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Listening to the Jacks talking at the Foundation Heros Dinner and the key word was how HARD this year had been. The training has been HARD, the season full of losses has been HARD, the compliance to the new elite performance requirements has been HARD, etc... And as the season has unfolded, it seems to have become evident that for some players the new elite performance requirements have simply been TOO HARD. I don't say this to belittle the players involved, it's OK to recognise that you don't have the hunger, focus or belief to put yourself through something really HARD, repeatedly. Especially if your time is limited. For the older players they are faced with another really HARD pre-season knowing that they are unlikely to enjoy the finals success this HARD work is leading to. So we see Green retire a year after being captain of the club and two years after being All Australian. Aaron Davey will have to dig deep and work really HARD over the pre-season to regain his place in the team and the respect he deserves. Kudos to Aaron. For other players the HARD nature of compliance with the new elite requirements combined with injuries has tested their commitment to footy and hunger to do what is required to succeed. LJ, Lawrence, Gysberts and I am sure others, have struggled to bring it week in, week out. So we see Lawrence walking out, Liam taking a time out (totally understandably) and Gysberts realising that talent without HARD work won't take him where the club needs him to be. For others still they may not believe in what all this HARD work is about, and despite not minding working HARD, their enthusiasm for the game and the club has waned as the new focus on elite this... and elite that ... has spread throughout the club. So we see our B&F winner from last year Brent Moloney languishing and seemingly on his way elsewhere. So while us fans have done it HARD these past years, I'd like to offer my thanks to and acknowledge all the effort and angst endured by the players this year, especially the older ones. Footy has always been a tough game, but this year, at the MFC, it also became a HARD game.

FYI http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/newsId/133259/Default.aspx

Something that has dominated my thinking since the announcement is the role Brent Moloney takes on gameday. We all see him revving up the players and talking to them in the huddle before games and at every break. I mentioned earlier in the year that Moloney should not take these talks in lieu of Brad Green. Now with a 20 year old and a 22 year old in charge I am debating in my head the merits of taking what is usually the domain of a captain and giving it to someone who isn't even in the Leadership Group. I am still of the belief that this is important to how a captain is seen and recieved on the field and I would like someone at the club to tell Brent to let his captains have this duty. Thoughts?