The Byron Pickett Conundrum

[JJJ 1,313]

let him rot. Just writing his name makes my blood boil. He let us down massively when he was playing for Sandy trying to get in shape when he should have been playing senior footy. Our list was decimated by injuries and there was Byron, fat and uninspired floating around at Sandy. Play him as an absolute last resort after the likes of Buckley and Petterd have had their fill of senior footy.

[Old Man Rivers 326]

Well I heard from a reliable sourse that I don't give a [censored] if he's 'fit' now. There is no way that the conditioning we failed to have after preseason he now has after a few weeks on the sidelines. Unless he's had an attitude transplant, there is nothing to gain from playing pickett - in fact there's nothing to gain even if he's had an attitude transplant.

We picked him up as an impact player for a finals team. We aint gunna get there and there's far more sense playing Buckley or weetra or Neaves or hayes than pickett (elevate one after bartrum's injury or river's injury). Pickett was a gamble wortrh taking - it hasn't really paid off so lets cut our losses.

Disagree 100%

If he's fit & in decent shape get him into the team ASAP.

What the hell is an impact player?

For the record Byron is a double premiership player, Norm Smith Medalist & Rising Star Winner

He is on our current list, had a ripping season in 2006 & deserves a chance to make up for his mistakes

earlier this season.

As for there is nothing to gain from playing Pickett. Get Real.

Sit back & watch the 2nd half of 2007 season explosion, with The Byronator in the thick of the the resurgence.

[timD 994]

An impact player is one whose skills are high, can be hurt going to the other way and whose fitness is questionable - TJ is a perfect example.

IMO we either make the finals playing known characters or realise that this is near imossible and play unknowns. There is more to be gained and given the season nothinh really to lose. Byron has demonstrated his poor application - we do not need to see more half-hearted efforts from a mature and experienced bloke. further, it is not relevant if he plays his guts out, our season is gone. If we were 5th, or at least in the eight, then maybe. We're not, we won't be, so lets respect that reality.

As I said, it was a gamble worth taking, but it has not worked this year.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Disagree 100%

If he's fit & in decent shape get him into the team ASAP.

.......

Sit back & watch the 2nd half of 2007 season explosion, with The Byronator in the thick of the the resurgence.

He is still not fit nor is he in decent shape at the moment.

I feel sympathetic to timD's and Tiggers view.

However he justifies his selection on fitness and form just like any other player. You can stuff his past decorations as they are history. His attitude and performance this year have been pathetic given where MFC's season has been. For someone near 30 it is very poor.

If and only if he actually starts to perform up to standard for the rest of this year would I even consider him for next year. If so he will only be on match payments at best.

From his game at Sandy today, he is still well off on form and fitness.

[Madness 44]

I think Sandy were probably told to rest Byron, becuase Mark Williams asked Byron if he is right to play the last quarter and he replied "yep".

[dazzledavey36 55,347]

Disagree 100%

If he's fit & in decent shape get him into the team ASAP.

What the hell is an impact player?

For the record Byron is a double premiership player, Norm Smith Medalist & Rising Star Winner

He is on our current list, had a ripping season in 2006 & deserves a chance to make up for his mistakes

earlier this season.

As for there is nothing to gain from playing Pickett. Get Real.

Sit back & watch the 2nd half of 2007 season explosion, with The Byronator in the thick of the the resurgence.

i second that! love your work!

[Bay Riffin 1,480]

Its amazing how we bad Byron when the team is down.

Of course we must play him for the rest of the year and get himfired up to see if he can go another year. He needs ot convince us. I think he will want to play another year or two and will have to take a pay cut to do it as no-one else will take him.

People do not realise there players do not grow on trees and we got him, so lets look to the future and play him. I would be more excite to watch Pickett play alongside Jones and Mclean rather than watching us string wins together, look good then melt under pressure as usual.

The Dees handles this perfectly by the way, made him do the penance, see if he is fair dinkum and all reports he is, so lets get him out on the park.

And as for playing him 'unfit' early, the problem was we were caught having to give him time with his family in Perth, but his fitness dropped as a result. Believe me he was not fit last year to begin with and was simply sensational until round 17 I think.

Leave the bloke alone, if he is doing the right thing, let him play. If we get any sign he is going to quit at years end play him in Sandy seconds for all I care.

Bay Riffin.

[Old Man Rivers 326]

. You can stuff his past decorations as they are history.

Get some respect Rhino.

He is an elite sportsman that has performed @ the highest level for over a decade.

Yes he stuffed up earlier this season & yes he had a price to pay which he has copped on the chin.

Be thankful this guy is on our list & lets get behind him & give him the support every player in the mighty

Red & Blue deserves.

Shaking my head in disbelief @ your take on Byron, clearly you never embraced this guy in Red & Blue.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Get some respect Rhino.

He is an elite sportsman that has performed @ the highest level for over a decade.

Yes he stuffed up earlier this season & yes he had a price to pay which he has copped on the chin.

Be thankful this guy is on our list & lets get behind him & give him the support every player in the mighty

Red & Blue deserves.

Shaking my head in disbelief @ your take on Byron, clearly you never embraced this guy in Red & Blue.

I was always brought up that respect is earnt. Pickett has not earned it at MFC.

*Bows head respectfully*

Correction Pickett was an elite sportsman who has a history of poor discipline and waywardness at three clubs.

Why should I be thankful for an apparently "elite" senior experienced player on our list that cannot commit like other players to the minimum fitness levels then at the Clubs darkest hour heads out on the fizz the night before a game and rings the Coach as says "Sorry chief I am too [censored] to play"?

Clearly the leadership group are so thankful to have him that they slapped the extended suspension on him following his booze up.

Make no mistake he has milked the Club for 300k this year and cheated every other player on the list with his pathetic commitment to the team's effort. What a waste of the limited Club resources. I certainly don't embrace players in the Red & Blue that fundamentally dont put in.

Its Round 12 and he still cant run out a VFL game. He is still overweight and out of condition.

The sad thing is he COULD have given so much to Melbourne and we saw glimpses of it between Round 3 and 17 last year. The rest has been crap. And like I said his past decorations are worthless to where he is now and what MFC needs. And he is a long way from delivering on that.

[timD 994]

OMR I have some sympathy for Byron. However I see his role in the 'impact' position. He has not delivered in thi sposition for this year. He dlivered in part last year The team desparately needs younger players to fire. What does Byron give us - a hard man and shot at superior finals performance. Do we need this given our year - given that we won't make finals?

I'd argue that we do not have a list that in its current state can win a grand final. Byron is 'cream' on the list 'cake' - but ours hasn't risen yet.

If his performacnes at Sandy improve, pick him, if not don't. Delist at end of season. His record onyl counted when recruited - I agree with Rhino that it doesn't amtter a stuff now. I'd rather priveldge the behaviour that we've seen over the memory of a player that was.

[deanox 9,989]

I'd argue that we do not have a list that in its current state can win a grand final. Byron is 'cream' on the list 'cake' - but ours hasn't risen yet.

well said...

if we were sitting 3rd or 4th thinking about a GF he would be in the side straight away...

[Kit Walker 225]

I would be shocked if Pickett wasn't in the team this week. He's done his suspension, apparently dropped a fair bit of weight and Neitz is out so I think Daniher will want another "hard" player in the team.

When he is fit, he clearly adds another dimension to this team so hopefully he will have a good second half of the year and show he's worth a punt (at significantly less money) for another year.