Retired #31: Dustin Fletcher - Legend & VFL Assistant Coach

[fishardansin]

With Pears having another injury interrupted year I think that Fletch plays one more year with a game or two a month swapping roles with Pears. However, Fletch isn't to rest up in his weeks off the AFL he's to go back and coach the VFL backline on the field.

 

[rines]

IF Fletch wanted to prepare for another season.. I could think of worse blokes to have sitting in the wings as a back up tall defender/forward...

Again, if he was prepared to go through pre-season etc etc.. then I could see a situation where he only aims to play 10-12 games next year when the 'match ups' are right.. or if we get injuries..

Right now he is still playing some good footy on average and better than the next bloke in (Pears)

 

[Moose7]

going to be a sad day when fletch retires, his form is a little down but he always pegs it back, im personally hoping for one more year as he is the back bone to the back line, saving many games himself and just his presence in the team helps alot of the younger players.
i say sign one more year and play probably a dozen games

 

[RedmanWasHere]

going to be a sad day when fletch retires, his form is a little down but he always pegs it back, im personally hoping for one more year as he is the back bone to the back line, saving many games himself and just his presence in the team helps alot of the younger players.
i say sign one more year and play probably a dozen games

But, by then, a young defender fails to improve and Fletch outplays his "successor" once again.

Incredible.

 

[vast]

Probably been mentioned before but the first page of this thread is very funny in hindsight.

I personally hope fletch goes on and gets to 400 games.

 

[red+black]

To me it's clear what will happen. 401st game in this year's grand final against Sydney. Top 4 next year, 426th and final game in next year's grand final against Hawthorn.

Except it's a draw. Breaks Tuck's record in the 2015 Grand Final replay, playing in his 427th game and getting his 4th premiership

 

[daffo]

He had such a great start to the year but as soon as he gets one small injury he loses his pace a lot. The questions I'm asking myself

- can he get through another year? (probably not)
- is he keeping anyone out of the side? (probably not)
- is there someone on our list that would give us more value out on the ground currently not in the best 22? (probably not)

I think he'll go around again but I've changed my mind on that a couple of times this week.

 

[Keystone agony]

If hes going to retire at years end would like him to do it the week before we play North or Geelong in an elimination final

 

[rumply]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2014-07-24/bombers-clean-ball-use
...
Ahead of the final period of this season we divulge just who the key players responsible for the regeneration of ball movement in the Bomber team are.

1. Dustin Fletcher- averages 19 disposals at 84.6%

The 39-year-old tops the list in disposal efficiency this season. He still remains as the cool, calm and collected head in the Bomber defence, hitting almost 85% off all his targets.

Many in the football world have speculated the veteran defender’s future, yet if he can continue using his smarts down back for the Dons, and almost never missing a target, there is no reason why Fletch can not go round another year and crack the magical 400-game milestone.

 

[Coldacre]

he's 33rd in the league for disposal efficiency in 2014.


I say he plays on for as bloody long as he wants to

 

[Big Fresh]

he's 33rd in the league for disposal efficiency in 2014.


I say he plays on for as bloody long as he wants to

And he's not just chipping it around down back.

 

[red+black]

he's 33rd in the league for disposal efficiency in 2014.

how does he rank compared with all the other 39 year olds in the league?

 

[red+black]

You fellas may be interested in this: http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/stats-observations.982508/page-111#post-34159442

MOST SENIOR GAMES (current to IRS, 2014)
LEGEND:
- AFL (was VFL), VFL (was VFA), SANFL, WAFL, Tasmania, NSW, New Zealand
- Night Series (or Pre-Season), State of Origin, State/Intra-state League, International

|| A | V | S | W | T | N | NZ | NS | SoO | SL | Int | TOTAL
\ 1|Craig Bradley | 375 | 0 | 98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 528
\ 2|Barry Round | 328 | 110 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 470
\ 3|Peter Carey | 0 | 0 | 448 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 467
\ 4|Michael Tuck | 426 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 466
\ 5|Greg Phillips | 84 | 0 | 343 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 455
\ 6|Russell Ebert | 25 | 0 | 391 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 452
\ 7|HK 'Joe' Littler | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 450#
\ 8|Kevin Murray | 333 | 24 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 448
\ 9|David 'Dolly' Christy | 0 | 212 | 0 | 213 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 445
\ 10| Brent Harvey | 384 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 437
\ 11|Kevin Bartlett | 403 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 435
\ 12| Dustin Fletcher | 393 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 434
\ 13|Darrell Baldock | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 259 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 20 | 0 | 433

# - Approximate, questionable or incomplete record

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2014-07-24/bombers-clean-ball-use
...
Ahead of the final period of this season we divulge just who the key players responsible for the regeneration of ball movement in the Bomber team are.

1. Dustin Fletcher- averages 19 disposals at 84.6%

The 39-year-old tops the list in disposal efficiency this season. He still remains as the cool, calm and collected head in the Bomber defence, hitting almost 85% off all his targets.

Many in the football world have speculated the veteran defender’s future, yet if he can continue using his smarts down back for the Dons, and almost never missing a target, there is no reason why Fletch can not go round another year and crack the magical 400-game milestone.

His kicking is still elite and vital. Bye will freshen him up. It's not like other players are running him off his legs.

 

[silk]

His kicking is still elite and vital. Bye will freshen him up. It's not like other players are running him off his legs.

Adding to that. Fletcher had the highest percentage of kick-ins from a behind which become inside 50s.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-07-04/the-inquirer-kick-in-experts

 

[eth-dog]

Nasty little injury Dustin's got, pretty lucky the tendon wasn't fully ruptured. I copped one in about Feb last year, kept me out of cricket finals (would have won with me there) and about 8 weeks on the sidelines. Looked like this:

 

[Bomber66]

 

[Bomber66]

 

[Kakkle]

BahAhahAHAHAahA

 

[silk]

The wheel marks make that picture gold.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

The wheel marks make that picture gold.

So does the score.

STK 1. 0. 6 ESS 21. 1. 127

 

[Doss]

So does the score.

STK 1. 0. 6 ESS 21. 1. 127

St Kilda v Essendon at the MCG- that's a collectors item in its own right these days.

 

[daffo]

We need him back this week.

 

[Halftimehero]

Reports his season is over and will have surgery on his finger tomorrow, really hope this isn't the end.

 

[Doss]

Reports his season is over and will have surgery on his finger tomorrow, really hope this isn't the end.

Where's this coming from?