Delisted #36: Garrett McDonagh - Delisted, thank you for your service - 23/8

[ant555]

What about our club has screamed “above board” as of late?

I’m not saying it definitely happened but we would be a bit naive to rule it out based on that.

We weren’t meant to take PEDs either.

Totally different situation.

 

[boncer34]

this could not (should not) happen without out McDonagh’s express consent

I would've had the could and should around the other way bae.

 

[foj1]

They should not have picked Clarke either.

My point is he would have been much more valuable this year for us

 

[ant555]

I think someone has already covered this above, and inferred that maybe the club hasn’t made a professional appointment with their “psychs”.

to be fair - the club has form in that regard.

also - a psychologist isn’t a doctor. Also Pyschologists don’t have patients, they have clients.

All clubs have professional Psychs they have been arguing for them to be outside the soft cap because it is an AFL requirement.

 

[Albertross]

25% of the posts in this thread have been made after his delisting. At this rate, he will have as many posts in another 2 weeks as what he had when contracted.

 

[Doss]

I do know Psychologists do not give out info on their clients.

Ant I think he is well aware that psychologists are not meant to do that. You’re arguing against no one on that point.

 

[Lore]

Ant I think he is well aware that psychologists are not meant to do that. You’re arguing against no one on that point.

I think they would be risking their registration with AHPRA if they did though, which should make it extremely unlikely, unless McDonagh signed a release form somewhere along the way.

That said, snooping the AHPRA website reveals lists of naughty people caught doing the wrong thing… one bloke was disqualified after providing couples counselling and getting into a sexual relationship with the wife (and continuing to provide counselling to them both the whole time!)

 

[Lore]

The performance psych at Essendon is Jonah Oliver, assuming this page is up to date:

About

Jonah Oliver is one of Australia’s leading performance psychologists. Combining his training in sport psychology and neuroscience, Jonah brings a unique, simple and effective approach to faci…

jonaholiver.com

He has a clean record if you search for him, qualified in 2002, BSc(Hons) which is presumably the neuroscience background that he refers to on his website, then a masters in sport and exercise psychology:

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Register of practitioners

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

www.ahpra.gov.au

The register also lists his qualifications and specialisations — he’s not a clinical psychologist, therefore would need to refer clients to someone who was if they needed that kind of support. The players therefore shouldn’t need to be disclosing anything particularly related to like mental health issues or past trauma other than tangentially.

I feel like sports psychology is more to do with motivation, sleep, attention, energy levels, and strategies to prepare them mentally for games… which makes me wonder what the heck a sports psych would be able to disclose that would even be particularly personal? “He forgot to do his meditation and that’s why he didn’t play well on the weekend”?

 

[Nifft]

which makes me wonder what the heck a sports psych would be able to disclose that would even be particularly personal?

On the other hand it's all just rumour and may not have happened at all? We shouldn't unnecessarily tar the sports psych with something he may not have done (not saying you did, just that there's a lot of conjecture in the thread).

 

[Lore]

On the other hand it's all just rumour and may not have happened at all? We shouldn't unnecessarily tar the sports psych with something he may not have done (not saying you did, just that there's a lot of conjecture in the thread).

Yeah, that’s why I feel pretty doubtful about it. But dank doesn’t usually make s**t up either so

 

[ant555]

Ant I think he is well aware that psychologists are not meant to do that. You’re arguing against no one on that point.

Do you really think that massive alarms would not have gone off if that type of info was used in front of the playing group and coaches and staff ?
No way that stays unknown and no way Truck is not out the door if it did happen.

 

[dank420_]

Yeah, that’s why I feel pretty doubtful about it. But dank doesn’t usually make s**t up either so

The other thing to consider is that it may not have been the sport psych. I feel that has derailed the thread a tad. "told someone" is what i was told.

It does line up with a few other things I've heard in that he really didn't gel with the club and no one was nice about it.

 

[Nifft]

Yeah, that’s why I feel pretty doubtful about it. But dank doesn’t usually make s**t up either so

Or the information passed to the psych was more generic rather than being personal, for example like having trouble sleeping. And the the psych talked to the coaches and said a few players have mentioned trouble sleeping so maybe it's worth bringing up to the group some methods to overcome this.

Without knowing the exact details it's hard to make a judgement.

 

[Doss]

Do you really think that massive alarms would not have gone off if that type of info was used in front of the playing group and coaches and staff ?
No way that stays unknown and no way Truck is not out the door if it did happen.

I’d damned well hope not, but then the extent that the club is fundamentally not well run has continued to surprise, so you can understand where the scepticism comes from.

I don’t think boncer’s (or Nifft’s for that matter) hypothetical is completely implausible either, and to be honest it’s the sort of sloppy thing I could imagine happening at clubs in general, not just Essendon.

 

[jmoo wan]

It sure does create a disturbing picture of a psychologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented within the Club

 

[Beerfish]

one bloke was disqualified after providing couples counselling and getting into a sexual relationship with the wife (and continuing to provide counselling to them both the whole time!)

Trust the process?

 

[boncer34]

I’d damned well hope not, but then the extent that the club is fundamentally not well run has continued to surprise, so you can understand where the scepticism comes from.

I don’t think boncer’s (or Nifft’s for that matter) hypothetical is completely implausible either, and to be honest it’s the sort of sloppy thing I could imagine happening at clubs in general, not just Essendon.

I know my hypothetical has happened before fwiw. Not at Essendon but another club.

 

[Pweter]

It sure does create a disturbing picture of a psychologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented within the Club

 

[Oraaaaazio]

Not doubting that the rumor was passed on but some blokes fight a long time for a chance & when things don't work out there's a ton of different stories that pop up as to why. There's the player's story, the family/friend's version, the club's version, the 5th hand "Chinese whispers" version and the truth. Happens at AFL level right down to bush footy when a player doesn't kick on as they expected to. They weren't given the chances, weren't supported etc. sometimes it just doesn't work out but if there's a story it can be a bit easier to cope.

Maybe he didn't fit well at the club and/or felt he wasn't supported enough and voiced that to a club counsellor/support staffer but gut feel is I find it hard to believe that it walked out of that room & to the coaches. If it was a conversation with another staff member/coach/player that he trusted who isn't bound by any sort of confidentiality clause then that's different but still pretty disappointing. Either way, I don't think it's the be all & end all for a player making it. Chances are it was always a one year, see how it goes sort of deal for a 26 year old to see if they can make an instant impact with an average pick and it just didn't happen which is always pretty likely at that stage.

 

[yaco55]

Luke Ryan as a local Coburg boy was still on the board at that selection. Real missed opportunity given Ryan is the McDonagh type we drafted 5 years later.

Ryan was rejected by the VFL program the year he was drafted.

 

[owen87]

Ryan was rejected by the VFL program the year he was drafted.

'Clearly not going to make it at VFL level' I assume was their analysis?

 

[eth-dog]

'Clearly not going to make it at VFL level' I assume was their analysis?

More it was that we couldn't guarantee games and Coburg could.

 

[owen87]

More it was that we couldn't guarantee games and Coburg could.

Good talent ID there...

 

[eth-dog]

Good talent ID there...

Honestly the one thing I will defend about our club at that time was our VFL program. The year in question we made the prelim, so I'm not really upset.

 

[yodellinhank]