News CONFIRMED: Stevie J to play farewell game on Saturday

[Teriyakicat]

"Dawson Simpson has proven the value of an uninterrupted pre-season and a fresh start following the first 10 games for his new club, Hawthorn. Following his dominance of Geelong - who were forced to field Cory Gregson and Daniel Menzel (on crutches) in the ruck after the latest injury crisis hit the club's ruck division - Simpson said that not having to ever read the Geelong BigFooty board ever again was key".

 

[maxy87]

Two points for mine on SJ. Any pace he had is gone, cannot step out of, evade, or shrug off the tackler anymore. Other teams have worked that out - so only effective in space which rarely happens.

He cannot bring others into the game, or overall dispose of the ball predictably and to their advantage anymore.

If he was in the pre 00s football era, there would be no questions asked. Selfish, flamboyant, freakish goal kicking winners were lauded. But that was then.....

This is now - I say make the hard call and leave us wondering if there was another year or two. There would have been few questions in June about that decision.

I'm going to go against the grain a bit here and put it out there that I agree with most of this. I usually don't post much, particularly about players and list management but for some reason I feel compelled to do so.

I know we have had to take the good with the bad with SJ, but for me, SJ's frustrated and reactive hits on players, low percentage plays that don't come off and demanding the ball (often from younger team mates) only to fluff a shot on goal means we are now having to take a sizable portion more 'bad' than 'good'. In a way, it also encapsulates parts of the team's decline since 2011 and highlights the need for ongoing renewal, which for what it's worth I think the club is doing quite well. While the veterans have played a key role in the transition that is taking place at the club, I can't help but get a sense that the game is passing some of our veterans by.

Undoubtedly SJ has been a gun and his achievements and service to the club should be lauded and remembered. However, like Kelly, Stokes, Rivers etc. age and wear and tear catch up on you. In many ways, the pace in which the game is changing means that the club must adapt and make very tough calls on some players in the twilight of their careers. Either way, I can see the logic in giving SJ one more year in a reduced capacity or making the tough call this week but making that tough call is by no means the wrong decision.

By all reports, SJ is an outstanding footy brain and would make a great coach in some capacity. I would like to see him explore this option post playing but think that it would be best, like a few others, if he plied his trade in a different environment before entertaining a role at the Cats.

3x Premiership player, norm smith medallist, all Australian etc. Not a bad record to hang your hat on SJ

 

[Nankervis brothers]

I'm disappointed to hear Johnson is not being given a further one year contract. I fully get that we are in transition, and hard decisions do need to be made, but Johnson's still consistently among our best few players. With Dangerfield coming into the club and the other Selwood as depth, he could be used purely in a half forward role and be very damaging there. I don't get this decision.

 

[GFrost]

I've particularly felt for Stevie these past few weeks as he has been the major target of the constant Cats Veteran Watch in the media. It was hard to listen to him speak about how he wants to team up with Menzel in the forward line and thought they'd work well together. And it was hard to see him door stopped by journo's today again, while he again said he didn't know.

If he genuinely doesn't know, then I don't like this one bit. I understand the club has irons in the fire but there are others who have performed worse than him who should be the first in the limbo line.

I don't understand why others have been announced. I don't know why the Geelong Addy, Herald Sun, and Gerard Whately say he has been told, but the club haven't said anything and Steve says he doesn't know.

Is this Stevie choosing not to announce it until after the game because that is his personal preference? For all his showboating he did refuse to be chaired off after his losing 250th.

If it is, okay.
If it's not, this has not been well handled.

He has been hounded the most, and in the week that is supposed to bring certainty with dignity, this has been crap.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

If the club thinks they have a shot at the flag next year with the trading in of some quality players, then for me, StevieJ should play another year.

If the club believes that a flag is not realistic next year, then StevieJ has no long term value (as a player) so cut him loose, and develop the young guys.

 

[The Casey Cat]

If the club thinks they have a shot at the flag next year with the trading in of some quality players, then for me, StevieJ should play another year.

If the club believes that a flag is not realistic next year, then StevieJ has no long term value (as a player) so cut him loose, and develop the young guys.

Even if we completely nail our off season and even draft period we will not have the necessary overall depth in the 'best' 22 and then fringe players to challenge next year. Is understandable if SJ was told we must push on without you. Despite him being quite handy this year and better performed than most of his veteran team mates.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Seriously, who'd want to be head of list management at Geelong:

Cuts Chapman after Chappy wants a two-year deal:
How could the club do this to a favourite son, look at the deadwood they're keeping on the list, including Vardy, McCarthy, Cowan and Menzel who are odds-on to never play again, coach has a vendetta, etc etc.

No retirements in 2014 (after a whole bunch over the previous three years):
Club's gone soft, can't make the hard choices, should be more like Collingwood/StKilda and just shaft everyone, etc etc.

Plays lots of kids in 2015, misses finals:
Oh, the year's been an embarrassment, the team has been inconsistent, etc.

Makes (potentially) the hard call on SJ:
SJ still has something to offer, will kick on with another club and serve us right

Keeps on Bartel (potentially):
Jimmy's fallen off a cliff (never mind forty touches on the return from injury), should get rid of him, liability etc etc.

Christ, you can't win.

Agree 100%. I reckon I'll just hold my fire. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. The club is going to move forward regardless and, as Comrade Lenin once said, "When one makes a Revolution, one cannot mark time. One must always go forward."

Let's move

 

[Seeds]

Even if we completely nail our off season and even draft period we will not have the necessary overall depth in the 'best' 22 and then fringe players to challenge next year. Is understandable if SJ was told we must push on without you. Despite him being quite handy this year and better performed than most of his veteran team mates.

If so then why hasn't the older Enright been told and Bartel as well for that matter. Sj is more deserving of a list spot then them on form. Apparently Enright ain't even sure if he wants to stay on anyway while SJ is desperate and sacrificed big money and a long contract last year to stay at the cats.

 

[TomsBulgingDisc]

Thinking outside the square a bit...
The journos asked him yesterday if he would be at Geelong next year, his response was he wasn't sure.
Perhaps this means he knows he isn't playing, but still undecided on another offer the club may have put in front of him (coaching?) or seeking to play another year somewhere else. Either way I think he knows his playing days at the Cat's are over.

 

[Bobby_]

Even if we completely nail our off season and even draft period we will not have the necessary overall depth in the 'best' 22 and then fringe players to challenge next year. Is understandable if SJ was told we must push on without you. Despite him being quite handy this year and better performed than most of his veteran team mates.

agree with this.
Won't be another couple years before we are a genuine shot at winning another flag. Our back-line is still far too inexperienced with only Kolo and hopefully Henderson back there while Enright, Lonergan and to a lesser extent, Taylor, those three are no longer in their prime.
Same issues though midfield and forward where there's far too much age differential across every line on the field.

Teams like Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, GWS, Suns . . . those teams have the right mix and will be tough to contain next year and beyond.

 

[Gogeelong]

I'm disappointed to hear Johnson is not being given a further one year contract. I fully get that we are in transition, and hard decisions do need to be made, but Johnson's still consistently among our best few players. With Dangerfield coming into the club and the other Selwood as depth, he could be used purely in a half forward role and be very damaging there. I don't get this decision.

THE OTHER SELWOOD HAS DECLARED HE WANTS TO STAY AT THE EAGLES

 

[cats2rise]

Still hoping he stays one more season. C'mon, the Stevie J show needs a fairwell tour around Australia in 2016.

Coming to a city near you!

 

[Gogeelong]

Do we delist Steve or are we able to trade him and get a pick?
How does it work if Stokes, Kelly or Johnson decide to play on
Does the club gain anything?

 

[Willo_]

THE OTHER SELWOOD HAS DECLARED HE WANTS TO STAY AT THE EAGLES

No he hasn't

He's said that he will hopefully stay on....yet he has a contract offer from them that he still won't sign, if he is staying then he signs

 

[catempire]

No he hasn't

He's said that he will hopefully stay on....yet he has a contract offer from them that he still won't sign, if he is staying then he signs

Didn't the Eagles put off talks to the end of season?

 

[cats2rise]

They both agreed to till his injuries were over.

 

[Willo_]

Didn't the Eagles put off talks to the end of season?

He's had an offer sitting there for a while, and pretty sure if he was wanting to sign it they'd let him

 

[catempire]

He's had an offer sitting there for a while, and pretty sure if he was wanting to sign it they'd let him

True dat.

Either way, his comments as reported yesterday throw at least some doubt on previous mail suggesting it's "a done deal".

 

[thegerman]

Do we delist Steve or are we able to trade him and get a pick?
How does it work if Stokes, Kelly or Johnson decide to play on
Does the club gain anything?

No, though depending on who we get in. If we get the guys mentioned, we should get nothing.

 

[JUBJUB]

Do we delist Steve or are we able to trade him and get a pick?
How does it work if Stokes, Kelly or Johnson decide to play on
Does the club gain anything?

The club will often do a trade with clubs for late picks so the player can get to that club.
I think they did it with King [StK],Chappy [Ess] & Hunt [GWS]

 

[Kardinial]

The cats should offer Stevie J a one year contract and sit him in a forward pocket at the feet of Hawkins and then transition him into a coaching role working with all the young talent we are going to have to bring up in the next few years.

 

[Cattery]

Two points for mine on SJ. Any pace he had is gone, cannot step out of, evade, or shrug off the tackler anymore. Other teams have worked that out - so only effective in space which rarely happens.

He cannot bring others into the game, or overall dispose of the ball predictably and to their advantage anymore.

If he was in the pre 00s football era, there would be no questions asked. Selfish, flamboyant, freakish goal kicking winners were lauded. But that was then.....

This is now - I say make the hard call and leave us wondering if there was another year or two. There would have been few questions in June about that decision.

Hard to know where to begin to respond to this, probably best to just say that of all the drivel written about Johnson in this thread this would most likely be the bottom of the barrel.

 

[iameviljez]

THE OTHER SELWOOD HAS DECLARED HE WANTS TO STAY AT THE EAGLES

HASN'T PEN-TO-PAPERED YET

 

[CoachEmUpChucky]

If he genuinely doesn't know, then I don't like this one bit. I understand the club has irons in the fire but there are others who have performed worse than him who should be the first in the limbo line.

Agree.
If that is truly the case, he may be in the limbo line until trade/FA period opens in October.

 

[Bobby_]

Hard to know where to begin to respond to this, probably best to just say that of all the drivel written about Johnson in this thread this would most likely be the bottom of the barrel.

is that because his/her opinion differs from yours?