Universal Love Kepler Bradley - There's only one...

[barbs]

...
But then I realise how very glad I am that Big Kep:

• came to play for us for seven years. I reckon he was a huge part of helping us transition out of the dark era when the likes of Josh Head, Andrew Browne and Luke Webster were able to collectively stay on our list for a combined twenty-three years, for a mere 61 games between them. For me, Keps' 68 games had way more impact than I think many ever expected when we recruited him - he is a shining example of the benefits of a second chance, if you work hard.
• always played with such heart and desire regardless of the situation, no matter how much we were losing by, and never got down when he stuffed up. He was one of the few players who tried his guts out in our 1 goal game against Adelaide in 2009. Given how badly Sheedy and Essendon f#ed him over this happy attitude is truly remarkable, I do hope the team keeps him on for player development roles in the future. One tough hombre

Enjoyed your post apart from when you mentioned Browne and Webster as part of the 'dark era', don't think that was a fair call since it was injury that robbed them as they definitely had the ability, heart and desire. And to mention them in the same breath as Josh Head...v harsh.

Maybe I'm just a bit touchy cos Kep is retiring.

 

[clivenator26]

Enjoyed your post apart from when you mentioned Browne and Webster as part of the 'dark era', don't think that was a fair call since it was injury that robbed them as they definitely had the ability, heart and desire. And to mention them in the same breath as Josh Head...v harsh.

Maybe I'm just a bit touchy cos Kep is retiring.

Agree, very harsh, especially on Webster, he had 2-3 knees, a shoulder but always gave his all for us, remember him feeding it out to McManus in a game vs Adelaide for him t kick the goal and get us a close win. Browne I think tried to sue the club didn't he?

 

[Righteo]

Agree, very harsh, especially on Webster, he had 2-3 knees, a shoulder but always gave his all for us, remember him feeding it out to McManus in a game vs Adelaide for him t kick the goal and get us a close win. Browne I think tried to sue the club didn't he?

He actually kicked a behind but it was enough in the end. Webster and Browne would have had very solid careers if not for injuries I agree,

 

[Danny Cullen]

He actually kicked a behind but it was enough in the end. Webster and Browne would have had very solid careers if not for injuries I agree,

Yeah, my memory tells me Luke kicked a point.

Was a handy player when fit.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Back on topic...

Kep held power over the ball and could make it do anything.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

Back on topic...

Kep held power over the ball and could make it do anything.

Proof he defies logic.

 

[Danny Cullen]

Back on topic...

Kep held power over the ball and could make it do anything.

New avatar right there.

 

[PapaJ]

I think we all knew it was coming, but actually hearing the news has left me gutted.

He may have played the minority of his career for Freo but he was always our Kepler. Our cult hero. Our unco but extremely passionate and important to the team Kepler.

I'm all for retiring the #26 until a worthy player comes along. And I'll be building my own statue in honour of the one & only Kepler.

49 games for Essendon, 68 for Freo

4 years with Dons, 7 with us (including this year)

He's not only ours by the heart, he's ours by the numbers.


EDIT: Another number I like:

Went to Essendon with Pick #6 2003 National Draft
Came to Fremantle with Pick #69 2007 National Draft

 

[E Shed]

Back on topic...

Kep held power over the ball and could make it do anything.

C'mon Photoshop wizards, crop out the grass and have Kep playing over a city skyline.

 

[Eski3]

Back on topic...

Kep held power over the ball and could make it do anything.

Appropriately philosophical watermark

 

[Danny Cullen]

C'mon Photoshop wizards, crop out the grass and have Kep playing over a city skyline.

And add some jet boots to his stumps!

 

[clivenator26]

He actually kicked a behind but it was enough in the end. Webster and Browne would have had very solid careers if not for injuries I agree,

I think I am thinking of another piece of play, might have been him diving on a loose ball and Farmer finishing off a goal against Brisbane when Schammer had a day out. I need to rewatch some old game sand refresh the memory!

 

[Freofalcon]

One of my favourite moments was when he made Chris Judd look like a mere witches hat:

It took Harry Potter 8 movies to destroy Voldemort.



Kepler did it in 8 seconds.

 

[GilG]

I'm now convinced we're going to win our first flag this year. Why? Can you imagine how sweet it'll be to see Kepler Bradley riding around in a convertible on Grand Final day, being saluted by the Purple Army at the MCG? Can you imagine how sweeter it'll be with Kepler keeping the boys loose and Hayden Ballantyne having someone to prank that day?

 

[E Shed]

Nothing but a Batmobile would do for Kepler.

 

[Schauermann]

Sicen we need a big win against Port now, we should field this for round 23:

- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- Kepler Bradley -
- - -

- - - Sub -

Team can get a win, a rest before finals, Kepler will win the Coleman in his last game and everything will be fine...

 

[PapaJ]

^^^ LOL, some merit in that.

Bris game result means nothing now in terms of ladder position, let's fly Kep over for one last hurrah, maybe a couple of others too. We'll cop the fine from the AFL, but who gives a toss. Plus the players that are playing might lift a bit for The Big Kep and we get to rest a couple of our more important players for the game that matters next week.

 

[The Anchorite]

^^^ LOL, some merit in that.

Bris game result means nothing now in terms of ladder position, let's fly Kep over for one last hurrah, maybe a couple of others too. We'll cop the fine from the AFL, but who gives a toss. Plus the players that are playing might lift a bit for The Big Kep and we get to rest a couple of our more important players for the game that matters next week.

Begone, heretic. He is talking about the game that matters.

 

[PapaJ]

Begone, heretic. He is talking about the game that matters.

Ha ha, took me a minute. Didn't read the post properly.

 

[PapaJ]

Sicen we need a big win against Port now, we should field this for round 23:

- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- Kepler Bradley -
- - -

- - - Sub -

Team can get a win, a rest before finals, Kepler will win the Coleman in his last game and everything will be fine...

Actually, spotted a flaw there that's not taking full advantage of Keps abilities - he should be named at CHF and as a Sub, so he can shift time and space and interchange with himself at the appropriate time.

 

[holy diver]

Came to Fremantle with Pick #69 2007 National Draft

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Enjoyed your post apart from when you mentioned Browne and Webster as part of the 'dark era', don't think that was a fair call since it was injury that robbed them as they definitely had the ability, heart and desire. And to mention them in the same breath as Josh Head...v harsh.

Maybe I'm just a bit touchy cos Kep is retiring.

Agree, very harsh, especially on Webster, he had 2-3 knees, a shoulder but always gave his all for us, remember him feeding it out to McManus in a game vs Adelaide for him t kick the goal and get us a close win. Browne I think tried to sue the club didn't he?

Sorry, but as much potential as Webster (who remains one of my favourite Freo personalities) and Browne had, their injury history should have had them gone from the squad long before they actually were delisted.

And, actually, they wound up having no greater overall impact than Head over their careers (which is the point of my 'dark era' comment - I don't care how talented you might be, if you aren't getting out on the field over the course of your time on the list then you are not contributing).

Note that Browne did sue the club and (as I recall) achieved a settlement that helped establish a much better foundation for the definition of a club's obligations to players suffering longer term injuries. Much as I like him as a player, he was simply retained on the list for far to long (and then dumped unceremoniously).

In short, much as I hate to see Kep go, the fact he has retired shows just how far we have come - in past years a talented player like him with injuries would have been "retained" for a few more years (especially given how well he played last season), just because the club believed in "potential" despite proof of the impact of injuries on the player's ability to get out on the park.

Yeah, my memory tells me Luke kicked a point.

Was a handy player when fit.

But he was fit way less often than Keps was, which is my point.

No matter how talented, no three players should be on any teams list for 23 years and contribute only 61 games. Webster and Browne have far more of the 23 years than Head, yet not many more games than he.

Hard as it is to say, and while I am still depressed and really, really sad about Keps going, the silver lining is that the fact we aren't trying to hang on to him means that we have become a much more professional club, and we have much more depth, despite there being two more AFL teams than when Webster, Browne and Head played for us.

I just hope we support him far better than we did the likes of Browne, Clem Michael, and Clinton Wolf. We need to stand by our injured former players just as much as we back our current squad...

 

[Beeawwb_SP]

C'mon Photoshop wizards, crop out the grass and have Kep playing over a city skyline.

Your wish is my command.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Your wish is my command.

Nice work. Kep delivering the game day ball to the GF.

 

[E Shed]

That is genius! Exceeded my expectations! Going to print that


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