5 hours ago, Wrecker45 said:

In 2009 we have pick 1 & 2 but don’t interview Dustin Martin because of his dad’s links to bikies and the neck tattoos didn’t help.

Sydney Stack was overlooked by everyone until Dimma asked him to live with their family and ends up selecting him. He knocks out Viney in one of his first games and nearly wins the rising star.

Marlion Pickett is one of the best footballers in the country but gets over looked by everyone because he has been to jail.

Richmond will be the best team of the decade. Perhaps we should look at the best player, back our culture and not worry so much about their background.

I reckon we adopt a d!ckhead first policy. Plenty of talent to choose from. 

5 minutes ago, chookrat said:

I reckon we adopt a d!ckhead first policy. Plenty of talent to choose from. 

It’s worked for Richmond. They even took Ben Cousins.

10 minutes ago, loges said:

For every Dustin Martin there's a Harley Bennell.

And a Brendan Fevola. And a Luke Livingstone.

And for that matter Chris Yarran. Daniel Connors.

Can't help wondering what Willie Rioli's issues at the worst possible moment were?

Or the baggage for and around Sam Murray and a few known others at Collingwood in 2018.

And many of these guys are much less 'problematic' than Martin.

My main point being that in recent decades many more games, finals and premierships have been lost because of the damage, than have been won because of the talent, of [censored]s.

Good on Richmond for keeping a super talent in line enough off the field to deliver his best on the field.  But they 'lost' some four or five young men along the way, some of which appear to be permanently wrecked human beings.

How fine a line... how sublte and complex are the increments, from Dustin Martin to Ben Cousins to Brendan Fevola to Harley Bennell to Colin Syvia. That is five of the most talent players of the last quarter-century and five very different but stories any one of which could have interchanged with another.

10 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

And a Brendan Fevola. And a Luke Livingstone.

And for that matter Chris Yarran. Daniel Connors.

Can't help wondering what Willie Rioli's issues at the worst possible moment were?

Or the baggage for and around Sam Murray and a few known others at Collingwood in 2018.

And many of these guys are much less 'problematic' than Martin.

My main point being that in recent decades many more games, finals and premierships have been lost because of the damage, than have been won because of the talent, of [censored]s.

Good on Richmond for keeping a super talent in line enough off the field to deliver his best on the field.  But they 'lost' some four or five young men along the way, some of which appear to be permanently wrecked human beings.

How fine a line... how sublte and complex are the increments, from Dustin Martin to Ben Cousins to Brendan Fevola to Harley Bennell to Colin Syvia. That is five of the most talent players of the last quarter-century and five very different but stories any one of which could have interchanged with another.

Don’t forget Buddy.

6 hours ago, Satyriconhome said:

Dear me, unfortunately some are serious

You should just change your name to ‘Sheriff’. 

8 hours ago, Wrecker45 said:

In 2009 we have pick 1 & 2 but don’t interview Dustin Martin because of his dad’s links to bikies and the neck tattoos didn’t help.

Sydney Stack was overlooked by everyone until Dimma asked him to live with their family and ends up selecting him. He knocks out Viney in one of his first games and nearly wins the rising star.

Marlion Pickett is one of the best footballers in the country but gets over looked by everyone because he has been to jail.

Richmond will be the best team of the decade. Perhaps we should look at the best player, back our culture and not worry so much about their background.

Our culture is play it safe.  Our culture is pick the young liberal private schoolboy because he is a solid chap.  Watts over Nicnat.  Scullgrove over Martin.

We keep risk low but so is reward unfortunately.  It suits our supporter base who are ultra conservative, laud brief success, and tolerate mediocrity.  We think we don’t, but we do.  Can’t think of a grass roots revolution; even the merger result was decided by Hawthorn supporters.

 

Getting back to the topic, we pick guys you want your daughter to marry, over the guy who you want to go to war with.

 

It is entrenched.  The safe option.

 

 

Trying to think of one bold decision that lead the competition in my lifetime.  Conversely, we are great at following a well worn path.

 

 

Uninspiring.  I don’t mind failure, but have the balls to put yourself out there.  This club has failed chronically in a meek manner.  That is unpalatable...unfortunately for only a few.

28 minutes ago, TGR said:

Our culture is play it safe.  Our culture is pick the young liberal private schoolboy because he is a solid chap.  Watts over Nicnat.  Scullgrove over Martin.

We keep risk low but so is reward unfortunately.  It suits our supporter base who are ultra conservative, laud brief success, and tolerate mediocrity.  We think we don’t, but we do.  Can’t think of a grass roots revolution; even the merger result was decided by Hawthorn supporters.

 

Getting back to the topic, we pick guys you want your daughter to marry, over the guy who you want to go to war with.

 

It is entrenched.  The safe option.

 

 

Trying to think of one bold decision that lead the competition in my lifetime.  Conversely, we are great at following a well worn path.

 

 

Uninspiring.  I don’t mind failure, but have the balls to put yourself out there.  This club has failed chronically in a meek manner.  That is unpalatable...unfortunately for only a few.

Ah the good old private school vs state school garbage... how inspired.

 

 

3 hours ago, loges said:

For every Dustin Martin there's a Harley Bennell.

...and, if not for injury Bennell would probably be a Martin in a good club environment.

37 minutes ago, TGR said:

Our culture is play it safe.  Our culture is pick the young liberal private schoolboy because he is a solid chap.  Watts over Nicnat.  Scullgrove over Martin.

We keep risk low but so is reward unfortunately.  It suits our supporter base who are ultra conservative, laud brief success, and tolerate mediocrity.  We think we don’t, but we do.  Can’t think of a grass roots revolution; even the merger result was decided by Hawthorn supporters.

 

Getting back to the topic, we pick guys you want your daughter to marry, over the guy who you want to go to war with.

 

It is entrenched.  The safe option.

 

 

Trying to think of one bold decision that lead the competition in my lifetime.  Conversely, we are great at following a well worn path.

 

 

Uninspiring.  I don’t mind failure, but have the balls to put yourself out there.  This club has failed chronically in a meek manner.  That is unpalatable...unfortunately for only a few.

OH YEAH: Nathan Brown, Whelan the wrecker, Nathan Carroll, Martin Pyke, Mr Pickett, Steve O'Dwyer, Collins- 2000 Grand Final, 

Does anyone seriously think Martin would be the player he is today if we'd drafted him? He'd have ODed on sleeping pills with Daniel Connors then rammed a chopstick through somebody's head after being revived.

Meanwhile, have we ever drafted somebody post-jail? I know Jurrah and Fabian Francis landed there after playing for us, and I'm told Robert Walters did too but not sure for what, but trying to think of somebody we got after they'd been in the clink.

21 minutes ago, Supermercado said:

Does anyone seriously think Martin would be the player he is today if we'd drafted him? He'd have ODed on sleeping pills with Daniel Connors then rammed a chopstick through somebody's head after being revived.

Meanwhile, have we ever drafted somebody post-jail? I know Jurrah and Fabian Francis landed there after playing for us, and I'm told Robert Walters did too but not sure for what, but trying to think of somebody we got after they'd been in the clink.

Big Carl when he was at St. Kilda should have been jailed

Those Coathangers he dished out were deadly!

10 hours ago, Supermercado said:

... and I'm told Robert Walters did too but not sure for what, but trying to think of somebody we got after they'd been in the clink.

Embezzlement in Walters' case after he finished playing of course.

I think it is more important of who we got rid of based on behaviour that we have on our list. 

The one I am annoyed about is letting go is Martin Pike after 94.  He was the type of player we needed, hard as nails.  I don't know the details but apparently his off field actions really upset the club and he ended up at Fitzroy, Then North (Premiership) and then Brisbane (Premiership). . 

 Many clubs passed on players that went on to be great players for many reasons.  Drafter need a crystal ball if you're always looking in hindsight.  

14 hours ago, rjay said:

...and, if not for injury Bennell would probably be a Martin in a good club environment.

Long bow

On 9/30/2019 at 10:05 AM, Darkhorse72 said:

I think it is more important of who we got rid of based on behaviour that we have on our list. 

The one I am annoyed about is letting go is Martin Pike after 94.  He was the type of player we needed, hard as nails.  I don't know the details but apparently his off field actions really upset the club and he ended up at Fitzroy, Then North (Premiership) and then Brisbane (Premiership). . 

 Many clubs passed on players that went on to be great players for many reasons.  Drafter need a crystal ball if you're always looking in hindsight.  

This is the opposite of what I was suggesting.

Bring a troubled genius into the club and have a support system around them. Like Richmond do. Back them and give them a chance. If they [censored] up they are out. Nothing to lose.

If you have an idiot within your system like Martin Pike get rid of them. Melbourne made the correct choice despite his success as a player.