Autopsy Brisbane Lions: Top 5 Whipping Boys

[3KZ is Football]

There is no doubt that the off season gives us all time to ponder the really important things in life. For me, this means the creation of highly subjective lists as a way of passing the time. Now we all have our favourite topics, but for me over the nearly 50 or so years that I have been following VFL / AFL, there is nothing that gets me going like a good discussion about club whipping boys. We all have them, those players we fixate on, the blokes we love to hate and here are my top five. Feel free to share.

1. Sam Sheldon:
A complete spud who might have slipped under the radar if it wasn't for all the people putting air into his tyres while Vossie was giving him a regular game.

2. Travis Johnstone:
Travis had much vaunted silky skills but he was also not a big fan of hard running. Some people interpreted this as laziness.

3. Tom Collier:
A genuine spud who could be counted on to trip over his own feet or drop a sitter at a clutch moment.

4. Justin Sherman:
Dumb as the day was long. He wouldn't have had a touch, we would be losing by 80 points and he would get a junk time goal, which he would then celebrate like he'd just kicked the sealer in the Grand Final.

5. Daniel Merrett
Club Stalwart (tick). Courageous (tick). Limited but at times highly effective Full Back (tick) Worst Full Forward in club history (tick).

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Jason Roe anyone?

 

[snooplions]

6. Mitch Golby
If there was ever a player in our team that caused me to cringe more than when Golby got the ball, there wasn't.
Gotta give him a pat on the back for consistency though, never seen a player kick the ball out of bounds on the full so many times in almost identical situations. Teased us in 2013, but dropped the ball completely thereafter.

 

[joshhem]

Didn't Polks mow your lawn enough times to get selected in your squad?

 

[3KZ is Football]

Jason Roe anyone?

Yep, I'm paying that one. He had a big heart, but an equally well developed capacity to utensil things up at key moments. A couple of mates I used to go to ganmes with had him high on their list of "go to players to blame when the wheels start to fall off."

 

[3KZ is Football]

Didn't Polks mow your lawn enough times to get selected in your squad?

I had granted Polkinghorne a get out of Whipping Boy Status Free Card that I think he earned when he kicked the winning torp from the middle in the dying seconds of the famous victory over West Coast. That said, many people seemed to think he needed a deck of them to make up for alleged deficiencies.

Justin Sherman on the other hand...

 

[knaf]

3 KZ, I like the concept but not necessarily the players you have nominated, though a couple it is hard to argue against. What ever happened to the bloke Hawksley was it?

I'll get back to you with a list after I haven't given this important question some thought.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Yep, I'm paying that one. He had a big heart, but an equally well developed capacity to utensil things up at key moments. A couple of mates I used to go to ganmes with had him high on their list of "go to players to blame when the wheels start to fall off."

My lasting memory of Jason is in about 2008-09 or thereabouts, against the Pies at the G, ball goes up high in the defensive 50, Roe is all alone, and drops an absolute sitter of a chest mark, giving up an easy goal to the Pies.

Just an embarrassing moment for all onlookers

 

[3KZ is Football]

3 KZ, I like the concept but not necessarily the players you have nominated, though a couple it is hard to argue against. What ever happened to the bloke Hawksley was it?

I'll get back to you with a list after I haven't given this important question some thought.

Hawksley will surely be on many lists, just not mine.

 

[pod17]

Dylan McLaren. With all due respect paid to the previous suggestions, I ask you has there been a worse player to pull on a Lions Guernsey? He would be a
contender for the worst player ever drafted league wide! Hands like a digital watch, a running style like a newborn giraffe and less than half the football iq of Colm Begley and Michael Quinn combined. The sole reason for the 2004 grand final loss! What's worse is that a second club was crazy enough to sigh him!

 

[3KZ is Football]

Aaron Cornelius was another classic whipping boy, but I actually thought he was OK. Same with Bryce Retzlaff.

 

[blynd_freddie]

I too like the concept - maybe add drafted number and career games played. How many games should be a minimum?

Recruiters obviously saw potential for them to earn a spot eg. Spandermaan drafted at #18 [a second rounder] gains a spot in your top 5 but surely three games is not enough to be branded whipping boy status?

 

[Last of the Roys]

How about this for a trip down memory lane - Tristan Lynch!!!

After the merger he was my number one whipping boy for the first couple of years. I just never really understood why he was getting a game

 

[SizeMatters]

Chris Schmidt. Essentially we traded Aker for this bloke and he was a complete spud.

 

[M Malice]

Aaron Cornelius was another classic whipping boy, but I actually thought he was OK. Same with Bryce Retzlaff.

saw the thread, went through the posts and these were the same 2 i was going to nominate. cornelius could really clunk a mark when on, but alas as with a lot of draftees, consistency, desire and willingness to work hard is the issue. there was something about retzlaff i liked, saw glimpses, yes very few of them but it never happened for him either. if AFL level was easy, hell i'd be playing.

 

[SizeMatters]

I'm going to have a feeling Bell might be a whipping boy...

 

[M Malice]

another one. played some really good footy over his career but tim notting frustrated me at times with his ball use.

 

[lion4life]

Surely Polks has ownership of this thread.

I remember the constant jokes about him mowing Vossy's lawn to get a game

 

[Last of the Roys]

I have thought of another old favourite whipping boy of mine - Matthew Moody!

Although anyone can be a whipping boy to begin with. I remember early after the merger my Mum would often give a bit of stick to Nigel Lappin when things weren't going our way ("Nigel, you're playing like a Nigel"!!!).

 

[CarloLion]

Cheynee Stiller and Troy Selwood used to cop their fair quota of whipping. Both played quite a few games though. Cheynee even cracked the 100!

 

[Skoob]

There is no doubt that the off season gives us all time to ponder the really important things in life. For me, this means the creation of highly subjective lists as a way of passing the time. Now we all have our favourite topics, but for me over the nearly 50 or so years that I have been following VFL / AFL, there is nothing that gets me going like a good discussion about club whipping boys. We all have them, those players we fixate on, the blokes we love to hate and here are my top five. Feel free to share.

1. Sam Sheldon:
A complete spud who might have slipped under the radar if it wasn't for all the people putting air into his tyres while Vossie was giving him a regular game.

2. Travis Johnstone:
Travis had much vaunted silky skills but he was also not a big fan of hard running. Some people interpreted this as laziness.

3. Tom Collier:
A genuine spud who could be counted on to trip over his own feet or drop a sitter at a clutch moment.

4. Llane Spaanderman
Classic list clogger. Having drafted him, at least Leigh Matthews saw sense and only gave him 3 games.

5. Daniel Merrett
Club Stalwart (tick). Courageous (tick). Limited but at times highly effective Full Back (tick) Worst Full Forward in club history (tick).

Hate to point out the obvious, and as an educator, you would be aware, that a "whipping boy" much the same as a scapegoat, is someone who cops criticism/blame when they are not at fault.
Much of your list there were well deserving of the criticism that came their way. I'm not sure they are "whipping boys".

 

[Leemas]

Unpopular but he's adcock has been a constant whipping boy for myself and friends.

 

[3KZ is Football]

I too like the concept - maybe add drafted number and career games played. How many games should be a minimum?

Recruiters obviously saw potential for them to earn a spot eg. Spandermaan drafted at #18 [a second rounder] gains a spot in your top 5 but surely three games is not enough to be branded whipping boy status?

I tend to go early and stay true.

 

[blynd_freddie]

I tend to go early and stay true.

Once the dead cat bounce of PC returns to a realistic level might have to nominate you as a top 5 'whipping boy' poster then if you are to stay true on your 3 gamer call.


/post filled with sarcasm

 

[CarloLion]

Hate to point out the obvious, and as an educator, you would be aware, that a "whipping boy" much the same as a scapegoat, is someone who cops criticism/blame when they are not at fault.
Much of your list there were well deserving of the criticism that came their way. I'm not sure they are "whipping boys".

Controversial. Close the thread, the premise is incorrect!!!