Delisted #37: Sean Gregory

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I don't take anything personally. Life goes on and after all it is just a game. All the best people in the future, it's been interesting reading all your varied views over the last 2 years.
For what it's worth, I'm disappointed in the decision because I believe Sean could have offered us something.

But at the same time, with the direction our list management has taken, it was always going to be likely. The pinch was on for senior spots but I would have liked to have seen him given a year as a rookie.

But, some things aren't to be unfortunately. I wish Sean all the best for the future.
 

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May 6, 2007
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South East Suburbs
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Essendon
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Having been told he was a 3 - 4 year proposition, Sean was as surprised as everyone else about his delisting especially after a positive end of season interview with Bomber pointing out his lack of 1%'s. A misdiagnosis mid year on injury derailed his season and put him firmly behind the 8 ball for the rest of the year.

Despite getting positive feedback from Paul Corrigan (player welfare manager), Sean was sensationally delisted despite being given the green light and was "ticking all the boxes" in terms of where the club wanted him to be at as a 2/4 year Key Position Player. Having hit 84kg's and hardly missing a session Sean was told his services were no longer required.

He is still living & training with 'Turk' (Essendon trainer), Gregory is looking to the draft to get himself back into the AFL environment. The biggest fear is that he is "tarnished" with the Essendon stench despite not being apart of the program circa 2012.

As for 2015? Gregory is aiming to play VFL football and end up back on an AFL list should he be overlooked this year. A stand alone club his preference (gave my Dolphins a shout out but more likely heading to Coburg which would be a good like for like replacement for Michael Hartley who I feel WILL be drafted).
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
28,992
AFL Club
Essendon
Having been told he was a 3 - 4 year proposition, Sean was as surprised as everyone else about his delisting especially after a positive end of season interview with Bomber pointing out his lack of 1%'s. A misdiagnosis mid year on injury derailed his season and put him firmly behind the 8 ball for the rest of the year.

Despite getting positive feedback from Paul Corrigan (player welfare manager), Sean was sensationally delisted despite being given the green light and was "ticking all the boxes" in terms of where the club wanted him to be at as a 2/4 year Key Position Player. Having hit 84kg's and hardly missing a session Sean was told his services were no longer required.

He is still living & training with 'Turk' (Essendon trainer), Gregory is looking to the draft to get himself back into the AFL environment. The biggest fear is that he is "tarnished" with the Essendon stench despite not being apart of the program circa 2012.

As for 2015? Gregory is aiming to play VFL football and end up back on an AFL list should he be overlooked this year. A stand alone club his preference (gave my Dolphins a shout out but more likely heading to Coburg which would be a good like for like replacement for Michael Hartley who I feel WILL be drafted).



If there was any wonder why players are reluctant to sign when there doubt about a coaches future...
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
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AFL Club
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I would have thought they'd sign in a hurry if the coach was in doubt. Get locked in ASAP.


Not Gregory, prospective recruits.

It highlights how important it is to have the current coach on-side which is not something you can do if you don't have a coach. There was talk that we were not appealing for Jaksch and a few others because they didn't know who would be the coach of the two choices, the difficulty being that it is not much good signing on if a new/different coach takes over and doesn't look at you the same way.

It happens all the time in soccer (where coaches and players change around much more frequently). I remember that back when the Socceroos actually had good players a few careers were stalled following changes of coach which left some of our guys on the outer.

It relates to Gregory because, if you accept what Yoda has posted and having watched Gregory all year, I do, he seems very much to have fallen victim to the change in direction on the first Thursday night of trade/free agency period when all of the sudden Hird was the coach (instead of that ridiculous situation where he was not part of discussions with prospective recruits).

Think there is enough to suggest that list management got emotional this year. I'd almost never accept that if Dodoro was in charge of the trade period that we'd have gone down the path we went down, it would have been clinical and we would have finished the list off via the draft instead of leaving ourselves with two live picks and a list spot short.
 
It wasn't an ideal situation this trade period thats for sure. I suspect any other year we'd have happily traded Howlett and Winderlich and anyone else rumoured to want a fresh start but the club thought that quashing suggestions of a walkout was more important. As a result maybe some guys like Gregory who should have had another year or so in the system to develop got cut instead.
 

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efcboy

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2007
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Essendon
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Was just perusing sportsbets odds for rising star and they had Gregory listed at $251. They obviously overlooked the fact he is no longer on an afl list! I rated Gregory in the u/18s and was happy we selected him with a view to him being a good long term key defender. Problem he faced is that we have hooker, Hurley and Carlisle who are all gun defenders with many years to come. If he'd stayed he would have been starved for opportunity in any case - hope he gets an opportunity elsewhere. A club like Carlton could use him
 
Could be the next Hartley? (As in taken early by afl, possibly not ready, delisted, fills out a bit plays VFL well and gets another chance)
Needs a big year. Wouldn't be surprised however, rated as a top 5 player at Coburg now that he's over his injuries (Groin problems 2015, Hammy last year).
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
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Assuming that he could get to Hartley's level as a VFL player I'd love to have him back on the list (though I doubt that he'd be interested given the way things ended). I doubt that he would struggle to get himself drafted.

196cm defenders who are complete gas and have the agility to genuinely play small are a rare commodity.

Good luck to him.
 

efcboy

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 2, 2007
10,176
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Essendon
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Assuming that he could get to Hartley's level as a VFL player I'd love to have him back on the list (though I doubt that he'd be interested given the way things ended). I doubt that he would struggle to get himself drafted.

196cm defenders who are complete gas and have the agility to genuinely play small are a rare commodity.

Good luck to him.

If no other afl club were interested in him I'd expect the past would be quickly forgotten if the club gave him a second chance. Nearly all the coaches involved at the time are no longer at the club in any case. From memory his old man had an issue with Thompson.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
21,620
28,992
AFL Club
Essendon
If no other afl club were interested in him I'd expect the past would be quickly forgotten if the club gave him a second chance. Nearly all the coaches involved at the time are no longer at the club in any case. From memory his old man had an issue with Thompson.


That's true.
 

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