4 hours ago, beelzebub said:

We've certainly got the best years of his career. Loved his efforts, passion and relentless desire to win. I do fear the years are catching up. Wish him well where ever.

Thanks for the Flag mate. Always a🏆❤️💙 Dee.

I sense he can be a little polarising. I have empathy for that !! 🤔😆😆

As a club we appear to have pulled the trigger on turning a corner. Much change in the winds. Will we pull the Lever too ? 🤔

As oft quoted... "there comes a time"

Cheers Steve , go well.

"...when you're drifting"?

But also, thankfully, "when you settle down"!

And, while we're "giving, that's how we (keep) what we (give) away"!

Win-win stability on its way, then! 😉

21 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

Why would we want to play a third tall who can't join in on offence or line break?

Which teams are structuring up like this?

Geelong is the closest comparison with Gutherie, Henry and Stewart, but Guthrie for example carries the ball and joins in on offence.

Lever has never shown this ability IMO.

We are never going to agree, so I’ll tap out. Go Dees!

4 hours ago, Vipercrunch said:

I thought he had a very up and down year.

As a professional trampolinest all my years were up and down.

(I think thats enuff for today)

17 pages in and it might be worth stating that the reports of May's departure are greatly exaggerated. He has apparently been told to consider looking elsewhere, but if no deal is done, and if he wants to continue playing rather than retiring, he'll still be on our list in 2026. He may still make the team next year.

The NEAFL! God, that’s a blast from the past.

The worst thing about that league is it brought QLD grass diseases that completely ruined Ainslie’s home ground, Alan Ray Oval.

Sad!

May also provided/provides a certain, um, on field rigour that top teams need. We’ve not had too players with that aura over the years.

29 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

17 pages in and it might be worth stating that the reports of May's departure are greatly exaggerated. He has apparently been told to consider looking elsewhere, but if no deal is done, and if he wants to continue playing rather than retiring, he'll still be on our list in 2026. He may still make the team next year.

Excellent point 👉

Perhaps an.option IS to play out next season , in one fashion or another.... a bit like Tommy....and perhaps just hang up the boots ?? 🤔🤷‍♂️

Wish hiim well in whatever direction he goes.

54 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

17 pages in and it might be worth stating that the reports of May's departure are greatly exaggerated. He has apparently been told to consider looking elsewhere, but if no deal is done, and if he wants to continue playing rather than retiring, he'll still be on our list in 2026. He may still make the team next year.

Should I withdraw my farewell and all the best?

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

17 pages in and it might be worth stating that the reports of May's departure are greatly exaggerated. He has apparently been told to consider looking elsewhere, but if no deal is done, and if he wants to continue playing rather than retiring, he'll still be on our list in 2026. He may still make the team next year.

May may ?

6 hours ago, ijustwannaseeaflag said:

So we are starting to see what the King and Guerra blueprint is. Get rid of the NQR's and disruptors.

This has nothing to do with King. Or Guerra. Go back to the first post in this thread, from August.

3 hours ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

Lewis was an absolute shell of his former self when he came to us.

!!

In his first year with us he came third in the Bluey, and was a big part of why we made the finals in 2018.

3 hours ago, Adam The God said:

I've already explained above why I don't see Lever in the team, but I'll do it again. He struggles to join in on offence, struggles 1v1 against any size, and isn't quick. He doesn't suit the game style that is ball park Geelong.

I’m not so sure about that. The Cats best 22 includes SDK, Henry and O’Sullivan and they all average less than 13.5 disposals and less than 200 Metres Gained. Not sure any of them are amazing one on one either.

They sit deep and outnumber to intercept. Then when they do win the ball back they’re very quick to spread and then take quick switch and go options. Which generally aren’t overly difficult kicks if you take them before the opposition are set.

In terms of adapting the Cats game plan I’m much more concerned with how we get a midfield that can cover off well enough to create the extra intercept defenders. And how we can transition the ball through the midfield and of course inside 50.

1 hour ago, Fritta and Turner said:

As a professional trampolinest all my years were up and down.

(I think thats enuff for today)

I know you can bounce back, come on mate

One year too early for me. He is probably not in our best 22 or 25 next season, but he is still probably the next defender back in if one of the bigger boys get injured. And his experience would be invaluable to Adams, Howe Derksen etc...

Best full back I have seen at the Dees. His 2020 - 2023 form in particular was amazing.

As for his attitude and unaccountable manner, lots of great players had this (Sam Mitchell, Barrassi, Don Scott) so it is not a given that it is a negative.

Sad to see him go if indeed that's how it pans out, and a huge thank-you for being the no. 1 building block of our defense in our premiership year.

44 minutes ago, Fritta and Turner said:

Should I withdraw my farewell and all the best?

umm yes

5 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

I find this odd. Yes, there were signs his body was letting him down this season- the odd outburst now and then was a tell tale of a man frustrated with his ability to play. The stats on him were also damning. His fall from grace was very quick but he will be 34 next year so i suppose in that context he still managed to play a lot of footy.

Do you keep this bloke on your list as a mentor? play him in the VFL side ? he is probably a little too proud for that unfortunately and also hard to tell given his standing among his team mates with what we have seen in the past.

But with all that knock him, he was a competitor, hard at it. Its a pity he didnt get a send off game, but i suspect this has our King's fingerprints on it.

With every move we make, it feels like we are more and more going into a full list rebuild. If we also let Trac go (which i would support) that would be the final nail.

Seriously?

The rebuild is on !!!

2 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

17 pages in and it might be worth stating that the reports of May's departure are greatly exaggerated. He has apparently been told to consider looking elsewhere, but if no deal is done, and if he wants to continue playing rather than retiring, he'll still be on our list in 2026. He may still make the team next year.

Play him FF at Casey if you dont want him in the seniors and watch him kick bag after bag.

This is about giving May the chance to explore his options.

The interesting thing is that if we can't guarantee him game time, who is ahead of him? This definitely suggests partial rebuild for me.

On May, let's face it. He waited way too long before finally leaving the Suns at 27. Essentially tossed away half his career. I wish it were possible for him to sue for the life time wasted there.

4 minutes ago, layzie said:

This is about giving May the chance to explore his options.

The interesting thing is that if we can't guarantee him game time, who is ahead of him? This definitely suggests partial rebuild for me.

On May, let's face it. He waited way too long before finally leaving the Suns at 27. Essentially tossed away half his career. I wish it were possible for him to sue for the life time wasted there.

Imagine how many lawsuits the demons would get if that got up

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by BAMF

8 minutes ago, layzie said:

This is about giving May the chance to explore his options.

The interesting thing is that if we can't guarantee him game time, who is ahead of him? This definitely suggests partial rebuild for me.

On May, let's face it. He waited way too long before finally leaving the Suns at 27. Essentially tossed away half his career. I wish it were possible for him to sue for the life time wasted there.

But still have a premiership medallion

I think with our list profile something has to give with:

May, McDonald, Turner, Lever, Adams, Howes and Kalani White (not saying he’ll play seniors but we’d be wanting to develop him down back in the VFL, Fullartons role at the end of the year) + with Mihocek coming in meaning the likelihood of playing one of Petty or JVR back.

On form maybe this year it was May that has to go, his last Collingwood game was outstanding but his Hawthorn game was abysmal and he’s been up and down all year. We have a plethora of tall backs and while at his best he can play on bigger blokes than all save maybe Petty and McDonald, his best may be behind him.

I hope he stays and proves his worth but we have a lot of key backs and with the emergence of Turner as a first choice intercept defender the first choice backline may be three of Turner, Petty, McDonald, Lever even with May on the list. If we can get some kind of pick or player for him maybe that’s better?

Don’t know why May was never tried at FF.

Nice kick, good mark, would’ve brought ball to ground.

Goody a bit reluctant to throw the magnets around.

Oh well, think it’s the right call, was found out quite a few times this year.

He would be a very good forward. Should have been tried more but for being such a good backman

First Goody and now Maysie. I clearly have issues with letting go. 😩