Retired #16: Tayte Pears - Has announced his retirement - 8/9

Apr 6, 2008
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It's crazy to think how far he's fallen. From playing on with the broken arm and split pancreas showing how tough he was after a breakout season at a very early age for such a young man. I seriously think that it really was the foot issue and how little running and kicking he would have done in that time.

It's like he totally lost touch in a one on one contest. Makes me think that if a player misses more than a season or two you just can't make up the development. Gumby always looked out of his depth, even when he had a 12 month run at it.
 

SherbertLemon

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It's crazy to think how far he's fallen. From playing on with the broken arm and split pancreas showing how tough he was after a breakout season at a very early age for such a young man. I seriously think that it really was the foot issue and how little running and kicking he would have done in that time.

It's like he totally lost touch in a one on one contest. Makes me think that if a player misses more than a season or two you just can't make up the development. Gumby always looked out of his depth, even when he had a 12 month run at it.

Completely disagree. He would have been a serviceable AFL forward if his body hadn't been an absolute POS
 
Apr 6, 2008
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Completely disagree. He would have been a serviceable AFL forward if his body hadn't been an absolute POS

No I can remember watching him have not too much idea of where to run and have not impact in a contest. He was severely short of confidence and it would have been terminal.
 
Oct 22, 2008
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It's crazy to think how far he's fallen. From playing on with the broken arm and split pancreas showing how tough he was after a breakout season at a very early age for such a young man. I seriously think that it really was the foot issue and how little running and kicking he would have done in that time.

It's like he totally lost touch in a one on one contest. Makes me think that if a player misses more than a season or two you just can't make up the development. Gumby always looked out of his depth, even when he had a 12 month run at it.
He's had foot trouble from pretty much day one. I'm pretty comfortable in assuming it was the spleen injury that has done him in. I recall reading that the operation required cutting through his abdominal muscles. I reckon it killed his core strength and he has never recovered. Played good footy before the incident, hasn't since.
 

Ambrosia

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He's had foot trouble from pretty much day one. I'm pretty comfortable in assuming it was the spleen injury that has done him in. I recall reading that the operation required cutting through his abdominal muscles. I reckon it killed his core strength and he has never recovered. Played good footy before the incident, hasn't since.

I think its confidence to be honest. He is almost a different bloke than the débutante who asked Sheedy to be shifted onto a rampaging buddy Franklin in 2007.

Pre-injury Pears was good enough to make it as purely a rebounding defender and then throw in his elite closing speed and willingness to compete we have missed out on a absolute gun.
 

Kakkle

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40 games in the last 5 years suggests it's a long shot. How many players miss the majority of football in 5 years and actually end up making it?
 
40 games in the last 5 years suggests it's a long shot. How many players miss the majority of football in 5 years and actually end up making it?
Michael Long played very little between 1994 and 1997 and still contributed meaningfully afterwards.

But yes, it's a long shot. Sadly.
 
Sep 28, 2007
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Michael Long played very little between 1994 and 1997 and still contributed meaningfully afterwards.

But yes, it's a long shot. Sadly.

Was that through injury or just not finding his place in the team.

With no internet back then and very little coverage in country WA we didnt hear too much about those things.
 
Was that through injury or just not finding his place in the team.

With no internet back then and very little coverage in country WA we didnt hear too much about those things.
Injury. Missed all of 1994, and most of 1996 and 1997. Can't recall whether he played much in 1995.
 

Coldacre

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Michael Long played very little between 1994 and 1997 and still contributed meaningfully afterwards.

yeah but he happened to have a premiership medal and Norm Smith under his belt already. he was hardly short on confidence!
 

blitzer

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I hate to say it but we should have delisted him probably a year or two ago. The guy is a key position defender that is not capable of defending one on one and is too short to play on Gorilla's. He might have been a quality player had he not had the injuries that he had - but the reality is he had those injuries and has never been the same since.

I actually think he's fairly decent as a rebounding defender and has pretty decent disposal/reasonable pace but if you want a HBF we've got plenty of options ahead of him there. I just don't see why we are persisting with him. I don't like to be so negative on a Essendon player but I can't see how its going to turn for him. You can't even call him depth because he's never even fit to play when you need him.
 

BrunoV

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I hate to say it but we should have delisted him probably a year or two ago. The guy is a key position defender that is not capable of defending one on one and is too short to play on Gorilla's. He might have been a quality player had he not had the injuries that he had - but the reality is he had those injuries and has never been the same since.

I actually think he's fairly decent as a rebounding defender and has pretty decent disposal/reasonable pace but if you want a HBF we've got plenty of options ahead of him there. I just don't see why we are persisting with him. I don't like to be so negative on a Essendon player but I can't see how its going to turn for him. You can't even call him depth because he's never even fit to play when you need him.



He should have been doing Baguley's job before Baguley nailed the position. The few times he "played small" he did it very well. He then gives you the versatility of someone that can man a tall forward if you're up against a particularly tall forwardline. Obviously the position is now Bags'.
 

lenny2013

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Jun 17, 2013
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He will need to bring it in season 2015, into his 7th season at the club and out of contract at the end of 2015.

List spots will be tight at the end of 2015 and he's in a group of fringe uncontracted players who will be fighting for list spots at the end of 2015.
 
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It'll be interesting to see what happens at the end of 2015, there's a few retirements in the pipeline plus a host of younger players who haven't shown a great deal to date coming out of contract.
 
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