News Harley Bennell - Ends at Freo in 2019

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A mate of mine got cut off at the bar once because he had dreadlocks. We had drunk the same amount (perhaps a bit more for me) and this bouncer was like: ā€œweā€™ve been watching youā€. My mate couldnā€™t have been more mild mannered.

Couldā€™ve happened that way for HB but I doubt it.
 

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Superkoops said:
Whilst I agree with your comments I couldnā€™t give a s#*t what E-girl supporters have to say. At the end of the day Harley needs to rock up to work on Mon fit and ready to go. Then get himself on the park playing decent AFL football.

On the 30th Dec he was with a group of mates (incl. apparently Matera) having a good time. They rocked up to CBH (strong E-girls hangout) and the group (incl. Harley) were asked to leave, which they promptly did. He then reportedly informed the club. Nothing story - waste of air-time. The only issue will be if he doesnā€™t rock up fit and ready to work on Mon.

He has been given one last chance with a 1-year contract in part due to the fact that he managed to play 10 WAFL games.

He needs to be playing AFL this coming season not WAFL. If his body breaks down preventing him from playing a decent no. of AFL games (>12 games) or he has further off field indiscretions impacting on his ability to train and play then goodbye.

He can start the year in the WAFL but if he does he needs to quickly progress to AFL. Also canā€™t afford 6-8 games of managed minutes where he sits on the pine for the majority of the 2nd half. Finally - I never want to see him paddling along on that scooter bicycle.
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Nobody is disputing he needs to be playing AFL this year. But, keep in mind we have players fully fit on our list that get contracts that struggle to get a game. Harley does not get a game because of injury. The good bloke, awesome team player and awesome off-field dude does not always get another another contract either. Ask Chris Mayne, Matt Deboar and Tendai for a few. We have quite a few blokes with less talent than these on our list at the moment still, but the argument of depth comes into it. So my point is, that if it is just the injury component, then if it is the clubs opinion that he can actually recover from it, it is worth a spot on the list. I am much more worried about his body than off-field indiscretions at this point.

I am also sure he has not gone out there trying to get injured so he can collect a pay check and stay in rehab. Not putting words in your mouth here, I am just saying all the info I am reading indicate that Harley is following his training program very closely and taking it very seriously.

You will get little objection from anyone if he does not manage 12 games this year. On top of this, you would hope most games missed are precautionary.
 
tonygeeks said:
Kinda agree but only now that Apeness has retired with him Bennell and at least 1 of Shill , Sandi or Fyfe on the injury list it was like we were running with 3 down from the start which was affecting our depth

Keeping him on the list is only a good decision if he gets back to playing some decent footy for us because you never know who could of come into that spot , there is a chance however slight that keeping Harley has cost us the chance to add a potential star to the list


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app
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"The chance to add a potential star to the list" is a bit of a stretch IMO. The last pick was taken in the late 70's, so many clubs passing on picks rather that taking them. Not saying it is not possible, but I am saying it is very unlikely
 
Frigate said:
"The chance to add a potential star to the list" is a bit of a stretch IMO. The last pick was taken in the late 70's, so many clubs passing on picks rather that taking them. Not saying it is not possible, but I am saying it is very unlikely
Click to expand...
I'm of the opposite opinion
I reckon the draft scratches the surface of the available talent & plenty of kids who could be stars miss out
 
yyou said:
I'm of the opposite opinion
I reckon the draft scratches the surface of the available talent & plenty of kids who could be stars miss out
Click to expand...

I like the thought and romanticism of it. But the reality is that each league jumps up significantly in demands and while one or two might find a way the year after, most are battling in the leagues, and doing very well, but it does not make them AFL players. Hey there yyou, the comments below are not intended as a rebuttal or anything like that - they are just discussion points, for the enjoyment of everyone - agree or disagree.

There are the outliers that have been picked from the 70+ range, but this is a rarity. I am not sure of the stats but I would think it would be around 1000-1 if that, that become stars from this level...if that. It is very very rare. Once a player shows the indicators that the selectors froth on, they are on the radar of most clubs. Someone will do the math and make me look silly here.

You have those that have the athleticism, but not the skill\ or smarts.
You have those that have the ability and not the mindset, you have those that have the interest and not the ability (athletically or skill or a combination of both). You have others that just can not handle the pressure. At Freo we have had all of the above.

We would have to measure the "genuine star" debate again. Is it playing 100 games? Winning an award, earning a Brownlow vote? Hard to measure. For me this is awesome, for others the measurement of a star becomes much more refined.

I have always said Harley Bennell is a genuine star. He just needs his body to co-operate :
1. Does he enjoy his footy? YES
2. Does he have the skill to be elite? YES
3. Athletically, is he in a top percentile? YES
4. Does he have footy smarts - ability to find the footy, read the play etc. ? Yes
5. If he was to play in the grade below, would he show best on ground performances? Yes (2018 many)
6. Does he have the mental capacity to train hard? Yes
7. Could he win a Brownlow? :) just having a laugh here- who gives a?

If you want to play finals footy, would you keep a player like this with the chance that he plays 12-15 games, and 3 of those he wins by been out there, or would you rather a 100-1 shot on a player that has "potential".

I choose Harley. I just hope his body is capable. I have seen him do things that are just outrageous.
A player from the old days was Luke Toia. He had all of the above, but he was nicknamed medicare. We never got to see the best of him. I recall the commentators saying he was balanced like a young Ablett (senior). Another was Morabito.

What is my point? Harley is the 100,000-1 player that we want. He happens to be on our list, and training, surely all we can hope for is the best - for his sake and mine, and other fans and FFC. If it fails, we miss a 1000-1 shot on a player that will most likely play one or two games and be delisted anyway. There is no salary cap issue here either.

I am on holiday and slightly drunk. Hopefully I have not offended anyone! Good night awesome Docker crew!
 
Frigate said:
I like the thought and romanticism of it. But the reality is that each league jumps up significantly in demands and while one or two might find a way the year after, most are battling in the leagues, and doing very well, but it does not make them AFL players. Hey there yyou, the comments below are not intended as a rebuttal or anything like that - they are just discussion points, for the enjoyment of everyone - agree or disagree.

There are the outliers that have been picked from the 70+ range, but this is a rarity. I am not sure of the stats but I would think it would be around 1000-1 if that, that become stars from this level...if that. It is very very rare. Once a player shows the indicators that the selectors froth on, they are on the radar of most clubs. Someone will do the math and make me look silly here.

You have those that have the athleticism, but not the skill\ or smarts.
You have those that have the ability and not the mindset, you have those that have the interest and not the ability (athletically or skill or a combination of both). You have others that just can not handle the pressure. At Freo we have had all of the above.

We would have to measure the "genuine star" debate again. Is it playing 100 games? Winning an award, earning a Brownlow vote? Hard to measure. For me this is awesome, for others the measurement of a star becomes much more refined.

I have always said Harley Bennell is a genuine star. He just needs his body to co-operate :
1. Does he enjoy his footy? YES
2. Does he have the skill to be elite? YES
3. Athletically, is he in a top percentile? YES
4. Does he have footy smarts - ability to find the footy, read the play etc. ? Yes
5. If he was to play in the grade below, would he show best on ground performances? Yes (2018 many)
6. Does he have the mental capacity to train hard? Yes
7. Could he win a Brownlow? :) just having a laugh here- who gives a?

If you want to play finals footy, would you keep a player like this with the chance that he plays 12-15 games, and 3 of those he wins by been out there, or would you rather a 100-1 shot on a player that has "potential".

I choose Harley. I just hope his body is capable. I have seen him do things that are just outrageous.
A player from the old days was Luke Toia. He had all of the above, but he was nicknamed medicare. We never got to see the best of him. I recall the commentators saying he was balanced like a young Ablett (senior). Another was Morabito.

What is my point? Harley is the 100,000-1 player that we want. He happens to be on our list, and training, surely all we can hope for is the best - for his sake and mine, and other fans and FFC. If it fails, we miss a 1000-1 shot on a player that will most likely play one or two games and be delisted anyway. There is no salary cap issue here either.

I am on holiday and slightly drunk. Hopefully I have not offended anyone! Good night awesome Docker crew!
Click to expand...
Hey Frigate
Great post & no offence taken.
I am only commenting on what I've seen.
I am certain there are many potential AFL quality players that miss out, but I am not for 1 second suggesting Harley not be on our list. He is potentially a top 5 player in the league type talent.
My point is merely that there are lots of quality players that miss out.
 
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