Norm Smith's Curse

Yeah you read my mind

With all fairness I think 99% of us were able to judge accurately many of our players in the Neeld years after 2 games...

In our poorer games it seems the same deficiencies come out from all three bigger mids. Tracc arguing with Oliver after the game was weird considering he had his own issues yesterday.

Even with non functioning legs Koz would still be more lively than a third of our list under the Neeld years, some of whom we seemingly quite Weekend at Bernies.

A lot of people are not fans of these long contracts but I always thought part of it was to have greater certainty on contracts and salary cap up front with some lost security. In reality the pies and the Grundy situation was cause for pause and it was argued at one stage whether Clarry would have ran into so many issues had he not had the reduced pressure of a long contract, but this case is different for mine. The media had created a landscape around our club that was that our culture was toxic, Houston rejected us, Tracc and Clarry wanted out, we lost Jackson and then ANB to the go home factor and that Koz was next. Koz has gone from an important player in our 2021 premiership to a playmaker, major midfield speed provider, and can break a game open in mere seconds. Tell me who else on our list in the last thirty years could turn some of those almost nom existent opportunities into certain goals in milli seconds. He is also tough. I've seen him bumped harder than many and never even lost his feet. He is THE x factor we needed and we need more now many are aging. For those question the length of the contract imagine the alternative. Contract negotiations off, constant media pressure and scrutiny and then he leaves and who replaces his unique talents? I'll say it again - no one can.

You should cool your chambers there and no needs to go off half cocked. He has shown he could be a gun with a very good set shot. Could be Russian roulette however.

Sorry those were double entendres - like a play on words so to speak, not your view. Although on that I think more exposure with Clarry will likely be a bad thing.

Don't shoot the messenger here but while we could give it our best shot, it could backfire badly.

But I agree that without getting ahead of ourselves we also need to wrap up younger players that have taken a massive step in 2025 - Bowey and Turner in particular. And we all know good Judd may become.

Any one suggesting Kozi isn't the most vital player on our list in 2025 is still thinking in 2021. Kosi has the x factor we didn't have before he came, can ride a bump better than many bigger blokes, has shown he can handle midfield time and of course is a game breaker. I don't think I can remember a player who could convert the thinnest of opportunities into a goal in my life time. With age getting behind stalwarts like Max, May and Viney to lose Kozzi would be a disaster. When I read people suggesting he is on par with Jackson I just laugh.

Someone posted that it was like watching world wrestling level bias from the umpires and - while people often complain about unps - it was the worst performance of any umpires I've seen in the modern era I can think of fourteen examples of appalling decisions against us just off the top

The curse says it's ok.

Why? Because the media wants it to be that way? If it happens it will be the player wanting to be traded for personal reasons with a massive contract.

Excellent post and agree 💯

Ive said it thousands of times. We haven't had an x-factor, match winner/match turner for decades and Kozzie is all that. Jackson fit with our list well and was recruited for that reason but I'd want three Jackson's for Kozzie.