Jaded No More

I understand that this was what Twomey thought, and maybe that is what we thought to, but clearly we were sold a player who is not a ruckman or who needs a LOT of work in order to become one. He's played 19 games and he's 24 already. Not really sure that we thought he would be anything other than a complete break glass in case of emergency option this season. What I don't get is why we got him, and also kept Schache.

Losing the hitouts wasn’t the problem. It was not competing when the ball hit the ground that was the problem. Gawn does two things better than any other ruck, he wins his own clearances (he averages 5 a game!), and he takes marks (averages over 5 a game). Those are his elite stats that we cannot replace even if we “win” the hitout stat. Fullarton would therefore have not helped as he neither wins hitouts, clearances nor is a particularly strong contested mark. I hazard a guess that we recruited him as a backup for a tall forward rather than as a ruck backup. It has to be a real priority in 2025 to have at least one ready to go ruck on our list outside of a 33 year old Gawn.

Do you ever think that the problem here is that Clarry has set an impossible standard for himself? Imagine not pulling coaches votes regularly being the condition for getting traded. Oliver has been playing at a level so far above normal for like 90% of midfielders for his entire career. He is having his first ever below standard season, which is still comparable to most midfielders best seasons. And there are very clear and specific reasons why that is happening. I understand that his pay packet demands he stays at the level we’ve all become accustomed to, but I also understand that he’s a human who has battled a lot of demons (pardon the pun), and is struggling with his fitness (77% average TOG is certainly not normal for him). To trade him now, especially when his value would be relatively low, is not only a ridiculously poor list move for a team lacking midfield depth, but also a culturally shocking decision. We asked Clarry to do certain things to remain part of our club. He has done those things as far as I’m aware. To go back on our word destroys the trust that the club has built with the playing list. It’s fraught with danger and it tells players that we won’t accept imperfection and flaws and fluctuations in their careers. We have a whole host of very talented youngsters that we want to keep on our list long term. How do you think they’ll feel seeing one the greatest players to ever pull on the red and blue, traded after a poor 12 months? Imagine if Richmond had gone ahead and traded a problematic Dusty all those years ago. 3 flags gone. I can’t wait for the nuffies to call for Trac’s head next year when he’s rightfully going to struggle (probably) on the field with form/fitness.

How does it blow your mind? Maynard ended a career before and got off with a premiership medal. The devil works hard, but the Collingwood fan club MRO works harder.

I think that’s the problem, I don’t think he would have competed any better than Petty or Roo and he can’t take a contested mark making him a liability. Goodwin said post game that there is nobody on our list who could win ruck contests against Darcy and Jackson except Gawn. If that’s not the worst vote of confidence for Fullerton you’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is.

Credit to Goody for again helping to keep a required player.

Let’s hope he never has to ruck again because we find a second ruck going into next season. That has to be very very high on our list of priorities given Max is going to be 33 next year!

I agree that he can go another season, but from what I heard he was set on this being his last season. Hopefully he’s changed his mind.

Your username suits you

Ok let’s refer to his nasty hand injury then 🙄 Not having a pre season, has a monumental impact on performance Will you call for Trac to be traded if he struggles next year?

Melbourne leaked it early because they heard there weren’t enough meltdowns on Demonland after that loss.

He’s still a bin diving misogynistic [censored]

Which is a disgraceful reality when we have plenty of experienced senior players in the side.

If Jefferson comes good next year they probably will. Likewise if Tmac retires which I suspect he will.

Anyone who isn’t thrilled with that (if it’s true), is an absolute fool! Securing our talls means we can focus on restocking our midfield!

Big difference between reveling in our demise and calling for half the team and the coach to get the boot, and being very unhappy with that performance. Losing is losing, it happens all the time. We played so well against Brisbane and came up short. Annoying but acceptable. But you cannot put up these uncompetitive numbers and say “she’ll be right”, because sadly it’s not a one off anymore. I didn’t expect a win today. I also didn’t expect a 10 goal loss to flatter us.

Sure, but when he’s refusing to chase or tackle that’s not age that’s just poor effort. I will say that he didn’t play much on ball today, and we didn’t get a lot of ball inside 50, but he had 6 touches and 3 clangers today. Chandler who every man and his dog is yelling to get rid of, has played half the number of games and had 10 touches and kicked 2 from the same low number of forward 50 entries.

You are wrong. First Kosi is no longer a young player. He’s played 100 games and his effort today was subpar. Not good enough. Likewise Fritta. I think you need to watch the game if you’re going to comment about the young players being inconsistent. It wasn’t Turner or Roo or Windsor that let us down today. Lever had maybe 8 goals kicked on him today. Salem 10 touches, Sparrow 15, Nibbler 16, Oliver 18 and only 3 clearances, Viney only 2 clearances! In contrast Brayshaw 41, Sarong 36, Young 28 for a combined 19 clearances. Absolute putrid effort.

The young players are not the problem. Senior players are. Fluctuation in form is one thing. But when you’re getting mauled in every “effort” stat that’s another. Smashed in every aspect of the game that is meant to be our DNA. Inexcusable. Nobody expected us to win, least of all me, but effort is a non negotiable and so many players have to be questioned on their effort today. And no I don’t mean first year, or second, or even third year players. I am talking senior players with 100+ games under their belt, letting their opponents waltz out of packs and mark uncontested time and time and time again. I didn’t care that we got monstered in the ruck, I cared that we had Viney Oliver Salem Nibbler and Sparrow, premiership players with stacks of experience, apply no pressure in the contest. Young, Sarong and Brayshaw may as well have been at a little league clinic today. -36 in contested possessions and -31 in clearances, with the lowest clearance numbers recorded since the 90s! That is sky is falling level performance. Or no performance.

Do we have to?

From all reports he struggles to win a ruck contest at Casey. Not sure he would have won many against Darcy and Jackson.

As if Fullarton would have made a 10 goal difference. Even Gawn wouldn’t have made that much of a difference and he’s the best ruckman this decade.

Just hoping someone tells me that there’s Ebola running thru the club so I can find a valid reason for this disgusting display of “football”.

Have said nothing on tv about it so far. He was in the midfield and then disappeared so possible. He is too fragile to play midfield.