8 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

Bloody glad to see you’re still here D! Hope Dec and you all are doing well. Go Dees!

Cheers mate

Decs doing well, but has been missing footy a lot. In fact he has missed it so much he thinks he might go back to Casey next season.

4 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

might be a bit late on the trend, but just watched the video and am literally crying. that hug with steven may was so pure, just so wholesome. so happy for him. can't wait to see him in the red and blue on Saturday.

up the fückin demons!!!!!

 

Tears of joy here, clapping, and cheering and feeling amazing, this is a fair dinkum movie script. I hate to go early but we will SMASH Carlton, our man HB with 4 goals.

So proud of my club, very very proud.

One of the great things about footy is every time the disinterest or disenchantment starts to settle in for the long haul, a story like this comes along and kicks it to the curb. Saturday now can’t come quick enough. 

1 hour ago, DaisyDeeciple said:

Tears of joy here, clapping, and cheering and feeling amazing, this is a fair dinkum movie script. I hate to go early but we will SMASH Carlton, our man HB with 4 goals.

So proud of my club, very very proud.

...for mine so proud of Harley as well to make it back this far and so proud that he will be running out in the mighty red and blue.

I would have been so stoked a few years back if we could have nabbed him from GC a few years back when he decided on Freo.  Just hoping that this operation has totally fixed his calfs, because it looks like he has his lifestyle issues sorted now.  Could turn out to be one of the recruiting coupes of the decade.

It was simultaneously heart breaking and inspiring to watch Jack Trengrove fight his way back from his long term injuries, only to never really impact as a footballer in the same way he once had.  I get the sense it's going to be different for Harley and he will still be a gun player.

19 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

...for mine so proud of Harley as well to make it back this far and so proud that he will be running out in the mighty red and blue.

I would have been so stoked a few years back if we could have nabbed him from GC a few years back when he decided on Freo.  Just hoping that this operation has totally fixed his calfs, because it looks like he has his lifestyle issues sorted now.  Could turn out to be one of the recruiting coupes of the decade.

It was simultaneously heart breaking and inspiring to watch Jack Trengrove fight his way back from his long term injuries, only to never really impact as a footballer in the same way he once had.  I get the sense it's going to be different for Harley and he will still be a gun player.

I think he was a different person then, it's almost like he needed to go to Freo and fail before he was ready to start fresh as a new person. I suspect we would've got closer to a Mitch Clark back then.

I'm tempering my expectations on his for his first game, I'd like him to get his first goal out of the way and be involved in a number of good passages of play. If he can get say 12-15 damaging possessions and a goal or two that would be a great result.

What was interesting was hearing the presser and how he mentioned Goodwin, he said that Goody knows he can play footy, it's more about the mentoring of Harley on a personal level that he's thrived on.

I haven’t felt this level of excitement about a game of footy since I was a kid.

And that was a long time ago.

C’mon Harley - you’re our rockstar. No pressure of course - all positive energy.

That said, my family is seriously emotionally invested in this game. There’s a Netflix doco in this.

 

Having gone through Burgess trading program I have a feeling he might come back with a bang. The talent is there 

The way he spoke in his interview, there’s a seriousness there that not a lot of our team has.

4 minutes ago, Grr-owl said:

The way he spoke in his interview, there’s a seriousness there that not a lot of our team has.

Most (or all) of them haven’t been through what he’s been through. Lets hope some of his spirit and eagerness to success rubs off on them. 

17 minutes ago, Grr-owl said:

The way he spoke in his interview, there’s a seriousness there that not a lot of our team has.

That's not fair in my opinion Grr-owl.

You are directly  throwing that at Max and if no names are mentioned it is unfair to many or all of our players.

Harley was extremely emotional and spoke beautifully but his journey has been a lot harder than any one else's so he was reflecting his wonderful spirit and appreciation of all the Club who have been very serious in backing him all the way.

5 hours ago, Tom Dyson said:

might be a bit late on the trend, but just watched the video and am literally crying. that hug with steven may was so pure, just so wholesome. so happy for him. can't wait to see him in the red and blue on Saturday.

up the fückin demons!!!!!

 

And no self distancing within sight!!

A Reasonable number hugged Harley and also Jacko and Rivers from the video.

Look it is very exciting but he's been here before at Freo:

WAFL games for Peel thunder

2016: 1 game

2017: 4 games (All late in the season) He played all 4 games late in the season then the last 2 dockers games of 2017.

2018: 11 games

2019: 4 games

So yeah 2 AFL games in 4 years. Yet Freo let him play in the WAFL to build up his fitness and endurance. Slowly by letting him play half a WAFL game then 3/4s of a WAFL game then a couple of Full WAFL games then play for the dockers

 

Saw a few minutes of Footy Classified last night where Ross Lyon's enthusiasm for Bennell was infectious. I don't recall ever seeing Lyon that empathetic before. Maybe it's just because he's now in the media, rather than speaking as a coach. Nevertheless, it was quite uplifting.

Edited June 11, 20205 yr by La Dee-vina Comedia

This bloke had 27 touches and kicked 6 goals 3 in a game against Geelong in 2014, he could have been anything.  From memory he was also runner up in the GC B&F one year.  Yes it was a young side but that is still a heap of young super talented footballers you have to beat for that award.  No doubt his talent has been widely discussed in this forum so I won't go on about it.

Really hoping he can get through on Saturday, then fingers crossed he can get a bit of continuity in his game and can start to build towards some of that early career form.

Just needs to get through the game. Not the stats or goals. That will happen in course. Very good footy story so far

In a way it is probably good to get most of the New Players including Harley all together in the one game over and done with. Now its up to everyone to get that first win on the board. I i hope and think also that its good that it is Bloody Carlton.....

Really enjoyed his press conference. Speaks with calmness and confidence. Also loved his openness and honesty. You can tell how much this moment means to him.

Needs to get through unscathed to get further confidence in the body. I have no doubt he will be locked in. He's looks serious about impacting.

 

5 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

Look it is very exciting but he's been here before at Freo:

WAFL games for Peel thunder

2016: 1 game

2017: 4 games (All late in the season) He played all 4 games late in the season then the last 2 dockers games of 2017.

2018: 11 games

2019: 4 games

So yeah 2 AFL games in 4 years. Yet Freo let him play in the WAFL to build up his fitness and endurance. Slowly by letting him play half a WAFL game then 3/4s of a WAFL game then a couple of Full WAFL games then play for the dockers

There was a great article (I believe it was in The Age on the weekend just past us) re: Harley, and the great work that Dr Peter Stanton in Geelong here had picked up on some nuances that perhaps had gone undetected in the past screening/diagnosis of Harley. 

I would argue @Fifty-5, that he hasn't been here before, because this was not specifically addressed.

"Stanton thought it unusual that Bennell complained of heel soreness each time he suffered a calf injury, an indication that the nerves were being irritated. He knew the search for an answer had taken Bennell across the world but he wondered whether that numbness was a clue to something previously unidentified.

Scans from Perth radiologist Dr Eamon Koh showed an extra band running across the top of Bennell's calf muscle, a rare feature that in other patients seemed to interrupt blood flow and cause calf problems.

Vision of Bennell's calf tearing also revealed the nerve lengthening and stretching at the key moment."

 

This is a significant moment in the resurrection of Harley...now whether it results in longevity it's not possible to know, however it has given him the best chance for it.

 

 

 

I cant help but hold my breath as I want the best for Harley and the Demons but:

• His halcyon days are past
• He is possibly being told to not go 100%
• He may overdo it
• He could finish up if another calf injury occurs

Lets just get through the Carlton game. Good Luck HB

In regards to earlier posts querying how to pronounce Harley's surname, I noticed that Goody pronounced it with the emphasis on the second syllable -  ie Ben - NELL.

15 minutes ago, Damo said:

I cant help but hold my breath as I want the best for Harley and the Demons but:

• His halcyon days are past
• He is possibly being told to not go 100%
• He may overdo it
• He could finish up if another calf injury occurs

Lets just get through the Carlton game. Good Luck HB

I'll take the glass half full approach:

• His halcon days may be ahead of him
• He is possibly going to give it 110%
• He may find that he can do more than he thought possible
• He could need a break if another calf injury occurs, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the end of his paying career with us.

Lets just get through the Carlton game. Good Luck HB

  

Having just re-read my post, apologies to Damo as it may look like I was being critical of your view. That's not the case. I will equally be holding my breathe to see how he goes.

Edited June 11, 20205 yr by La Dee-vina Comedia

5 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

“I feel like I’m back to 2013-2014..”

 

I barred up a little bit.

21 minutes ago, demonstone said:

In regards to earlier posts querying how to pronounce Harley's surname, I noticed that Goody pronounced it with the emphasis on the second syllable -  ie Ben - NELL.

I get confused by that 

Is it Bennell, like Pummel

or Ding Dong Dell, [censored]'s in the Ben Nell?

 

ha...censoring nursery rhymes.

Edited June 11, 20205 yr by Engorged Onion