Farewell Aaron vandenBerg

[Demonland 66,923]

Thank you vanders. Wish you had got a straight crack at it sans the foot injuries. Loved your 2018 final series. 

 

[layzie 30,375]

Helped us a lot in late 2018. 

Bit sad about Lockhart as well but it's a brutal business. 

[WERRIDEE 5,255]

A bit of a dampener on things could have waited a while. Always remember Vanders in the 2018 series. Good luck to all.

Edited September 27, 2021 by WERRIDEE

[Bitter but optimistic 21,580]

Vanders - lovely bloke, tough player.

Very unlucky with injury. Wish him well.

[Chook 14,701]

Sometimes it's nice to have the certainty. Vanders can now celebrate as close as he'll ever get to being a premiership player knowing everything.

There's positives in that, and what a player he was for us especially in that defining 2018 run to the Prelim. 

It all adds up to where we are now.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

vandenFyfe.

[dee-tox 4,831]

Interesting. Vanders physicality in 2018 made the whole team walk taller. Cruelled by injuries.

Lockhart I always thought had something. Courageous, decent pace and decent overhead. Thought he would be the Nev replacement.

[Biffen 12,545]

Thanks Winners.

Good luck and Thanks for your efforts.

 

[Jaded No More 59,976]

Another vital cog to our success. Was the bull protecting the young cubs. Everyone walked taller with him around.  
 

I absolutely think GC should grab him. He can do a lot of good for a young team needing a brute force. 

[Little Goffy 12,988]

Performed well in two winning finals. Didn't drop his head in a losing final. There's not a thousand people in Australia who can say that.

I daresay he'll look back on his five years at AFL level without regrets and proud of the character he showed throughout.

 

[Cards13 9,117]

Well done gents and best of luck moving forward, you’ve been part of and contributed to something very special. 

[dworship 3,342]

Apart from Vanders they are all young enough to go back to VFL level and show they have got something. Being delisted by the Premiers is not a black mark. Could easily see Lockhart picked up.

[Lou C. Fur 988]

Other sides will breathe a sigh of relief knowing this - he hurt them! Was as tough as they get. Just ask Brody Mihocek - I thought he'd killed him in that fair contest hit in last year's game against Collingwood. Agree with a previous post - the Dees walked taller when Vanders was on the field. I'll miss him.

[Nasher 33,246]

I’m sad. His comeback in 2018 was immense. I remember his two flying shots on goal in his return match- the crowd rose and really wanted to go berserk for him, but unfortunately both missed. Smashed it in the finals and signed on for three years amidst a lot of speculation and good reasons to go, to be closer to the Canberra based family business he was running from Melbourne.

Tough, courageous player. Pity we probably never saw the best of him. All the best Vanders. It’s the right call from the club. Hopefully he can find a home at a rebuilding club that needs an enforcer for a year or two.

[The Lobster Effect 845]

22 minutes ago, dworship said:

Apart from Vanders they are all young enough to go back to VFL level and show they have got something. 

I was surprised to see that even Vanders is only 29 (30 in March). But don't think he'll get picked up, he slowed down a fair bit. Will miss his big hits.

[Sir Why You Little 35,321]

Thanks Vanders. You played tough and your body has said no more. 
Enjoy the Celebrations with your mates…

[loges 6,352]

Many thanks to the wrecking ball

[Redleg 38,494]

Think this has been done early to give them time to maybe find another club.

Thanks guys and good luck in the future.

[jnrmac 19,505]

59 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Think this has been done early to give them time to maybe find another club.

Thanks guys and good luck in the future.

Goodwin said it had to be done by Wednesday. I assume that is the AFL timeline.

[MadAsHell 4,089]

Loved Vanders, but to be fair I think we all saw this coming. With Sparrow and Jordon really coming on along with Woewodin as a Father/Son, Vanders didn't fit our age profile as a depth midfielder.

A bit in shock re: Lockhart. Really thought he'd get a 1 year extension. Was expecting to see Hore's and or Mitch Brown's name instead. I hope they both get picked up by someone else. 

[Pennant St Dee 11,835]

Thanks Vanders, gave us some toughness when it was needed. Good luck in whatever the future holds

[titan_uranus 23,170]

3 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

A bit of a dampener on things could have waited a while. Always remember Vanders in the 2018 series. Good luck to all.

Goodwin on On The Couch tonight said there is a Wednesday deadline.

I suspect something to do with announcing delistings prior to the FA/trade period so that players know where they stand?

Edit: or maybe the deadline was that the players get their CBA-mandated annual leave starting from Wednesday so we had to run exit interviews today and tomorrow, or something like that.

Edited September 27, 2021 by titan_uranus

[Guest]

The VanDemon, along with blokes like Nev Jetta, Jeff Garlett, Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince and Cam Petersen, holds a special place in our history.

They were part of a generation of players that basically gave cover and time for our younger generation to develop (which in turn officially came of age on Saturday). They were never going to be in the final 22 when we were going to be good enough to challenge by virtue of age. 

Vanders in particular was a human battering ram who was able to create space for his teammates and put hurt on the opposition. He was an excellent pickup in ‘15 when we were trying to plug experience gaps in the list. Also that he chose to stay with us despite family pressures is to be commended as well.

 

[whatwhat say what 20,343]

his last half of 2018 showed why sydney chased him so hard and we were so keen to keep him - his body just didn't allow him a clean run at performing to his brutal best on a consistent basis

[DemonSam 170]

Tell you what? If he does get picked up I don't want to play against him because he just hurts [censored], and that's about the best compliment I can give him. 

Good luck Vanders