Grant Birchall returns after 2 years out...

[lickmerocks]

I thought Birch was running on rails by the end of 2016. Somehow finished 4th in the Crimmins Medal from memory, but he appeared to be struggling by the back end of that season & had lost mobility/agility.

That was the time to trade him, given whom else we traded that off-season & what we got for them.

In saying that, we didn’t & he remains a listed player, so I’m looking for a silver lining... If nothing else, his knee can’t have suffered further damage in the last 2 years, can it? He’s barely been on it.


I know he’s had numerous procedures, but is there any way that the break & rehab bring him back better than prior to injury or is it all about management now?

Management from here on. Final year of contract and I will be very surprised if he is on our list next season.

 

[FisherHawk]

There's an article in today's Mercury. "Hawk Grant Birchall eyeing early-season return after long injury lay-off". It's behind a paywall so I can't open it. Maybe a fluff piece but would be good to know what it's about.

 

[arupist]

There's an article in today's Mercury. "Hawk Grant Birchall eyeing early-season return after long injury lay-off". It's behind a paywall so I can't open it. Maybe a fluff piece but would be good to know what it's about.

Fluff piece. Feels great and looking forward to getting back. Thinks having the time off will prolong his career. Expecting a return early in the year but target date yet to be finalised.

 

[MrPremiership]

Say highly unlikely to be ready for Round 1

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Round 1 will turn into round 6 and so on and so forth until what we all know will happen

 

[MrPremiership]

Round 1 will turn into round 6 and so on and so forth until what we all know will happen

Or he could actually get right and play from Round 3 or 4.

Might even have a handy season.

 

[Snakelilbandit]

The article says he'll be back between round 4 and 8 I think.

Sent from my RNE-L02 using Tapatalk

 

[JoeHawk]

Must be so frustrating for him and the club. Sadly I can’t see Birch making much of an impact. If we don’t see him return by mid season I wouldn’t be surprised to see him calling it quits. Hope I’m wrong.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

Management from here on. Final year of contract and I will be very surprised if he is on our list next season.

Sadly this. Scrimshaw is the natural replacement if he makes the grade

 

[tige19]

Absolutely pathetic this whole scenario, only thing Birch has been doing is taking up 600k+ from our salary cap, he should have done the right thing and retired for the betterment of the club. Surely we could have worked out a severance and re-employed him in a development role? I don't give a rats arse that people say that he helped delivered us success, the footy club and its supporters has given him also a privileged lifestyle, the guy should have hung them up and allowed us to utilise that salary elsewhere.

 

[MrPremiership]

Absolutely pathetic this whole scenario, only thing Birch has been doing is taking up 600k+ from our salary cap, he should have done the right thing and retired for the betterment of the club. Surely we could have worked out a severance and re-employed him in a development role? I don't give a rats arse that people say that he helped delivered us success, the footy club and its supporters has given him also a privileged lifestyle, the guy should have hung them up and allowed us to utilise that salary elsewhere.

Why are we so quick to retire champions?
Give Birch one last year to get his body right, and if he does he could be around for 3-4 more years being that experienced A-grader we need in the backline.

If there is a replacement (like Scrimshaw) ready to take his spot, then he will take it, and Birch will ride off in the sunset. But there isn't any replacement ready.

 

[tige19]

Why are we so quick to retire champions?
Give Birch one last year to get his body right, and if he does he could be around for 3-4 more years being that experienced A-grader we need in the backline.

If there is a replacement (like Scrimshaw) ready to take his spot, then he will take it, and Birch will ride off in the sunset. But there isn't any replacement ready.

No way am I quick to retire champions but if they can't get on the park then they need to go, I'm not sure what we are gaining by now having a player not play for 2 years and take up a large portion of salary? If he could contribute then of course, he has a role to play, but the latest news is similar to what transpired last year, fake rubbish about him being close and it never eventuates, the fact he has had further surgery suggest he is rooted at least for the first half of the year.

 

[MrPremiership]

No way am I quick to retire champions but if they can't get on the park then they need to go

That's a contradiction. Lets just be patient?

NI'm not sure what we are gaining by now having a player not play for 2 years and take up a large portion of salary?

JOM played 6 games in 2017. Scully might not play this year. Birch isn't the only player getting paid not to play. Langford still on the list, Vickery was a master.

fake rubbish about him being close and it never eventuates, the fact he has had further surgery suggest he is rooted at least for the first half of the year.

Yep, its an issue, but he'll get right or won't in his own time. As soon as their is a suitable replacement then he loses his spot.
Fact is there isn't a replacement for him. Let's not compare Birchall to Scrimshaw who has proven nothing to date.

 

[TazHawk15]

Absolutely pathetic this whole scenario, only thing Birch has been doing is taking up 600k+ from our salary cap, he should have done the right thing and retired for the betterment of the club. Surely we could have worked out a severance and re-employed him in a development role? I don't give a rats arse that people say that he helped delivered us success, the footy club and its supporters has given him also a privileged lifestyle, the guy should have hung them up and allowed us to utilise that salary elsewhere.

Grow up.

 

[tige19]

Grow up.

I've done that and completely at ease with who I am

 

[tige19]

That's a contradiction. Lets just be patient?


JOM played 6 games in 2017. Scully might not play this year. Birch isn't the only player getting paid not to play. Langford still on the list, Vickery was a master.

Yep, its an issue, but he'll get right or won't in his own time. As soon as their is a suitable replacement then he loses his spot.
Fact is there isn't a replacement for him. Let's not compare Birchall to Scrimshaw who has proven nothing to date.

He hasn't been on the park for over 2 years, that is patient enough.

He is taking up a large proportion of salary cap, what for? leadership? Give him a role as a development coach.

Replacement? We made top 4 without him, he is hardly integral now is he? Stratts/Sic/Dimma are more than capable of covering him, Scrimshaw is in the wings and Impey has provided good run from the back line.

Facts are we could have used his salary to be stronger players in Free Agency, who knows if we offered Lynch $300k more than we did, could we have got him? Maybe, maybe not, but we'll never know.

He needs to get on the field, it's a total and complete waste having him sit for another season.

RE Scully - This was a measured recruitment, one that we gave very little up for and a risk worth taking on a guy in his prim.

RE Omera - The success of this trade is still to be played out but we recruited a 22/23 year old with potentially 10 years of footy left and in a position where we lack class, again a risk worth taking.

 

[MrPremiership]

He hasn't been on the park for over 2 years, that is patient enough.

He is taking up a large proportion of salary cap, what for? leadership? Give him a role as a development coach.

Replacement? We made top 4 without him, he is hardly integral now is he? Stratts/Sic/Dimma are more than capable of covering him, Scrimshaw is in the wings and Impey has provided good run from the back line.

Facts are we could have used his salary to be stronger players in Free Agency, who knows if we offered Lynch $300k more than we did, could we have got him? Maybe, maybe not, but we'll never know.

He needs to get on the field, it's a total and complete waste having him sit for another season.

RE Scully - This was a measured recruitment, one that we gave very little up for and a risk worth taking on a guy in his prim.

RE Omera - The success of this trade is still to be played out but we recruited a 22/23 year old with potentially 10 years of footy left and in a position where we lack class, again a risk worth taking.

He played 5 games in 2017 and missed a lot due to a broken jaw. Hardly his fault or issue with his body.

None of the players you mentioned play Birch's role. Not hard to see why we've had trouble with ball movement since Birch has been missing.

We've recruited a lot players in the last 2 years....so Birch's salary hasn't hurt us there. We offered crazy dollars to Lynch so the money is there.

If we can afford new recruits time on the sideline to get their body right, we can give that to one of our A-graders, especially in a time where we don't have many A-graders.

 

[TylerDurden]

I get the teeth gnashing here. Frustrating for all.

But Scrim ain’t ready. Neither is Miles. Burger’s last year.

If Birch is ready for r5 v Cats, then he plays. He makes us a better side, immediately.

 

[Milkshaker]

Birch has been pretty durable up until 2017. Whilst not knowing the ins and out of his knee problem it looks like the club and Birch have been pretty confident he can get back to play. If his knee was completely shot you would think Birch would have been given this advice by now rather than consistently persisting with training, in vain.

 

[Dave Id]

Peter Hudson says "Hi".

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Peter Hudson says "Hi".

Give him my regards.

 

[Dave Id]

Unfortunately Huddo is not a fan of rushed behinds.

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

Absolutely pathetic this whole scenario, only thing Birch has been doing is taking up 600k+ from our salary cap, he should have done the right thing and retired for the betterment of the club. Surely we could have worked out a severance and re-employed him in a development role? I don't give a rats arse that people say that he helped delivered us success, the footy club and its supporters has given him also a privileged lifestyle, the guy should have hung them up and allowed us to utilise that salary elsewhere.

The club in recent times has had no problems showing players the door when the times right. Some club champions who probably could have squeezed out another season..
I’m happy to give the club the benefit of the doubt, if they believe Birch still has something to offer then so be it.
Although yes, the writing will be on the wall if he hasn’t appeared on the park at some stage this season.

 

[StillAtLarge]

I saw a quick interview with Birch on c7 tonight, he seemed pretty confident that he'd be right to go early in the season. It didn't look like someone trying to convince himself of something, there was genuine belief there

 

[Lotus]

I saw a quick interview with Birch on c7 tonight, he seemed pretty confident that he'd be right to go early in the season. It didn't look like someone trying to convince himself of something, there was genuine belief there

Must be this one.