Farewell Alex Neal-Bullen

[BLWNBA 1,004]

Just now, manny100 said:

Robbo on 360 said high 1st rounder or low 2nd rounder

 

High first would be amazing in this draft, IMO. Would welcome that if it was possible.  

[forever demons 2,220]

1 hour ago, whatwhat say what said:

so in terms of replacing his high half-forward / gut running wing / occasional midfielder role, do we all just presume it's tom sparrow who'll have to step into the breach to allow trac to rotate forward as a 'weapon' i50?

i query whether sparrow is up to doing the job as well as nibbs

Nobody will be able to replace the little champ,does so many unseen things

[Kiwi Dee 88]

Fantastic clubman and I'll be in Oz for the BNF this year and can't wait to give him a well deserved standing ovation when he places in the Top 5 of the Bluey. Love ya Nibbler.

[layzie 33,805]

3 hours ago, FreedFromDesire said:

I don't think anyone can do the job near the standard of ANB, so we're going to lose a bit there no matter what.

Personally, I would have the options (out of the current list) as Tholstrup, Spargo, Sestan and perhaps a left field option in Bowey. It seems we're looking at a few half back types, so that could free up options around those who have been played there. Bowey has toughness and is a good kick, so I think he could be a handy pressure forward for us.

Sparrow strikes me more as a 'see ball, get ball, inside mid who should be playing in centre clearances as an extractor.

Agree, it's a massive loss to our traditional structure. Quite often at the ground during a game I'll focus only on 1 player and Nibbler is probably the guy I do this most with. His up and down running and helping to set defensive structure and the angles he runs is an ability unmatched by anyone on the list, incredibly difficult to replace

Personally I see this as a catalyst to continue tinkering with the game style. We need more good distributors off half-back and more speed through the middle. We've started the process on this and while it hasn't been a smash hit we just need to do it better.

[Dee-tonator 239]

In business, which is what AFL football has become, a contract involves guaranteed rewards and obligations both ways.

Players expect full payment for the term of the contract even if they lose form or get injured.

In return, the club has the right to insist that a player gives of his best until the contract term ends.

There is no doubt Nibbler has kept his end of the bargain by giving 100 percent effort and proving himself an outstanding clubman as well.

But his request has put Melbourne in  a very difficult bargaining position.

If Port or (more likely) the Crows play hardball and offer minimal trade value (eg a third round pick), do we simply cave in and accept the loss of an important contracted player?

Or do we also play hardball and tell ANB, despite his great service to the club, that he has to fulfil his contract unless and until we get an adequate return for his departure?

Surely a second-round pick is the minimum return acceptable for Melbourne.

If that can't be achieved, I don't see anything wrong in the club requiring Nibbler to meet his contract obligations.

We will just have to hope a deal satisfactory to both sides will be arranged.

Even in that case Melbourne will be the losers, because ANB is the kind of player and person that no club likes to lose.

 

 

[Deespicable 2,726]

Nibbler is a great team man and I'm sure Adelaide will be rapt to get him and surprised how hard he works when they actually get him down to training.

It's a big loss to us and further erodes our culture of good, hardworking upstanding citizens after losing Brayshaw as well this year.

But as to getting a late first rounder or an early second rounder in compensation, give us a break - he's 29 in January.

The best we can hope for is getting back our pick 26, which we gave them for McAdam, and most likely give them back our second rounder which we got for Grundy (pick 38).

And if they don't want to lose pick 26, then I'd demand their third rounder (pick 42) for him.

Then we can package all our second and third round picks up for Brisbane's pick 14 - they need the points to cover for Ashcroft.

And Taylor gets two good shots at drafting on top of last year's haul.

[layzie 33,805]

4 hours ago, FreedFromDesire said:

That's an excellent point re game style. As it stands, ANB is a huge part of that 'rolling press' and, as you say, covers an incredible amount of ground. I'm also not too fond of saying Van Rooyen all the way deep in the backline at times, then we rebound and have no one to kick to.

I'm not 100% sure on pure speed. For me, it's more the ball movement. Get better kicks (Houston, Cumming, even perhaps dare I say Lobb) and we improve the speed of the ball without having to have incredibly fast runners. Would also free us up to be more attacking as you mention.

Better kicks and ball users is the first need to address.

But gee it wouldn't be bad to have some leg speed out of the contest and ability to spread as well.

[binman 42,968]

11 hours ago, FreedFromDesire said:

I don't agree he wouldn't care, but I guess neither of us are in his friendship circle so what would we know?

Just like any workplace, professionals take notice of how employees are treated by their employers. I think if we were to deny a much loved person, premiership player & leader, who has requested a trade due to family reasons that there's been inference around are very important, not only a farewell to the fans that love him, but selection when he clearly deserves to be selected, it would be an incredibly bad look for those outside watching how we treat our people.

Imagine you were being headhunted by a particular company and then you found out a senior person in the company who had put in their resignation due to personal family circumstances but was still doing a fantastic job, was immediately fired because the company decided to react in an immature emotional way rather than as a company with a mature outlook, care for their people, and a good culture.

I don't know about you, but I most certainly would be thinking twice of joining that company if that's how they treated their people.

I'm not completely sure what you mean with the 'media reports' section. ANB has already spoken publicly about his wish to be traded, and I don't think it would be fair of us Demon supporters to gladly receive the reports of Houston requesting a trade to us but then saying the media make things up when they later report he's reconsidering. Although I do agree there's varying levels of trust I have for different reporters, generally based on what seems to be the extra layers they add themselves to reports.

All fair points.

Personally I put no stock in either reports he's coming our way or suddenly cooled on us. I'm happy to wait and find out who comes rather than getting swept up in the trading palaver.

My main point is for any gun player who has decided to leave their club, the decision about which club they want to gi to is done months ago. Doesn't mean it happens, because the clubs have to come to terms.

If Houston decided a while ago Dee was his preference, the tracc noise is fugazi, particularly given its noise, whereas as 6 or 7 players resigning in the last month, including two young guns and Petty, is fact - and evidence of a club players want to be at.

[Biffen 12,943]

Took along time to find consistency but he's a top tier player now.Adios Champ.Thanks for everything.

Not to mention the flag.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Deez21 said:

There is no doubting he will probably be in the top 5, even top 3 in our B + F, but if you haven't noticed even Houston can see through this PR exercise to show we have a good culture.

 

I wish Nibbler well, I understand why he wants to leave, but I won't cry over players who want out.

If I was the club, I'd tell him he can go with our blessing IF the SA clubs come to the party. 

You seriously think Houston and his manager would base such an important decision on what the average Joe sees and hears about our club? You think that’s the extent of their criteria? Huge LOLZ 😅

[Roost it far 8,274]

On 14/08/2024 at 12:27, demon3165 said:

Good presser from Goodwin but I hope their main focus will be skills, skills and more skills, followed up with decision making and more decision making all under pressure. 

Sticking tackles and breaking tackles as well

[monoccular 17,428]

50 minutes ago, binman said:

All fair points.

Personally I put no stock in either reports he's coming our way or suddenly cooled on us. I'm happy to wait and find out who comes rather than getting swept up in the trading palaver.

My main point is for any gun player who has decided to leave their club, the decision about which club they want to gi to is done months ago. Doesn't mean it happens, because the clubs have to come to terms.

If Houston decided a while ago Dee was his preference, the tracc noise is fugazi, particularly given its noise, whereas as 6 or 7 players resigning in the last month, including two young guns and Petty, is fact - and evidence of a club players want to be at.

binman - the voice of sanity and optimism yet again.  Thanks

[chookrat 4,250]

6 hours ago, Dee-tonator said:

In business, which is what AFL football has become, a contract involves guaranteed rewards and obligations both ways.

Players expect full payment for the term of the contract even if they lose form or get injured.

In return, the club has the right to insist that a player gives of his best until the contract term ends.

There is no doubt Nibbler has kept his end of the bargain by giving 100 percent effort and proving himself an outstanding clubman as well.

But his request has put Melbourne in  a very difficult bargaining position.

If Port or (more likely) the Crows play hardball and offer minimal trade value (eg a third round pick), do we simply cave in and accept the loss of an important contracted player?

Or do we also play hardball and tell ANB, despite his great service to the club, that he has to fulfil his contract unless and until we get an adequate return for his departure?

Surely a second-round pick is the minimum return acceptable for Melbourne.

If that can't be achieved, I don't see anything wrong in the club requiring Nibbler to meet his contract obligations.

We will just have to hope a deal satisfactory to both sides will be arranged.

Even in that case Melbourne will be the losers, because ANB is the kind of player and person that no club likes to lose.

 

 

Just because we declare in good faith that we will facilitate a trade to get ANB to SA it doesn't mean we don't expect a fair trade. If we are dealing with the clubs and they put up something unreasonable it is pretty easy to show ANB that we are trying to get a fair trade done but the SA club is not acting in good faith, which in his position I would question whether I'd want to play for a club that isn't willing to offer a fair trade.

[Guest]

18 hours ago, David-Demon said:

Sorry, the bigger picture prevails in my mind. He signed a new CLUB approved contract in 2023.. Are you telling me he never thought of his current reasoning about his views now.?  I would sit down with him and his family and seek a deliverance whereby, at the end of his playing days, it is time to move to S.A. I thought a pregnancy lasted nine months.... Maybe I am wrong on that.....

How dare Nibs sign a contract without thinking of “his current reasoning about his views now” (whatever that means).

Anyways, he should’ve bloody known in advance that his life situation would change in a way that necessitated a move back to SA, and not signed the contract, right?! Grrrr how stoopid of him.

 

BTW you might wanna learn the facts before posting: yes, a pregnancy lasts for about nine months. The baby is now six months old. 

[KLV 1,765]

Understand now why nibbler has requested a trade back to SA, total respect for him and his family.

good luck Alex and thanks for being the archetypal heart and soul player 

[binman 42,968]

1 hour ago, FreedFromDesire said:

Appreciate the well thought out conversation.

I can totally understand not getting caught up in media reports, unfortunately for me I'd given up on the season a few weeks ago so I've been keenly reading any trade news about our team.

I agree there is a lot of 'fugazi', that was my inference with having different levels of respect for different journalists and how the ones who seem to add their own layer up layer onto the original information are down the pecking order for me. There are quite a few good ones though I think.

I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibilities that Houston could change his mind, we've seen a more extreme example in our past with Mitch Clark don't you think? Of course, the more likely scenario given who has reported it, is he's perhaps told his management he's a little more open to a choice of Victoria clubs but Melbourne are still his preferred destination. These things are generally spoken about a long time in advance, you're correct there.

My main point, anyhow, was around the treatment of ANB and how in his particular situation he deserves the respect of being played in the last couple of games with the fans having the chance to cheer him and thank him for everything he has done.

Yep, you're right. It creates a variable that wasn't there, so may increase the chances of Houston selecting another club.

Depends a bit on how far down the road they might have gone. 

That said, I'm wary of the noise coming from tracc's side - it feels a bit scripted, a bit manager driven.

Tracc's not going anywhere - at the moment.

But he's definitely sending a message (and I'm ambivalent about that too I must say).

On your main point, I agree 1000%

It's hard to believe Nibbla will play only two more games for the dees. I'm shattered.

I can't think of many dees players I've respected more.

He will leave a huge hole - on field and off field. 

Of course he has to play. 

The players will be hell bent to get a win from our last two games.

[binman 42,968]

1 hour ago, KLV said:

Understand now why nibbler has requested a trade back to SA, total respect for him and his family.

good luck Alex and thanks for being the archetypal heart and soul player 

Yep. 

And a glue player. Every club needs them and losing nibbla compounds the impact of losing Gus.

Hard to replace.

[whatwhat say what 22,756]

19 minutes ago, binman said:

Yep. 

And a glue player. Every club needs them and losing nibbla compounds the impact of losing Gus.

Hard to replace.

huge blow imo

three heart-and-soul players lost in the space of a year

brutal

[Ugottobekidding 1,187]

Should be looking at a player swap not a draft pick. Got play tough hard ball with these players and opposition clubs.

[gs77 4,251]

3 minutes ago, Ugottobekidding said:

Should be looking at a player swap not a draft pick. Got play tough hard ball with these players and opposition clubs.

But in this case that's effectively playing hard-ball with Nibbler, not Port/Crows.  They haven't head-hunted him, he's asking to go home without demands on which club he ends up at.

[Grapeviney 9,721]

12 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

a pregnancy lasts for about nine months. 

Where are you getting these stats from?

Champion Data?

[tiers 2,838]

Before Nibbles leaves he should be requested to sign an undertaking to come back as a coach when his family has grown up a bit.

I have commented previously on his maturity during the last quarter in 2021 GF where he was calling in the forwards after each goal for a pep talk and a reminder to keep going, just like a real on field coach. I have seen this at other times but the GF is the best example.

He has always shown himself to be a thoughtful and mature player and will eventually be a good resource for our club. He will eventually continue the line of successful coaches whose playing careers were best defined as reliable, "hard at it",  above scrubber standard but below champion level eg. Jeans, Hafey, Parkin, Northey, Pagan, Clarkson, Scott x 2, Choco, etc.

[KLV 1,765]

Thanks nibbler 

Edited August 16 by KLV
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[Little Goffy 14,545]

Should be be having a quiet word with Wines? We could use the additional hard body in the middle and I'm sure it would cheer up Jack Viney, too.

[Guest]

Filmed yesterday…

Gonna miss you like hell, Nibs