantly improved when he came back in. he is very good at impacting a game. go back and look at the hawks final last year.

His first 2 years were invaluable to us as a team. he accelerated Olivers transition from an inside clearance player to a 30 possession star every week. He helped gel a backline that was average at best when he came in. and hes still the best kick in our backline.

2 years ago he was instrumental in helping us break those woeful hoodoos against the saints, north etc. no-one was standing up and he made a difference.

He was without doubt a bit tick in our recruitment to help us get to finals. He was the cool head under pressure in close games.

tell me else was going to help us break through those barriers ?

You win the prize for the most one-dimensional thinking I have come across since election day.

Who do you blame for us going backwards in 2019?

The injury gods?  Jack Watts and Oktoberfest?  Diamond Jim?  

 

If your post had a scintilla of truth imagine if Lewis stayed at Hawthorn.  Tom Mitchell may have won the Brownlow by 20 votes.  Ricky Henderson would have notched up dual AA; Worpel would be captain now; and Sicily would be as placid as Gawn.

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, TGR said:

No other player his age in the past 30 years has had poorer form in his last 10 games.  

When you look back and the hill is so far behind you, you only have 1 or 2 mulligans in your pocket.  Goody gave him a trailer-load.  If Goody can't work out when the writing is on the wall, and keep gifting spots on reputation only, then he aint going to last long at all.  Clarko is smarter than most including Goody, and infinitely smarter than the average Melbourne supporter.

But not smarter than you, eh.

Ranting peanuts will have their view. There's zero question about the net benefit he has provided to the club. A mixed bag yes but a valuable pick up. Would be nice to see him make it to 50 games for the club.

I don't particularly see the appeal of kicking it around at Casey for 10 weeks but good on him if he's willing to do that.

The first 2 years were a success even if he was just hanging on under pressure really throughout both years. It was pretty clear for the get go athletically he didn't have a lot left in the tank.

The benefits of some good football combined with bring successful culture and valuable on and off field structural leadership have to be weighed against the cost of money and game time in to a player without a long term future as well as whatever damage his slipping over and refusal to put his body on the line was worth.

But even as a strong critic I'd say he was in the positives there. 

I'm convinced this 3rd year has been a futile effort but maybe he'll do well at Casey and give the guys there some value.

 

38 minutes ago, TGR said:

No other player his age in the past 30 years has had poorer form in his last 10 games.  

When you look back and the hill is so far behind you, you only have 1 or 2 mulligans in your pocket.  Goody gave him a trailer-load.  If Goody can't work out when the writing is on the wall, and keep gifting spots on reputation only, then he aint going to last long at all.  Clarko is smarter than most including Goody, and infinitely smarter than the average Melbourne supporter.

It sounds like you think you're smarter than all of these people combined. Which probably just means you're being deliberately controversial and contrarian to carve a reputation. You're analysis of Lewis is so one sided as to be comical. He was excellent in his first year at Melbourne (finished top 6 in the B&F), played a smattering of very good games last year before ultimately getting caught by Father Time. He was a big part of the reason our backline tightened up and looked more composed over 2017/18. No doubt he was only ever worth a two year deal but on-field was clearly not the only reason Goodwin brought him in to the fold for three seasons. I've seen far worse investments made by this club over the journey. 

4 hours ago, Ben E said:

I agree he played a part in changing that game, although he didn’t break his leg (that happened from a Hunt smother, I think). Lewis merely punched him as the Blues and Cripps were getting on top.

That was a good defensive effort by the Blues that day. Really showed that they had put in a good defensive Clarko inspired system. Makes you wonder if Brendan Bolton could bring any expertise to the Dees.

That day also shows that our worst is on the level of a bottom team and has been consistently maintained all these years, even when we were gunning for finals/made the finals in 17/18

Edited June 5, 20196 yr by John Demonic

3 hours ago, Mel Bourne said:

I’m going to buck the trend here and say that I’m  pretty nonplussed about this. He was a fantastic player for Hawthorn and an average player for the Demons. And though he’s influence behind the scenes may have helped inspire the club to new levels of greatness, that greatness culminated in an appearance in a preliminary final in which he....well you remember. And I remember all the posts here about it too. Having said that, he seems like a nice fella and I wish him well  

As for folks suggesting he may stay on at the club in some form or another - serious question - is he not welcome at the club he won four premierships at? 

 

Are you welcome at your old workplace to turn up and just assume you have a role?

Edited June 5, 20196 yr by John Demonic

11 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

That was a good defensive effort by the Blues that day. Really showed that they had put in a good defensive Clarko inspired system. Makes you wonder if Brendan Bolton could bring any expertise to the Dees.

Imaging the 'green shoots' that Bolton would have applauded at Melbourne in his lifetime?

Cale Morton

Mark Neeld

 

His hands would have been bruised with the clapping.  Was never going to make it.  Some people should stick to what they are OK at, which is playing no. 2 or 3.

40 minutes ago, P-man said:

Ranting peanuts will have their view. There's zero question about the net benefit he has provided to the club. A mixed bag yes but a valuable pick up. Would be nice to see him make it to 50 games for the club.

Emotion and subjectivity always trumps clinical decision making and objectivity at Demonland.

I understand why most of you think he was an on-field success at Melbourne: 50 years of mediocrity has set the bar so low for us that we trip over, rather than bump our head.

 

50 games?  He was lucky to play 15.

Just now, TGR said:

Imaging the 'green shoots' that Bolton would have applauded at Melbourne in his lifetime?

Cale Morton

Mark Neeld

 

His hands would have been bruised with the clapping.  Was never going to make it.  Some people should stick to what they are OK at, which is playing no. 2 or 3.

I meant purely in a tactical/defensive coach role for next year. But i'm being a bit presumptous in assuming the club is going to do a full review and bring in new people.

5 hours ago, Damo said:

I honestly expected him to change the outcome of at least a few games. I guess his efforts and expertise are felt more not on the field.

I think his bigger efforts would have to be heard,  rather than seen so much,  these days

I reckon his worth,  is both on-field,  and of course Off it.   And both instructional. 

 

A coach in the making.

It’ll be interesting to see if he goes straight down the coaching path or diverts to media 

He has an incredible football brain 

He’s been okay for us - our backline looks far more organized with him instructing 

His experience in the finals last year was invaluable 

4 hours ago, TGR said:

My head-shaking has been more at the club than him.  Those that think he got slower suddenly, or started dropping his to his knees in the past 8 months, haven't really looked at him between 2014 and 2016 at the hawks where he had an OK 10 games out of 65?  I watched him closely at Hawthorn, and couldn't believe then, that he was earning a cemented senior gig. 

Must have been 10 ripping "OK" games since he won the Hawthorn B&F in 2014 and finished 2nd in 2016.

14 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

Must have been 10 ripping "OK" games since he won the Hawthorn B&F in 2014 and finished 2nd in 2016.

You play every game as a senior player, it aint hard to poll well with that system of voting.

If 2nd in the B&F in 2016 was such an achievement, why did Clarko show him the door right after he accepted his trophy?

 

Lewis might get top 10 for us this year.

 

Never rated B&Fs.  Never will.