John Crow Batty

Well it is a little surprising considering the hoopla early this season with the Ox's comments and Hogans need to have a press conference to tell the world there is nothing wrong with his goal kicking and suggesting the Ox minds his own business. The problem was obvious last season and since then has not improved. Either he is in denial or he is having great difficulties in sorting it out. By appearances seems like nothing has been done to rectify the problem.

Looks like something or someone below camera shot is taking their interest.

North don't seem willing to take the risk.

One of the reasons we got Lamumba was because of his resilience. There were never questions about his fitness and look at him now. Harvey may currently be bullet proof but any injury that might put him out of the game for say 4-6 weeks will surely finish him. Just like the stereotypical old codger who defies old age and is fit as a fiddle until he catches a cold and drops off the perch.

From what I have seen of Hibberd, he is a far better user of the ball.

DIdn't GNF "confirm" in his inimitable style that Trengove is for the chop and will become a stockbroker?

As in Pavlov's Dog?

I always thought he was kind of a selfish type of player. Rarely handballs and not often gives the ball to,players in better position going for goal. To me it would also be like us paying him tribute money for an outstanding career played out at another club.

There will be some decent fat left in their salary cap. Interesting to see what they do with it.

He has defied all reasonable expectations on longevity but he has to hit the wall sooner or later. We don't want to be left paying out his super. No thanks.

You are right, forgot about that. I don't think he did much. A symptom of the stagnating Sheedy era.

Essendon offloaded him to us so that we could pay his super payment. Did nothing whilst here, only fit for retirement.

Check out his 92, 94 and 95 losing GF efforts. Grand total of 33 possessions, 4 goals, 6 behinds and 2 tackles. For a player of his caliber that is woeful in anyone's language. When Geelong were eliminated in the 91 and 96 finals his efforts were even worse.

Check out Ablett's other finals series. Mostly disappointing. For such a great player no chocolates.

Buddy would have to be a rare exception in a long list of selfish goal kickers who never won a flag. Barry Hall was lucky to play in a winning GF. He should have been suspended if the cowardly tribunal and AFL did not corrupt the rules to save his bacon. Flower was never a forward who hijacked the forward line. A reason for the Saint's mediocrity was that they allowed Lockett to run his own show. Ablett was great that day but it was an unusual GF. A high scoring feast with no pressure and his 8 goals were never enough. You should check out Ablett's other finals performances. Woeful at best. History suggests a player like Hogan may be more of an impediment than of benefit in a fragile club like ours. Unless he has a life changing experience and sheds his arrogance and selfishness to become a model team player.

All highly talented with brilliant goal kicking resumes but selfiIsh sooky attitudes and thought team rules were their rules. And not one can boast a premiership to his name.

What do Mark Jackson, Allen Jackovich, Brendon Fevola, Matthew Richardson, Tony Lockett and Gary Ablett Snr have in common?

His body language, attitude and the disappearance of the ferocious intensity from his game suggests to me something is amiss. Maybe he is wavering? Perhaps he had done a deal with Freo and is regretting it or something else. I just hope the club offer what he is worth and not throw everything at him in desperation. Nothing could be worse for the club than being stuck with an overpaid Prima Donna.

The reality is if we don't get rid of that culture we will never ever win another flag. We may become a good side, play regular finals and with luck get into a GF but that is about it. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory will be our future legacy.

I was particularly disapointed in Jones when he gave away the free and ensuring goal when he amateurishly dragged the ball in during the second quarter. It was incredibly dumb and damaging.

The disturbing thing we have had a few of these losses in the past couple of seasons and I hoped the Essendon game might have been the last but now we have managed to bookend the season. Whist we have improved overall there still appears to be hubris self inflicted by drinking our own bath water that could see us easily slide backwards next season if we don't eliminate this mentality.

He has laid 2 tackles in his last five games. For the tea leaf readers he laid a seasons high of 5 tackles against Freo.

He may have taken 14 marks but did bugger all with the ball, slow decision making and zero defensive efforts. We would have structured up better with Pederson instead of him and Weiderman as well as the rest of the forward line would have been the better for it. Hogan's adds very little to our forward structure.

Well it won't upset the post season holiday plans for the players anymore.

Still the soft [censored] front runners that crap ourselves when the opposition have a go. Never looked a chance of redeeming a three goal deficit. The Hogan kicking issue was big before the season proper and has gotten worse. Not sure why some think it is no big deal. He should have another press conference and fess up. He just sucks the life out of our forward line and is a momentum killer with ball in hand.