View Full Version : 'Hawks aggressively chased Michael'
philhawk
24 Nov 2006, 19:49
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Lions-fuming-over-Michaels-backflip/2006/11/24/1163871592039.html
Hawthorn aggressively chased Michael during trade week, and he admitted he rebuffed the Hawks' advances at the time.
Would you have liked to have seen Michael don the brown and gold in 2007, or would it be merely a stop gap solution to our hole at Full-Back? (If it had eventuated)
Hugshawks
24 Nov 2006, 19:56
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Lions-fuming-over-Michaels-backflip/2006/11/24/1163871592039.html
Would you have liked to have seen Michael don the brown and gold in 2007, or would it be merely a stop gap solution to our hole at Full-Back? (If it had eventuated)
I'm pretty shocked at this decison. This goes against everything the youth policy stands for. We would have been absolute fools to take him, despite him being a great player.
Yes, he would've been a short-term, stop-gap solution and I would've loved it.
mulhollanddrive
24 Nov 2006, 21:33
The name Mal Michael means more than anything he'll do on the field for the rest of his career.
If he doesn't train as hard as his teammates during pre-season, and mentally has doubts, and is returning to Melbourne/Football for other reasons than his love of football, he is destined to struggle.
Prefer to see if Dawson/Gilham/Thorp and whoever else tried at FB this year as it's a step towards finding out who's out premiership FB in 3 years time. Michael could camoflauge this situation, or waste a pick, set a bad precendent that you can slack off training in certain circumstances etc..
Thaihawk
24 Nov 2006, 22:57
Even with his experience I don't think he would be an asset in 07.
I thought he lost a lot last season, committment and pace being the most notable. If he was not willing to give110% - a fact he has already stated - he would be a bad influence on our young list.
I believe by the time the PSD comes around there could be a good get for us. Someone in their early twentoes who has a lot more to offer our club than MM. Someone with contractual problems with their current club.
Gary Shadforth
24 Nov 2006, 23:25
I heard Mal being interviewed on ABC Radio an hour or so ago. He said he had been looking forward to returning to Victoria for some time and went onto say he hated Queensland and '... it's pathetic....'.
Being now a Queenslander I was shocked by his comment. He is entitled to his opinion but it would have been better public relations to not verbalize his opinion of the Sunshine State.
In the same report it was said Brisbane Lions are seeking legal opinion. The Lions are really peeved.
Meanwhile over in Dogland, Acker would be doing handstands at the news, I would imagine.
Oh, shucks! Why am I straining my finger muscles discussing tail-waggers and scum?
Robber Baron
25 Nov 2006, 08:00
Hawthorn were right to see if any Fullback was available and they had to ask Mal Michal if he was interested, but he told us that he was retired so its not Pelchin and Clarksons fault that we didnt get him because Sheedy tricked him into playing agan and must be offering him more money then he is worth.
Im not convinced that he will last more then 2 years anyway because if he retired and then decided to play again he just migh decide to retire again, then where would we be? I recon we did the right thing in not chasing him becuse he is to much of a risk thats why we went for thorneten who was the right age but didnt get him because Carlton and the AFL cheated us again.
Anyway we are going to be better off without him when we pick up a top full back in the draft with Thorp or maybe even Dowler or even Gihlam might be the next premierhsip full back .
LuvMyHawks
25 Nov 2006, 08:09
Any respect I had for Michael has gone out out the door! One wonders why Thornton didn't do the same thing, retire from Carlton, then elect to come out of retirement, pick his club of choice, and play for Hawthorn.
But I'll bet the AFL would have found a loophole, because it was HAWTHORN, and not the SCUM that he wanted to play for. Sheedy and the scum are exactly that!! SCUM..I hope they fall on their "proverbial
" and that he really has lost his desire to play, and put in the hard yards.
Fall on your sword scum!!!and that goes for Michael too..:thumbsd:
I heard Mal being interviewed on ABC Radio an hour or so ago. He said he had been looking forward to returning to Victoria for some time and went onto say he hated Queensland and '... it's pathetic....'.
Yet he was happy enough to put up with "pathetic" QLD when the Lions were winning premierships.
Wanting a lighter training schedule doesn't sound like a good fit with a solid group that's "set to soar".
Nice fit for Sheedy and his list of project players.
Gary Shadforth
25 Nov 2006, 13:29
..
Im not convinced that he will last more then 2 years anyway .....
Yes, RB, and when the Bombers are travelling poorly big bad Mal's lack of motivation will reappear.
lethalselbow
25 Nov 2006, 13:31
Happy not to have him. He doesn't want to play football. Essendon are welcome to him.
JezzHawk
25 Nov 2006, 13:46
happy he has no involvement with HFC. He'll always be regarded as a great fullback and benchmark for future fullbacks... but in light of the essendon signing... he is a b***e to me...
Gary Shadforth
25 Nov 2006, 21:54
.
Does it make you feel sick too?
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/11/24/wbFOOTYmichael2_narrowweb__300x390.jpg
Tuckys' beard
26 Nov 2006, 20:59
Good Luck to the guy I reckon. Nice trick if it comes off. Snuck out the back door of Brisbane whilst they were distracted by Akermanis. Interestingly, the way it all happened does lend some support to the claims of an unhappy club as suggested by Aker as well.
I actually think he will be a real bonus for the club, and will have a much better year than 2006. Sheedy, doddering fool that he increasingly appears to be, can still pull rabbits out of the hat, and this is another. I think Sheeds is wise enough to cater to the requests of Mal in having a lighter training schedule. I know times have changed, but I recall Chris Langford being given pretty free reign to keep him at the club and in the game, and he still managed good service. Different circumstances, but to keep a champion in the game, a little bending isnt too much to ask.
No doubt, Mal has something to prove to his old club, and being free of that stiffling environment will see him return to some of his older form. Im not suggesting he is going to return to his past glories, but he will give stability, experience and value for money over the next few years.
Shame he had to go to Essendon.
Steve
Mal's retirement backflip
HAWTHORN says it has not been adversely affected by Essendon's controversial signing of Mal Michael, despite the Hawks heavily pursuing the ex-Brisbane defender during trade week.
"We made a decision on the understanding of what we were informed by his management as to his compromised training program, and it was not a prospect that we would pursue,'' Robson said. "We made a conscious decision with the group we have.
"If Mal had been a part of our club, and he came to us and wanted to talk about more flexibility in his training schedule, that's something all clubs would look at. But we made a conscious decision to move on, and we targeted other players.''
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,20819657-5006065,00.html
lethalselbow
28 Nov 2006, 07:28
I actually think he will be a real bonus for the club, and will have a much better year than 2006. Sheedy, doddering fool that he increasingly appears to be, can still pull rabbits out of the hat, and this is another.
You're right. Sheedy is, without doubt, the biggest "Wizard's Sleeve" of a coach in the AFL.