On 1/28/2022 at 10:18 PM, picket fence said:

Unbelievable pick up! One grab mark ,has developed his game and become a better player given his ability to roam far and wide, something Norf never developed him into! Deadly accurate goal kicker, 3 in G F you dont reckon the Norf Brains trust would be absolutely peeesed of at their shocking miscalculation. PLUS WE GOT HIM FOR FREE

THANKS NORF

Don't want to rain on your parade Picket as it's nice to be on the receiving end of a good trade. We've had our share of bad ones, but I think this was a win/win sort of trade. Ben Brown was going nowhere anymore at North and had become Mr Flopsy as he was double teamed all the time and found it an easier option to try for a free than go for the footy. It's great he got the chance to revitalise his career, there were many doubters, especially from oppo clubs, but he got fitter and embraced change and the team ethos and got his reward. As did we.

North though have two really good forwards that have developed well in Larkey and Zurhaar. That may not have happened if they had of hung onto Brown. I think they are winners from the trade too.

12 minutes ago, deespicable me said:

Don't want to rain on your parade Picket as it's nice to be on the receiving end of a good trade. We've had our share of bad ones, but I think this was a win/win sort of trade. Ben Brown was going nowhere anymore at North and had become Mr Flopsy as he was double teamed all the time and found it an easier option to try for a free than go for the footy. It's great he got the chance to revitalise his career, there were many doubters, especially from oppo clubs, but he got fitter and embraced change and the team ethos and got his reward. As did we.

North though have two really good forwards that have developed well in Larkey and Zurhaar. That may not have happened if they had of hung onto Brown. I think they are winners from the trade too.

Um Larkey and Zurhaar?? Um would much rather a BBB Anyday I think!

4 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:That’s it - I’m done with the Suns.

Careful - we play them in round 2 this year.

6 hours ago, deespicable me said:

Don't want to rain on your parade Picket as it's nice to be on the receiving end of a good trade. We've had our share of bad ones, but I think this was a win/win sort of trade. Ben Brown was going nowhere anymore at North and had become Mr Flopsy as he was double teamed all the time and found it an easier option to try for a free than go for the footy. It's great he got the chance to revitalise his career, there were many doubters, especially from oppo clubs, but he got fitter and embraced change and the team ethos and got his reward. As did we.

North though have two really good forwards that have developed well in Larkey and Zurhaar. That may not have happened if they had of hung onto Brown. I think they are winners from the trade too.

DMee I agree with your last sentence but your BBB summary was IMO a completely inaccurate summary of his journey and trade on table.

NBB averaged 60 goals per season for NM and we are told that 180 goals was the best in AFL over that period.

In 2020 he played about 7/9 games for a very poor return of less than a goal s game.

Of course he suffered a knee injury and was not fit for most of the season. He would probably have been low on confidence also and Larkey has started off his AFL career in fine style in the meantime.

I dont know anything about  BBB and his marriage and non  football lifestyle views but he is a very devoted family person and his wife appears to be  strong lady as well with fitness etc part of the setup.

Contract negotiations had been ongoing for months and a large contract was offered to BBB which he refused. ( May have been around $700,000 it is rumoured ).

Something  seems to have gone wrong at this point as not much else happened when out if the blue North advised Benny he could look elsewhere ( or wasn't required anymore).

If the "Mr Flopsy" free kick story has any legs I doubt it. Ben may have not handled bring injured well and this may have resulted in form loss and losing his appeal as their chief goal kicker and " golden boy"

BBB has got frees and plays in a tall gangly style ( Long legs and height) accentuate this.

We have remodelled him partly as he is moving outside the arc and he is a good Avenue to goal as well as a reliable mark snd kick and requires the No 1 tall defender.

But getting BBB for trade pick 28 with a couple of pocket money trade exchanges is a complete bargain. What is good that has not  been said is he is being paid FAR LESS than 7 triple figures and he is totally invested in our Club, assisting coaching our AFLW girls.

Not free but our market negotiation skills are still in great hands as he has sured  up a flag with about 10 strong grabs 3 goals and been spearhead of a multi talented group of forwards who  played even better than the sum of their parts together with a connectivity not seen for a few years.

Long May " BBB Mr Flopsy Sideshow Bob or Big Bad Benny " extend those arms (big dukes as BT would say) and be our "long run up " goal kicker for all of  his next 3 years of his contract.

Dees fans now love his hair and long run up but I think his team play and above all his reliable and straight kicking !!! 

Just a quick comment re BBB. After watching the 3rd quarter replay so many times I've lost count,I finally noticed who's running into the Bulldog goal square a little late to try and spoil Johanassen's mark, BBB

18 hours ago, hemingway said:

Fair enough. He seems a terrific kid and someone who you would love to see playing consistently in the ones.

Weeds problem irrespective of form is that we have our premiership players then a list of guys queuing for a spot. Speed, agility, running hard both ways and hardness at the footy and opponent are now ingrained in our way of playing. We have a team of guys who play for one another and do the one percenters. We have a group who based on 2021 form have maximised their talents and gone beyond, including players who used to be seen as not quite good enough or fringe players.

For Weed to get a game he will have to rely on injuries and outstanding and consistent form for Casey. Even then he may get an occasional game but unless there is dramatic change I just can’t see him cementing a place in the 22. 

That might be right - for what it's worth, I thought Weid made some big strides in 2020 before getting injured / dropping form.  He had a patch of 6 or so games in a row where he averaged a bit under 2 goals a game but it was more about his effort - he was using his body and playing aggressively and flying for marks etc.  Maybe I'm being overly optimistic but it seemed like the sort of form that you see before a player goes to the next level.  His next pre-season he was apparently flying (I know) and then got injured.  When he eventually got into the team he had every chance and barely fired a shot - confidence?  fitness?  Hard to know.  

I think there's still a role for him if he can find fitness, form and confidence but it seems Brown has already mastered what we need from him - providing an aerial threat that the opposition has to worry about and capable of bringing the ball to ground if unable to mark / attract a free

3 minutes ago, deelusions from afar said:

That might be right - for what it's worth, I thought Weid made some big strides in 2020 before getting injured / dropping form.  He had a patch of 6 or so games in a row where he averaged a bit under 2 goals a game but it was more about his effort - he was using his body and playing aggressively and flying for marks etc.  Maybe I'm being overly optimistic but it seemed like the sort of form that you see before a player goes to the next level.  His next pre-season he was apparently flying (I know) and then got injured.  When he eventually got into the team he had every chance and barely fired a shot - confidence?  fitness?  Hard to know.  

I think there's still a role for him if he can find fitness, form and confidence but it seems Brown has already mastered what we need from him - providing an aerial threat that the opposition has to worry about and capable of bringing the ball to ground if unable to mark / attract a free

He has good in 2020 for that patch. If that was his baseline level of performance he’d get a gig every week, hope he can show something like that for a full season

4 hours ago, loges said:

Just a quick comment re BBB. After watching the 3rd quarter replay so many times I've lost count,I finally noticed who's running into the Bulldog goal square a little late to try and spoil Johanassen's mark, BBB

Yes. He had the run of the whole ground, not bad for a stay at home forward with a dodgy knee. 

Watch the 3rd Quarter later on and its Ben who is working really hard in the middle

And then goes forward to kick the 3rd!!!

Whatever Nought’s reasons were for getting rid of him, they look silly now. 
Ben still has some good years in front of him
 

Edited January 30, 20223 yr by Sir Why You Little

The myth Ben Brown was a stay at home forward at North is wrong. In his good years he covered more km per game than Gaff, Sculley, and the other elite runners.  But North realistically decided to rebuild when Noble came in, and they are getting games into kids. If their board sticks fat with the ups and downs of a rebuild I can see them contending in 4-5 years, by which time BB is probably finished anyway. It was a win-win for both clubs.

22 minutes ago, Watson11 said:

The myth Ben Brown was a stay at home forward at North is wrong. In his good years he covered more km per game than Gaff, Sculley, and the other elite runners.  But North realistically decided to rebuild when Noble came in, and they are getting games into kids. If their board sticks fat with the ups and downs of a rebuild I can see them contending in 4-5 years, by which time BB is probably finished anyway. It was a win-win for both clubs.

Wasn't Brown told he wasn't wanted by Rhyce Shaw long before Noble arrived? I'm not suggesting Shaw or North made the wrong decision, just questioning the timing of when that decision was made.

40 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Wasn't Brown told he wasn't wanted by Rhyce Shaw long before Noble arrived? I'm not suggesting Shaw or North made the wrong decision, just questioning the timing of when that decision was made.

Yes you are right Noble did come later.  I think North from the top down decided to do a proper rebuild and made a lot of list changes at the end of 2020 (12 delisted in all with several regulars).  If their board sticks with the program they will reap the rewards as the foundations of their list is in good shape.

59 minutes ago, Watson11 said:

The myth Ben Brown was a stay at home forward at North is wrong. In his good years he covered more km per game than Gaff, Sculley, and the other elite runners.  But North realistically decided to rebuild when Noble came in, and they are getting games into kids. If their board sticks fat with the ups and downs of a rebuild I can see them contending in 4-5 years, by which time BB is probably finished anyway. It was a win-win for both clubs.

I agree - although I think it was more the way it was handled.  Broadcasting to everyone well ahead of the trade period that he wasn't a required player lowered his value because (I assume) everyone thought North knew more than everyone else about his knee and that he was shot.  Managed differently they could have got a lot more from us (and maybe others).  I think this is what LDVC is eluding to above - re that it started with Shaw and the damage was done by the time Noble took the reigns. 

But as you say, it's definitely a win for us and North seem to be developing nicely without him (which is often not the case when developing sides lose key experienced structural players).  He won't be there when they contend next but maybe the player they got with his pick will be.

Just now, deelusions from afar said:

I agree - although I think it was more the way it was handled.  Broadcasting to everyone well ahead of the trade period that he wasn't a required player lowered his value because (I assume) everyone thought North knew more than everyone else about his knee and that he was shot.  Managed differently they could have got a lot more from us (and maybe others).  I think this is what LDVC is eluding to above - re that it started with Shaw and the damage was done by the time Noble took the reigns. 

But as you say, it's definitely a win for us and North seem to be developing nicely without him (which is often not the case when developing sides lose key experienced structural players).  He won't be there when they contend next but maybe the player they got with his pick will be.

It is possible North thought his knee would never be the same again, and for a player who relies on covering extraordinary kms per game, maybe they thought he was done.  Either way, they got reasonable picks and picked up Jaidyn Stephenson who will be around for a while with one of the 2 picks they received. 

We got a good player cheap from NMFC so don't complain about the trade and be happy with the outcome.

When we traded Jack Watts we got a pick used to get Bayley Fritsch.

So we got 2 good trades and hopefully the synergy between them will last for at least the next 3 years.

That trade is so long ago who cares, the sad thing is we will lose some players at years end whether we like it or not out of not getting a game plus retirements but the plus side, higher trade picks will come but that is the nature of the game. 

On 1/28/2022 at 8:06 PM, Ethan Tremblay said:

Agreed. I’m confident going into this season however definitely keeping a lid on it. 

On a completely unrelated note, I had my tattoo touched up a couple of days ago 

 

Shee// that"s nice. PM how much please

22 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Whatever Nought’s reasons were for getting rid of him, they look silly now. 

 

Worth remembering that North offered Ben a contract said to be around 750,000 which Ben, through his management, rejected!

They never apparently came back to him with a new offer and told his management he could look around for other options. They obviously didn't think he was worth paying more than 750k after his poor year in 2020 and North's realisation that he would be well into his 30s when they were competing in finals again.

And one other thing. This whole no one wanted him crap is untrue as well. Essendon and one other club were said to be very keen. 

 

 

22 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Watch the 3rd Quarter later on and its Ben who is working really hard in the middle

And then goes forward to kick the 3rd!!!

And it was BBB who got the free kick up the ground that fell off the pack for Tracca's goal to start Bang! Bang, bang, bang.

You could see the man loved and deserved the opportunity and i feel for North that it happened to be us that was the lucky one to pick him up.

One back for bloody Crackers and Mickey Nolan wanted to play for us too.

14 minutes ago, willmoy said:

You could see the man loved and deserved the opportunity and i feel for North that it happened to be us that was the lucky one to pick him up.

One back for bloody Crackers and Mickey Nolan wanted to play for us too.

I can't imagine Mick Nolan playing anywhere other than at Arden Street with the gasometers across the road. I still think the "Galloping Gasometer" is one of the best nicknames ever bestowed upon a V/AFL player.

I can't seem to find info about training times etc on the MFC website.

Does anyone know when the next session at Goshs park is?

23 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I can't imagine Mick Nolan playing anywhere other than at Arden Street with the gasometers across the road. I still think the "Galloping Gasometer" is one of the best nicknames ever bestowed upon a V/AFL player.

From what i remember Mick came from O &M League and played with a good friend of mine in his early days.

1 hour ago, binman said:

I can't seem to find info about training times etc on the MFC website.

Does anyone know when the next session at Goshs park is?

Middle of the year. Ground under rebuild. All training at Casey. Girls training on Collingwoods oval.

Edited January 31, 20223 yr by george_on_the_outer

14 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Middle of the year. Ground under rebuild. All training at Casey. Girls training on Collingwoods oval.

Thanks George. 

What days and time do they train at Casey?

@picket fencewould have the best idea, but Friday seems to be common.