Apologies to all of them & goody. Wasn’t capable of dreaming any of them be premiership players/coach 

Jack Viney for me 

Love em all; never understand bagging our players, they are all we've got!!

52 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

I don’t think I personally have said anything negative about Jack Viney but I think his final series was immense. Trac and Oliver rightly get the plaudits but Jack, Harmes and Brayshaw are almost as important. Very proud of them all.

I have thought that some players here and there are not going to make it/struggle to maintain their place in the 22 etc... but haven't really bagged or let loose on anyone. However, coming into the 2021 finals I did say that both Sparrow and Jordon should be picked ahead of Viney. I have happily gorged myself on humble pie after that one! He was at his brutal, ball-hunting, body-thumping, angry, in-your-face best in the final series.

I made the prediction at the start of the season that we could win the premiership so long as most of our best 22 play close to 22 games with a very low injury count and the bottom 6 improve and we have a little luck in some games.

I did not imagine that we would stamp our authority on the teams in the finals to this extent and still marvel at the way they crushed Geelong and the Bulldogs.

As luck would have it Geelong lost Stewart and Parfitt and the Bulldogs lost Bruce maybe with these player we might have won by less than 50 points but I think we would have won anyway, round 23 maybe we might have lost, but as I said you need a little luck and we got some and we will never know what would have happened if these players where there.

 

The only player on our current list that I can recall bagging didn't make the premiership team so...

Even then it was only the lightest of criticism, more disappointment than anything. I have this weird thing where I can't be too critical of our players for fear that they'll fulfill my negative expectation of them. Also there were a lot of years where if I'd started with one player I'd probably end up listing half the team and that's a dark path to go down.

I was one of many who thought that ANB was just a hard working filler … what an amazingly consistent team contributor he has become, and an unbelievable GF.  

Well done and apologies for my doubt. 

9 minutes ago, monoccular said:

I was one of many who thought that ANB was just a hard working filler … what an amazingly consistent team contributor he has become, and an unbelievable GF.  

Well done and apologies for my doubt. 

It shouldn't be underestimated the maturity he has shown and the leadership he has provided this year. If you take a bit of time and watch him engaging with his fellow forwards during the season there is even more to like and all done without ego.

I was always harsh on Fritta, but that wont happen again.

On 10/9/2021 at 8:26 PM, dees189227 said:

So which player would you say sorry to because you thought they weren't good, a list clogger or simply thought they'd never make it over the years. ...

So not a player as such, but the midfield group of the last 2 years ... the view held by many was that they were too alike and that we needed to trade someone out to get more balance ... rubbish ... Lions didn't trade out any of their gun mids during their premiership years as they are too hard to come by ... just need to play selfless team football and a premiership awaits  

On 10/10/2021 at 9:52 AM, Cranky Franky said:

ANB & Spargo (like Melksham last year) certainly benefited from the coach backing them to the hilt & giving them every opportunity and good luck to them.

Spargo has had a golden run.  If Chandler or Bedford had got the same opportunities I reckon they could have had Premiership medallions as well.

Spargo's pass into Fritsch in final 1/4 of the GF nailed the Premiership, and Dogs knew then there was no hope.

I'll take a high IQ footballer every day of the week - Spargo has been this from Day 1.

Definitely ANB

If you look at premiership teams past and present there is always fringe players who have a good season or get lucky with an injury to a best 22 player it their luck and the other players bad luck.

Look at Steven Armstrong won a premiership medal, Hibberd, Bowey and Petty they got lucky and Hunt Smith or Tomlinson got unlucky.

Thats football and will always be the way, in 1955 Bluey Adams was 19th man and lasted 10-20 seconds on the field yet he was in 6 premiership teams.

ANB definitely.

Always believed that he was a highly intelligent footballer but honestly didn't believe that he had the physical qualities or class to be able to cut it at the highest level.

His footy IQ and work rate has enabled him to get the utmost out of himself and play within his ever shrinking  limitations.

Edited October 11, 20213 yr by Guest

ANB and TMac showed great character to be shown the door and then fight back to reclaim their position and be a part of the 2021 premiership team with ANB being in the best players on the ground for the MFC.

Under a salary cap you are going to have a couple players that you think aren't good enough but a few forget they are there because they are cheap. We were blessed with so few injuries this season so the cheaper players weren't relied on. But 2021 was pretty special. Anyone who was called upon stood up.

 

On 10/10/2021 at 8:52 AM, Cranky Franky said:

ANB & Spargo (like Melksham last year) certainly benefited from the coach backing them to the hilt & giving them every opportunity and good luck to them.

Spargo has had a golden run.  If Chandler or Bedford had got the same opportunities I reckon they could have had Premiership medallions as well.

No not ready Chandler and Bedford is a different style of player.

But Spargo has earned every one of his 40 odd games. He has what's called "Footy Smarts" . They are there every time he gets the ball ie. something good ie a goal or a score assist comes out of Charlie's play.

Hus tackling us ferocious and he was unlucky with a couple in the GF. But he stopped the Dogs on the run and we covered up downfield.

His passing handball ing all hit their mark and you can't ask any more than that. 

3 hours ago, Youngwilliam said:

Under a salary cap you are going to have a couple players that you think aren't good enough but a few forget they are there because they are cheap. We were blessed with so few injuries this season so the cheaper players weren't relied on. But 2021 was pretty special. Anyone who was called upon stood up.

 

"Cheuapness " has nothing to do with it.

Ability  counts and yes very few Injuries and great form did not require us to change the team very often.

What the players are paid can reflect the stage of their career possibly but it is not judged on money vs opportunities  in the Seniors. 

19 hours ago, monoccular said:

I was one of many who thought that ANB was just a hard working filler

I still think that's a fair description of ANB.

Sorry Christian Petracca’s ball drop. I underrated you “ball drop” and you proved me wrong! Those two GF goals were a thing of beauty 

Edited October 11, 20213 yr by bringbackthebiff
Multiple typos

Not sure I really hated anyone, but

ANB has had a great year,

Sparrow has a great finish in the finals,

Harmes, last couple of years I doubted but in the first couple of minutes this year,  just looked so good,

and Bowey, too young, too much pressure, far too composed how wrong was I. Will win the Rising Star in 2022

There is a pretty long list but to be fair at the time the players had to improve and step up.  My main criticism has always been based around poor kicking skills and selfish football.  To the teams credit our foot skills improved and we became all about team footy.

I do though apologise to James Harmes, after his second turn over in a couple of minutes at the start of the third quarter I had him done, credit to him his kick to Fritsch that started our run was amazing.

Definitely Petty for me. His debut at the G had some very shaky moments. I didn’t think he had the temperament Or composure to make it

HOW WRONG WAS I?!?

19 hours ago, Jibroni said:

I was always harsh on Fritta, but that wont happen again.

20 goals in the last 5 games of the year is not bad hey!?! 

On 10/10/2021 at 10:22 AM, dl4e said:

probably the lot of them.

That's quite a confession that it's likely you have criticised or blasphemed all of our players?? 

I think the inference was that it needs to be a constant repeated almost torching if a player NOT a statement on a one off match or contest.

Most have criticised players but the constant repetition snd harsh bias directed at players is a different matter which I think this is the area where an apology is considered necessary.

Criticism about career ending or trade offs or dropping to the VFL or quite vicious attacks personally towards certain players eg ANB , Charlie Spargo and most unfortunately even Jack Biney come to mind.

Around 2019 even Trac had people calling for him to be traded and Clarry even managed to get a few when the " "Carlton move" hit the posts last year.

of course Goody had faced more than most over the journey with 2019 and 2020 resulting in nearly every one having an opinion on our now much loved and history making Coach. No wonder he was thinking the things in 2019 snd his  future in the game!!!